Lee Smith

Lee Smith was baseball’s all-time saves leader before being surpassed by Hoffman and Rivera. He finished with 478 saves across nearly 1,300 relief innings. His 3.03 ERA came during high-offense environments in the 1980s and 1990s. Smith led the league in saves four times. He combined durability with power stuff. His strikeout totals exceeded 1,200. Smith remained effective into his late 30s. While not defined by postseason heroics, his regular season consistency was impressive. Longevity and accumulation firmly establish him among the all-time great closers.