Ted Wilks recorded 13 saves in 1948, a modest total by today's relief standards. However, that was accomplished on just 14 opportunities. Plus, his ERA was very good. How about Ted's Wins Above Replacement? It was a career high 4.8!
Wilks would match this save total three years later, in 1951. Oddly enough though, Ted would lead the league in saves in 1949 with 9 and 1951, as mentioned. But neither of those seasons would measure up to his best campaign, 1948.
Of the pitchers appearing on my list, Wilks' 4.8 WAR is the highest of anyone chronologically until Lee McDaniel's 1960 mark (6.0).
Wilks would match this save total three years later, in 1951. Oddly enough though, Ted would lead the league in saves in 1949 with 9 and 1951, as mentioned. But neither of those seasons would measure up to his best campaign, 1948.
Of the pitchers appearing on my list, Wilks' 4.8 WAR is the highest of anyone chronologically until Lee McDaniel's 1960 mark (6.0).
Greatest Relief Seasons Of All Time Stat Set 2
Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR | |
Walsh | 1904 | 1 | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 | 57 | 4.6 | 1.102 | 0.1 |
Griffith | 1905 | 1 | ? | ? | ? | 1.68 | 46 | 4.1 | 0.954 | 3.3 |
Keefe | 1907 | 3 | ? | ? | ? | 2.50 | 20 | 3.1 | 1.387 | 2.0 |
Chappelle | 1908 | 0 | ? | ? | ? | 1.79 | 23 | 2.9 | 1.095 | 0.3 |
Leever | 1909 | 2 | ? | ? | ? | 2.83 | 23 | 3.0 | 1.257 | -0.1 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Phillipe | 1910 | 4 | ? | ? | ? | 2.29 | 30 | 2.2 | 0.986 | 2.0 |
Baskette | 1912 | 1 | ? | ? | ? | 3.18 | 51 | 4.0 | 1.336 | 2.2 |
Crandall | 1913 | 6 | ? | ? | ? | 2.86 | 42 | 3.9 | 1.290 | 0.5 |
Wolfgang | 1914 | 0 | ? | ? | ? | 1.89 | 50 | 3.8 | 1.073 | 1.8 |
Mays | 1915 | 7 | ? | ? | ? | 2.60 | 65 | 4.4 | 1.063 | 1.0 |
Danforth | 1917 | 9 | ? | ? | ? | 2.65 | 79 | 4.1 | 1.324 | 3.2 |
Dubuc | 1919 | 3 | ? | ? | ? | 2.66 | 32 | 2.2 | 1.182 | 0.6 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Morton | 1921 | 1 | ? | ? | ? | 2.76 | 45 | 3.8 | 1.207 | 2.3 |
Baumgartner | 1925 | 3 | ? | ? | ? | 3.57 | 18 | 1.4 | 1.368 | 2.5 |
Marberry | 1926 | 22 | ? | ? | ? | 3.00 | 43 | 2.8 | 1.348 | 3.1 |
Haid | 1928 | 5 | ? | ? | ? | 2.30 | 21 | 4.0 | 1.064 | 0.4 |
Rommel | 1929 | 4 | 1 | 0.800 | 1 | 2.85 | 25 | 2.0 | 1.484 | 1.6 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Lindsey | 1931 | 7 | 1 | 0.875 | ? | 2.77 | 32 | 3.9 | 1.634 | 1.1 |
Quinn | 1932 | 13 | ? | ? | ? | 2.66 | 24 | 3.5 | 1.383 | 1.1 |
