What’s Considered a Save in Baseball?

It seems like a simple question, but the answer is more complicated than you might think. Find out what’s considered a save in baseball, and how the rule has changed over time.

Saves in Baseball

In baseball, a save is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving a lead. A pitcher can earn a save by entering the game in a save situation with the tying run either on base, at bat, or on deck.

What is a save?

In baseball, a save is the successful preservation of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the last pitcher in the game. Achieving a save is also known as finishing the game. A relief pitcher who enters the game in a save situation and maintains his team’s lead until the end of the game is credited with a save.

What is a blown save?

A blown save is when a relief pitcher enters the game in a save situation, with the tying run either on base, at bat or on deck, and allows the tying run to score. The reliever can still be credited with a win if his team takes the lead later in the game and holds on to win.

If the game is still tied when the reliever leaves the game, he is said to have blown the save but not taken the loss. That stat is now kept track by baseball sabermetricians. Invented by baseball writer Jerome Holtzman in 1959, it was not an official MLB stat until 1969.

From 1999-2018, there have been 3,478 blown saves in MLB regular season games. Mariano Rivera holds the record for fewest blown saves in a career with only nine; he also has the best blown save percentage, 0.41 percent (nine out of 2,173).

Arodys Vizcaino of the Atlanta Braves has blowing five saves this season, which is tied for second most in MLB behind Pedro Strop of the Chicago Cubs (6). Jorge Lopez of Milwaukee has also had five blown saves this year.

What is a save percentage?

A save (abbreviated SV or S) is the successful preservation of a lead by a relief pitcher while he is the pitcher of record. The official scorer awards a pitcher a save when he meets all four of the following conditions:

He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning.
He does not give up the lead. He pitches effectively for at least three innings. If necessary, he works beyond the minimum three innings to finish the game or preserve the lead. In baseball statistics, a reliever’s save percentage is calculated as follows:

Saves = ( saves / ( saves + blown saves ) ) x 100
For example, if a relief pitcher has 10 saves and 3 blown saves, his save percentage would be 10/(10+3), or .769.

The Different Types of Saves

In baseball, a save is awarded to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain conditions. There are three different types of saves – the regular save, the blown save, and the hold. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

The Four-Out Save

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closing pitcher, until the end of the game. A save requires that a reliever come in to protect a lead, with no more than a one-run differential, in the ninth inning or later. The rule awarding a save evolved gradually. Before 2002, the statistic was not widely used and was not an official MLB statistical category. However, starting in 2002 stat started being tabulated.[1] As OPS increased at an all-time high, so did home runs given up late in games by starters and subsequent decisions to take them out of games.[2]

In baseball statistics, a hold (abbreviated HLD) is awarded to a relief pitcher who enters the game in a close situation (usually with runners on base and less than two outs) and maintains his team’s lead until another player taking over the pitching duties can record a save. A hold is not an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic; it was developed by baseball analyst John Dewan as part of his plus-minus fielding system.

The Five-Out Save

The five-out save is the most difficult type of save for a pitcher to earn, and as a result, it is also the least common. In order to get credit for a five-out save, a pitcher must enter the game in a save situation (i.e. with the tying run on base, at the plate, or on deck) and then preserve that lead for five full innings. If the pitcher allows the tying run to score at any point during those five innings, he is no longer eligible for the save.

The vast majority of saves are of the three-out variety, but there have been several pitchers who have been able to notch five-out saves on occasion. Mariano Rivera, widely considered the greatest closer of all time, notched eight five-out saves during his illustrious career.

The Six-Out Save

The six-out save is the most difficult save for a relief pitcher to earn, and as such, it is also the most rare. In order to earn a six-out save, the relief pitcher must enter the game with either a one-run lead or the tying run on base, and then finish the game by recording the final six outs.

It should be noted that while a six-out save is theoretically possible in any inning, they are most often seen in the ninth inning. This is due to the fact that it is very rare for a team to have a lead of more than one run going into the bottom of the ninth inning, making it more likely that the tying run will be on base when the relief pitcher enters the game.

There have been some notable six-out saves in baseball history, including Mariano Rivera’s six-out save in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

Save Opportunities

In baseball, a save is when a relief pitcher (in the game at the time) finishes a game for the winning team while preserving the team’s lead. A pitcher gets credit for a save when he meets all four of the following conditions: (1) he enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs, (2) he pitches for at least one inning, (3) he leaves the game with the lead intact, and (4) he is not the winning pitcher.

