100 Greatest Players of All-Time, The Lists

100 Greatest Starting Pitchers of All-Time

Date: June 5, 2019Author: Dave Franks 35 Comments

Updated 12/29/2022

Major League Baseball as we know it, that is two leagues American and National, playing by the same rules with the champion from each squaring off against the other for baseball supremacy was born in 1901. These rankings only consider seasons and careers from 1901 and after. The stats for each player only includes stats from after 1901. To be eligible offensive players have to have 1,500 career plate appearances, starting pitchers have to have 75 career starts, and relief pitchers need to have 350 career innings pitched.

If you don’t agree, leave a comment and let me know why.

Walter Johnson

Age: 19 – 39
Years: 1907 – 1927
Teams: Washingotn Senators

Walter Johnson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
152.1	68	802	666	417	279	2.17	5914.2	531	110	34	1902	1424	1363	3509	12.6%	1.061

Roger Clemens

Age: 21 – 44
Years: 1984 – 2007
Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros

Roger Clemens
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
138.7	70	709	707	354	184	3.12	4916.2	118	46	0	1885	1707	1580	4672	23.1%	1.172

Lefty Grove

Age: 25 – 41
Years: 1925 – 1941
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox

Lefty Grove
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
113.3	68	616	457	300	141	3.06	3940.2	298	35	55	1594	1339	1187	2266	13.6%	1.278

Pete Alexander

Age: 24 – 43
Years: 1911 – 1930
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals

Pete Alexander
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
116.0	73	696	599	373	208	2.56	5190	437	90	32	1851	1476	951	2198	8.3%	1.121

Randy Johnson

Age: 24 – 45
Years: 1988 – 2009
Teams: Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

Randy Johnson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
103.5	75	618	603	303	166	3.29	4135.1	100	37	2	1703	1513	1497	4875	28.6%	1.171

Christy Mathewson

Age: 19 – 35
Years: 1900 – 1916
Teams: New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds

Christy Mathewson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
101.0	74	635	551	373	188	2.13	4780.2	434	79	28	1616	1133	844	2502	6.4%	1.058

Pedro Martinez

Age: 20 – 37
Years: 1992 – 2009
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies

Pedro Martinez
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
86.1	66	476	409	219	100	2.93	2827.1	46	17	3	1006	919	760	3154	27.7%	1.054

Tom Seaver

Age: 22 – 41
Years: 1967 – 1986
Teams: New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox

Tom Seaver
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
106.1	79	656	647	311	205	2.86	4782.2	231	61	1	1674	1521	1390	3640	18.8%	1.121

Greg Maddux

Age: 20 – 42
Years: 1986 – 2008
Teams: Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres

Greg Maddux
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
104.8	76	744	740	355	227	3.16	5008.1	109	35	0	1981	1756	999	3371	16.5%	1.143

Bob Gibson

Age: 23 – 39
Years: 1959 – 1975
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals

Bob Gibson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
81.7	78	528	482	251	174	2.91	3884.1	255	56	6	1420	1258	1336	3117	19.4%	1.188

Cy Young

Age: 23 – 44
Years: 1890 – 1911
Teams: Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfectos, Boston Americans / Red Sox, Cleveland Naps, Boston Rustlers

Cy Young
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
70.7	74	906	815	511	316	2.63	7354.2	749	76	17	3167	2147	1217	2803	.%	1.129

Phil Niekro

Age: 25 – 48
Years: 1964 – 1987
Teams: Milwaukee / Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians

Phil Niekro
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
97.0	86	864	716	318	274	3.35	5404.0	245	45	29	2337	2012	1809	3342	14.7%	1.27

Gaylord Perry

Age: 23 – 44
Years: 1962 – 1983
Teams: San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals

Gaylord Perry
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
93.0	85	777	690	314	265	3.11	5350.1	303	53	11	2128	1846	1379	3534	16.1%	1.180

Ed Walsh

Age: 23 – 36
Years: 1904 – 1917
Teams: Chicago White Sox, Boston Braves

Ed Walsh
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
63.8	69	430	315	195	126	1.82	2964.1	250	57	34	877	598	617	1736	7.1%	0.999

Bert Blyleven

Age: 19 – 39, 41
Years: 1970 – 1990, 1992
Teams: Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, California Angels

Bert Blyleven
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
96.1	85	692	685	287	250	3.31	4970	242	60	0	2029	1830	1322	3701	18.1%	1.197

Steve Carlton

Age: 20 – 43
Years: 1965 – 1988
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins

Steve Carlton
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
84.1	87	741	709	329	244	3.22	5217.1	254	55	2	2130	1864	1833	4136	19.1%	1.246

Warren Spahn

Age: 21, 25 – 44
Years: 1942, 1946 – 1965
Teams: Boston / Milwaukee Braves, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants

Warren Spahn
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
92.4	84	750	665	363	245	3.09	5243.2	382	63	29	2016	1798	1434	2583	12.0%	1.194

Robin Roberts

Age: 21 – 39
Years: 1948 – 1966
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs

Robin Roberts
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
83.0	89	676	609	286	245	3.41	4688.2	305	45	25	1962	1774	902	2357	12.3%	1.169

Justin Verlander

Age: 22 – 37, 39
Years: 2005 – 2020, 2022
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros

Justin Verlander
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
78.2	76	482	482	244	133	3.24	3163.0	26	9	0	1235	1139	880	3198	24.8%	1.12