Russell | 1933 | 13 | ? | ? | ? | 2.69 | 28 | 2.0 | 1.218 | 3.1 |
Malone | 1936 | 9 | 1 | 0.900 | 0 | 3.81 | 72 | 4.8 | 1.515 | 2.9 |
Brown | 1938 | 5 | ? | ? | ? | 3.80 | 55 | 3.7 | 1.500 | 0.4 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Beggs | 1940 | 7 | 4 | 0.636 | 0 | 2.00 | 25 | 2.9 | 1.161 | 2.2 |
Murphy | 1941 | 15 | 7 | 0.682 | 0 | 1.98 | 29 | 3.4 | 1.397 | 2.2 |
Adams | 1943 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 | 0 | 2.82 | 46 | 3.0 | 1.254 | 3.0 |
Heving | 1944 | 10 | ? | ? | 0 | 1.96 | 46 | 3.5 | 1.228 | 1.9 |
Maltzberger | 1944 | 12 | ? | ? | 0 | 2.96 | 49 | 4.8 | 1.095 | 1.8 |
Berry | 1944 | 12 | 4 | 0.750 | 0 | 1.94 | 44 | 3.6 | 0.907 | 3.7 |
Karl | 1945 | 15 | 1 | 0.938 | 1 | 2.99 | 51 | 2.5 | 1.245 | 3.6 |
Christopher | 1947 | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 0 | 2.90 | 33 | 3.7 | 1.277 | 1.4 |
Wilks | 1948 | 13 | 1 | 0.929 | 1 | 2.62 | 72 | 4.9 | 1.163 | 4.8 |
Page | 1949 | 27 | 11 | 0.711 | 0 | 2.59 | 99 | 6.6 | 1.315 | 4.2 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Konstanty | 1950 | 22 | 4 | 0.846 | 0 | 2.66 | 56 | 3.3 | 1.039 | 4.7 |
Aloma | 1951 | 3 | 1 | 0.750 | 0 | 1.82 | 25 | 3.2 | 1.096 | 3.2 |
Wilhelm | 1952 | 11 | 1 | 0.917 | 1 | 2.43 | 108 | 6.1 | 1.155 | 2.7 |
Paige | 1952 | 10 | 5 | 0.667 | 1 | 3.07 | 91 | 5.9 | 1.254 | 3.4 |
Kinder | 1953 | 27 | 8 | 0.771 | 4 | 1.85 | 39 | 3.3 | 1.140 | 4.5 |
Mossi | 1954 | 7 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 1.94 | 55 | 5.3 | 1.022 | 3.3 |
Narleski | 1955 | 19 | 2 | 0.905 | 6 | 3.71 | 94 | 7.6 | 1.281 | 2.5 |
Freeman | 1956 | 18 | 3 | 0.857 | 2 | 3.40 | 50 | 4.1 | 1.344 | 2.6 |
Farrell | 1957 | 10 | 3 | 0.769 | 0 | 2.38 | 54 | 5.8 | 1.320 | 2.4 |
Zuverink | 1957 | 9 | 8 | 0.529 | 0 | 2.48 | 36 | 2.9 | 1.278 | 2.7 |
Hyde | 1958 | 18 | 5 | 0.783 | 0 | 1.75 | 49 | 4.3 | 1.136 | 4.9 |
Duren | 1959 | 14 | 7 | 0.667 | 1 | 1.88 | 96 | 11.3 | 1.200 | 3.8 |
Staley | 1959 | 15 | 4 | 0.789 | 2 | 2.24 | 54 | 4.2 | 1.169 | 2.5 |
Face | 1959 | 10 | 9 | 0.526 | 1 | 2.70 | 69 | 6.7 | 1.243 | 3.2 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
McDaniel | 1960 | 26 | 6 | 0.813 | 1 | 1.29 | 95 | 8.2 | 0.863 | 6.0 |
Brosnan | 1960 | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 2 | 2.36 | 62 | 5.6 | 1.020 | 2.7 |
Arroyo | 1961 | 29 | 10 | 0.744 | 1 | 2.19 | 87 | 6.6 | 1.109 | 3.3 |
Fox | 1961 | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 3 | 1.41 | 32 | 5.0 | 1.012 | 2.6 |
Radatz | 1963 | 25 | 3 | 0.893 | 0 | 1.97 | 162 | 11.0 | 1.096 | 5.7 |
