A save in baseball is a pitching statistic credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a win for his team under specific conditions.

Basic idea

A save measures a relief pitcher who comes in with a lead and successfully protects it until the final out, without ever giving up the lead. He cannot also be the winning pitcher in that game.

Official core requirements

For a pitcher to earn a save, all of the following must be true:

  1. He is the relief pitcher (he did not start the game).
  2. His team wins the game.
  3. He is the final pitcher on the mound for his team, recording the last out.
  4. He is not the winning pitcher (the win was awarded to a different pitcher).

On top of that, at least one of three “leverage” conditions has to be met.

The three save situations

A relief pitcher gets a save if he satisfies the four items above and also fits at least one of these game situations:

  1. Small lead, at least one inning
    • He enters with his team ahead by no more than three runs.
    • He pitches at least one full inning.
    • He leaves with his team still ahead at the end of the game.
 * Example: Comes in for the 9th inning leading 4–2, gets three outs, game ends 4–2 → save.
  1. Tying run is “in reach”
    • He enters the game with the potential tying run on base, at the plate, or in the on‑deck circle, no matter what the actual score is.
 * He finishes the game and never lets the other team tie or take the lead.
 * Example: Team leads 6–3, bases loaded, two outs; tying run is on first base. New pitcher records the last out and the game ends 6–3 → save.
  1. Long relief finish (3+ innings)
    • He pitches at least three innings in relief.
    • He finishes the game with his team still ahead, regardless of what the lead was when he entered.
 * Example: Enters in the 7th with a 7–1 lead, throws the last three innings, final score 7–3 → save, even though the lead was big.

Quick FAQ-style notes

  • A pitcher cannot earn a save and the win in the same game.
  • Saves are almost always recorded by late‑inning specialists called closers , but any reliever can earn one if he meets the criteria.
  • The statistic was formalized in MLB in 1969 to better recognize the value of relief pitchers who protect leads.

TL;DR: A save in baseball is credited to a relief pitcher who finishes a win for his team, doesn’t get the win himself, and protects the lead in one of three situations: small lead and at least one inning, tying run “in reach,” or at least three innings to finish the game.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.