Major League Baseball Reliever of the Year Award

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 former relievers Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, who played their entire careers in the respective leagues.

[2] Each voter selects three pitchers for each league based solely on their performance in the regular season; a 5-3-1 weighted point system is used to determine the winner.

[3] At its inception in 2014, the panel consisted of the top five relievers in career saves at the time—Rivera, Hoffman, Lee Smith, John Franco, and Billy Wagner—and the four living relief pitchers who were in the Hall of Fame: Dennis Eckersley, Rollie Fingers, Goose Gossage, and Bruce Sutter.

In 2020, the Brewers' Devin Williams became the first rookie, and the first reliever with no saves, to win the award in either league.

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".
Namesake of the NL award, Trevor Hoffman
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.
Namesake of the AL award, Mariano Rivera