In baseball, a save occurs when a pitcher finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully completed, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers. It first became an official MLB statistic in 1969.

Usage

In baseball statistics, the term save (abbreviated SV) is used to indicate the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closer, until the end of the game. A save is a statistic credited to a relief pitcher, as set forth in Rule 10.19 of the Rules of Baseball. That rule states

The official scorer shall credit a pitcher with a save when such pitcher meets all four of the following conditions:

:(1) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his team;

:(2) He is not the winning pitcher;

:(3) He is credited with at least a third of an inning pitched; and

:(4) He satisfies one of the following conditions:

::(a) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches at least one inning;

::(b) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat or on deck; or

::(c) He pitches for at least three innings.

If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, but he may be credited as the winning pitcher if his team comes back to win (a so-called vulture win). No more than one save may be credited in each game.

If a relief pitcher satisfies all of the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with a hold.

Save rules have changed over the years; the above rules are taken from the Official Baseball Rules 2007.

The save is defined in Section 10.19 of Major League Baseball Official Rules. The statistic was formally introduced in 1970, although research has identified saves earned prior to that point.

A blown save (abbreviated BS or B) is charged to a pitcher who enters a game in a situation which permits him to earn a save (a 'save situation'), but who instead allows the tying run to score. Note that if the tying run was scored by a runner who was already on base when the new pitcher entered the game, that new pitcher will be charged with a blown save even though the run (and earned run) will not be charged to the new pitcher, but rather to the pitcher who allowed that runner to reach base.

If that same pitcher also allows the winning run to reach base and score, as with any other similar situation, if his team does not come back to win the game, said pitcher will be charged with both the loss and a 'blown save.' The blown save is not an officially recognized statistic, but many sources keep track of them. Blown saves have been tracked since 1988. Once a pitcher blows a save, he is no longer eligible to earn a save in that game (since the lead that he was trying to "save" has disappeared), although he can earn a win if his team regains the lead. For this reason, most closers' records include few wins. Closers make the majority of their appearances with their team ahead, so a loss usually includes a blown save.

If a pitcher enters a game in a save situation (for a team leading by three runs or fewer) in an inning which is not the last (e.g. in a regulation 9-inning home game, pitching the top of the 8th), and his team later scores one or more run(s) to extend their lead beyond three runs, then as long as the same pitcher pitches until the end of the game, he is still credited with the save. As the various roles of relief pitchers have changed since the 1960s, closers who often pitch two or more innings have become increasingly rare; although exceptions remain.

A pitcher also cannot create his own save situation. For instance, if he enters the game with a lead too large for a save, he would not make himself eligible for a save by surrendering enough runs to contract the lead to within save range. It must be a save situation when he enters the game, or he will not be able to earn one.

A notable occurrence of the '3 innings pitched' save scenario is the save earned by Wes Littleton in the Texas Rangers' 30-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles on August 22, 2007. Wes Littleton entered the game in the 7th inning, when the Rangers had a 14-3 lead. The Rangers subsequently scored an additional 16 runs, resulting in the final 27-run margin. However, despite the final score of the game, because Wes Littleton pitched the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings, he was credited with the save (giving up only two hits and no runs in the process).

Save leaders in Major League Baseball

Bold denotes active players.

* denotes left-handed pitchers.

300-career-saves club

(through Sept. 29, 2007)