The Save Situation

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving the lead. A save can be achieved by getting the final out or outs of the game, or by pitching at least one inning with a lead of no more than three runs and without allowing the tying run to score. The official scorer awards a save to the pitcher he believes is most responsible for holding the lead.

The save became an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic in 1969. A pitcher must have finished the game and been on the mound for either the final out or pitch of the game, or any other combination of three outs or less, to earn a save. A starting pitcher cannot earn a save unless he pitches at least three innings and enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs. A relief pitcher cannot earn a save if he allows any inherited runners to score.

A pitcher can earn a save by getting the final out or outs of the game, or by pitching at least one inning with a lead of no more than three runs and without allowing the tying run to score.

The official scorer awards a save to the pitcher he believes is most responsible for holding the lead.

The Save Chance

In baseball, a save (abbreviated SV or S) is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances.[1] Originally codified in 1958, the rule awarded a save to a pitcher who was the last reliever used in a game won by his team. The rule was changed several times thereafter and the current definition was formalized in 1969.[2]

The statistic was created to reward relief pitchers who preserve their team’s lead while finishing a game. A save situation typically arises when the starting pitcher is removed from the game and the score is either tied or there is a one-run lead, and usually with fewer than three outs remaining. Commonly, relievers record only saves where they work at least one inning without surrendering the tying run and protect their teams from losing the lead in games they enter with their team ahead by two runs or less.

To be eligible for a save, a relief pitcher must often meet innings pitched (IP) and games played requirements, as well as observe various warnings or conditions set forth by Major League Baseball (MLB). A relief pitcher cannot record more than three saves in any single season. If he enters the game with his team losing or behind by more than three runs, he cannot receive credit for the save.

The concept of closers did not exist until well into baseball’s modern era; it originated during recent decades as teams began primarily utilizing Relief pitchers in late-game situations, rather than earlier innings whereby all pitchers were relievers. The term closer generally refers to the relief pitcher who regularly enters games in late-inning situations, pitch an inning (or occasionally two), and is often referred to as being “on call” every day. Prior to this role being established, all pitchers were expected to be “two-way” players—able not only to pitch effectively but also bat proficiently enough (or run well enough) so that they could contribute offensively when not pitching.

The Save Rule

In baseball, a save is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving a lead. A pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning or later with his team leading by three or fewer runs and pitching until the end of the game.

The Three-Batter Minimum

Under the new rule, a pitcher must face three batters or reach the end of an inning before he can be taken out of the game, unless he is injured. The rule is designed to help reduce pitching changes and the time they take, as well as improve pace of play.

There are a few exceptions to the rule:

– If a pitcher suffers an injury while facing a batter, he can be replaced with another pitcher.
– If the first two batters reach base and the third batter reaches base with fewer than two outs, the pitcher can be replaced.
– If there are two outs and no runners on base when the third batter comes up, the pitcher can be replaced.

The Save Statistic

In baseball, a relief pitcher is credited with a save when he meets all three of the following conditions: He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs, he records at least one out, and he finishes the game without surrendering the lead.

How the Save is Calculated

The save is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for his team while preserving a lead of no more than three runs. (If a reliever enters the game with the tying run already on base, that runner will be counted as part of his inherited runners.) The statistic was created by Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers; at the time, relief pitchers were allowed to earn only wins and losses as their contributions were not fully appreciated. Also, there was confusion as to which pitcher deserved credit for a win. In order to remedy this, Holtzman created the save.

A pitcher can earn a save by finishing the game for his team in a number of ways:
-He can enter the game with his team ahead by no more than three runs and pitch at least one full inning
-He can enter the game, regardless of the score, with the tying run either on base, at bat or on deck
-He can pitches at least three innings regardless of the score

The Save Record

To many baseball fans, the save is one of the most misunderstood and controversial statistics in the sport. Here is a look at how the save statistic is calculated and some of the history behind baseball’s save record.

The save became an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic in 1969. Previously, relief pitchers were only credited with a win or a loss, depending on whether their team was leading or trailing when they entered the game. The save was introduced as a way to credit relief pitchers who preserved a lead while finishing a game.

To earn a save, a relief pitcher must meet all of the following criteria:
-Enter the game with a lead of no more than three runs
-Pitch for at least one inning
-Finish the game without giving up the lead

If a reliever meets all of these criteria but his team does not win the game, he is still credited with a save. This rule has led to some controversy, as some believe that a reliever should only be credited with a save if his team goes on to win the game.

As of 2019, the MLB record for saves in a career is 652, held by Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees. Rivera is widely considered to be one of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history, and his 652 career saves are nearly 200 more than any other pitcher has recorded.