Single-season saves record in Mets history might be safe

In 2016, New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia broke his own record which he shared with Armando Benitez. Going into this season, Familia’s 43 saves in 2015 and the 43 Benitez had in 2001 were a single-season record for the Mets.

These two are the only pitchers in Mets history to have multiple 40+ save seasons—each of them doing so in back-to-back seasons for the ball club. Only Billy Wagner, in 2006, reached 40, too.

Familia’s 2016 season set a new high. He blew past the 43 saves and secured 51 for the Mets in one of the most impressive seasons a reliever has ever had in the franchise’s history.

Will the Mets saves record ever be broken?

Saving 51 games in a year is a lot. Edwin Diaz hasn’t even come close to it during his time with the team although he did have 57 in 2018 as a member of the Seattle Mariners—the second most in MLB history behind only Francisco Rodriguez. You may remember him finishing games for the Mets in the past, too.

All of the right circumstances have to come into play to get into the half-century mark. Only 17 times has a closer ever gotten there. It’s not impossible. It’s just very difficult.

When Familia set the new Mets record, he did it with 78 appearances. Diaz, the man who would be the most logical to break the record, entered 61 games in 2022 and 63 in 2021. When he had 57 saves in 2018 with the Mariners, he was summoned from the bullpen 73 times.

The opportunities to even get to 51 saves are tough regardless of how your team performs in the regular season. To even have 51 or more opportunities for a save and your arm fresh enough to secure it is nearly impossible.

Familia’s saves record might not be the most glamorous in team history but it is one we might be able to carve in stone.