Who was the Yankees' full-time closer before Mariano Rivera?

The Yankees' full-time closer before Mariano Rivera was John Wetteland.

Wetteland joined the New York Yankees in 1995 after pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Montreal Expos. In 1996, he served as New York's ninth-inning closer while Rivera worked primarily as a setup pitcher in the seventh and eighth innings. The pair formed one of baseball's most effective late-inning combinations.

Wetteland saved 43 games in 1996, leading the American League, and was central to the Yankees' championship season. In the World Series against the Atlanta Braves, he recorded four saves and won the Series MVP Award. The Yankees then allowed him to leave as a free agent after the season, with Rivera emerging as his successor in 1997.

A common mix-up is assuming Rivera had always been the Yankees' closer because he became the role's defining figure. In fact, Wetteland held the job during the 1996 title run, while Rivera inherited it the following year and went on to become MLB's all-time saves leader.