Perranoski | 1963 | 21 | 8 | 0.724 | 0 | 1.67 | 75 | 5.2 | 1.202 | 4.5 |
Lee | 1964 | 19 | 8 | 0.704 | 1 | 1.51 | 111 | 7.3 | 1.058 | 4.3 |
Ellis | 1964 | 14 | 2 | 0.875 | 1 | 2.57 | 125 | 9.2 | 1.054 | 3.1 |
Miller | 1965 | 24 | 1 | 0.960 | 1 | 1.89 | 104 | 7.8 | 0.997 | 4.3 |
Regan | 1966 | 21 | 7 | 0.750 | 1 | 1.62 | 88 | 6.8 | 0.934 | 5.0 |
Hoerner | 1966 | 13 | 3 | 0.813 | 4 | 1.54 | 63 | 7.5 | 1.026 | 3.0 |
Drabowsky | 1967 | 12 | 5 | 0.706 | 3 | 1.60 | 96 | 9.1 | 0.955 | 3.2 |
Abernathy | 1967 | 28 | 6 | 0.824 | 1 | 1.27 | 88 | 7.4 | 0.978 | 6.2 |
Wood | 1968 | 16 | 5 | 0.762 | 7 | 1.87 | 74 | 4.2 | 1.006 | 5.4 |
Tatum | 1969 | 22 | 1 | 0.957 | 2 | 1.36 | 65 | 6.8 | 1.042 | 4.3 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Williams | 1970 | 15 | 4 | 0.789 | 7 | 1.99 | 76 | 6.0 | 1.032 | 2.8 |
McMahon | 1970 | 19 | 5 | 0.792 | 0 | 2.96 | 74 | 7.1 | 1.219 | 3.0 |
Sanders | 1971 | 31 | 4 | 0.886 | 0 | 1.91 | 80 | 5.3 | 1.064 | 4.1 |
Giusti | 1972 | 22 | 5 | 0.815 | 0 | 1.93 | 54 | 6.5 | 1.058 | 2.3 |
Knowles | 1972 | 11 | 3 | 0.786 | 5 | 1.37 | 36 | 4.9 | 1.310 | 2.5 |
Hiller | 1973 | 38 | 4 | 0.905 | 0 | 1.44 | 124 | 8.9 | 1.021 | 8.1 |
Borbon | 1973 | 14 | 5 | 0.737 | 6 | 2.16 | 60 | 4.5 | 1.421 | 2.5 |
Marshall | 1974 | 21 | 12 | 0.636 | 9 | 2.42 | 143 | 6.2 | 1.186 | 3.1 |
Gossage | 1975 | 26 | 5 | 0.839 | 1 | 1.84 | 130 | 8.3 | 1.193 | 8.2 |
Eastwick | 1976 | 26 | 9 | 0.743 | 1 | 2.09 | 70 | 5.9 | 1.115 | 2.8 |
Lyle | 1977 | 26 | 8 | 0.765 | 1 | 2.17 | 68 | 4.5 | 1.197 | 3.7 |
Sutter | 1977 | 31 | 9 | 0.775 | 0 | 1.34 | 129 | 10.8 | 0.857 | 6.5 |
Johnson | 1977 | 15 | 7 | 0.682 | 1 | 3.13 | 87 | 5.3 | 1.806 | 2.5 |
Stanley | 1978 | 10 | 5 | 0.667 | 1 | 2.60 | 38 | 2.2 | 1.242 | 4.1 |
Blair | 1978 | 28 | 5 | 0.848 | 2 | 1.97 | 91 | 8.2 | 1.246 | 4.1 |
Tekulve | 1979 | 31 | 6 | 0.838 | 8 | 2.79 | 75 | 5.0 | 1.176 | 3.2 |
Lopez | 1979 | 21 | 5 | 0.808 | 1 | 2.41 | 106 | 7.5 | 1.150 | 5.3 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
McGraw | 1980 | 20 | 5 | 0.800 | 0 | 1.46 | 75 | 7.3 | 0.921 | 4.7 |
Fingers | 1981 | 28 | 6 | 0.824 | 0 | 1.04 | 61 | 7.0 | 0.872 | 4.2 |
Caudill | 1982 | 26 | 6 | 0.813 | 0 | 2.35 | 111 | 10.4 | 1.045 | 4.4 |
Reardon | 1982 | 26 | 8 | 0.765 | 2 | 2.06 | 86 | 7.1 | 1.128 | 3.5 |
Smith | 1983 | 29 | 4 | 0.879 | 1 | 1.65 | 91 | 7.9 | 1.074 | 4.8 |
Hernandez | 1984 | 32 | 1 | 0.970 | 0 | 1.92 | 112 | 7.2 | 0.941 | 4.8 |
Lamp | 1985 | 2 | 5 | 0.286 | 8 | 3.32 | 68 | 5.8 | 1.164 | 1.3 |
Eichhorn | 1986 | 10 | 4 | 0.714 | 7 | 1.72 | 166 | 9.5 | 0.955 | 7.4 |
