Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley sweeps NL relief awards in Las Vegas with record-breaking year
When it came time out in Las Vegas for the announcement on who won the National League's Trevor Hoffman Award as its top reliever, there was about as much uncertainty of the outcome for Ryan Helsley in his seat as there was for the Cardinals with him on the mound.
The win was assured.
Helsley, the Cardinals' record-setting closer, swept the reliever honors Thursday night during Major League Baseball's All-MLB Awards Show. His MLB-best 49 saves and NL-best conversation rate (92.5%) swayed voters to honor him with the Hoffman Award and a spot on the first-time All-MLB alongside Cleveland's Emmanuel Clase. The All-MLB team is voted on by fans and a panel of experts.
"Getting better at taking it day by day, really embracing that closer role," Helsley said on stage Thursday night during the telecast of the award presentation. He was asked about his season by MLB Network anchor and Lindenwood University grad Greg Amsinger.
"And if something goes bad," continued Helsley, one of the players who attended the awards celebration in Vegas, "roll with the punches and go onto the next day."
Helsley was the only Cardinal who won an award Thursday.
The winners for the big four Baseball Writers' Association of America awards – the MVP, Cy Young Award, Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year, and Manager of the Year – will be announced throughout next week. The Cardinals do not have a finalist for any honor.
The Cardinals have already received interest from some teams looking to trade for Helsley, who can be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. Helsley, 30, is eligible for arbitration this winter and coming off his strong, award-winning season, he will be due a raise estimated at about $4 million, or slightly more. Helsley is one of the Cardinals most appealing trade options for contending teams and could command a strong return, though multiple sources aware of the Cardinals' planning told the Post-Dispatch the club is inclined to keep Helsley at this point unless overwhelmed.
Helsley is the first Cardinal to win the Hoffman Award, which began in 2014.
From 1976 through 2012, MLB presented the Rolaids Relief Man Award. Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter won that award four times, including three times as a Cardinal. The Cardinals also had three other winners of the Rolaids award: Lee Smith twice along with Todd Worrell and Tom Henke, once each. Helsley is the first Cardinals closer since Henke won in 1995 to be honored with a year-end award for relievers.
In 2014, the annual reliever awards were named for Hoffman in the National League and unanimous Hall of Fame selection Mariano Rivera in the American League.
The Cardinals committed to Helsley at closer during spring training, pledging to use the right-hander in save situations and the ninth inning as much as possible. Previously they had moved him around in role, targeting him against the best hitters in the opponents' lineup regardless of the late inning.
Helsley responded to owning the ninth with a record-setting season.
He converted 31 consecutive saves to shatter and extend the Cardinals' record. For a team that won 83 games, he had 49 saves to go with seven wins. That set a club record for most decisions in wins by a reliever, and he had a role in 67% of the team's victories. His 49 saves surpassed the club record of 48 set by Trevor Rosenthal in 2015.
Less advertised than the commitment to closing was another shift for Helsley. He leaned into his slider as his most-used pitch for the first time in his career. That threw hitters off his overpowering fastball until they could do nothing with the overpowering fastball. Opposing hitters batted .171 against the slider.
Helsley struck out 79 batters in 66 1/3 innings and had a 2.04 ERA.
Helsley represented the Cardinals as their only All-Star at the All-Star Game in Texas, and he became the third Cardinals reliever to earn at least two All-Star appearances. The other two, Sutter and Smith, and both in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Cleveland's dominant closer Clase won the Rivera Award after converting 47 of 50 save opportunities for the playoff-bound Guardians. Clase had a 0.61 ERA, which was the third-lowest ever for a reliever with a minimum of 50 innings.
Helsley and Clase were the two relievers picked for All-MLB's first team.
Oakland A's flamethrowing closer Mason Miller and Texas Rangers' right-hander Kirby Yates were the relievers honored on the All-MLB second team.
As announced Thursday night in Las Vegas, here is the All-MLB first team: Willson Contreras' younger brother William from the Brewers at catcher; 1B Vladimi Guerrero Jr., Toronto; 2B Ketel Marte, Arizona; 3B Jose Ramirez, Cleveland; SS Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City; OF Aaron Judge, Yankees; OF Juan Soto, Yankees; OF Mookie Betts, Dodgers; DH Shohei Ohtani, Yankees; SP Chris Sale, Atlanta; SP Tarik Skubal, Detroit; SP Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh; SP Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia; SP Corbin Burnes, Baltimore; and Helsley and Clase.
Unlike league-specific awards, All-MLB pools the leagues.
"I'm not like looking to blow this thing up," says John Mozeliak. Willson Contreras is moving to first base, not moving in trade, and Sonny Gray prefers to stay.
Subscribers had a lot of questions about what to do with all of the infielders, what a team with or without Nolan Arenado looks like, and TV talk galore in weekly Cardinals chat.
A reduced rights deal and new revenue stream give team greater "clarity" on its budget with one indicator still out there as they trim costs: sagging ticket sales.
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