Diamondbacks Closer Paul Sewald Reaches Major Career Milestone

The Arizona Diamondbacks have certainly been getting their money's worth of the $1.5 million deal they gave right-handed closer Paul Sewald this offseason.

Though the veteran closer has not been perfect this season, he's been getting the job done in the ninth inning. Expected metrics and tie-game statistics tell a less-dominant story, but the ultimate number is simply how many ninth-inning leads the Diamondbacks have held onto as a result of Sewald's performances.

And on Wednesday, as the right-hander notched his 14th save of the year against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, Sewald reached another impressive career milestone: 100 career saves.

Keepin' it 💯 pic.twitter.com/nbcM5IzBmX
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) May 27, 2026

Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald reaches 100 saves

Nearly all of Sewald's 100 saves have come since the 2021 season, when he began to take over primary closing duties for the Seattle Mariners.

Since he joined Arizona mid-2023 after the Deadline, he's picked up 43 saves, going 43-for-48 (a near-90% save clip) as a member of the Diamondbacks. For as rocky as the game got for Sewald in 2024 and 2025, he appears to be as comfortable as ever in the ninth inning of close games.

Arizona Diamondbacks closer Paul Sewald — May 23, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks closing pitcher Paul Sewald (38) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the ninth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Anna Carrington-Imagn Images | Anna Carrington-Imagn Images

It would be dishonest to call him a truly dominant arm in today's game, as his 90-92 MPH fastball can often be taken quite deep when misplaced. But, now fully healthy, Sewald's fastball has been playing well from his low arm slot, and his complementary sweeper has increased in its horizontal movement.

So far in 2026, he has 3.80 ERA. He's been responsible for four losses — three in tie games — and has blown only one save, against the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

With that said, he's also striking out the most batters per nine innings (10.18 heading into Wednesday's game), and has remained relatively walk free (2.66 BB/9). There are certainly questions about expected stats, quality of contact and other issues — such as a 1.77 HR/9 figure. But if the vast majority of saves are being converted without significant slides, that is certainly a valuable arm.

And, with that said, Sewald entered Wednesday with a 2.94 expected ERA, which was over a full run better than his ERA. He's gotten away with some poorly-located pitches and some hard contact, but it's not as if his results have been as lucky as one might expect them to be.

The D-backs' bullpen may undergo some changes soon, however. Lefty A.J. Puk is nearing a return to the mound, and could see some ninth-inning situations at some point this year. Justin Martinez may be a late-August addition, but he'll get a share of saves in the future, as well.

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