Righetti | 1986 | 46 | 10 | 0.821 | 0 | 2.45 | 83 | 7.0 | 1.153 | 3.8 |
Henke | 1987 | 34 | 8 | 0.810 | 1 | 2.49 | 128 | 12.3 | 0.926 | 3.3 |
Burke | 1987 | 18 | 4 | 0.818 | 5 | 1.19 | 58 | 5.7 | 0.890 | 4.3 |
Henneman | 1988 | 22 | 7 | 0.759 | 2 | 1.87 | 58 | 5.7 | 1.051 | 3.3 |
Lancaster | 1989 | 8 | 3 | 0.727 | 7 | 1.36 | 56 | 6.9 | 1.032 | 3.9 |
Russell | 1989 | 38 | 6 | 0.864 | 0 | 1.98 | 77 | 9.5 | 0.950 | 2.5 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Eckersley | 1990 | 48 | 2 | 0.960 | 0 | 0.61 | 73 | 9.0 | 0.614 | 3.3 |
Thigpen | 1990 | 57 | 8 | 0.877 | 0 | 1.83 | 70 | 7.1 | 1.038 | 3.4 |
Henry | 1991 | 15 | 1 | 0.938 | 3 | 1.00 | 28 | 7.0 | 0.833 | 2.2 |
Aguilera | 1991 | 42 | 9 | 0.824 | 0 | 2.35 | 61 | 8.0 | 1.072 | 2.4 |
Ward | 1992 | 12 | 4 | 0.750 | 24 | 1.95 | 103 | 9.1 | 1.135 | 3.1 |
Rojas | 1992 | 10 | 1 | 0.909 | 13 | 1.43 | 70 | 6.3 | 1.043 | 3.9 |
Wetteland | 1993 | 43 | 1 | 0.977 | 0 | 1.37 | 113 | 12.0 | 1.008 | 4.2 |
Harvey | 1993 | 45 | 4 | 0.918 | 0 | 1.70 | 73 | 9.5 | 0.841 | 4.0 |
Beck | 1993 | 48 | 4 | 0.923 | 0 | 2.16 | 86 | 9.8 | 0.882 | 2.4 |
Hoffman | 1998 | 53 | 1 | 0.981 | 0 | 1.48 | 86 | 10.6 | 0.849 | 4.1 |
Urbina | 1998 | 34 | 4 | 0.895 | 0 | 1.30 | 94 | 12.2 | 1.010 | 3.2 |
Williamson | 1999 | 19 | 7 | 0.731 | 5 | 2.41 | 107 | 10.3 | 1.039 | 2.8 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Rhodes | 2001 | 3 | 4 | 0.429 | 31 | 1.72 | 83 | 11.0 | 0.853 | 2.5 |
Smoltz | 2003 | 45 | 4 | 0.918 | 0 | 1.12 | 73 | 10.2 | 0.870 | 3.3 |
Timlin | 2005 | 13 | 7 | 0.650 | 24 | 2.24 | 59 | 6.6 | 1.320 | 2.9 |
Nathan | 2006 | 36 | 2 | 0.947 | 0 | 1.58 | 95 | 12.5 | 0.790 | 3.3 |
Ryan | 2006 | 38 | 4 | 0.905 | 1 | 1.37 | 86 | 10.7 | 0.857 | 3.6 |
Putz | 2007 | 40 | 2 | 0.952 | 0 | 1.38 | 82 | 10.3 | 0.698 | 4.0 |
Rivera | 2008 | 39 | 1 | 0.975 | 0 | 1.40 | 77 | 9.8 | 0.665 | 4.3 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Bell | 2010 | 47 | 3 | 0.940 | 0 | 1.93 | 86 | 11.1 | 1.200 | 1.9 |
Aceves | 2011 | 2 | 3 | 0.400 | 11 | 2.61 | 80 | 6.3 | 1.105 | 2.7 |
Axford | 2011 | 46 | 2 | 0.958 | 0 | 1.95 | 86 | 10.5 | 1.140 | 2.3 |
Cook | 2012 | 14 | 7 | 0.667 | 21 | 2.09 | 80 | 9.8 | 0.941 | 2.6 |
Chapman | 2012 | 38 | 5 | 0.884 | 6 | 1.51 | 122 | 15.3 | 0.809 | 3.6 |
Johnson | 2012 | 51 | 3 | 0.944 | 0 | 2.49 | 41 | 5.4 | 1.019 | 2.4 |
Smyly | 2013 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 | 21 | 2.37 | 81 | 9.6 | 1.039 | 2.6 |
Davis | 2014 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 | 33 | 1.00 | 109 | 13.6 | 0.847 | 3.7 |