Clayton Kershaw

Age: 20 – 34
Years: 2008 – 2022
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
72.8	64	401	398	197	87	2.48	2581.0	25	15	0	777	711	629	2807	27.6%	1.00

Curt Schilling

Age: 21 – 40
Years: 1988 – 2007
Teams: Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox

Curt Schilling
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
80.5	80	569	436	216	146	3.46	3261	83	20	22	1318	1253	711	3116	23.5%	1.137

Fergie Jenkins

Age: 22 – 40
Years: 1965 – 1983
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox

Fergie Jenkins
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
82.2	87	664	594	284	226	3.34	4500.2	267	49	7	1853	1669	997	3192	17.4%	1.141

Roy Halladay

Age: 21 – 36
Years: 1998 – 2013
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies

Roy Halladay
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
65.4	76	416	390	203	105	3.38	2749.1	67	20	1	1135	1034	592	2117	18.8%	1.177

Bob Feller

Age: 17 – 22, 26 – 37
Years: 1936 – 1941, 1945 – 1956
Teams: Cleveland Indians

Bob Feller
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
65.2	82	570	484	266	162	3.25	3827	279	44	21	1557	1384	1764	2581	16.%	1.315

Stan Coveleski

Age: 22, 26 – 38
Years: 1912, 1916 – 1928
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Washingotn Senators, New York Yankees

Stan Coveleski
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
66.6	78	450	385	215	142	2.89	3082	224	38	21	1237	990	802	981	7.7%	1.251

Max Scherzer

Age: 23 – 37
Years: 2008 – 2022
Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets

Max Scherzer
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
71.5	75	430	421	201	102	3.11	2682.0	12	5	0	998	927	701	3193	29.5%	1.07

Juan Marichal

Age: 22 – 37
Years: 1960 – 1975
Teams: San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Juan Marichal
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
61.8	81	471	457	243	142	2.89	3507.1	244	52	2	1329	1126	709	2303	16.2%	1.101

Hal Newhouser

Age: 18 – 34
Years: 1939 – 1955
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians

Hal Newhouser
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
60.0	76	488	374	207	150	3.06	2993	212	33	26	1197	1016	1249	1796	14.2%	1.310

Mike Mussina

Age: 22 – 39
Years: 1991 – 2008
Teams: Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees

Mike Mussina
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
82.8	82	537	536	270	153	3.68	3562.2	57	23	0	1559	1458	785	2813	19.3%	1.191

Sandy Koufax

Age: 19 – 30
Years: 1955 – 1966
Teams: Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers

Sandy Koufax
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
53.1	75	397	314	165	87	2.76	2324.1	137	40	9	806	713	817	2396	25.2%	1.106

Kevin Brown

Age: 21, 23 – 40
Years: 1986, 1988 – 2005
Teams: Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees

Kevin Brown
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
68.2	78	486	476	211	144	3.28	3256	72	17	0	1357	1185	901	2397	17.7%	1.222

Rube Waddell

Age: 20, 22 – 33
Years: 1897, 1899 – 1910
Teams: Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Orphans, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns

Rube Waddell
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
55.0	75	407	340	193	143	2.16	2961.1	261	50	5	1063	711	803	2316		1.101

Eddie Plank

Age: 25 – 41
Years: 1901 – 1917
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Terriers, St. Louis Browns

Eddie Plank
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
81.2	81	623	529	326	194	2.35	4495.2	410	69	23	1569	1174	1072	2246	7.8%	1.118

Zack Greinke

Age: 20 – 38
Years: 2004 – 2022
Teams: Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros

Zack Greinke
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
70.6	81	556	514	223	141	3.42	3247.0	17	5	1	1328	1235	739	2882	21.7%	1.17

Jim Palmer

Age: 19 – 21, 23 – 38
Years: 1965 – 1967, 1969 – 1984
Teams: Baltimore Orioles

Jim Palmer
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
67.6	79	558	521	268	152	2.86	3948	211	53	4	1395	1253	1311	2212	13.7%	1.180

Dazzy Vance

Age: 24, 27, 31 – 44
Years: 1915, 1918, 1922 – 1935
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals

Dazzy Vance
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
62.9	81	442	347	197	140	3.24	2966.2	216	29	11	1246	1068	840	2045	16.6%	1.230

Nolan Ryan

Age: 19, 21 – 46
Years: 1966, 1968 – 1993
Teams: New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers

Nolan Ryan
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
83.6	90	807	773	324	292	3.19	5386	222	61	3	2178	1911	2795	5714	25.3%	1.247

Carl Hubbell

Age: 25 – 40
Years: 1928 – 1943
Teams: New York Giants

Carl Hubbell
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
68.8	77	535	431	253	154	2.98	3590.1	260	36	33	1380	1188	725	1677	11.3%	1.165

Wilbur Wood

Age: 19 – 23, 25 – 36
Years: 1961 – 1965, 1967 – 1978
Teams: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox

Wiilbur Wood
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
52.1	88	651	297	164	156	3.24	2684.0	114	24	57	1130	965	724	1411	12.7%	1.23

Jim Bunning

Age: 23 – 39
Years: 1955 – 1971
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers

Jim Bunning
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
60.3	88	591	519	224	184	3.27	3760.1	151	40	16	1527	1366	1000	2855	18.3%	1.178

Bret Saberhagen

Age: 20 – 31, 33 – 35, 37
Years: 1984 – 1995, 1997 – 1999, 2001
Teams: Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox

