4 best seasons for a closer in St. Louis Cardinals' history

Ryan Helsley has been nearly perfect as a closer for the St. Louis Cardinals this year. He had a stretch of 31 straight saves that was broken recently -- though that interruption didn't come without some chagrin from fans and reporters alike. He is leading Major League Baseball with 31 saves and less than one week until the All-Star Game. His 25 straight saves set a franchise record.

Stretched out over a full season, Helsley could surpass the illustrious 60-save season that hasn't been reached by a Cardinal closer in franchise history and hasn't been achieved since 2008 by Francisco Rodriguez when he saved 62 games. Ryan Helsley could make history for a closer if he continues at this pace.

Helsley could have the single-best season as a closer in franchise history should he remain healthy this year. This made me wonder what other closers were spectacular for one season in St. Louis Cardinals' history. The organization has had many All-Stars and Hall of Famers be formidable forces at the end of games. Players like Lee Smith, Jason Isringhausen, Todd Worrell, and Bruce Sutter top the list, two of whom are National Baseball Hall of Famers, and two are in the Cardinals' Hall of Fame.

Ryan Helsley is beginning to cement himself as one of the best closers in Cardinal history after just a few seasons in the majors. He is already tied for seventh in franchise history with 66 saves, and he's having his best season yet. Helsley holds a 2.41 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, and he's striking out 10.3 batters per nine innings this year alone. His first-half showing has earned him an All-Star nod as well this year, making him one of three closers in franchise history with multiple All-Star appearances.

Should Helsley continue on this torrid pace, his 2024 campaign would immediately become the best in franchise history for a closer, and it would likely stand amongst the best in all of baseball. He has a long way to go to be known as one of the best closers in baseball, as players like Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, Trevor Hoffman, and Billy Wagner hold that title. However, Helsley's 2022 and 2024 seasons as the last man out of the 'pen are a great springboard for that discussion.

Plenty of other Cardinal closers have had stellar seasons. These three seasons by closers while playing for the Cardinals rank among the best in franchise history. These are not rankings; players are organized chronologically.

Lee Smith - 1991

Lee Smith's 18-year career featured him playing for eight different teams. He spent four years in St. Louis, and his best year of his career happened to come in 1991. His 47 saves led all of baseball, and they are tied for the second most in Cardinals' franchise history with the next player on this list.

1991 was Smith's first full season in St. Louis after being traded to the Cardinals in 1990, and he didn't disappoint. He finished the season with a 2.34 ERA, 2.45 FIP, and a 1.14 WHIP. He was elected to participate in the All-Star game, he finished second in Cy Young voting to Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves, and he placed 8th in National League Most Valuable Player voting.

Batters had a slash line of .249/.281/.352 against Smith in 1991, and he walked just 4.3% of the men he faced. The Hall of Fame reliever blew only five saves that year, giving him a save percentage of 90.4% that year. Lee Smith appeared in only 67 games, and he finished 61 of them. He was a part of 60 of the team's 84 wins that year.

Lee Smith's innings total -- 73 -- was ample for a closer, but his save percentage narrowly being greater than 90% brings his prowess down slightly. He threw more than one inning 15 times, so he was asked to get up and down more often than his predecessor on this list. Lee Smith was a lockdown closer in 1991 for the Cardinals. They didn't make the playoffs that year, but Smith left his mark on the organization nonetheless.

Jason Isringhausen - 2004

Jason Isringhausen is the all-time saves leader in St. Louis Cardinals' franchise history. He has 217 saves to his name while Lee Smith in second place has 160 saves. Izzy is the best closer in Cardinals' history, bar none. His 2004 campaign stands tall amongst his other seasons wearing the birds on the bat, though.

Isringhausen saved a National League-leading 47 games that year -- tied for second most in franchise history. He appeared in 74 games, finishing 66 of them. He threw a total of 75.1 innings in 2004, but he wasn't elected to the All-Star game, nor did he finish with any other accolades. Eric Gagne of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Brad Lidge of the Houston Astros were the only two relievers to receive Cy Young votes in the National League that year, though neither eclipsed Isringhausen's save total.

Izzy finished the year with a 2.87 ERA, 3.02 FIP, 1.035 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 199, a figure 11 points higher than Gagne's. He struck out 23.1% of the batters he faced, and he walked just 7.5% of them. Hitters slashed .199/.265/.319 against the Cardinals' closer. He was virtually unhittable late in games. Isringhausen did blow seven saves that year, but he played a role in 65 of the team's 105 wins.

Isringhausen threw 11.2 innings in the postseason that year, and he allowed five runs across nine appearances. The bulk of his work was against the Houston Astros, and he logged three saves in the National League Championship Series that year. Fans of the Cardinals in the 2000s fondly remember Jason Isringhausen and his performances in 2004 stand amongst the greatest in franchise history for a closer.

Trevor Rosenthal - 2015

Trevor Rosenthal holds the franchise single-season record in saves at 48. He set that record in 2015, the same year the Cardinals won 100 games. Rosenthal pitched in 59 of the team's wins while recording a save in nearly half of them. He blew only three saves that year, and his 94.1% save percentage was the fourth-best in the National League in 2015.

Rosenthal finished the 2015 campaign with a 2.10 ERA, 2.42 FIP, 1.27 WHIP, and a 10.9 K's per nine ratio in 68.2 innings. He was voted to the National League All-Star team, and he finished 17th in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player that year. Rosenthal went more than one inning only seven times, so he doesn't hold a candle to Sutter's impressive output back in 1984.

As is the case with most closers, Rosenthal appeared in games while on one day or less of rest 19 times in 2015. He didn't fare overly well on zero days rest, but that's a tall ask of any pitcher. Rosenthal was most effective after two days off.

Batters slashed .238/.308/.312 against the Cardinals' closer that year. He struck out nearly 30% of the batters he faced while walking just 8.7% of them. Rosenthal's 48 saves in 2015 are tied for the 20th most in MLB history. The right-hander allowed only three home runs that year, and his 188 ERA+ was the best of his career by a long stretch.

Rosenthal still has an interest in pitching in the majors this year, and the folks over at the Dealin' the Cards podcast (formerly Noot News) have been pushing for a reunion with the 34-year-old pitcher.