In 2002, he made the transition to the bullpen as the team's new closer and the results were immediately improved. He had a 1.97 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and struck out 36.3% of batters he faced en route to his first All-Star game selection. Gagné converted 52 of 56 save opportunities in his first season as a closer.
His 2003 season was not only the best of his career, but also one of the most impressive seasons by a reliever in MLB history. Gagné converted all 55 of his save opportunities in 2003 thanks to his 1.20 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 44.8% strikeout rate. With this feat, Gagné became the first pitcher to record 50 saves in more than one season and the fastest pitcher to ever reach the 100-save plateau.
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