Bret Saberhagen
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
58.9	80	399	371	167	117	3.34	2562.2	76	16	1	1036	952	471	1715	16.5%	1.140

Johan Santana

Age: 21 – 31, 33
Years: 2000 – 2010, 2012
Teams: Minnesota Twins, New York Mets

Johan Santana
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
51.1	74	360	284	139	78	3.2	2025.2	15	10	1	773	721	567	1988	24.1%	1.132

Luis Tiant

Age: 23 – 41
Years: 1964 – 1982
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels

Luis Tiant
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
65.7	87	573	484	229	172	3.3	3486.1	187	49	15	1400	1280	1104	2416	16.8%	1.198

Mordecai Brown

Age: 26 – 39
Years: 1903 – 1916
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Terriers, Brooklyn Tip-Tops, Chicago Whales

Mordecai Brown
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
57.3	71	481	332	239	130	2.06	3172.1	271	55	49	1044	725	673	1375	10.3%	1.065

Eddie Cicotte

Age: 21, 24 – 36
Years: 1905, 1908 – 1920
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox

Eddie Cicotte
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
57.9	82	502	361	208	149	2.38	3223.1	249	35	25	1149	853	827	1374	9.9%	1.155

Rick Reuschel

Age: 23 – 32, 34 – 42
Years: 23 – 32, 34 – 42
Teams: Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants

Rick Reuschel
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
68.1	88	557	529	214	191	3.37	3548.1	102	26	5	1494	1330	935	2015	13.5%	1.274

Tom Glavine

Age: 21 – 42
Years: 1987 – 2008
Teams: Atlanta Braves, New York Mets

Tom Glavine
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
73.9	86	682	682	305	203	3.54	4413.1	56	25	0	1900	1734	1500	2607	14.0%	1.313

Dave Stieb

Age: 21 – 35, 40
Years: 1979 – 1993, 1998
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox

Dave Stieb
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
56.5	82	443	412	176	137	3.44	2895.1	103	30	3	1225	1106	1034	1669	13.8%	1.245

David Cone

Age: 23 – 38, 40
Years: 1986 – 2001, 2003
Teams: Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox

David Cone
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
61.6	84	450	419	194	126	3.46	2898.2	56	22	1	1222	1115	1137	2668	21.9%	1.256

Kevin Appier

Age: 21 – 36
Years: 1989 – 2004
Teams: Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, New York Mets, Anaheim Angels

Kevin Appier
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
54.9	83	414	402	169	137	3.74	2595.1	34	12	0	1168	1078	933	1994	18.2%	1.293

Don Drysdale

Age: 19 – 32
Years: 1956 – 1969
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers

Don Drysdale
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
61.4	83	518	465	209	166	2.95	3432	167	49	6	1292	1124	855	2486	17.6%	1.147

Red Faber

Age: 25 – 44
Years: 1914 – 1933
Teams: Chicago White Sox

Red Faber
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
67.7	84	669	483	254	213	3.15	4086.2	273	29	28	1813	1430	1213	1471	7.8%	1.301

Chuck Finley

Age: 26 – 34
Years: 2014 – 2022
Teams: New York Mets

Jacob deGrom
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
42.1	65	209	209	82	57	2.52	1326.0	4	2	0	407	372	303	1607	30.8%	1.00

John Smoltz

Age: 21 – 32, 34 – 42
Years: 1988 – 1999, 2001 – 2009
Teams: Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals

John Smoltz
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
66.4	81	723	481	213	155	3.33	3473	53	16	154	1391	1284	1010	3084	21.6%	1.175

Chuck Finley

Age: 23 – 39
Years: 1986 – 2002
Teams: California Angels, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals

Chuck Finley
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
58.3	87	524	467	200	173	3.84	3197.2	63	15	0	1517	1366	1332	2610	19.1%	1.376

Addie Joss

Age: 22 – 30
Years: 1902 – 1910
Teams: Clevleand Bronchos / Naps

Addie Joss
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.7	70	286	260	160	97	1.89	2327	234	45	5	729	488	364	920		0.967

Chris Sale

Age: 21 – 30, 32 – 33
Years: 2010 – 2019, 2021 – 2022
Teams: Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox

Chris Sale
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
46.6	71	323	243	114	75	3.03	1678.0	16	3	12	612	565	387	2064	30.6%	1.04

Joe McGinnity

Age: 28 – 37
Years: 1899 – 1908
Teams: Baltimore Orioles, Brooklyn Superbas, New York Giants

Joe McGinnity
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
33.6	85	465	381	246	142	2.66	3441.1	314	32	24	1438	1016	812	1068	.%	1.187

C.C. Sabathia

Age: 20 – 38
Years: 2001 – 2019
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees

CC Sabathia
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
62.0	87	561	560	251	161	3.74	3577.1	38	12	0	1623	1485	1099	3093	20.6%	1.26

Vic Willis

Age: 22 – 34
Years: 1898 – 1910
Teams: Boston Beaneaters, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals

Vic Willis
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
50.4	87	513	471	249	205	2.63	3996	388	50	11	1628	1167	1212	1651		1.209

Roy Oswalt

Age: 23 – 35
Years: 2001 – 2013
Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies

Roy Oswalt
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
49.9	79	365	341	163	102	3.36	2245.1	20	8	0	897	838	520	1852	19.9%	1.211

