2025 Eck Award winner

For the second year in a row, the DMBL's saves leader fell short of winning the Eck Award.

A perfect record out of the bullpen by Emmanuel Clase of Blue Ridge helped him overcome a one save deficit to Newark's Joe Jimenez to win the formula-driven accolade.

Named after Hall of Fame Vancouver reliever Dennis Eckersley, The Eck is based on a formula that awards pitchers 3 points for each save and 2 points for relief wins while deducting 2 points for each blown save and each loss. 

		Sv	BSv	%	W	L		PTS
1	Clase, BR	31	4	0.886	11	0		107
2	JimenezJ, NWK	32	2	0.941	4	3		94
3	Gaddis, HPG	23	5	0.821	9	3		71
4	Jax, POO	25	5	0.833	6	4		69
5	MillerM, SF-HBK*	22	0	1.000	4	3		68
6	Uceta, LIV*	21	6	0.778	13	7		63
7	Estevez, MC	22	5	0.815	6	4		60
8	DiazE, ALN	19	2	0.905	3	2		55
9	Jansen, FL	19	2	0.905	6	7		51
-	Yates, TUC-EC	15	2	0.882	5	0		51
11	Helsley, HBK-BR	17	3	0.850	4	2		49
12	Treinen, SCS	23	4	0.852	3	11		45
13	WalkerR, ARK-HBK	18	4	0.818	3	4		44
14	Tonkin, EP	12	3	0.800	5	2		36
15	Abreu, MTN	18	5	0.783	2	6		36

* rookie

Clase finished 3rd in the 2023 Eck Award when he pitched for Erie and tied for the league lead in save percentage. He also finished 7th in 2022. It's the first Eck for the Blue Ridge and the 2nd major award for the franchise (Ke'Bryan Hayes won the Listach as top rookie in 2021). The Bombers exited the league after the 2025 draft and Clase was scooped up in the disperal draft between the St. Augustine Space Cowboys and "Team Andy."

While Clase is expected to pitch in the 2026 DMBL season, it could be his last depending on how the multiple federal charges play out. He faces a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted on all charges relatd to rigging bets on pitches thrown.

Newark's Joe Jimenez led the league in saves (32) and save percentage (.889), edging Clase in both categories (31/.886). Clase had an unblemished 11-0 record and two fewer saves to rack up 107 relief points. Incredibly, he did not lead the DMBL in relief wins. That distinction went to rookie Edwin Uceta, who fashioned a starter-like 13-7 mark out of the Livingston bullpen.

Special mention of Jakob Junis of Florida who also had a starter-like year. Despite being a reliever, he ranked in the top 10 in ERA (2.34, 3rd), WHIP (0.89, 2nd) and innings (219.7, 5th) thanks to 118 appearances, which only ranked 4th!

Rookie Mason Miller had a perfect 1.000 save percentage though his 22 saves were not enough saves to qualify. He collected 8 while serving as San Francisco's setup man and then 14 after a deadline deal to Hoboken where he took over for Ryan Helsley as closer.

Saves and wins are nice but we all know that relievers make their bones when they enter a game with guys on base. While it doesn't get the headlines, inherited runners scored (IR%) is where it's at. Or, juding by the league leader in 2025, maybe not. Tyson Miller led the league (0.80) but did it with three teams:

• Tyson Miller, MC-VAN-SCS, 0.80 (2/25)
• Edwin Uceta, LIV, .103 (4/39)
• Jorge Alcala, .120 (3/25)

Miller started the year with Merrill Creek and was released before the trade deadline, then picked up by Vancouver, where he spent a few weeks before getting the ax and finally, latched on with Sardine City. Through it all, he allowed 2 of 25 inherited runners to score: 2/20 with Merrill Creek, 0/3 in Vancouver (but a 7+ ERA in 5 appearances) and 0/2 with Sardine City (also with an ERA approaching 5). Uceta ranked 2nd with .103 (4/39) and Newark's Jorge Alcala rounded out the top 3 at .120 (3/25).

Among those in the top 10 in IR%, it was El Paso's and Hayden Wesneski of Poovey Farms (.164) and El Paso's Derek Law (.149) who racked up the most inherited runners, with 12 of 73 and 10 of 67, respectively.

Poovey Farms and El Paso's bullpens were among the league's leaders when it came to inherited runners, with 5 Chihuhua arms recording 50+, along with Erie, who worked its bullpen to the bone. Erie's trio of Kevin Ginkel (126), S Alexander (124) and Evan Phillips (123), led the league in appearances. All three are among the top 5 most in a season, within a few games of the all-time record held by Marietta's Brandon Morrow, who had 131 in 2008.

In other obscure stats, Hoboken's Luke Weaver recorded 29 holds, 5th most all time, to lead the league, two more than Danny Coulombe of Newark and Erceg of Poovey Farms.