Major League Baseball Reliever of the Year Award

Major League Baseball (MLB) annually honors its best relief pitchers in the American League (AL) and National League (NL) with the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award and Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award, respectively. The awards are named after former relievers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, who played their entire careers in the respective leagues.[1] First issued in 2014, the awards replaced the Delivery Man of the Year Award, which had been presented since 2005.[2]

Reliever of the Year Award
The presentation of the trophies to the 2015 winners
SportBaseball
LeagueMajor League Baseball
Awarded forBest relief pitcher in the American League and National League
Presented byMajor League Baseball
History
First award2014
Most recentFélix Bautista (AL)
Devin Williams (NL)

The Reliever of the Year Awards are based on the votes of a panel of retired relievers.[2] Each voter selects three pitchers for each league based solely on their performance in the regular season; a 5-3-1 weighted point system is used to determine the winner.[3] At its inception in 2014, the panel consisted of the top five relievers in career saves at the time—Rivera, Hoffman, Lee Smith, John Franco, and Billy Wagner—and the four living relief pitchers who were in the Hall of Fame: Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, and Bruce Sutter.

The Reliever of the Year Award winners had all been closers until 2018 when Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers won as a setup man; he later won the NL title in 2019 and 2021 as a closer. In 2019, both winners of the awards were also named in the inaugural All-MLB teams. In 2020, the Brewers' Devin Williams became the first rookie, and the first reliever with no saves, to win the award in either league.[4]

Since 2017, MLB has also issued a Reliever of the Month Award.[5]

Winners

Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year

Namesake of the NL award, Trevor Hoffman
YearPlayerTeamSVERAWHIPKIPRef
2014Craig KimbrelAtlanta Braves471.610.919561+23[3]
2015Mark MelanconPittsburgh Pirates512.230.936276+23[6]
2016Kenley JansenLos Angeles Dodgers471.830.6710468+23[7]
2017Kenley Jansen (2)Los Angeles Dodgers411.320.7510968+13[8]
2018Josh HaderMilwaukee Brewers122.430.8114381+13[9]
2019Josh Hader (2)
Milwaukee Brewers372.620.8113875+23[10]
2020Devin Williams
Milwaukee Brewers00.330.635327[4]
2021Josh Hader (3)
Milwaukee Brewers341.230.8410258+23[11]
2022Edwin Díaz (2)New York Mets321.310.83911862[12]
2023Devin Williams (2)Milwaukee Brewers361.530.9208758+23[13]

Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year

Namesake of the AL award, Mariano Rivera
YearPlayerTeamSVERAWHIPKIPRef
2014Greg HollandKansas City Royals461.440.919062+13[3]
2015Andrew MillerNew York Yankees362.040.8610061+23[14]
2016Zack BrittonBaltimore Orioles470.540.847467[7]
2017Craig Kimbrel (2)Boston Red Sox351.430.6812669[8]
2018Edwin DíazSeattle Mariners571.960.7912473+13[9]
2019Aroldis Chapman
New York Yankees372.211.118557[10]
2020Liam Hendriks
Oakland Athletics141.780.673725+13[4]
2021Liam Hendriks (2)Chicago White Sox382.540.7311371[11]
2022Emmanuel ClaseCleveland Guardians421.360.7297772+23[12]
2023Félix BautistaBaltimore Orioles331.480.91811061[13]

See also

References

External links