# 300 save club

In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 300 save club is the group of pitchers who have recorded 300 or more regular-season saves in their careers. Most commonly a relief pitcher ("reliever" or "closer") earns a save by being the final pitcher of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and pitching at least one inning without losing the lead. The final pitcher of a game can earn a save by getting at least one batter out to end the game with the tying run on base, at bat, or on deck, or by pitching the last three innings without relinquishing the lead, regardless of score. The statistic was created by Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to "measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers" and was adopted as an official statistic by MLB in 1969. The save has been retroactively measured for past pitchers where applicable. Hoyt Wilhelm retired in 1972 and recorded just 31 saves from 1969 onwards, for example, but holds 228 total career saves.
Mariano Rivera holds the MLB save record with 652. Only Rivera and Trevor Hoffman have exceeded 500 or 600 saves, and Hoffman was the first to achieve either. Only eight pitchers have recorded 400 or more saves: Rivera, Hoffman, Lee Smith, Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Francisco Rodríguez, John Franco, and Billy Wagner.
Rollie Fingers was the first player to record 300 saves, reaching the mark on August 21, 1982. Aroldis Chapman is the most recent, achieving his 300th on August 26, 2021. The New York Mets are the only franchise to see three players reach the milestone while on their roster—John Franco, Billy Wagner, and Jason Isringhausen. In total, 31 players have recorded 300 or more saves in their career. Only nine relievers – Dennis Eckersley, Fingers, Goose Gossage, Hoffman, Rivera, Smith, Bruce Sutter, Wagner, and Wilhelm – have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; all but Wilhelm also have at least 300 saves. Jansen, Kimbrel, and Chapman are the only active players with more than 300 saves.

## Key

| Player | Name of the player |
| SV | Total career saves |
| Date | Date of the pitcher's 300th save |
| Team | The pitcher's team for his 300th save |
| † | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| ‡ | Player is active |

## List

* Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
| Player | SV | 300th save | 300th save | Years active | Ref(s) |
| Player | SV | Date | Team | Years active | Ref(s) |
| Mariano Rivera$^†$ | 652 | May 28, 2004 | New York Yankees | 1995–2013 | |
| Trevor Hoffman$^†$ | 601 | August 15, 2001 | San Diego Padres | 1993–2010 | |
| Lee Smith$^†$ | 478 | August 25, 1991 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1980–1997 | |
| Kenley Jansen$^‡$ | 447 | September 25, 2019 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2010–present | |
| Craig Kimbrel$^‡$ | 440 | May 5, 2018 | Boston Red Sox | 2010–present | |
| Francisco Rodríguez | 437 | June 22, 2013 | Milwaukee Brewers | 2002–2017 | |
| John Franco | 424 | April 29, 1996 | New York Mets | 1984–2005 | |
| Billy Wagner$^†$ | 422 | July 4, 2006 | New York Mets | 1995–2010 | |
| Dennis Eckersley$^†$ | 390 | May 24, 1995 | Oakland Athletics | 1975–1998 | |
| Joe Nathan | 377 | April 8, 2013 | Texas Rangers | 1999–2000, 2002–2009, 2011–2016 | |
| Jonathan Papelbon | 368 | June 10, 2014 | Philadelphia Phillies | 2005–2016 | |
| Jeff Reardon | 367 | May 20, 1991 | Boston Red Sox | 1979–1994 | |
| Troy Percival | 358 | July 28, 2004 | Anaheim Angels | 1995–2005, 2007–2009 | |
| Randy Myers | 347 | July 1, 1997 | Baltimore Orioles | 1985–1998 | |
| Rollie Fingers$^†$ | 341 | August 21, 1982 | Milwaukee Brewers | 1968–1985 | |
| Aroldis Chapman$^‡$ | 335 | August 26, 2021 | New York Yankees | 2010–present | |
| John Wetteland | 330 | May 12, 2000 | Texas Rangers | 1989–2000 | |
| Francisco Cordero | 329 | June 1, 2011 | Cincinnati Reds | 1999–2012 | |
| Fernando Rodney | 327 | September 22, 2017 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 2002–2003, 2005–2019 | |
| Roberto Hernández | 326 | May 25, 2002 | Kansas City Royals | 1991–2007 | |
| Huston Street | 324 | July 22, 2015 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 2005–2017 | |
| José Mesa | 321 | April 27, 2005 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1987, 1990–2007 | |
| Todd Jones | 319 | September 16, 2007 | Detroit Tigers | 1993–2008 | |
| Rick Aguilera | 318 | June 2, 2000 | Chicago Cubs | 1985–2000 | |
| Robb Nen | 314 | August 6, 2002 | San Francisco Giants | 1993–2002 | |
| Tom Henke | 311 | August 18, 1995 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1982–1995 | |
| Goose Gossage$^†$ | 310 | August 6, 1988 | Chicago Cubs | 1972–1989, 1991–1994 | |
| Jeff Montgomery | 304 | August 25, 1999 | Kansas City Royals | 1987–1999 | |
| Doug Jones | 303 | September 11, 1999 | Oakland Athletics | 1982–2000 | |
| Jason Isringhausen | 300 | August 15, 2011 | New York Mets | 1995–2012 | |
| Bruce Sutter$^†$ | 300 | September 9, 1988 | Atlanta Braves | 1976–1986, 1988 | |