Major League Baseball Reliever of the Year Award

A man in a gray baseball uniform and navy blue cap stands on a dirt mound. He is striding forward with his left leg as he clutches a baseball behind his head with his right hand and curls his left hand, wearing a baseball glove, under his outstretched arm. He is wearing a black belt, black shoes, and a black baseball glove, and his uniform reads "New York" in navy blue letters across the chest. His face is contorted in concentration.
A man in a white baseball uniform and navy blue cap stands on a dirt mound throwing a pitch with his right hand. He is wearing a black belt, black shoes, and a black baseball glove, and his uniform reads "Padres" in navy blue script across the chest, outlined in tan. His cap has two interlocked letters: "S" and "D".
The annual reliever awards are named after Mariano Rivera (left) and Trevor Hoffman (right).

Major League Baseball (MLB) annually honors its best relief pitchers in the American League (AL) and National League (NL) with the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award and Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award, respectively. The awards are named after Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, who played their entire careers in the respective leagues.[1] The awards were first issued in 2014, and replaced the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Year Award, which had been presented since 2005.[2] Also that season, the Major League Baseball Delivery Man of the Month Award was discontinued.[3] Though all relief pitchers are eligible, all recipients of the award have been closers.

The Reliever of the Year Awards are determined based on a vote of a nine-member panel made up of Rivera, Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, John Franco, and Billy Wagner.[2] This represents the four living relief pitchers who are in the Hall of Fame along with the top five relievers in career saves.[2] Each voter selects three pitchers for each league based solely on their performance in the regular season performance; a 5-3-1 weighted point system is used to determine the winner.[4]

Reliever of the Year Award (2014–present)

Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year winners

Year Player Team SV ERA WHIP K IP Ref
2014 Kimbrel, CraigCraig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves 47 1.61 0.91 95 6123 [4]
2015 Melancon, MarkMark Melancon Pittsburgh Pirates 51 2.23 0.93 62 7623 [5]

Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year winners

Year Player Team SV ERA WHIP K IP Ref
2014 Holland, GregGreg Holland Kansas City Royals 46 1.44 0.91 90 6213 [4]
2015 Miller, AndrewAndrew Miller New York Yankees 36 2.04 0.86 100 6123 [6]

Delivery Man Award (2005–2013)

The Delivery Man Awards were initially part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and package delivery company DHL Express from 2005 to 2010.[7][8] From its inception in 2005 through 2008, the annual award was given to a single reliever that was selected online by fans from a group of 10 finalists chosen by an MLB panel.[9][10] The panel took sole responsibility to select the annual winner starting in 2009.[9][11] The winner of the monthly award was decided on by a four-man panel, which originally consisted of Dennis Eckersley, Jerome Holtzman, Rick Sutcliffe and Bob Watson.[12] The panel has included Darryl Hamilton and Mike Bauman, a national columnist for MLB.com.[13]

The awards were given through 2013.[2] Rivera won the Delivery Man Award more than any other AL pitcher; he received the annual award in 2005, 2006, and 2009, and was named the monthly winner in April 2008 and July 2009. Hoffman won the monthly award four times in the NL; winning in May 2005, September 2006, May 2007, and May 2009. Joe Nathan (July 2006, July 2008, and June 2009) and Rafael Soriano (May 2010, July 2010, and August 2010) have won the monthly award three times. Other pitchers who won multiple times include Jonathan Papelbon (April 2006 and the 2007 annual award), Brad Lidge (July 2005 and the 2008 annual award), Heath Bell (April 2009 and the 2010 annual award), and Francisco Rodríguez (August 2006 and June 2008).

Annual winners

A man prepares to deliver a baseball pitch, holding the ball behind his body with his right hand. He is wearing a gray baseball uniform with "Boston" across the chest in navy letters and a navy blue baseball cap with a red "B". A black baseball glove is on his left hand, held in front of his body as he strides forward.
Jonathan Papelbon won the Delivery Man of the Year Award in 2007.
Year Player Team SV ERA WHIP K IP Ref
2005 Rivera, MarianoMariano Rivera (1) New York Yankees 43 1.38 0.87 80 7813 [14]
2006 Rivera, MarianoMariano Rivera (2) New York Yankees 34 1.80 0.96 55 75 [15]
2007 Papelbon, JonathanJonathan Papelbon Boston Red Sox 37 1.85 0.77 84 5813 [16]
2008 Lidge, BradBrad Lidge Philadelphia Phillies 41 1.95 1.23 92 6913 [17]
2009 Rivera, MarianoMariano Rivera (3) New York Yankees 44 1.76 0.90 72 6613 [18]
2010 Bell, HeathHeath Bell San Diego Padres 47 1.93 1.20 86 70 [19]
2011 Valverde, JoséJosé Valverde Detroit Tigers 49 2.24 1.19 69 7213 [20]
2012 Rodney, FernandoFernando Rodney Tampa Bay Rays 48 0.60 0.78 76 7423 [21]
2013 Kimbrel, CraigCraig Kimbrel Atlanta Braves 50 1.21 0.88 98 67 [22]

