Saves : 2001 National League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"The baseball season - six months & 2,106 games - is flat out long, and it's a rare one of those games that doesn't ramble or sputter or digress or somehow violate the rules of dramatic narrative. Baseball takes its own sweet time reaching its conclusions." - Dwight Allen in Reds, Yanks and O's (1989)
 

2001 Saves Leaders

Top 25 in the National League

Robb Nen 45 San Francisco Giants 1
Armando Benitez 43 New York Mets 2
Trevor Hoffman 43 San Diego Padres  
Jeff Shaw 43 Los Angeles Dodgers  
Jose Mesa 42 Philadelphia Phillies 5
Billy Wagner 39 Houston Astros 6
Danny Graves 32 Cincinnati Reds 7
Antonio Alfonseca 28 Florida Marlins 8
Tom Gordon 27 Chicago Cubs 9
Mike Williams 22 Pittsburgh Pirates 10
Houston Astros  
Byung-Hyun Kim 19 Arizona Diamondbacks 11
John Rocker 19 Atlanta Braves  
Jose Jimenez 17 Colorado Rockies 13
Curtis Leskanic 17 Milwaukee Brewers  
Ugueth Urbina 15 Montreal Expos 15
Dave Veres 15 St. Louis Cardinals  
Jeff Fassero 12 Chicago Cubs 17
John Smoltz 10 Atlanta Braves 18
Mike Fetters 9 Los Angeles Dodgers 19
Pittsburgh Pirates  
Steve Kline 9 St. Louis Cardinals  
Bret Prinz 9 Arizona Diamondbacks  
Scott Strickland 9 Montreal Expos  
Steve Karsay 7 Atlanta Braves 23
Jay Powell 7 Houston Astros  
Colorado Rockies  
Gene Stechschulte 6 St. Louis Cardinals 25



Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.