Closers are a different breed. These guys come into the game with everything on the line, adrenaline pumping, and the crowd on its feet.
Some thrive in the moment, while others crumble under the pressure. But the best? They make the ninth inning their personal playground. Let’s count down the 15 greatest closers to ever slam the door shut.
15. Robb Nen
Ever heard of a fastball so nasty it literally ended a career? That was Robb Nen’s slider-fastball combo. The three-time All-Star was absolutely dominant in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, piling up 314 career saves. He even wrecked his shoulder helping the Giants in the 2002 postseason—talk about going out in a blaze of glory.
14. Kent Tekulve
Look, when you throw like a human trebuchet, you’re going to stand out. Tekulve’s submarine-style delivery baffled hitters for nearly 1,000 innings. With 184 saves and a crucial role in the Pirates’ 1979 World Series title, he was proof that weird pitching motions can get the job done.
13. Francisco Rodríguez (K-Rod)
If you set the single-season saves record, you’re making this list. K-Rod locked down 62 games in 2008, a record that may never be broken. His high-energy delivery and wipeout slider made him a nightmare for hitters. Plus, he gave the Angels one of the best fist-pump celebrations in baseball history.
12. Joe Nathan
Joe Nathan was quietly one of the most reliable closers ever. He posted six 35+ save seasons and finished with 377 total. The Twins leaned on him for years, and when he was on, hitters had no shot against that filthy slider. He might not have the flashiest name, but if you needed a game locked down, he was your guy.
11. Craig Kimbrel
That hunched-over pre-pitch stance? Iconic. The 100-mph fastball? Terrifying. Kimbrel has been one of the most dominant closers of the modern era, racking up over 400 saves and making hitters look silly with his high heat and ridiculous breaking ball. He’s still adding to his legacy, but he’s already an all-time great.
10. Billy Wagner
“Lefty closers don’t last long.” Billy Wagner: Hold my fastball. At just 5’10”, Wagner defied the odds with a heater that touched 100 mph before it was cool. He punched out over 1,100 batters in just 900 innings and finished with 422 saves. Plus, he did it all with a name that sounds like he should be leading a rock band.
9. Bruce Sutter
Before there was Mariano Rivera’s cutter, there was Bruce Sutter’s splitter. He basically invented the pitch as a deadly out-getter. A six-time All-Star and 1979 Cy Young winner, Sutter was a true pioneer of closing games and a nightmare for hitters in the late ‘70s and ‘80s.
8. Rollie Fingers
Two things define Rollie Fingers: an unhittable sinker and that mustache. He won a Cy Young and MVP in 1981, helped the A’s win three straight World Series titles in the ‘70s, and retired with 341 saves. Also, his mustache alone deserves a spot in Cooperstown.
7. Goose Gossage
Before closers were just ninth-inning guys, Goose Gossage was out here throwing multiple innings of gas to lock down wins. His fastball was as scary as his intensity, and he racked up 310 saves across 22 seasons. He was a throwback to when relievers were built differently.
6. Trevor Hoffman
Hoffman wasn’t just great—he was the first to reach both 500 and 600 saves. His signature pitch? That changeup. It looked like a beach ball coming in, and then—whoosh—hitters swung and missed at nothing. Plus, entering a game to Hells Bells? Absolute chills.
5. Dennis Eckersley
Eckersley is one of the rare closers who also had a great career as a starter. But when he moved to the bullpen full-time, he became the guy. His best stretch? From 1988 to 1992, when he put up video-game numbers, won a Cy Young and MVP, and made the ninth inning an automatic W for the A’s.
4. John Smoltz
Smoltz’s closer career was basically a side quest. After being an elite starter for years, he casually switched to the bullpen and led the league in saves in 2002 with 55. He’s the only pitcher with both 200 wins and 150 saves. If that’s not legendary, I don’t know what is.
3. Aroldis Chapman
If you throw harder than anyone in MLB history, you’re going to rank highly. Chapman’s 105-mph fastball was basically cheating, and he piled up over 300 saves with that heat. Whether you love him or hate him, he’s one of the most overpowering closers ever.
Read More: Ranking the 15 Most Clutch MLB Players of All Time
2. Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm had a knuckleball that danced more than a TikTok influencer. He wasn’t just great—he was durable, pitching until age 49. He set the standard for modern relievers and was one of the first bullpen guys inducted into the Hall of Fame. If you needed a weird, unpredictable pitch to save the day, Hoyt had your back.
Read More: The 15 Most Overrated MLB Pitchers of All Time
1. Mariano Rivera
Was there ever a doubt? Mo is the greatest closer of all time. The all-time saves leader (652), a ridiculous postseason record (0.70 ERA in October!), and one pitch—the cutter—that every hitter knew was coming but still couldn’t hit. Oh, and he’s the only player ever unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame.
Read More: 20 Greatest MLB Players Who Never Won a World Series
