While all of the focus on Rodriguez has been on the column one to the left of that -- he's in line to set the record for saves in a season, currently held by Bobby Thigpen, who notched 57 in 1990 -- you cannot separate that chase from his march towards the opportunities mark. Rodriguez has had 62 save opportunities this season, the second-highest total of all time, three behind Thigpen's mark of 65 set in '90.Without being too critical of an effective pitcher, what Francisco Rodriguez has done with those opportunities isn't special. He has blown six saves for a 90.3% conversion rate this season, a figure that compares unfavorably with peers such as Mariano Rivera of the Yankees (33/34, 97.1%) and Joakim Soria of the Royals (35/38, 92.1%).
That rate is also unimpressive when compared to other high-save closers; among the 11 50-save campaigns in baseball history, Rodriguez's 2008 season features the seventh-highest total of blown saves and the seventh-highest save percentage, the eighth-highest ERA and RA, the ninth-highest Reliever Expected Wins Added total, the 10th-best strikeout-to-walk ratio and the worst Value Over Replacement Player.
The fact is, Rodriguez's performance this season has not been special for any closer, and it's been below average for 50-save closers.
BP: Unconventional Wisdom: How good has K-Rod really been? - MLB - SI.com