Nap Rucker

Age: 22 – 31
Years: 1907 – 1916
Teams: Brooklyn Superbas / Robins

Nap Rucker
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.0	86	336	272	134	134	2.42	2375.1	186	38	14	817	639	701	1217	9.4%	1.174

Urban Shocker

Age: 25 – 37
Years: 1916 – 1928
Teams: New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns

Urban Shocker
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
54.7	81	412	317	187	117	3.17	2681.2	200	28	25	1127	945	657	983	8.8%	1.255

Tim Hudson

Age: 23 – 39
Years: 1999 – 2015
Teams: Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants

Tim Hudson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
56.5	83	482	479	222	133	3.49	3126.2	26	13	0	1319	1213	917	2080	16.0%	1.239

Billy Pierce

Age: 18, 21 – 37
Years: 1945, 1948 – 1964
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants

Billy Pierce
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
53.4	84	585	432	211	169	3.27	3306.2	193	38	32	1325	1201	1178	1999	14.4%	1.260

Dizzy Dean

Age: 20, 22 – 31, 37
Years: 1930, 1932 – 1941, 1947
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns

Dizzy Dean
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
43.9	77	317	230	150	83	3.02	1967.1	154	26	30	774	661	453	1163	14.2%	1.205

Wes Ferrell

Age: 19 – 33
Years: 1927 – 1941
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Washingotn Senators, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves

Wes Ferrell
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
48.8	87	374	323	193	128	4.04	2623	227	17	13	1382	1177	1040	985	8.5%	1.481

Cole Hamels

Age: 22 – 36
Years: 2006 – 2020
Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves

Cole Hamels
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
58.3	82	423	422	163	122	3.43	2698.0	17	7	0	1103	1027	767	2560	23.0%	1.18

Andy Pettitte

Age: 23 – 38, 40 -41
Years: 1995 – 2010, 2012 – 2013
Teams: New York Yankees, Houston Astros

Andy Pettitte
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
60.7	86	531	521	256	153	3.85	3316	26	4	0	1572	1418	1031	2448	17.4%	1.350

Frank Tanana

Age: 19 – 39
Years: 1973 – 1993
Teams: California Angels, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, New York Yankees

Frank Tanana
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
57.1	94	638	616	240	236	3.66	4188.1	143	34	1	1910	1704	1255	2773	15.7%	1.269

Frank Viola

Age: 22 – 36
Years: 1982 – 1996
Teams: Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays

Frank Viola
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.1	90	421	420	176	150	3.73	2836.1	74	16	0	1303	1175	864	1844	15.5%	1.301

Sam McDowell

Age: 18 – 32
Years: 1961 – 1975
Teams: Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates

Sam McDowell
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
43.1	90	425	346	141	134	3.17	2492.1	103	23	14	999	879	1312	2453	23.2%	1.308

Mark Langston

Age: 23 – 38
Years: 1984 – 1999
Teams: Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, California Angels, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians

Mark Langston
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
50.0	93	457	428	179	158	3.97	2963	81	18	0	1438	1306	1289	2464	19.6%	1.354

Ron Guidry

Age: 24 – 37
Years: 1975 – 1988
Teams: New York Yankees

Ron Guidry
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.9	83	368	323	170	91	3.29	2392.0	95	26	4	953	874	633	1778	18.2%	1.18

Felix Hernandez

Age: 19 – 33
Years: 2005 – 2019
Teams: Seattle Mariners

Felix Hernandez
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
50.3	84	419	418	169	136	3.42	2729.2	25	11	0	1157	1037	805	2524	22.4%	1.21

Don Sutton

Age: 21 – 43
Years: 1966 – 1988
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, California Angels

Don Sutton
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
68.3	92	774	756	324	256	3.26	5282	178	58	5	2104	1914	1343	3574	16.5%	1.142

Cliff Lee

Age: 23 – 35
Years: 2002 – 2014
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers

Cliff Lee
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
42.5	84	328	324	143	91	3.52	2156.2	29	12	0	923	843	464	1824	20.5%	1.196

Jerry Koosman

Age: 24 – 42
Years: 1967 – 1985
Teams: New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies

Jerry Koosman
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
57.0	91	612	527	222	209	3.36	3839.1	140	33	17	1608	1433	1198	2556	16.0%	1.258

Mark Buehrle

Age: 21 – 36
Years: 2000 – 2015
Teams: Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays

Mark Buehrle
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
60.0	87	518	493	214	160	3.81	3283.1	33	10	0	1542	1391	734	1870	13.6%	1.281

Whitey Ford

Age: 21, 24 – 38
Years: 1950, 1953 – 1967
Teams: New York Yankees

Whitey Ford
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
53.5	75	498	438	236	106	2.75	3170.1	156	45	10	1107	967	1086	1956	15.0%	1.215

Hippo Vaughn

Age: 20, 22 – 33
Years: 1908, 1910 – 1921
Teams: New York Yankees, Washingotn Senators, Chicago Cubs

Hippo Vaughn
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.1	83	390	331	178	137	2.49	2730	215	41	5	1039	754	817	1416	12.1%	1.200

Orel Hershiser

Age: 24 – 41
Years: 1983 – 2000
Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets

Orel Hershiser
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
51.3	89	510	466	204	150	3.48	3130.1	68	25	5	1366	1211	1007	2014	15.3%	1.260

Jimmy Key

Age: 23 – 37
Years: 1984 – 1998
Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles

Jimmy Key
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
49.0	82	470	389	186	117	3.51	2591.2	34	13	10	1104	1010	668	1538	14.4%	1.229

