What is SV in Baseball?
Saves · Pitching
A save (SV) is credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team while protecting a lead, provided they meet at least one of the following conditions: they enter with a lead of three or fewer runs and pitch at least one inning; they enter with the tying run on base, at bat, or on deck; or they pitch three or more effective innings regardless of the score situation.
Formula
SV = Awarded when finisher protects lead under official save conditions
A closer who enters in the ninth inning with a three-run lead and retires the side earns a save. A pitcher who enters with the bases loaded and the tying run on deck in the seventh inning and records the final six outs can also earn a save, even if the lead grows while they pitch.
Benchmarks
| Level | SV |
|---|---|
| Elite (season) | 45+ |
| Excellent (season) | 35–44 |
| Solid (season) | 25–34 |
| Average (season) | 15–24 |
| Hall of Fame (career) | 300+ |
ALL-TIME CAREER SV LEADERS
| Rank | Player | SV |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mariano Rivera | 652 |
| 2 | Trevor Hoffman | 601 |
| 3 | Kenley Jansen | 481 |
| 4 | Lee Smith | 478 |
| 5 | Craig Kimbrel | 440 |
| 6 | Francisco Rodriguez | 437 |
| 7 | John Franco | 424 |
| 8 | Billy Wagner | 422 |
| 9 | Dennis Eckersley | 390 |
| 10 | Joe Nathan | 377 |
BEST SINGLE-SEASON SV IN MLB HISTORY
| Rank | Player | Year | Team | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francisco Rodriguez | 2008 | LAA | 62 |
| 2 | Edwin Diaz | 2018 | SEA | 57 |
| 3 | Bobby Thigpen | 1990 | CHW | 57 |
| 4 | Eric Gagne | 2003 | LAD | 55 |
| 5 | John Smoltz | 2002 | ATL | 55 |
| 6 | Trevor Hoffman | 1998 | SDP | 53 |
| 7 | Randy Myers | 1993 | CHC | 53 |
| 8 | Mariano Rivera | 2004 | NYY | 53 |
| 9 | Eric Gagne | 2002 | LAD | 52 |
| 10 | Rod Beck | 1998 | CHC | 51 |
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The save was not an official MLB statistic until 1969, when it was first formalized. Jerome Holtzman, a Chicago sportswriter, invented the save concept in the 1950s to give relief pitchers a meaningful performance metric.
The modern closer role emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, with teams increasingly reserving their best reliever for ninth-inning save situations. This "closer by committee" strategy gave way to the dedicated ninth-inning closer, a role that defined the careers of Dennis Eckersley, John Franco, and Lee Smith.
Mariano Rivera is widely considered the greatest closer in baseball history. He holds the all-time career save record with 652 saves, and his cut fastball made him nearly unhittable for two decades with the New York Yankees. Rivera was the first player ever elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame (2019).
Modern analytics have questioned whether the specialized ninth-inning closer role is the optimal use of a team's best reliever. Research suggests that using elite relievers in the highest-leverage situations — which may occur in the seventh or eighth inning — creates more value than holding them for a clean ninth. Despite this, the closer role remains a well-defined position.
ERA COMPARISON: HOW THE LEAGUE AVERAGE HAS SHIFTED
The save was not an official stat until 1969. Since then, average saves per team per season have risen as the closer role became more specialized and defined.
| Era | Years | Avg SV/Team/Season |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-closer era | pre-1969 | N/A |
| 1970s | 1970–1979 | 25 |
| 1980s | 1980–1989 | 30 |
| Steroid Era | 1990–2005 | 34 |
| Post-Steroid Era | 2006–2015 | 39 |
| Analytics Era | 2016–2019 | 40 |
| Modern Era | 2020–2024 | 35 |
Average saves per team per 162-game season. The dedicated closer role became standard in the 1980s; recent openers and bullpen usage patterns have reduced clean save opportunities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is SV in baseball?
A save (SV) is credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team while protecting a lead, provided they meet at least one of the following conditions: they enter with a lead of three or fewer runs and pitch at least one inning; they enter with the tying run on base, at bat, or on deck; or they pitch three or more effective innings regardless of the score situation.
How is SV calculated?
Saves are assigned by the official scorer based on the conditions at the time the reliever enters the game and the final outcome. A pitcher cannot earn a save if they are the winning pitcher (they earn the win instead). The save rule has evolved since its introduction — the modern definition was formalized in 1975.
What is a good SV in baseball?
In the modern era, 30+ saves in a season indicates a reliably deployed closer; 40+ is excellent; 50+ is elite. Career saves above 300 reflect extraordinary longevity and consistency as a closer. Save totals depend heavily on opportunity — a great reliever on a bad team will have fewer save chances than an average reliever on a great team.
Who has the most career saves in MLB history?
Mariano Rivera holds the all-time career saves record with 652, followed by Trevor Hoffman (601), Lee Smith (478), Francisco Rodriguez (437), and John Franco (424). Rivera is also the only pitcher ever elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
What is a blown save?
A blown save (BS) is recorded when a pitcher enters a game in a save situation but fails to preserve the lead — either by allowing the tying or go-ahead run to score. Save percentage (SV%) measures how often a closer successfully converts save opportunities and is a better gauge of reliability than raw save totals alone.
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