SAN FRANCISCO – Ryan Helsley officially enters the St. Louis Cardinals record books. The flame-throwing closer picked up his 49th save of the 2024 MLB season on Friday, setting a new Cardinals franchise record.
Helsley passes Trevor Rosenthal for the most the most single-season saves for a Cardinals pitcher. Rosenthal finished with 48 saves in the 2015 season, and his record stood for nearly a decade until now.
A save is awarded to a relief pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under difficult circumstances, most commonly by entering a game with no more than a three-run lead and pitching at least one inning.
Helsley pitched one inning and struck out two hitters for the record-breaking save to secure a Cardinals’ 6-3 win over the San Francisco Giants.
“It feels great,” said Helsley on the new record via Bally Sports Midwest. “I worked really hard all year. The guys in front of me did a great job. The whole bullpen deserves some credit for this. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at.”
To Helsley’s point, the Cardinals bullpen has paved the path for many of his opportunities. St. Louis’ relief pitchers have worked to the tune of a 3.65 ERA and 103 holds this season, Top 10 and Top 5 among MLB team units respectively.
Helsley is currently battling against Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase for this year’s MLB saves title. Entering the final week of the regular season, they were the only closers with more than 40 saves this year. Helsley currently leads that race over Clase, 49 to 47.
The 30-year-old Oklahoma native enjoyed a strong start in the saves department, picking up 32 saves ahead of the MLB All-Star break in mid-July and setting another Cardinals record by successfully picking up saves in 31 consecutive opportunities.
In one stretch of the season through Mother’s Day weekend, Helsley pitched in every game that the Cardinals had eventually won, picking up a save or win in 14 of the Cardinals’ first 16 victories.
This is Helsley’s sixth season at the big-league level with the Cardinals and his third as the primary closer. His dominance led to his second All-Star Game selection this summer, though he declined to participate in the game in hopes to stay fresh for a Cardinals postseason push.
The Cardinals fell short of that goal, but Helsley surpassed his previous career high in innings pitched (64.2) earlier this week and will have finished with a save in more than half of the Cardinals’ victories this year, certainly keeping the Cardinals in the hunt longer than many anticipated.
Could he get to 50? There’s only two more games to push for the half-century mark. That ambitious mark has only been accomplished 17 times in MLB history and never with someone during a season they pitched for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals’ 2024 regular season will come to an end Sunday, Sept. 29 against the San Francisco Giants.
