Top Ten Closers in Dodger History
Over the last couple of years, the Dodgers have primarily used a closer by committee mindset. Since Kenley Jansen left via free agency, LA has not found a lock down guy. Jansen left in 2022 and took his 350 career saves to that point with him. They traded for Kimbrel in 22. Had…
Over the last couple of years, the Dodgers have primarily used a closer by committee mindset. Since Kenley Jansen left via free agency, LA has not found a lock down guy. Jansen left in 2022 and took his 350 career saves to that point with him. They traded for Kimbrel in 22. Had 22 saves in his one season in LA but was largely a bust with a 6-7 record.
Evan Phillips who came out of nowhere to be effective in 22, took over the role in 23. He saved 24 and had a very good 2.02 ERA. Still, ten other relievers recorded saves that year. Again, no clear lock down closer. Phillips led the team with 18 saves in 24, but injuries forced the Dodgers to again use multiple pitchers in the role.
Andrew Freidman ventured to end that trend by signing Tanner Scott to a 4-year contract that offseason. It looked like the Dodgers finally had their man. Whoops! Scotts ERA went up over 4 and he blew 10 saves. He managed to save 23 games but was shut down during the playoffs.
Andrew, not deterred, decided to dip into the free agent pool again and boom, he signs Mets closer, Edwin Diaz for 3 years. So far, that has not worked out so well. Diaz pitches in just 7 games to a 10.50 ERA, 1 win and 4 saves and goes on the IL with “loose bodies” in his elbow. He has surgery and won’t be back until at least mid-August if then. Back to plan B. Scott is once again the big dog in the 9th. He has responded well and has just 1 blown save. But he has not been used exclusively in the 9th. He has come in to face the heart of the lineup in the 8th a few times. So, Vesia, Klein, Hurt and Treinen have all gotten saves.
#10: 9 & 10 are a tie. Clem Labine and Takashi Saito both have 81 saves with the Dodgers. Labine, who pitched for the Dodgers from 1950-1960, parts of 11 seasons, also recorded 70 wins in Dodger blue. Labine also started on occasion, doing so in 37 of his 425 games as a Dodger. Perhaps his most remembered start was in the 1956 World Series game 6, the game after Larsen’s perfecto, and pitched a 10-inning 1-0 win. He outdueled Bob Turley. The Dodgers were eliminated the next day when Don Newcombe got lit up by the Yankees for a 9-0 win.
Saito on the other hand recorded his 81 saves in a three-year span. His career high 39, came in 2007. Saito only pitched in the majors from 2006-12. He was 36 years old when he debuted with LA. He also pitched for the Red Sox, Braves, Brewers and D-Backs. He finished with 84 career saves.
At #8 we have big Jonathan Broxton with 84. Jon is more remembered for giving up a game winning home run in game 4 of the 2008 LCS with Philadelphia to Matt Stairs than any save he ever recorded. He pitched for 6 more years after he left LA in 2012 and recorded just 34 more saves for a career record of 118. He was 6’4″ 285 pounds.
#7: Jay Howell comes in at number 7. Jay was acquired in a trade with the A’ and Mets in December of 1987. LA got Howell and Alfredo Griffin from the A’s and Jesse Orosco from the Mets. Welch and Matt Young went to the A’s, Jack Savage to the A’s. Mets got Kevin Tapani and Wally Whitehurst from the A’s. Howell saved 21 games in 88. He is remembered for getting tossed in the playoffs for having pine tar in his glove during the LCS with the Mets. He was suspended to 2 days. Howell saved 85 games for LA from 1988-92.
