Just one year ago, Paul Sewald was unsure whether he would even continue pitching in the major league.

Now, the Arizona Diamondbacks closer has reached one of the most significant milestones of his career while helping stabilize the back end of the bullpen.

Sewald earned the 100th save of his major league career Wednesday during Arizona’s 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants, recording a clean ninth inning for his 14th save in 15 opportunities this season.

The milestone represented another major step in a comeback story that few expected entering 2026.

After helping anchor the Seattle Mariners during their 2022 postseason breakthrough and later serving as a key bullpen piece for Arizona’s 2023 World Series run, he lost the closer’s role with the Diamondbacks in 2024 and ended the year on the Injured List.

Sewald’s future appeared uncertain midway through last season, multiple injuries limited him to only 22 appearances with the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, and was ultimately left off Detroit’s postseason roster.

Following Wednesday’s win, Sewald admitted the idea of reaching 100 saves once felt unrealistic given the injuries and uncertainty he faced over the last year and a half. He explained that simply being healthy enough to pitch consistently again has become something he appreciates far more at this stage of his career.

“Pretty special,” Sewald said after the game according to Arizona Sports.

“Two years ago, I would have felt like that was never going to happen. So just really excited, especially with the last year-and-a-half of being injured most of the year. It just feels good to be able to go out there and pitch healthy. It’s super fun, but I’m just excited to be out there at all. So pretty special, for sure.”

The 36-year-old has quietly become one of the National League’s most reliable closers this season.

In 10 of his 14 saves, Sewald has faced the minimum three hitters. His 14 saves currently rank tied for fourth in Major League Baseball and second in the National League behind San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller.

The contrast between the two pitchers is striking. Miller overwhelms hitters with a fastball averaging 101.3 mph, while Sewald succeeds primarily with low-90s fastballs elevated in the strike zone paired with sweeping breaking pitches.

Arizona signed Sewald to a one-year contract after spring training had already begun, initially viewing him as experienced bullpen depth while A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez recovered from elbow surgeries on the 60-day injured list.

Even during spring training, Sewald acknowledged that the Diamondbacks’ preferred late-inning options were injured, while recognizing he could temporarily handle save opportunities in their absence.

Instead, he has completely reclaimed the role.

In save situations this season, Sewald owns a 2.45 ERA and has provided the consistency Arizona lacked throughout much of last year.

That stability has also allowed manager Torey Lovullo to settle the bullpen into more clearly defined innings, something the Diamondbacks credited heavily during their successful 2023 postseason run. Having reliable late-inning structure again has prevented the constant bullpen shuffling Arizona dealt with throughout stretches of 2025.

There is still uncertainty surrounding how the bullpen will eventually look once Puk returns, with the left-hander currently targeting a mid-June comeback.

For now, though, Sewald continues locking down the ninth inning while helping Arizona maintain momentum entering June with a 31-24 record.

His success has also pushed him further up the Diamondbacks’ franchise saves leaderboard. Sewald’s 43rd save in an Arizona uniform moved him into eighth place in team history, and he needs only three more saves to climb into the top six. The franchise record remains held by Jose Valverde with 98 saves, followed by J.J. Putz (83), Matt Mantei (74), Byung-Hyun Kim (70), and Brad Ziegler (62).

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