Monthly winners

A man in a gray baseball uniform throws a baseball from a dirt mound. He is wearing a red baseball cap. His back is to the camera, and the reverse of the uniform reads "Rodriguez" in red block letters and "57" in a larger red font. His arms and legs are stretched to their limit in four different directions; the baseball is in his right hand, and he is wearing a black baseball glove on his left.
Francisco Rodríguez won the Delivery Man of the Month Award in August 2006 and June 2008.
A man in a grey pinstriped baseball uniform throws a baseball with his right hand. The uniform reads "Minnesota" across the chest (partially obscured) in red letters, below which is the number "36", also in red. He is wearing a navy blue baseball cap with a lower-case red "m" on the front. The man is looking toward the right side of the image.
Joe Nathan won the Delivery Man of the Month Award three times.
Month Year Player Team SV ERA H BB K IP Ref
April2005 Mesa, JoséJosé Mesa Pittsburgh Pirates81.1272108[23]
May2005 Hoffman, TrevorTrevor Hoffman (1) San Diego Padres120.82611311[24]
June2005 Cordero, ChadChad Cordero Washington Nationals150.00112141613[25]
July2005 Lidge, BradBrad Lidge Houston Astros81.64411511[26]
August2005 Jones, ToddTodd Jones Florida Marlins120.66100131323[27]
September2005 Dempster, RyanRyan Dempster Chicago Cubs130.00105191523[28]
April2006 Papelbon, JonathanJonathan Papelbon (1) Boston Red Sox100.0072141413[29]
May2006 Isringhausen, JasonJason Isringhausen St. Louis Cardinals100.7778141123[30]
June2006 Jenks, BobbyBobby Jenks (1) Chicago White Sox100.60951615[31]
July2006 Nathan, JoeJoe Nathan (1) Minnesota Twins90.75941912[32]
August2006 Rodríguez, FranciscoFrancisco Rodríguez (1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim120.0076171313[33]
September2006 Hoffman, TrevorTrevor Hoffman (2) San Diego Padres101.50741312[34]
April2007 Cordero, FranciscoFrancisco Cordero Milwaukee Brewers100.0027191113[35]
May2007 Hoffman, TrevorTrevor Hoffman (3) San Diego Padres110.0061101213[36]
June2007 Putz, J. J.J. J. Putz (1) Seattle Mariners110.5963191513[37]
July2007 Wagner, BillyBilly Wagner New York Mets80.002479[38]
August2007 Saito, TakashiTakashi Saito Los Angeles Dodgers100.6872211313[39]
September2007 Corpas, MannyManny Corpas Colorado Rockies82.3013251523[40]
April2008 Rivera, MarianoMariano Rivera (1) New York Yankees80.00401213[41]
May2008 Ryan, B. J.B. J. Ryan Toronto Blue Jays100.75761412[42]
June2008 Rodríguez, FranciscoFrancisco Rodríguez (2) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim111.5955121113[13]
July2008 Nathan, JoeJoe Nathan (2) Minnesota Twins70.82351211[43]
August2008 Valverde, JoseJose Valverde Houston Astros110.64531714[44]
September2008 Soria, JoakimJoakim Soria (1) Kansas City Royals90.003481013[45]
April2009 Bell, HeathHeath Bell San Diego Padres80.00429823[46]
May2009 Hoffman, TrevorTrevor Hoffman (4) Milwaukee Brewers110.00411112[47]
June2009 Nathan, JoeJoe Nathan (3) Minnesota Twins110.0041181123[48]
July2009 Rivera, MarianoMariano Rivera (2) New York Yankees100.003291123[49]
August2009 Franklin, RyanRyan Franklin St. Louis Cardinals110.0066411[50]
September2009 Soria, JoakimJoakim Soria (2) Kansas City Royals100.00125211323[51]
April2010 Capps, MattMatt Capps Washington Nationals100.68126151313[52]
May2010 Soriano, RafaelRafael Soriano (1) Tampa Bay Rays90.003391113[53]
June2010 Jenks, BobbyBobby Jenks (2) Chicago White Sox100.75711412[54]
July2010 Soriano, RafaelRafael Soriano (2) Tampa Bay Rays112.5744914[55]
August2010 Soriano, RafaelRafael Soriano (3) Tampa Bay Rays100.82421010 23[56]
September2010 Mármol, CarlosCarlos Mármol Chicago Cubs130.002102514 23[57]
April2011 Street, HustonHuston Street Colorado Rockies102.201341716 13[58]
May2011 Putz, J. J.J. J. Putz (2) Arizona Diamondbacks110.00541013[59]
June2011 Hanrahan, JoelJoel Hanrahan Pittsburgh Pirates90.71531112 23[60]
July2011 Axford, JohnJohn Axford Milwaukee Brewers112.571331614[61]
August2011 Kimbrel, CraigCraig Kimbrel (1) Atlanta Braves100.00642312 23[62]
September2011 Putz, J. J.J. J. Putz (3) Arizona Diamondbacks100.0061159 23[63]
April2012 Papelbon, JonathanJonathan Papelbon (2) Philadelphia Phillies80.90631010[64]
May2012 Johnson, JimJim Johnson Baltimore Orioles91.4270812 23[65]
June2012 Clippard, TylerTyler Clippard Washington Nationals100.00261211 23[66]
July2012 Chapman, AroldisAroldis Chapman (1) Cincinnati Reds130.00623114 13[67]
August2012 Chapman, AroldisAroldis Chapman (2) Cincinnati Reds110.68821813 13[68]
September2012 Kimbrel, CraigCraig Kimbrel (2) Atlanta Braves100.00622512 23[69]
April2013 Grilli, JasonJason Grilli (1) Pittsburgh Pirates100.82541711[70]
May2013 Grilli, JasonJason Grilli (2) Pittsburgh Pirates121.32712113 23[71]
June2013 Nathan, JoeJoe Nathan (4) Texas Rangers110.63631514 13[72]
July2013 Holland, GregGreg Holland (1) Kansas City Royals110.82911511[73]
August2013 Kimbrel, CraigCraig Kimbrel (3) Atlanta Braves120.00821916 13[74]
September2013 Holland, GregGreg Holland (2) Kansas City Royals110.60742015[75]

See also

References

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External links

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