MLB: Ranking the Top 10 Closers in Baseball Right Now

September 21, 2011; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Mariano Rivera (42) pitches during the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Michael L. Stein-USA TODAY Sports

Now, what do all of these pitchers have in common?  Well, besides from sporting some of the best numbers in the game, they’re all considered elite because of a few common trends.  The first being the fact that all of them have excellent strikes per nine, and strikeout to walk ratios, most of the lot averaging around three to four strikeouts for every walk.

Another, more pressing, reason, is the undeniable proof that all of these closers – with the slight exception of one or two for a couple different reasons – have been the epitome of consistency throughout their careers.  All of them, at one point or another, led their league in saves and or strikeouts for one or more years, the leader – by far – of those two elite categories being none other than “Mo” himself, who accomplished these two milestones multiple times in his illustrious career.

To be a truly dominant closer is a rare thing indeed, and the elite ones are very few and far between.  But with some exciting young talent already on its way – not to mention the already established group of young and old closers – Major League Baseball could be witnessing another rise of dominant young closers, in the ever changing – and repeating – game that we call baseball.