Lefty Gomez

Age: 21 – 34
Years: 1930 – 1943
Teams: New York Yankees, Washingotn Senators

Lefty Gomez
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
43.2	79	368	320	189	102	3.34	2503	173	28	9	1091	930	1095	1468	13.7%	1.352

Tommy John

Age: 20 – 31, 33 – 46
Years: 1963 – 1974, 1976 – 1989
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, California Angels, Oakland Athletics

Tommy John
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
62.1	90	760	700	288	231	3.34	4710.1	162	46	4	2017	1749	1259	2245	11.4%	1.282

Ted Lyons

Age: 22 – 41, 45
Years: 1923 – 1942, 1946
Teams: Chicago White Sox

Ted Lyons
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
66.8	85	594	484	260	230	3.67	4161	356	27	23	2056	1696	1121	1073	6.0%	1.348

Vida Blue

Age: 19 – 33, 35 – 36
Years: 1969 – 1983, 1985 – 1986
Teams: Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals

Vida Blue
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
44.9	92	502	473	209	161	3.27	3343.1	143	37	2	1357	1213	1185	2175	15.7%	1.23

Dwight Gooden

Age: 19 – 29, 31 – 35
Years: 1984 – 1994, 1996 – 2000
Teams: New York Mets, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Dwight Gooden
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
48.1	90	430	410	194	112	3.51	2800.2	68	24	3	1198	1091	954	2293	19.6%	1.256

Larry Jackson

Age: 24 – 37
Years: 1955 – 1968
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies

Larry Jackson
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
52.6	90	558	429	194	183	3.4	3262.2	149	37	20	1405	1233	824	1709	12.6%	1.235

Mickey Lolich

Age: 22 – 35, 37 – 38
Years: 1963 – 1976, 1978 – 1979
Teams: Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, San Diego Padres

Mickey Lolich
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
47.9	96	586	496	217	191	3.44	3638.1	195	41	10	1537	1390	1099	2832	18.7%	1.23

Steve Rogers

Age: 23 – 35
Years: 1973 – 1985
Teams: Montreal Expos

Steve Rogers
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
45.1	87	399	393	158	152	3.18	2837.2	129	37	2	1122	1001	876	1621	13.9%	1.231

Dizzy Trout

Age: 24 – 37, 42
Years: 1939 – 1952, 1957
Teams: Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles

Dizzy Trout
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
45.2	81	521	322	170	161	3.23	2725.2	158	28	35	1166	979	1046	1256	10.8%	1.352

Babe Adams

Age: 24 – 25, 27 – 34, 36 – 44
Years: 1906 – 1907, 1909 – 1916, 1918 – 1926
Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates

Babe Adams
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
50.2	86	482	355	194	140	2.76	2995.1	206	44	15	1129	917	430	1036	7.0%	1.092

Eddie Rommel

Age: 22 – 34
Years: 1920 – 1932
Teams: Philadelphia Athletics

Eddie Rommel
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
50.3	83	501	249	171	119	3.54	2557.0	145	18	30	1213	1006	724	599	5.5%	1.35

Jon Matlack

Age: 21 – 33
Years: 1971 – 1983
Teams: New York Mets, Texas Rangers

Jon Matlack
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
38.9	87	361	318	125	126	3.18	2363	97	30	3	970	835	638	1516	15.5%	1.23

Jack Chesbro

Age: 25 – 35
Years: 1899 – 1909
Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Highlanders, Boston Red Sox,

Jack Chesbro
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
40.6	88	392	332	198	132	2.68	2896.2	260	35	5	1206	864	690	1265		1.15

Corey Kluber

Age: 25 – 36
Years: 2011 – 2022
Teams: Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays

Corey Kluber
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
34.3	80	256	251	113	71	3.31	1586.2	18	8	0	637	584	347	1683	26.2%	1.11

Brad Radke

Age: 22 – 33
Years: 1995 – 2006
Teams: Minnesota Twins

Brad Radke
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
45.6	89	378	377	148	139	4.22	2451	37	10	0	1233	1150	445	1467	14.3%	1.26

Brandon Webb

Age: 24 – 30
Years: 2003 – 2009
Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks

Brandon Webb
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
33.0	72	199	198	87	62	3.27	1319.2	15	8	0	557	479	435	1065	19.3%	1.239

Jim Kaat

Age: 20 – 44
Years: 1959 – 1983
Teams: Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals

Jim Kaat
WAR	ERA-	G	GS	W	L	ERA	IP	CG	SHO	SV	R	ER	BB	SO	K%	WHIP
45.2	93	898	625	283	237	3.45	4530.1	180	31	17	2038	1738	1083	2461	12.9%	1.26

35 thoughts on “100 Greatest Starting Pitchers of All-Time”

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Max Foobar says:

June 6, 2019 at 10:02 pm

Here’s a fun guessing game. Try and find the greatest southpaw pitcher of the modern era. Do you think Sandy Koufax in the top 10? Strike 1! Top 20? Strike 2! Top 30? Swing-and-a-miss, take a seat! So Sandy Koufax ranks BELOW such all-time greats as Mike Messina and Kevin Brown??

I’m not wasting any more time on this site. Adios!

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1. Anonymous says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 11:37 am
  
  You’re better off going somewhere else. You vastly overrate Koufax, especially for career value. This site is for those who understand baseball and how to evaluate performance.
  
