Game over: These closers have the most saves

It takes a special type of athlete to be a successful closer in the big leagues. They observe the game from their perch in the bullpen, waiting hours for their chance to do their simple yet absolutely crucial job: Come in with the game on the line in the ninth to record often the most pressure-packed outs of the night and pick up the save.

Here are the eight pitchers in MLB history who have been credited with at least 400 saves. We've also made some room to recognize those who are just shy of that lofty total.

No one signaled doom for the opposing team more than these relief aces.

1) Mariano Rivera: 652
400th save: July 16, 2006
To say Rivera is the greatest closer ever because he owns the most saves is overly simplistic. His 205 ERA+ is the all-time best – by a gigantic margin. A 13-time All-Star, he spent 18 years exclusively in the Yankees’ bullpen and finished only one season with an ERA above 3.00. And that above total doesn’t account for Rivera's otherworldly postseason dominance. In 2019, Rivera became the first player elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

2) Trevor Hoffman: 601
400th save: May 6, 2005
Hoffman entered Cooperstown one year before Rivera. Baffling opponents with his vanishing changeup, the longtime Padres closer notched at least 30 saves in 14 of his 18 big league seasons. He was at his peak in 1998, when he saved 53 games, produced a 1.48 ERA over 73 frames and finished second in the NL Cy Young voting. Hoffman was with the Brewers in 2010 when he became the first pitcher to reach the 600-save plateau.

3) Lee Smith: 478
400th save: Sept. 17, 1993
Smith’s career saves total stood as the AL/NL record for nine years after he retired; Hoffman broke it in 2006. A 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, Smith was involved in the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry for the majority of his 18-year career and contributed more than 150 saves for each side. His best season came with St. Louis in 1991 as he registered a then-NL record 47 saves and was the runner-up for the Cy Young Award.

4) Kenley Jansen: 447
400th save: May 10, 2023
Jansen picked up his 400th career save at Truist Park, sealing a win over one of his former teams in Atlanta. He averaged 30 saves a year across 13 seasons with the Dodgers and Braves before signing with the Red Sox prior to the 2023 season. Jansen posted a career-high 47 saves with the Dodgers in 2016 and led the National League twice with 41 in 2017 and 2022.

5) Craig Kimbrel: 440
400th save: May 26, 2023
Kimbrel picked up his 400th career save in Atlanta against his former team. He pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Phillies, retiring Ronald Acu?a Jr. on a groundout to preserve the win. Kimbrel debuted with the Braves in 2010 and led the National League in saves for each of the next four seasons, averaging more than 46 saves per year during that span. In 2024 with the Orioles -- his eighth team -- Kimbrel saved 23 games.

6) Francisco Rodríguez: 437
400th save: May 24, 2016
Rodríguez made baseball history on Sept. 13, 2008, when he saved his 58th game, surpassing a single-season mark held by Bobby Thigpen for 18 years. K-Rod ended that 2008 with 62 saves, which remains the record. That was Rodríguez's final year with the Angels, but he would go on to rack up 229 saves over the next nine seasons with the Mets, Brewers and Tigers.

7) John Franco: 424
400th save: April 14, 1999
A 21-year MLB veteran, Franco reached 30 saves eight times and paced the National League in saves thrice. After clearing that mark for the Reds in each season from 1987-89, Franco was dealt to the Mets, with whom he would save 276 games over the next 15 years. His 424 saves are the most by a left-hander, just ahead of the man in eighth place.

8) Billy Wagner: 422
400th save: June 25, 2010
Wagner grew up throwing right-handed, but he became one of the most dominant closers of his era as a fireballing southpaw. His 1999 campaign with Houston was one to remember: 124 K’s in 74 2/3 innings, 39 saves and a 1.57 ERA. He recorded 35 saves with four different franchises (Astros, Phillies, Mets and Braves), and topped out at 44 saves with Houston in 2003.

Honorable mentions

Dennis Eckersley: 390 saves
An effective starter during his 20s, Eckersley recorded all but three of his saves after his age-31 season. He won the AL Cy Young and MVP in 1992 as he saved 51 games for the A’s. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.

Joe Nathan: 377 saves
Nathan was a late bloomer as well; he didn’t become a full-time closer until he was 29 years old in 2004. He then collected at least 35 saves in nine of his next 10 seasons.

Jonathan Papelbon: 368 saves
Papelbon topped 30 saves eight times. He finished 10 of his 12 seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA and made six All-Star teams.

Jeff Reardon: 367 saves
Reardon had a 40-save season with three teams – the Expos (1985), Twins (1988) and Red Sox (1991).

Troy Percival: 358 saves
Rodríguez's predecessor with the Angels, Percival is the franchise’s leader with 316 saves.