Rank	Player	Saves	Team(s)	Year(s)
1	Trevor Hoffman	524	Florida, San Diego	1993-
2	Lee Smith	478	Chicago (NL), Boston, St. Louis (NL), New York (AL), Baltimore, California, Cincinnati, Montréal	1980-97
3	Mariano Rivera	443	New York (AL)	1995-
4	John Franco*	424	Cincinnati, New York (NL), Houston	1984-2005
5	Dennis Eckersley	390	Cleveland, Boston, Chicago (NL), Oakland, St. Louis (NL)	1975-98
6	Jeff Reardon	367	New York (NL), Montréal, Minnesota, Boston, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York (AL)	1979-94
7	Billy Wagner*	358	Houston, Philadelphia (NL), New York (NL)	1995-
8	Randy Myers*	347	New York (NL), Cincinnati, San Diego, Chicago (NL), Baltimore, Toronto	1985-98
9	Rollie Fingers	341	Oakland, San Diego, Milwaukee	1968-85-
10	John Wetteland	330	Los Angeles, Montréal, New York (AL), Texas	1989-2000
11	Roberto Hernández	326	Chicago (AL), San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia (NL), New York (NL), Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Los Angeles	1991-
12	Troy Percival	324	California/Anaheim, Detroit, St. Louis (NL)	1995-2005, 2007-
13	José Mesa	321	Baltimore, Cleveland, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia (NL), Pittsburgh, Colorado, Detroit, Philadelphia (NL)	1987, 1990-
14	Rick Aguilera	318	New York (NL), Minnesota, Boston, Chicago (NL)	1985-2000
15	Robb Nen	314	Texas, Florida, San Francisco	1993-2002
16	Tom Henke	311	Texas, Toronto, St. Louis (NL)	1982-95
17	Rich “Goose” Gossage	310	Chicago (AL), Pittsburgh, New York (AL), San Diego, Chicago (NL), San Francisco, Texas, Oakland, Seattle	1972-94
18	Jeff Montgomery	304	Cincinnati, Kansas City	1987-99
19	Doug Jones	303	Milwaukee, Cleveland, Houston, Philadelphia (NL), Baltimore, Chicago (NL), Oakland	1982, 1986-2000
20	Todd Jones	301	Houston, Detroit, Minnesota, Colorado, Boston, Colorado, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Florida, Detroit	1993-
21	Bruce Sutter	300	Chicago (NL), St. Louis (NL), Atlanta	1976-1986, 1988

Single season

Rank	Player	Saves	Team	Year
1	Bobby Thigpen	57	Chicago White Sox	1990
2	Eric Gagné	55	Los Angeles Dodgers	2003
	John Smoltz	55	Atlanta Braves	2002
4	Mariano Rivera	53	New York Yankees	2004
	Trevor Hoffman	53	San Diego Padres	1998
	Randy Myers*	53	Chicago Cubs	1993
7	Eric Gagné	52	Los Angeles Dodgers	2002
8	Rod Beck	51	Chicago Cubs	1998
	Dennis Eckersley	51	Oakland Athletics	1992
10	Mariano Rivera	50	New York Yankees	2001

Consecutive

** denotes the streak was achieved over the course of two or more seasons.

1. Eric Gagné, Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-2004) - 84**
2. Tom Gordon, Boston Red Sox (1998-1999) - 54**
3. Rod Beck, San Francisco Giants (1992-1995) - 41**
4. Trevor Hoffman, San Diego Padres (1997-1998) - 41
5. Dennis Eckersley, Oakland Athletics (1991-1992) - 40

Blown-save leaders in Major League Baseball

* denotes left-handed pitchers.

Career (as of August 9, 2006)

1. Goose Gossage - 112
2. Rollie Fingers - 109
3. Jeff Reardon - 106
4. Lee Smith - 103
5. Bruce Sutter - 101
6. John Franco* - 100
7. Sparky Lyle* - 86
8. Gene Garber - 82
9. Kent Tekulve - 81
10. Gary Lavelle* - 80

Single season

1. Rollie Fingers, Oakland Athletics (1976) - 14
2. Bruce Sutter, Chicago Cubs (1978) - 14
3. Bob Stanley, Boston Red Sox (1983) - 14
4. Ron Davis, Minnesota Twins (1984) - 14
5. John Hiller*, Detroit Tigers (1976) - 13
6. Rich Gossage, New York Yankees (1983) - 13
7. Jeff Reardon, Montréal Expos (1986) - 13
8. Dan Plesac*, Milwaukee Brewers (1987) - 13
9. Dave Righetti*, New York Yankees (1987) - 13

See also

• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
• Baseball statistics