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2. Dan Holmes says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 1:49 pm
  
  Who is Mike Messina?
  
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Dan Holmes says:

September 5, 2019 at 2:39 pm

I admire anyone who has the guts to out together a thoughtful list of the 100 greatest players of all-time. It’s easy to criticize the list, but very hard to create them. I know this from experience.

I’m curious how you defined your criteria? Did you place an emphasis more on peak performance or career value? For example, you have Ed Walsh, who only made about 300 starts, ahead of Warren Spahn and Robin Roberts, two great pitchers who started more than 600 games. But on the other hand, you have Gaylord Perry ahead of Bob Feller. Clearly, to my most people, Feller had a much higher peak than Perry. He was also robbed of his prime years due to WWII. Did you make adjustments for any of that?

Thanks for publishing these lists.

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1. Jeff Hiller says:
  
  January 29, 2021 at 9:20 pm
  
  There is no way Gaylord Perry should be ranked higher than Juan Marichal.. Marichal was the ace of the Giant’s staff throughout the 60’s. Perry played longer and achieved over
  300 wins by cheating. The three best pitchers of the sixties are Koufax, Marichal, and Gibson. To say Blyleven, Schilling, or Jenkins are better than those three pitchers is ridiculous.
  What’s even more ridiculous is to rank Kershaw over Koufax. Anyone who has actually seen Koufax pitch knows he was the best pitcher in the modern era. I’m a lifelong Giants fan who has never seen any pitcher that was better than Koufax. I also agree that Feller was far better than Gaylord Perry. Statistics alone do not define a player’s career. Koufax could have pitched several more seasons, but he made an intelligent decision to retire due to feeling arthritic agony. The players Koufax pitched against are in the upper echelon of the
  MLB Hall of fame. Mays, Clemente, Aaron, Mathews, Banks, McCovey. In addition, Koufax was magnificent in every World Series he participated in. I never saw Walter Johnson pitch but according to his statistics, he is the greatest pitcher of all time. Nobody from the 1950’s to present is or was better than Koufax. Certainly not Roger Clemens,,or Tom Seaver, The closest pitchers I’ve seen to Koufax were Randy Johnson, and Pedro Martinez. What makes Koufax even more remarkable is he played for an extremely poor hitting team. That’s my opinion. Thanks for allowing me to express it.:) Jeff Hiller
  
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Joe Eshleman says:

June 22, 2020 at 4:30 pm

This was a near perfect list. I think the top three are the top three provided only that Clemens was legal. Their consistent dominance thru their careers is unsurpassed.. All three reinvented themselves and were just crazy dominant.after they had short lapses.

My only criticism is with a sympathy for the guy who was upset with Sandy Koufax’s position. I think he should have been top 15 on the shear dominance of his peak; but don’t try and compare him with Lefty because Lefty wins that across the board and has two peaks of over 40 WAR. Grove even had a higher strikeout to walk ratio controlled for era and a better spg average compared to league (relative spg).

All the way through the list pitchers were about where they should have been. I think Sudden Sam McDowell was 70th and the biggest disappointment of what could have been in MLB history.

This was a scholarly list with most of the over-rated pitchers where they should have been.

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Art Barton says:

August 26, 2020 at 1:46 am

Tom Seaver was equal or more dominant up to age 34 than Clemens, the age when steroids started giving Clemens the relative advantage in maintaining his peak. And Seaver was more durable and just as dominant as the great Pedro Martinez. Seaver finished far more games, pitching more frequently, which contributes heavily to his higher WAR than Martinez. No qualms with Randy Johnson ranking, but Seaver is about equal to him.

And Warren Spahn , who pitched well into the 1960’s, so I remember him vividly, as I’m almost 70 and was glued to baseball starting in 1960, was right there with Seaver and Johnson. He was called the “the great” for good reason. 363 wins in an era when baseball attracted the best athletes in the country, was very similar later eras in style of play. So either Seaver orJohnson ranking 2 and 3, Clemens deserves top 10 for his early to mid career dominance, probably unjuiced, but hard to separate when the extra edge kicked in, and Spahn is ahead of Martinez in the top 6. And a shout out to Greg Maddox for making it look so easy for so long to frustrate most hitters most of the time.

As for Koufax, best peak years of all time, then chose to retire young. The Jimi Hendrix of pitchers, except Sandy went on to enjoy 53 years
of actual life after retirement, and counting..His starts were an event during those years. It could be a no hitter, a one hitter, or…something else spectacular.

I cannot comment on Lefty Grove or Pete Alexander, even before my time:), but the stats do tell you they were dominant for a very long time. And Walter Johnson was like Babe Ruth in his era, no arguments there. Oh ya, Babe could pitch too.

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1. Joseph Eshleman says:
  
  August 27, 2020 at 5:42 pm
  
  Art, remember that in 1969, they voted an all-time All Star team. And the right-handed pitcher was Walter Johnson, and the lefty was Lefty Grove. Hey, my Baseball Reference page defaults to Sandy Koufax, and I know your feeling because I started obsessing over baseball in 1959, the last time for more than 30 years that my Cleveland Indians were a good team. I am 71, and the last 25 year have been good to the Indians even though they have not won the ring.
  
  But in 69 Spahn and Koufax were pretty fresh in everybody’s memories. And I asked my dad, who was 55 at the time, why Koufax was not the starter on the all time team, and he said that Sandy Koufax was a great pitcher but that he could not wear Grove’s jock. My dad watched Lefty open old Cleveland Municipal Stadium before a sell out crowd against the Indians ace Mel Harder and beat Harder 1-0 in 1932. Recently I examined that assertion because Koufax (the guy my Baseball Reference page defaults to) was awfully good.
  