#6: Ron Perransoki is 6th on the list with exactly 100 saves. Perry, who later became the Dodger’s pitching coach was acquired in a trade with the Cubs with two other players in April of 1960 for Don Zimmer. He became the clubs closer in 1962 after Larry Sherry had the role for 3 seasons. His best year was 1963 when he had a 16-3 record, 21 saves and a 1.67 ERA. He led the league in winning percentage that year. He was the only relief pitcher to see action in the 1963 series sweep of the Yankees and LA got 3 complete games, 2 from Koufax, and one from Drysdale. Perry pitched 2/3rds of an inning in game 2 in relief of Johnny Podres. He was traded to the Twins along with Bob Miller and Johnny Roseboro for Mudcat Grant and Zoilo Versailes.
#5: Jim Brewer, another lefty comes in at # 5/ Like Perranoski, Brewer was acquired in a trade with the Cubs. Chicago sent catcher Cuno Barragan and Brewer to LA for P Dick Scott at the winter meetings in 1963. Brewer would pitch for LA for 12 years becoming one of the most relievable arms in the pen. He recorded 126 saves for the Dodgers. He was traded to the Angels in July of 1975 and finished his career with the Halos. Jim passed away in 1987, 2 days after his 50th birthday.
#4: Todd Worrell came to the Dodgers in December of 1992 as a free agent. He had started his career with the Cardinals in 1985. He recorded 129 saves with the Birds. He had a sparkling 1.93 ERA in 15 post season games, 14 of them with St. Louis. He saved 127 games as a Dodger with his best being 1996 when he led the league with 44.
#3: Jeff Shaw was acquired in a trade with the Reds for Paul Konerko and Denys Reyes in July of 1998. The GM at the time of the trade was Tommy Lasorda. Konerko, who was a catcher first then a first baseman, was blocked by Karros, and LA sorely needed a closer. So, the deal was made. Konerko would go on to hit 400 homers for the White Sox after the Reds traded him. Shaw took over the closer role for LA immediately. He appeared in 34 games for LA in 98 and had 25 saves. He would finish with 129 saves for LA.
#2: Eric Gagne was drafted by the White Sox in the 30th round in 1994. But he did not sign. The Dodgers signed him as an amateur free agent in July of 95 as a starting pitcher. He made it to the Dodgers in 1999 and for the first two seasons, he was primarily a starter. LA started using him out of the pen in 2001. In 2002, he became the closer and saved 52 games. In 2003, he led the league in games finished with 67 and saves with 55. He also won the Cy Young award. He saved 45 games in 2004. He pitched 3 scoreless innings in the playoff loss to the Cardinals. He did not blow a single save that year. He racked up 84 consecutive saves, a major league record. He had a 1.20 ERA in 04 and struck out 120 while posting just 20 walks. He also won the Rolaids relief man of the year award. His streak ended on July 5th, 2004, against Arizona. Prior to the 2005 season, Gagne signed a 2-year 19-million-dollar deal. He suffered several injuries that year, but he still managed to save 8 games. On June 21st, LA announced that he would have season ending TJ surgery. That effectively ended his LA career. He pitched 2 games in 06 and was granted free agency. He was signed by the Rangers. He recorded 161 saves as a Dodger and 187 for his career. Gagne was listed as a user of HGH on the Mitchell report in 2007. The scoreboard would flash “Game Over” when he came into a game, and Welcome to the Jungle by Guns n Roses would blast on the sound system.
#1: Far and away the number one leader in saves is Kenley Jansen. Signed as an undrafted free agent as a catcher in 2004, Jansen converted to pitching in the minors and made it to the Dodgers in 2010. He pitched in 25 games with a 1-0 record, 4 saves and a 0.67 ERA. In 2011, he pitched in 51 games with a 2-1 record, 5 saves and a 2.85 ERA. He took over the closers job in 2012 and remained in that role until he left as a free agent after the 2021 season. He saved 40 or more three times for LA with a career high of 47 in 2016.The Curacao native could be maddeningly inconsistent at times. He was atrocious at holding runners on base. To many it seemed that he rarely had a clean 9th inning. He finished with 350 saves as a Dodger, a 37-26 record with a 2.37 ERA. Jansen is currently with his 5th team, the Detroit Tigers and on the IL. He now has 483 career saves, and most likely will be a Hall of Famer. Not bad for a converted catcher. You can add 19 saves as a Dodger in the post season to his resume, and a 2.20 post season ERA. In the 2020 World Series, he was replaced as the closer after blowing game 4. It was his 4th blown save in the World Series, an MLB record. Julio Urias replaced him and locked down wins in game 7 of the LCS and 6 of the World Series.
