The National League Reliever of the Month award for May has gone to SF Giants closer Camilo Doval. Doval has emerged as one of the best closers in MLB over the past two seasons. He was a perfect 11-for-11 on save opportunities in May and posted a 1.32 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched. Doval is still only 25 years old, but the right-handed fireballer has now won three Reliever of the Month awards in his big-league career. He last won the award in September of last season.
Doval has made 25 appearances with the Giants this season. He has a 2.19 ERA in 25 appearances with 38 strikeouts in 24.2 innings pitched. He leads the league with 14 saves and 23 games finished. Unsurprisingly, he has remained atop Giants Baseball Insider's bullpen trust rankings.
Doval made his big-league debut during the 2021 season and solidified himself as arguably the best reliever on the team by the end of the season. While he suffered a loss in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, he did not let that setback carry over into his first full MLB season.
In 2022, Doval was the Giants' unequivocal closer, recording 27 saves and 51 games finished in 68 appearances over the course of the season with a 2.53 ERA. He also racked up 80 strikeouts in his 67.2 innings pitched.
Over his MLB career, he has a 2.56 ERA in 122 appearances with 155 strikeouts in 119.1 innings pitched and 44 saves. It has surely made late-game situations easier for the SF Giants that Camilo Doval has proven to be one of the best closers in the league.
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