  I found out this basic stuff:in five years from 1928 to 1932, Grove was 128-33; he pitched 1408.1 innings. He struck out 925 batters for a spg average of 5.91. Meanwhile, Sandy between 1962-66 had a record was 111-34 in 1377 innings. He struck out 1444 batters for a 9.44 average. But from 1928-32 the mean AL strikeout average was 3.15; in the NL from 1962-66 it was 5.77. In Groves era, it was considered a mortal sin to strikeout. In the late forties and fifties guys like Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews and Ted Kluzewski discovered if you hit home runs, it did not matter if you struck out, so they hit home runs and struck out more. Grove actually had a better relative spg than Koufax, 5.91/3.15=1.88. Koufax had 9.44/5.77=1.64
  
  I did a break down of lots of things, and Grove consistently comes in second to Johnson, just ahead of Roger Clemens. I use rWAR which is runs per game allowed not fWAR which is what Fanagraph’s uses that is dependent on DIP (Defense Independent Pitching). So doing that, the only area where Koufax has a chance, is peak pitching because of his
  relatively short career. I used Grove from 1929-33 where he had a WAR of 46 and a 128-33 record. I used Koufax from 1962-66 where he had a 40.7 WAR and a 111-34 record. Grove tied Pedro Martinez for the second best peak with a value of 185; Walter Johnson demolished everybody with a 195 from 1910-14. Sandy finished 14th with a 158 score.
  
  Sandy was a great pitcher, but he had two maybe three advantages. He was the best pitcher in one of the best pitching periods in baseball history. He also pitched in the most pitcher friendly park in the MLB (park factor .91). Lefty Grove pitched in two hitter friendly parks: Shibe Park and Fenway Park (park factor 1.02.2). Consider this: Lefty Grove won four ERA titles in five years pitching in Fenway Park as a left-handed pitcher with the Green Monster looming behind him. Another great lefty, Lefty Gomez,said that when he pitched in Fenway, he prepared for the game by standing in a phone booth for a couple of hours.
  
  Anyway, I was gratified to find your response up there and I thought that I would write something. Have a good day.
  
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Anonymous says:

October 15, 2020 at 12:39 pm

the hole thing was worng

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1. Anonymous says:
  
  November 26, 2020 at 1:18 pm
  
  What was wrong with it?
  
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2. Anonymous says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 11:38 am
  
  The “hole” thing? Really? And “worng”? Are you sure?
  
  Actually, it’s a very good list. Always some room for debate.
  
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Brian Joe Short says:

November 17, 2020 at 8:56 am

You don’t think Phil Niekro is in your top 100?

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1. Joe Eshleman says:
  
  November 20, 2020 at 5:03 pm
  
  I looked at the list, and you are right. Phil should probably have been in the top 25. From 1974-78 he had a WAR of 40.2, and only about 20 pitchers since 1901 have achieved that number. And he was 11th in career WAR. Yeah, they really missed with him, and I did not see it. I was so impressed that they got the top three right and put Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan in reasonable historical perspective. Missed that though. Thanks
  
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2. Anonymous says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 11:39 am
  
  I see Niekro at #11, don’t you?
  
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3. Brian Short says:
  
  September 21, 2021 at 12:45 pm
  
  Niekro wasn’t there when I posted in Nov. 2020. Steve also posted in Feb. 2021, “Niekro is the big miss…” I’m glad to see you added him. Overall, your list is as solid as any baseball writer or big website out there. You’ve done your research and no doubt you’ve spent HOURS and HOURS on your thought process…Well done. I have my own formula and own views on why I would have Koufax, and Carlton a little higher, others a little lower, etc. Why? Because even with all the numbers, it’s still somewhat subjective on what you emphasize. That’s the fun thing about these lists. I love baseball scholar and I commend you for all your great work!
  
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  1. Dave Franks says:
    
    September 21, 2021 at 2:04 pm
    
    Thanks Brian. Doing legitimate lists is incredibly difficult. In fact, Niekro was left off by mistake. I’m a one man show working on this at nights and on weekends – I was bound to miss someone.
    
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Steve says:

February 28, 2021 at 12:39 am

Niekro is the big miss; should be somewhere around #50. A shame Kid Nichols can’t be included. I think your dividing line should be 1893, when the mound was moved to its current distance, rather than 1901. Nichols would be top 20, for sure, and Young would move into the top 10. The other miss, in my opinion, is less obvious. Look at the career of Noodles Hahn. Easily the best pitcher in the Reds’ long history. If you started in 1893, he would get his first to years included and move into the top 50, in my estimation. Amos Rusie and Clark Griffith are the only other two 19th Century pitchers who would probably make the list, both in the bottom 50. Also, you have way underrated Kershaw. To date, he is top 5 all-time.

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1. Anonymous says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 11:40 am
  
  Niekro is #11.
  
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Anonymous says:

April 26, 2021 at 9:55 am

Really Glavine at 45?

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Nicholas Trudeau says:

June 5, 2021 at 7:47 pm

How is the all-time strikeout leader in all-time no hitter leader number 34 all time? Is it his fault that he played on bad teams?

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1. Anonymous says:
  
  September 17, 2021 at 11:40 am
  
  No, it’s because he wasn’t nearly as good as you think he was.
  
