MLB: Top 20 closers in Major League Baseball history
Career Statistics:
- Games: 703
- Saves: 358
- Won-Loss Record: 35-43
- ERA: 3.17
- ERA+: 146
- FIP: 3.87
- WHIP: 1.108
- Innings: 708.2
- Strikeouts: 781
- Strikeout Percentage: 26.8%
- All-Star Appearances: 4
- World Series Championships: 1
- Awards: None
Many closers begin their careers as starting pitchers but, because they throw hard enough or can’t quite cut it for the starting rotation, will find a home in the bullpen. Troy Percival, like a few others on this list, began his pro career as a position player. Luckily, after the former sixth round draft pick hit .203 as a catcher in Single-A, the Angels gave him a shot on the mound.
Four years later, Percival joined the big league bullpen and finished fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 1.95 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 74 innings as a middle reliever. The following season the hard-throwing right-hander took over as the team’s closer and made his first All-Star team. In 14 big league seasons, the former catcher piled up 358 career saves, which ranks ninth all-time.
As one of a rare group of pitchers to accomplish it, the greatest moment of Percival’s career was his save in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series. Percival’s playoff performance was even more remarkable that that singular performance because he saved six other games as well, becoming just the second player in history to do so.
Next: 15. Joe Nathan