Francisco Rodríguez, Bobby Thigpen, Éric Gagné, and John Smoltz. Those are the only names ahead of Edwin Díaz on the all-time single-season saves leaderboard. Currently Edwin sits sandwiched between two Hall-of-Famers in Smoltz and Trevor Hoffman; he needs just two more saves before the end of the season to take over third place all by himself. He is also the youngest player in the top twenty—no other player in MLB history has gotten to 50 saves younger than age 25, the age Craig Kimbrel was when he recorded 50 saves in 2013. This is rarified air, to be sure, almost as rare as it is for a reliever to be third in WAR on a team that includes Nelson Cruz and Robinson Canó.
Edwin Díaz is the Mariners’ MVP. Don’t trade him, you dummies.
