Best Dodgers Closers of All Time Ranked
When ranking the best Dodgers closers of all time, the debate usually boils down to two very different pitching philosophies: sustained, steady excellence over a decade versus absolute, unadulterated peak dominance. Kenley Jansen gave Los Angeles over 350 saves and anchored the bullpen through multiple pennant runs. Meanwhile, Éric Gagné unleashed a three-year blitz that remains the gold standard for late-inning terror.
From the Brooklyn days of Clem Labine through the mid-2000s lights-out eras at Chavez Ravine, the Dodgers have enjoyed an enviable pipeline of bullpen stoppers. Here is our breakdown of the premier relief aces in franchise history, ranked by peak performance, longevity, and impact when the lights were brightest.
1. Kenley Jansen: The Franchise Benchmark
It is impossible to build a serious list of the best Dodgers closers of all time without Kenley Jansen sitting at the top. Converted from catcher to reliever in the minors, Jansen arrived in the big leagues armed with an unhittable cut fastball that drew immediate, justified comparisons to Mariano Rivera.
Between 2010 and 2021, Jansen racked up a franchise-record 350 saves for Los Angeles. Over that 12-season span, he posted a microscopic 2.37 ERA, struck out 1,022 batters across 705 innings, and earned three All-Star nods alongside the 2017 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year Award.
What separated Jansen from short-lived relief sensations was durability. In an era where bullpen arms burn out in three seasons, Jansen gave the Dodgers seven distinct years with at least 30 saves, including a peak 47-save campaign in 2014 and 41 saves in 2017 with a preposterous 109-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. While postseason fatigue led to occasional October heartbreaks, his sustained production gave Los Angeles an elite, predictable back-of-the-bullpen solution for over a decade.
2. Éric Gagné: Peak Unhittability and 'Game Over'
If Jansen takes the crown for career volume, Éric Gagné authored what was arguably the single most dominant relief peak in Major League Baseball history. Between 2002 and 2004, the French-Canadian converted starter turned the ninth inning into a foregone conclusion, backed by Guns N' Roses blaring through Dodger Stadium and his iconic "Game Over" graphics.
During that electric three-year peak, Gagné saved 152 games while blowing just three opportunities. His signature achievement—84 consecutive converted saves between August 2002 and July 2004—remains an unbroken major league record. In 2003, Gagné achieved the near-impossible for a reliever by capturing the NL Cy Young Award after turning in a 1.20 ERA, 55 saves in 55 chances, and punching out 137 hitters in 82.1 innings.
Armed with a rising 98-mph heater, a sharp curveball, and a devastating screw-action vulcan changeup, Gagné produced the most unhittable stretch among the best Dodgers closers of all time. Injuries and subsequent performance-enhancement disclosures clouded the backend of his career, but for three summers in Southern California, nobody struck more fear into opposing lineups.
3. Jim Brewer and Clem Labine: The Vintage Firemen
Long before modern managers conserved their closers for clean three-out ninth innings, relievers were "firemen" expected to enter in the seventh or eighth with men on base. Two names define that classic era for the Dodgers: Clem Labine and Jim Brewer.
Labine was the rock of the Brooklyn Dodgers' glory years in the 1950s. Known for a biting sinker that induced endless groundballs, Labine threw multiple innings across high-leverage spots, collecting 86 saves and 70 wins in relief. He was instrumental in helping Brooklyn capture its historic 1955 World Series title, working out of jams whenever manager Walter Alston called his number.
When the franchise moved west, Jim Brewer picked up the mantle. Relying heavily on an elusive screwball, Brewer anchored the LA bullpen from 1964 through 1975. He collected 125 saves in Dodger blue, sporting a career 2.62 ERA across 11 seasons in Los Angeles. Labine and Brewer are often overlooked when debating the best Dodgers closers of all time because they pitched in eras before modern bullpen specialization, yet their volume of high-pressure innings rivals anyone who followed.
4. Todd Worrell and Jeff Shaw: The Mid-1990s and Turn-of-the-Century Stabilizers
Following the dominant setups of the 1980s, the Dodgers relied on experienced veterans to handle the ninth inning during the late 90s. Todd Worrell arrived in 1993 and, after shaking off early arm troubles, delivered three straight monster seasons from 1995 to 1997. Over those three years, Worrell converted 114 saves, led the National League with 44 saves in 1996, and provided the hard-throwing backbone for competitive Mike Piazza-led rosters.
When Worrell retired, the front office acquired Jeff Shaw in the summer of 1998 to steady the bullpen. Shaw lacked the blistering strikeout stuff of Gagné or Worrell, relying instead on precision, late tailing movement, and aggressive strike-throwing.
Shaw proved remarkably reliable, bagging 129 saves over three-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles and making two All-Star teams. While neither Worrell nor Shaw brought home championship hardware to Chavez Ravine, their consistency in locking down ninth-inning leads maintained the franchise's reputation for dependable bullpen anchors.
Evaluating Longevity vs. Peak: How These Arms Compare
Determining the pecking order among the best Dodgers closers of all time requires balancing peak dominance against career longevity in blue. If you prioritize raw, unhittable stuff that completely demoralized hitters, Gagné's 2003 season is untouchable. Relievers rarely post a 44.8% strikeout rate paired with an untouchable changeup over 80+ frames.
However, baseball value over a 162-game season rewards stability year after year. Jansen gave manager Dave Roberts a reliable safety net through six division titles, three National League pennants, and the 2020 World Series championship.
Honorable mentions must also go to arms like Mike Marshall, whose rubber-armed 1974 season earned him a Cy Young as a multi-inning reliever, and Takashi Saito, who stepped into the closer role as a 36-year-old rookie and gave Los Angeles 81 saves with a brilliant 1.95 ERA from 2006 to 2008. Still, when weighing all metrics, Jansen and Gagné remain on their own tier.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the most career saves in Dodgers franchise history?
Kenley Jansen holds the Dodgers all-time record with 350 career saves, far surpassing Éric Gagné, who sits in second place with 161 saves.
Has a Dodgers closer ever won the Cy Young Award?
Yes. Éric Gagné won the National League Cy Young Award in 2003 after converting all 55 save opportunities with a 1.20 ERA and 137 strikeouts. Reliever Mike Marshall also won the NL Cy Young in 1974, pitching 208.1 innings out of the bullpen.
What is the Dodgers record for consecutive saves?
Éric Gagné holds the franchise and MLB record with 84 consecutive converted save opportunities, a streak spanning from August 28, 2002, to July 5, 2004.
Was Kenley Jansen originally drafted as a pitcher?
No, Jansen was originally signed by the Dodgers as an international free-agent catcher from Curaçao in 2004. The organization converted him to a pitcher in 2009 after noticing his elite arm strength during the World Baseball Classic.