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Dan Holmes says:

September 17, 2021 at 1:47 pm

Nolan Ryan being the 34th greatest pitcher OF ALL-TIME is pretty damn good. Nothing to sneeze it. Much of his value is in longevity. No-hitters are great, but it doesn’t indicate greatness. Bill Stoneman threw two no-hitters, so did Steve Busby. So what? Great accomplishments, yes. But even 7 no-hitters is not something that makes you automatically one of the 10 or 20 greatest pitchers.

Ryan walked a lot of batters and he allowed more runs relative to his league than many other great pitchers. His adjusted ERA ( compared to his league and accounting for the teams he played for and parks he pitched in) doesn’t rank in the top 200 all-time. It’s 112, meaning he was 12 percent better at allowing earned runs than an average pitcher. Very good, but not all-time great. That matters quite a bit, and so do the high number of baserunners he allowed via walks. He just doesn’t have the high peak that matches someone like Steve Carlton, and he doesn’t have the career record of a Greg Maddux, Christy Mathewson, or his teammate Tom Seaver, who was a much better pitcher.

There’s no shame in being the 34th ranked pitcher in history.

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Wayne Hallett says:

March 24, 2023 at 7:49 pm

I was telling my wife about the 100 best starting pitchers list and she asked me where Babe Ruth was placed.
I thought that was a very good question and don’t recall his inclusion on any such lists although I feel he certainly should be!
A number of years ago I had the privilege of meeting and speaking with Warren Spahn, the winningest southpaw in mlb history, who didn’t win his first mlb game until he was about 26 years old!
I asked him a question I’m certain he’d been asked many times, and that was who he considered the greatest pitcher of all time and immediately replied, Sandy Koufax!
He would have been justified, in my opinion, saying Warren Spahn, especially when you consider his age when he got his first win, the fact that he’s won more games than any other left hander in mlb history and accomplished this with some less than great teams.
I guess we should always look at WAR, ERA vs the league average and the pitchers winning percentage vs that of the team, when he doesn’t pitch.
Robin Roberts and Fergie Jenkins were two greats that always excelled for less than great teams!

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Wayne Hallett says:

March 25, 2023 at 9:27 am

Sad to see a few names omitted!
Perhaps an honorable mention tho for
Mel Parmell
Bartolo Colon
Denny McLain
Smokey Joe Wood
Vic Raschi
Eddie Lopat
Curt Simmons

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1. Anonymous says:
  
  March 25, 2023 at 8:56 pm
  
  Denny McLain?
  
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Wayne Hallett says:

March 25, 2023 at 9:29 am

Perhaps an honorable mention tho for
Mel Parmell
Bartolo Colon
Denny McLain
Smokey Joe Wood
Vic Raschi
Eddie Lopat
Curt Simmons

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Wayne Hallett says:

March 25, 2023 at 9:37 am

Did I miss Early Wynn and Bob Lemon??

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Wayne Hallett says:

March 25, 2023 at 7:54 pm

How could I forget?
Sal Maglie should be listed!!
Possibly Virgil Trucks!
The List needs to be expanded!!
We could discuss/ argue about the rankings forever but the membership in the elite club is the main thing or at least a step in the right direction!
Expand the list!
No great pitcher left behind.
I trust we’re also considering AL vs NL pitching stats in the era of the DH!

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Wayne Hallett says:

March 25, 2023 at 8:25 pm

This is it for now, I think!
Would love to have seen a couple of more names, Satchel Leroy Paige and other great Negro League pitchers, including Don Newcombe and Latin pitchers who never had the opportunity to play in mlb, on an expanded list.
All the more interesting.

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Anonymous says:

March 25, 2023 at 9:37 pm

Allie Reynolds, Harry Brecheen and Bobby Shantz!

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Anonymous says:

March 26, 2023 at 9:23 am

Seriously, why not add Johnny Sain, Preacher Roe, and Max Lanier?
It’s apparent to me that any comparisons of individual performance must be confined to the specific eras in which the individuals performed so as to keep the playing field as equitable and accurate as possible.
For example, an obvious change I’ve witnessed in recent years is the shrinking strike zone, with the advantage going to the hitter!
Most fans like scoring but to me there’s nothing better than an extra inning 1-0 game!
Arm pits to knees, where have you gone? Lol

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Anonymous says:

March 26, 2023 at 4:43 pm

Fernando Valenzuela and Camelio Pascual?

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Anonymous says:

December 21, 2023 at 7:48 pm

Where is the Babe?

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Anonymous says:

January 13, 2024 at 12:12 pm

This is perhaps the best list I have found online. The most-heralded pitchers are ranked appropriately, more or less. It’s nice to see an analyst’s rankings for a change.

Casual fans always have Sandy Koufax and Nolan Ryan in their top 5, often at numbers one and/or two, which is absurd.

Thanks for the effort. Very nice work.

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Anonymous says:

January 15, 2024 at 12:42 pm

If one accepts the terms of the list – starting pitchers only, and what happened pre-1901 or in the Negro Leagues doesn’t count – this is a good list. I would have the same 9 pitchers in the top 9 that you have. I might have Ryan and Koufax a little higher than you do, but I’m glad that they aren’t in the top 15. I have 2 suggestions: I think Ford is too low at #80, and Early Wynn should be on the list somewhere. I’m sure you know about these 2 pitchers and that I couldn’t tell you anything about them that you don’t already know.

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