Mariano Rivera: How Many Saves Will He Retire With?

At 41 years old, Mariano Rivera is the fourth oldest player still playing in the MLB. He has a 2.22 career ERA and is about to become the lone record holder for all-time saves at 602.

As Mariano Rivera cements himself as the greatest closer of all time, Yankee fans are left to wonder what life would be like without him. Would they still be considered one of the most dominant teams in baseball? Would they have won they have one each of the five World Series titles he contributed to?

There is no way to know for sure, but we do know he’ll be the all-time leader in saves. We also know he’ll hold that record for a long, long time. The only thing we don’t know, is how far he’ll extend his record before he decides to retire.

3. The Rest of 2011

Mo is just one save away from sole possession of the all-time record, and he’ll absolutely get it this season.  The Yankees have given him plenty of opportunities, and he currently sits at 41 on the year.

Rivera should have no trouble breaking the record over the next couple of days and should find himself with ample opportunity to increase his record tally in 2011. The Yankees have 11 games left to play, including 10 matchups with the Rays and Red Sox. These games against their division rivals tend to end close, thus offering more save opportunities.  

Rivera should accumulate four more saves in 2011, leaving him at 605 heading into October.

2. Next Season, 2012

Mariano will definitely be back in 2012, and the Yankees will likely be making some major moves at starting pitcher this offseason, so the team will be even better.

The Yankees will go after the likes of CJ Wilson of the Texas Rangers and Yu Darvish from Japan. If they do improve their rotation, Rivera could see an increase in save opportunities and as a result, an increase in saves.

The Yankees are perennial contenders so there is no question that Mariano will accumulate a lot of saves.  Since he took over the closer role for John Wetteland in 1997, Rivera has averaged 40 saves a season.

If the Yankees can improve their starting rotation, 45 saves will be a safe bet in 2012.

1. 2013, His Final Year?

Rivera has always said that he’s going to pitch until he is no longer effective. In 2013 he’ll be 43 years old on opening day. The fact that Mariano is already 41 and still hitting 94 on the radar gun suggests that he’s not going to fall off anytime soon, but 2013 seems to make sense as a final season.

Everyone knows that Rivera will go down in history as the greatest closer of all time. He is a lock for the hall-of-fame and one of the most dominant pitchers of his era. The question is, how many saves he will finish with and how unreachable he’ll leave his all-time mark.

I expect Rivera to decline a little in 2013, but 35 saves won’t be out of reach.

Rivera will retire right around 675 saves. A truly extraordinary record set by a truly extraordinary player.