The best closers in MLB history: 25. Francisco Cordero
- 329 total saves
- 3.38 ERA
- 575 games finished
- 0.7 HR/9
Francisco Cordero is the second name on this list that benefits from the evolution of the modern-day closer. The 14-year MLB veteran spent the entirety of his playing career as a relief pitcher, providing almost a decade of reliable closing. Unfortunately for Cordero, he spent a number of these seasons on bad ball clubs that didn’t win very many games. But, during those years, if the Texas Rangers or Cincinnati Reds (among four other stops he made) needed three outs to win a close game – Cordero was their guy.
In 800 career appearances, Cordero recorded 329 total saves and finished 575 games. Both of those marks rank at least top-25 on the MLB’s all-time list. In 2002, a season the Rangers only won 72 games, the three-time All-Star cemented himself as the ninth-inning man. In that season, Cordero notched 10 saves while finishing 25 games, and pitched to a 1.79 ERA.
Cordero earned his first All-Star appearance in 2004 after securing 49 saves with a 2.13 ERA. His 49 saves remain a single-season record in Rangers’ franchise history. His reliability as a closer helped the Rangers land future Hall of Famer Nelson Cruz via trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Cruz spent eight seasons in Texas and hit 157 home runs.
Cordero might be best remembered for his ability to limit the long ball, as he gave up 0.7 home runs per nine innings in addition to a 3.38 career ERA.