Mariano Rivera holds the all-time record for most career saves, with 652 accumulated over his 19-year career with the New York Yankees.
Rivera has held the record since 2011, when he surpassed Trevor Hoffman‘s then-record of 601 saves.
Hoffman, in turn, had taken control of the top spot when he surpassed Lee Smith‘s total of 478 saves in 2006.
Smith was the first man to save 400 games, nabbing the top slot from Jeff Reardon in 1993.
Here is the progression of the saves record since 1871:
- 1871 Harry Wright (3 saves)
- 1872 Harry Wright (7)
- 1873 Harry Wright (11)
- 1874 Harry Wright (14)
- 1894 Tony Mullane (15)
- 1899 Tony Mullane and Kid Nichols (15)
- 1904 Kid Nichols (16)
- 1907 Joe McGinnity (19)
- 1908 Joe McGinnity (24)
- 1910 Mordecai Brown (26)
- 1911 Mordecai Brown (39)
- 1913 Mordecai Brown (45)
- 1915 Mordecai Brown (49)
- 1926 Firpo Marberry (53)
- 1927 Firpo Marberry (61)
- 1928 Firpo Marberry (63)
- 1929 Firpo Marberry (72)
- 1930 Firpo Marberry (73)
- 1931 Firpo Marberry (81)
- 1932 Firpo Marberry (94)
- 1933 Firpo Marberry (96)
- 1934 Firpo Marberry (99)
- 1946 Johnny Murphy (104)
- 1947 Johnny Murphy (107)
- 1962 Roy Face (118)
- 1963 Roy Face (134)
- 1964 Hoyt Wilhelm (146)
- 1965 Hoyt Wilhelm (167)
- 1966 Hoyt Wilhelm (173)
- 1967 Hoyt Wilhelm (185)
- 1968 Hoyt Wilhelm (197)
- 1969 Hoyt Wilhelm (211)
- 1970 Hoyt Wilhelm (224)
- 1971 Hoyt Wilhelm (227)
- 1972 Hoyt Wilhelm (228)
- 1980 Rollie Fingers (244)
- 1981 Rollie Fingers (272)
- 1982 Rollie Fingers (301)
- 1984 Rollie Fingers (324)
- 1985 Rollie Fingers (341)
- 1992 Jeff Reardon (357)
- 1993 Lee Smith (401)
- 1994 Lee Smith (434)
- 1995 Lee Smith (471)
- 1996 Lee Smith (473)
- 1997 Lee Smith (478)
- 2006 Trevor Hoffman (482)
- 2007 Trevor Hoffman (524)
- 2008 Trevor Hoffman (554)
- 2009 Trevor Hoffman (591)
- 2010 Trevor Hoffman (601)
- 2011 Mariano Rivera (603)
- 2012 Mariano Rivera (608)
- 2013 Mariano Rivera (652)
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