Well, there they are. Some might have different choices, but based on saves, these are the top guys. Larry Sherry had a World Series to remember in 1959 winning 2 and saving 2. You look at the Dodgers winning efforts in most of their World Series, and it was the starting pitching that carried them. Last year though, there were some impressive efforts by the pen.
MiLB GAME SUMMARY REPORTS
OKC Comets 5 – Round Rock Express (Texas) 4
Just when RHSP River Ryan was anointed as the one who needs to be promoted to LAD, he had a tough 4th inning in his latest start. In 6.0 innings, Ryan allowed 4 runs (all earned) on 6 hits, 3 BB, and 4 K.
For the 1st 3.0 innings, Ryan pitched as we have all come to expect. He walked the 1st batter, then retired the next 10 batters. With 1 out in the 4th, Ryan gave up three straight singles to load the bases. Then a 2 run double. A ground out scored the lead runner, with the second runner moving to 3rd. A 4th single and 5th hit of the inning scored the 4th run.
Ryan gave up a single in the 5th, and 2 walks in the 6th, but no runs.
RF Zach Ehrhard homered (4) as the leadoff hitter in the 1st. Ehrhard homered (5) again in the 3rd for a 2-0 lead.
After Ryan’s 4th inning gave Round Rock a 4-2 lead. OKC put up 3 in the 5th. With one out, C Eliézer Alfonzo drew a BB. 2B Austin Gauthier singled Alfonzo to 3rd. Ehrhard singled home Alfonzo. 1B James Tibbs III walked to load the bases. With 2 outs, CF Alek Thomas hit a 2 run single giving OKC the lead.
Both teams put up zeroes in the 6th and 7th. In the 8th, RHSP Evan Phillips made his rehab assignment official. He got the 1st two batters out, the 2nd on a K, but walked the next batter on 4 pitches. That was followed by a single, and Phillips’ night was done. OKC brought in RHRP Wyatt Mills who walked the 1st batter to load the bases. He struck out the next batter to end the inning keeping OKC in the lead.
After OKC went down in the 8th, Mills went back out to the mound to try and close it out for the save. Mills retired the side in order to preserve the Comets win.
Zach Ehrhard went 3-4 with 3 runs, 3 RBIs and 2 HR (5). He was the only OKC hitter to have more than 1 hit. James Tibbs III reached base three times on 3 BB.
Evan Phillips’ 30 day clock has started. He needs to be activated on or before July 4.
Hyeseong Kim played 3B and got one hit.
Tulsa Drillers 7 – Amarillo Sod Poodles (Arizona) 3
Tulsa’s RHSP Payton Martin threw 99 pitches to complete 6.0 innings. He gave up a run in the 1st on a BB, SB, and one out single. He gave up a solo run in the 2nd on a triple and single.
Tulsa got the two runs back in the 3rd. DH Mike Sirota led off with a single, and rode home on SS Elijah Hainline’s 9th HR.
In the 5th, Martin gave up another triple and RBI single giving Amarillo the 3-2 lead.
In the 6th, Tulsa continued with the power stroke. 3B Kyle Nevin opened with a walk. 2B Jake Gelof smashed a 2-run HR giving Tulsa the 4-3 lead. 1B Joe Vetrano then walked, and with 2 outs, LF Josue De Paula slugged a 2-run HR and a 6-3 lead.
In the 8th, C Frank Rodriguez clubbed Tulsa’s 4th HR of the game, his 3rd of the season.
