Which Cardinals pitchers have had 40+ saves in a season? MLB Immaculate Grid answers September 1

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the oldest and most respected teams in the MLB. Over the franchise's 141-year history, some of the game's greats have taken the field for St. Louis.

The Sept. 1 Immaculate Grid challenges fans to name a St. Louis Cardinals pitcher who was able to record 40 or more saves in a single season. There are a few different pitchers who achieved that mark but, as always, the rarer the answer, the better it is for the game.

Pitchers have recorded 40 or more saves in a single season 174 times.

The St. Louis Cardinals have had five different players accomplish the highly coveted 40 saves record. Two of those pitchers achieved it more than once. No Cards reliever has finished with 40 saves since 2015.

MLB Immaculate Grid answers September 1: Which Cardinals pitchers have had 40+ saves in a season?

Trevor Rosenthal of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field

Trevor Rosenthal is probably one of the first names that comes to mind for most baseball fans. The right-handed closer finished with 45 saves in 2014. To prove that it was no fluke, he recorded his 40th save against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 26, 2015, and went on to finish with 48 total saves that year. It remains a Cards record for saves in a single season.

Jason Isringhausen would have been another acceptable answer. The righty achieved the feat in 2004, finishing with an incredible 47 saves. Over his 16-year career, Isringhausen went on to amass 300 total saves. He ranks 30th in the all-time saves list.

Jason Motte is another player that many fans will remember fondly. The powerful righty was a key figure in the Cards' 2011 team that won the World Series. A year later, he led St. Louis and the National League with 42 saves. Motte went on the have a successful career as a major league reliever with Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves.

If you are searching for a name that few fans may remember, Bruce Sutter would have been a good pick. Sutter had an impressive 12-year career, but spent only four seasons in St. Louis. He finished with 45 saves in 1984.

Righty pitcher Lee Smith rounds out the list. Smith hit 40+ saves on three occassions, finishing with 47, 43 and 43 between 1991-1993. The seven-time All-Star ranks third all-time in the MLB all-time saves list.