When you think of the greatest eras in Phillies history, the primary closers aren’t at the top of the franchise’s all-time saves leaderboard, as you might expect. They’re up there, but at the very top of the list are firemen who sealed a lot of victories amid a lot of losing.
With that in mind, here are the Phillies’ top 10 all-time regular-season saves leaders, per Baseball Reference:
No. 1: Jonathan Papelbon, 123
One of the least popular Phillies in recent history — who signed with the team after the 2011 season in hopes of winning and demanded a trade to contender in 2015 — is the Phillies’ G.O.A.T. of save accumulation. He racked up 123 (blowing only 15) in less than four playoff-less seasons after leaving the Boston Red Sox — where he became, and is still, that franchise’s saves leader as well. His 368 career saves ranks 11th all time.
No. 2: José Mesa, 112
Mesa came to the Phillies in 2001 and left after the 2003 season, but he skyrocketed up the franchise saves leaderboard in that short span. He crossed the 40-save mark twice in those three years — in dominant 2001 and 2002 seasons in which he posted ERAs below 3.00 — blowing 17 in total. Once Aroldis Chapman earns one more save, Mesa’s 321 will rank 22nd all time.
No. 3: Steve Bedrosian, 103
Bedrosian spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Phillies, from 1986 to 1989, and one of those was historic. Bedrosian’s 40 saves (despite blowing eight) and his 2.83 ERA that season won him the National League Cy Young Award by a narrow two-point margin.
No. 4: Mitch Williams, 102
The first Phillie on this list to pitch in the postseason with the club, Williams saved 102 games from 1991-93, with the plurality (43 saves) coming in the 1993 season that saw the team advance to the World Series. Joe Carter’s famous Game 6 walk-off did constitute a blown save for Williams, but he also saved Game 2, plus two NLCS games to get there.
No. 5: Brad Lidge, 100
It will be hard for any Phillies closer to match what Lidge accomplished in 2008, saving 41 games in 41 chances and going a perfect 7-for-7 in the postseason, capped off in the World Series clincher. Lidge was the Phillies’ closer from 2008 through 2010, before injuries in his final season (2011) limited his ability to vie for the top spot on this list. His 12 postseason saves as a Phillie lead the franchise, and his 18 overall are third in MLB history.
No. 6: Tug McGraw, 94
Like Lidge’s, McGraw’s most memorable save closed out a Phillies World Series title. That 1980 season was the only in which he saved at least 20 regular-season games as Phillie, but longevity made up for it — he spent a decade in Philadelphia, from 1975-84. His five postseason saves are second to Lidge in Phillies history.
No. 7: Ron Reed, 90
A teammate of McGraw’s for every year except McGraw’s first and last seasons as a Phillie, Reed posted a 3.06 ERA across eight seasons in Philadelphia. Reed was inducted onto the Wall of Fame in 2022.
No. 8: Héctor Neris, 84
Much of the dialogue during Neris’ Phillies tenure centered on the fact that though he was a mostly reliable reliever, he didn’t fit well in the closer’s role. There’s some merit to that case: His 26 blown saves is tied with Ryan Madson for the most in franchise history. He had a 3.42 ERA in eight seasons with the Phillies, then helped defeat them in the World Series as a member of the Houston Astros the first year after he left.
No. 9: Ricky Bottalico, 78
Few things inspire Ricky Bottalico rants on NBC Sports Philadelphia quite like bullpen meltdowns, and it’s understandable why. He saved 78 games with the Phillies across seven seasons (1994-98, 2001-02), blowing just five and earning an All-Star nod in 1996.
No. 10: Turk Farrell, 65
The earliest member of the top 13, Farrell pitched for the Phillies to begin his career from 1956-61, then to end it from 1967-69. He posted a 3.25 ERA in that span.
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