RHRP Antonio Knowles pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th, with just 1 BB and 2 K.
In the 9th, RHRP Cam Day issued a 1-out BB but then got a 5-4-3 DP to close out the 9th and the Drillers win.
- Mike Sirota – 3-4, 1 BB, 1 run, double (6)
- Zyhir Hope – 2-5, double (9)
- Jake Gelof – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (7)
- Josue De Paula – 1-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (9)
- Elijah Hainline – HR (9)
- Frank Rodriguez – HR (3)
Sirota has reached safely in 44 straight games, and JDP has now hit in 12 straight games, 18 out of 19, and reached safely in 21 straight.
Lansing Lugnuts (A’s) 4 – Great Lakes Loons 1
The Lansing pitcher stymied the Loons on 2 hits over 7.2 scoreless innings.
RHSP Christian Zazueta allowed 1 hit over the first two innings with 3 Ks. In the third, Christian got the first two batters, but walked the third batter. He was then lifted for Justin Chambers who issued a BB, gave up a 2 run double, and 2 run HR. I did not watch or listen to the game, and there was no explanation given for the reliever coming, or any reported injury.
Great Lakes had just two baserunners through the first five innings. The Loons earned their first hit in the sixth, CF Eduardo Quintero and SS Emil Morales had back-to-back infield singles. Lansing starter induced a flyout to right field to end six scoreless innings.
RHRP Reynaldo Yean and RHSP Nicolas Cruz each pitched a pair of scoreless innings each with 2 Ks.
In the 9th, DH Nico Perez tripled (3) and scored spoiling the shutout on 3B Eduardo Guerrero’s RBI single.
No Great Lakes batter had a multi-hit game, and Perez’s triple was their only XBH.
Turn the page.
Stockton Ports (A’s) 9 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 5
Ontario got out to a quick 4-0 lead. In the 2nd, RF Ching-Hsien Ko singled and came home on SS Joendry Vargas’ HR (6). In the third, 2B Javier Herrera led off with a triple, but was thrown out at home on 1B Mairo Martinus’ ground ball fielder’s choice. Martinus scored when 3B Chase Harlan hit his 9th double. Harlan scored on Vargas’ RBI single.
After RHSP Mason Estrada retired the first 10 batters he faced, he seemed to lose it very quick. After the first out in the 4th, Estrada allowed 4 runs on 4 hits and 3 BB.
RHRP Accimias Morales came in for relief in the 5th. He struck out the side, but in between he issued a walk, SB, and WP for a runner on 3B. Another BB and SB and the Ports had runners in scoring position. A 2-run single gave the Ports the lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, CF Landyn Vidourek hit his 3rd HR to cut the lead to one.
In the 7th, Stockton scored an unearned run off RHRP Seamus Barrett. A single, passed ball, SB, and sac fly scored the run.
With RHRP on the mound in the 9th, RHRP Angel Cruz came in for relief. Cruz struck out the side, but during the inning, he gave up a single and WP. With one out, he hit a batter. With 2 outs, the runners pulled off a double steal, and 2-run double.
Ontario tried to come back in the 9th. After the first two batters struck out, DH Jaron Elkins and Martinus singled. Harlan followed with his 2nd double (10) of the game scoring 2. A fly out ended the game.
- Joendry Vargas – 3-4, 1 run, 3 RBI, HR (6)
- Chase Harlan – 2-5, 1 run, 2 RBI, 2 doubles (10)
- Javier Herrera – 2-4, triple (3)
- Landyn Vidourek – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI, HR (3)
ACL Reds 12 – ACL Dodgers 3
4 Dodgers pitchers took the mound and none of them performed well. Combined they allowed the 12 runs on 10 hits, 8 BB with 7 K.
The Dodgers did get a pair of 2 hit games from SS Daniel Mielcarek and RF Abel Lorenzo. CF Jose Gonzalez had a triple (1).