Clippard | 2014 | 1 | 6 | 0.143 | 40 | 2.18 | 82 | 10.5 | 0.995 | 1.5 |
Rondon | 2015 | 30 | 4 | 0.882 | 8 | 1.67 | 69 | 8.6 | 1.000 | 2.2 |
Britton | 2016 | 47 | 0 | 1.000 | 0 | 0.54 | 75 | 9.9 | 0.836 | 4.2 |
Osuna | 2016 | 36 | 6 | 0.857 | 0 | 2.68 | 82 | 10.0 | 0.932 | 2.1 |
Brach | 2016 | 2 | 5 | 0.286 | 24 | 2.05 | 92 | 10.5 | 1.038 | 2.5 |
Miller | 2016 | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 25 | 1.45 | 123 | 14.9 | 0.686 | 3.8 |
Robertson | 2017 | 14 | 2 | 0.875 | 8 | 1.84 | 98 | 12.9 | 0.849 | 2.9 |
Jansen | 2017 | 41 | 1 | 0.976 | 1 | 1.32 | 109 | 14.4 | 0.746 | 2.9 |
Albers | 2017 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 | 14 | 1.62 | 63 | 9.3 | 0.852 | 2.5 |
Kimbrel | 2017 | 35 | 4 | 0.897 | 1 | 1.43 | 126 | 16.4 | 0.681 | 3.6 |
Morrow | 2018 | 18 | 1 | 0.947 | 0 | 1.46 | 25 | 9.1 | 1.135 | 1.1 |
Trivino | 2018 | 4 | 1 | 0.800 | 12 | 1.22 | 50 | 10.2 | 0.947 | 2.2 |
Treinen | 2018 | 25 | 4 | 0.862 | 0 | 1.06 | 65 | 11.5 | 0.980 | 2.4 |
Jeffress | 2018 | 4 | 4 | 0.500 | 17 | 1.29 | 63 | 10.2 | 1.006 | 2.4 |
Yarbrough | 2018 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 1 | 3.88 | 123 | 7.9 | 1.280 | 0.8 |
Hader | 2018 | 11 | 4 | 0.733 | 20 | 2.31 | 138 | 15.9 | 0.795 | 2.3 |
Pitcher | Year | S | BS | S% | H | ERA | K | K/9 | WHIP | WAR |
Notes
Baumgartner appeared as a starter twelve times
Wolfgang and Baskette appeared as a starter eleven times.
Danforth and Malone appeared as a starter nine times.
Phillipe and Walsh appeared as a starter eight times.
Morton and Griffith appeared as a starter seven times.
Paige, Mays, Chappelle, Rommell and Yarbrough appeared as a starter six times.
Marberry, Mossi, Lee, Ellis and Dubuc appeared as a starter five times.
Leever and Aceves appeared as a starter four times.
Russell, Stanley, Adams and Keefe appeared as a starter three times.
Brown, McDaniel, Wood, Crandall, Brosnan, Lindsey, Karl and Wilks appeared as a starter two times.
Beggs, Quinn, Narleski, McGraw and Aloma appeared once as a starter.
Maltzberger, Hyde, Konstanty, Duren, Brosnan, Tekulve and Henke all wore glasses.
Morrow's stats are through July 1, 2018.
Trivino's stats are through July 18, 2018.
Treinen's stats are through July 25, 2018.
Jeffress stats are through August 13, 2018.
Yarbrough stats are through Sept 19, 2018.
Hader's stats are through September 24, 2018.
References
Sports Reference LLC. "Ted Wilks Stats". Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilkste01.shtml . 15 Feb. 2019.