Every season, Major League Baseball awards the Reliever of the Year to the best American and National League relief pitcher. MLB confirmed the 2023 winners in November, right before the start of the Winter Meetings. Here’s a look at the two MLB players who were the Relievers of the Year in 2023.
Related: Who were the AL & NL Comeback Players of the Year in 2023?
American League
Orioles reliever Felix Bautista was the recipient of the 2023 AL Reliever of the Year award.
Like the 2022 AL Reliever of the Year winner Emmanuel Clase, Bautista is a hard-throwing right-hander who can overpower opposing hitters. Bautista’s hard fastball, coupled with a slider and splitter, helped propel the O’s reliever to stardom this past season.
Among primary relievers that threw at least 40 innings in the Majors this season, Bautista finished second with 110 strikeouts over 61 innings. Only Michael King had more overall strikeouts, but it’s worth pointing out that King did spend the last few weeks as a starter. The 28-year-old had the highest K/9 (16.2) in the league.
Bautista ended the year with a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves. However, the 2023 All-Star did not factor into the MLB Playoffs after he underwent Tommy John surgery. He is expected to miss all of 2024.
National League
Brewers reliever Devin Williams won the 2023 NL Reliever of the Year award.
The accolade adds to Williams’ trophy case, which already included the NL Rookie of the Year in 2020. Williams beat out Jake Cronenworth and Alec Bohm for the NL Rookie of the Year after he gave up just one earned run over 27 innings and struck out 53.
Williams took over as the Brewers closer in late 2022 after Milwaukee traded Josh Hader to San Diego. The 29-year-old did very well in his first full season as Brewers closer, as he struck out 87 over 58.2 IP, notched 36 saves, and owned a tidy 1.53 ERA.
Both 2023 MLB Relievers of the Year were All-Stars for their respective league.