DSL LAD Mega 8 – DSL Braves 6
DSL LAD Mega is now 2-0 on the year after this one. LHSP Angel Medina pitched the 1st three innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) with 1 hit, but 4 BB. 17 year old Venezuelan LHRP Micheal Morfe pitched 2.0 scoreless innings.
The Dodgers scored all 8 runs in the 2nd, with the key hit being a grand slam HR (1) from RF Leider Padilla. C Roberto Saucedo had a run scoring double and 3B Yojackson Laya added a 2-run single.
No LAD Mega batter had a multi-hit game.
DSL Red Sox Red 6 0 DSL LAD Bautista 0
DSL LAD Bautista was shut out on one hit. LF Jhosman Theran had the lone hit. RHRP Eliecer Zambrano pitched 1.0 scoreless inning as the only pitcher not to allow a run.
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Discussion (84)
Disagree, not disagreeable
TrueBlue LA is wrong! It’s Freddie’s 20th walk-off HIT… not HR.
Nailed it!
Interesting rumor re Pena. Seems plausible if the Astros want to save $$$. He’s a proven veteran who had a 5+ WAR in ’25. The infield could read Max-Pena-Mookie-Freddie. Freeland + ??? could make it happen. Freeland might have a better future with Houston, much like Miguelito in Chicago.
OK, Bear….. I have a story idea for you, inspired by Skubal. Has any pitcher had a better name? He definitely belongs on the all-time name team. His birth certificate put him on the path to the pitcher’s mound If we include nicknames, the all-time-name candidates are endless. The Dodgers could contribute PeeWee, Preacher, Mookie, Wee Willie and… who am I forgetting? Dizzy and Daffy Dean belong. Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown. Was anybody cooler than “Cool Papa” Bell? Was Joe Jackson really called “Shoeless Joe”–or was that just a lyric from “Damn Yankees”? The manager would have to be:Cornelius MacGillicudy, aka “Connie Mack.”
From TrueblueLA: “It was Freeman’s 20th career walk-off home run.” Now that is a crazy stat. It must be some kind of record…. Looks like Roki might work out after all.
I thought I would add some honorable mentions. LOL. What Steve Howe could have been. They had those young arms all coming up at once. Howe, Stewart, Niedenfuer. Pena.
Yates serving meatballs like a Colorado Olive Garden
Freddie Freeman with a walk off 9th inning homer off of Yates for the win. Picked up a full game on both the Padres and D-Backs. Giants scored 19 runs against the Cubs.
The Chicago Bears move forward with Indiana stadium
103
Howe is 13th on the list. Forster pitched parts of 5 seasons. He had exactly the same number of saves as a Dodger as Regan did. I took the top ten in total saves. The stats show that only Worrell, Gagne and Shaw, racked up more than 100 saves in 5 years with LA or less. Saito had 81 in just 3 years.
Steve Howe had 59 saves and finished a World Series for the Dodgers. Elbow problems derailed Terry Forster after a good start as the Dodgers closer. Free River Ryan!
I agree.
Not at all
End of the line for Espinal. Bring up Tommy!
Ramon Laureano is likely to be out for the rest of the year, big blow to the Pads. Pads released Castellanos.
He is nothing like Verdugo. Rushing is working his ass off to get better as a catcher. Verdugo was a flake.
Cap will never happen. MLBPA will never agree to that.
It was bad enough that they used Urias in the role in game 6.
Somebody needs to tell Orel the home plate ump is a woman.
In the top of the 3rd?
That’s how I see it.
When did the Dodgers become a better defensive than offensive team?
The dodgers have another head case in Rushing,just like Verdugo.
Mike Marshall won a Cy Young award with the Dodgers and pitched for 4 years with them. I humbly disagree with leaving Marshall off. I understand with Regan. I’m not sure how many relievers have won the Cy Young but its less than a handful full.