The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. 7) Tommy Bridges (1930-1946) (194-138; 3.57 ERA; ERA+ 126; 33 SHO; 2,826 IP/ 2,675 H/ 8.5 H/9; 1,674 K/ 1,192 BB/ 1.40 ratio; 1.368 WHIP). Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). The process of selection and voting for the HOF has been uneven at best. With the aid of Comiskey Park, Gary Peters, Tommy John, and Joe Horlen, they were backed up by the likes of Bob Locker, Eddie fisher, Don McMahon and none other than Hoyt Wilhelm at his peak. He was less than stellar in the World Series though, famously giving up Kirk Gibsons home run and allowing a 5.79 ERA in six career Fall Classic appearances. I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. Ill add in hyperlinks for each subsequent post, allowing anyone who happens upon this post later to easily be able to navigate between the different positions. In 43, his last year before joining the war effort, he went 12-7 with a 2.39 ERA (ERA+ 147), with three shutouts and only 159 hits allowed in 191 innings. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. More about data coverage. The Tigers were focused on a youth movement after the war. then in Boston. Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. Three times in his career he led the AL in saves, four times he finished top five in the Cy Young award voting, and he had a 2.63 career World Series ERA. He was voted the league MVP as the Reds won the pennant. Go Orange. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. Fingers won a league MVP, a Cy Young award, played an integral part in baseballs only non-New York Yankees three-peat ever, and even won World Series MVP once. Kimbrel is the only closer in history with as many as 200 saves and a save percentage over 90, and hes sitting comfortably at first on the active leaderboard at 346 saves. Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. Reulbach had arguably a more impressive career than any of them. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 Jack Morris RC Rookie Pitchers NM at the best online prices at eBay! In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. He was the fastest relief pitcher ever reach 200 career saves, he was the first closer ever to rack up at least 25 saves in each of his first five seasons, and hes the all-time leader in saves for two different franchises Boston and Philadelphia. After tying the Dodgers for the pennant, it was determined they would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant. The Pirates won the pennant the next year. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. That said, after 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this poll. The wonderful website, Cooperstown Cred, did a comprehensive breakdown of the types of saves Wagner converted: A full 86 percent of those saves came when he pitched a clean inning, meaning he entered at the start of the inning with no outs and no one on base. 13)Wilbur Cooper (1912-1926) (216-178; 2.89 ERA; ERA+ 116; 35 SHO; 3480 IP/ 3415 H/ H/9 8.8; 1252 K/ 853 BB; 1.47 ratio; 1.226 WHIP). He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. Uehara's 2013 season was one of the most dominant by any relief pitcher in . Al Lopez, the White Sox manager, refused to start Pierce in the 59 World Series. Most Unique Players by Age by Similarity Scores, Most Games without a World Series Appearance, Most Games without a Postseason Appearance, Highest Career and Single-Season Salaries, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Its hard not to wonder whether Santana would be making a steady year-by-year improvement in the voting totals now if he had rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award that went to Bartolo Colon instead. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. Free shipping for many products! In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). What if Lon Warnekes and Tommy Bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII? To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. Its a valid point, but also probably worth mentioning that Rivera dominated the closers of his era much more than Gossage dominated the closers ofhisera. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. Not retired by 2017. Blyleven had tremendous stuff on the ball: fastball, curve and change-up. The Reds finally won their second World Series. Free shipping for many products! In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. Honorable mention: John Franco, Sparky Lyle, Tug McGraw, Randy Myers, Kelly's all-time non-HOF team (as of 2023), C: Bill Freehan1B: Rafael Palmeiro2B: Lou Whitaker3B: Dick AllenSS: Alex RodriguezLF: Barry BondsCF: Carlos BeltrnRF: Shoeless Joe JacksonDH: Hal McRae---R-H SP: Roger ClemensL-H SP: Johan SantanaR-H RP: Dan QuisenberryL-H RP: Billy Wagner, rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award. He pitched over 400 innings six times, and won over 30 games five times (three times he won 40 games or more). And his .187 batting average allowed is the lowest of any retired relief pitcher. The oldest and wisest twin. These are the primary factors I used in my evaluations: 10. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. He had ample zip on his fastball. Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts. Covering the latest and most controversial news around the world of sports, heavily centered on the Philadelphia Eagles and National Football League. Warneke continued his winning ways, winning 20 games three times and posting a winning record every year until '43, when he left to fight in the war. Cooper may be the best pitcher in Pirates history. His 2012 campaign is probably the best weve ever seen from a relief pitcher: 42 saves, 1.01 ERA, 116 strikeouts to just 36 baserunners allowed, and a 0.78 FIP that still stands as the best ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Relief LHP: Billy WagnerAmong all Live Ball Era pitchers with at least 750 innings, Wagner is the very best in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) and WHIP (0.998) while also ranking behind only Mariano Rivera in ERA+ (187) and owning the sixth-highest save total in history (422). Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. Bridges continued pitching in the Pacific Coast Leaguewinning the ERA title in 47. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. No one has a legitimate argument to surpass Rivera, who made 13 All-Star teams, holds the highest adjusted ERA (205) in baseball history, and was a key component in the New York Yankees dynasty. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. He had one shutout. Rivera was literally dominant for close to two decades in a row. He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. 11) Lon Warneke (1930-1945) (192-121; 3.18 ERA; ERA+ 119; 30 SHO; 2782 IP/ 2726 H/ H/9 8.8; 1140 K/ 739 BB/ 1.54 ratio; 1.245 WHIP). His resume for the HOF is strong. Honorable mention: Pete Rose, Manny Ramirez. 9. He came back from a torn ACL at age 42 to put up a typical Rivera season, and then he retired when there was plenty of reason to believe he had many years left. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. Relief LHP: Billy Wagner Among all Live Ball Era pitchers with at least 750 innings, Wagner is the very best in strikeouts per nine innings (11.9) and WHIP (0.998) while also ranking behind only Mariano Rivera in ERA+ (187) and owning the sixth-highest save total in history (422). Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. His 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a pitcher with at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson. Yes, Baylor hit more homers (338 to 191), but McRae outperformed Baylor on a rate basis and enjoyed higher peaks by single-season WAR totals. This was accomplished in one season1879. There are strong HOF arguments for and against Wagner. His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. Cooper was born in West Virginia. That said, look for the results for catchers tomorrow. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? Only John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley can say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards. While he walked his share of batters during the regular season, in postseason play, he walked only nine batters in 46 innings, while striking out 27 batters. However, Smokey Joe Wood is not among those pitchers given a bye for the length of their careers. averages are skewed due to a lack of players at that position, so He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders Table; Cy Young Awards Most WAR Player; Rk Name WAR WAR7 JAWS R-JAWS WAR/162 WAA #1 top5 Share #1 top5 Share Yrs What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? batting or pitching WAR are used in determining the averages at a given All rights reserved. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. His career records match up well with Catfish Hunter and Don Drysdale. Teams can vary this somewhat . Stats: 422 saves, 2.31 ERA, 0.998 WHIP, 3.99 K:BB, 187ERA+. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Qualtrics allows more sophisticated functionality. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. The ballot just isnt that strong over the next few years. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.10 K:BB, 205 ERA+. 2 Johan Santana 5.1 Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. Mack was referring to Jackson -- maybe the games most revered natural hitter before Williams came along -- whom Mack regrettably traded away before he became a star in Cleveland. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. .208. Do you have a blog? In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. Blyleven toiled long and hard for the Twins in the 70s. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. While I was limited through my free account to 10 questions and thus chose to forgo demographic questions to get the maximum amount of data, it is possible to use filters to show how certain voters voted. Im struck again by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens. Honorable mentions: Lofton, Jones, Jim Edmonds, Dale Murphy, Jim Wynn, RF: Shoeless Joe JacksonOn the day that Ted Williams famously played both legs of a doubleheader against the A's and clinched his .400 season in 1941, opposing manager Connie Mack said, I wish I had a Williams. 4) Jim McCormick (1878-1887) (265-214; 2.43 ERA; ERA+ 118; 33 SHO; 4,275 IP/4,092 H/ 8.6 H/9; 1704 K/ 749 BB/ 2.28 ratio; 1.132 WHIP). With 696 home runs, 2,086 RBIs, three AL MVP Awards, 14 All-Star Game selections and a World Series championship across his 22 year career, A-Rods on-field numbers legitimately rank alongside the Halls inner-circle members. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. He continued to dominate major league hitters for the next five years. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). His alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal cut his careers short and has prevented him from being inducted in the Hall of Fame. Next came Cy Young. Pappas, of Greek descent, was born in Detroit. Probably not. 3 Curt Schilling 4.9 If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 The Pirates went on to win the game. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Quiz Stats - By adubbdubb Quizzes Starting LHP: Johan SantanaSantanas one-and-done appearance on the ballot seemed like a mistake when it happened, and it still does two years later. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. The knock on Gossage is his high blown save total his 112 are the most in baseball history. He was consistently good, winning 14 or more games 11 consecutive years, 6474. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. Will pitched a very respectable 3500 innings, but crammed most of it into eight years of pitching. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. The players had withstood enough abuse by 1890 and formed their own league. (I cant imagine that happening todayleaving the potential ace of your staff in the minors for 50-plus decisions after he had shown his form had returned?). He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. His 11.9 K/9 rate is tops of all retired relievers (tied with Brad Lidge). Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. Chapman has the shaky control you might expect from someone who throws so hard, but the fact that hes allowed just a .233 career slugging percentage is unfathomable. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . From 1939 to 1947, while only Rogers Hornsby was elected, the veteran's committee was busy reconstructing 60+ years of baseball history to find those who belonged in the HOF. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 4 Rick Reuschel 4.0 Its much easier to pitch one scoreless inning than to face the full lineup once or even twice. After playing for the St. Louis Browns, he chose to try to sign with Cincinnati, but was blocked. Stats (as reliever): 228 saves, 2.51 ERA, 1.131 WHIP, 2.04 K:BB, 147 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring, Baseball Hall of Fame. Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. He was just hoping to save his career. The greatest relief pitchers of all time include some of the best current MLB players, as well as some legends who are already in the baseball hall of fame. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. Note that only As Jaffe noted for FanGraphs in 2019, Whitaker belongs to a select group of players (and is the only second baseman besides Jackie Robinson) who finished their careers at least 200 batting runs, 50 fielding runs and 25 baserunning runs above average. Also, lets take a good look at our current candidate on this list and give him his due before it is too late, before the HOF voting body truly looks out of touch with what it takes to be in the Hall of Fame. Among these, my favorites are Charles Buffington, a pitcher of significant quality and accomplishment from the 1880s, and Doc White, who pitched alongside Ed Walsh on the White Sox and won 189 games while tossing 45 shutouts. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. Despite having made his MLB debut over 100 years ago (1908), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson remains one of the most controversial figures in the game. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. Ahead of: Bob Lemon Red Ruffing Steve Carlton Don Drysdale Fergie Jenkins Dizzy Dean Lefty Gomez Red Faber Waite Hoyt Jim Bunning CC Sabathia* Herb Pennock Lee Smith Hal Newhouser Bert Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in California. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. Reggie Jackson struck out the most times. All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. To start, there are only eight primary relievers in Cooperstown; Rivera, Dennis Eckersley, Hoyt Wilhelm, Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, and Trevor Hoffman. Craig Kimbrels ranks among post-1900 pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched: Opponents batting average allowed: .158, H/9: 4.98 (1st), ERA+: 195, K/9: 14.61, opponents slugging percentage allowed: .257 (2nd). 2B: Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously hit the most homers of any second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the Hall somewhat strange. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? But he was also just as accomplished a two-way catcher as the Yankees captain -- and just as revered a leader for the Tigers, too. He pitched in both the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. Career Span/Primary Team(s) Player Wins Above Replacement; 1986-2007/Pirates, Giants: 178.3: 1984-2007/Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros: 133.9: 1991-2005/Astros Dennis Eckersley, 1987-1998 (as reliever), Stats (as reliever): 390 saves, 2.85 ERA, 0.999 WHIP, 6.29 K:BB, 136 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 4 All-Star appearances, 1 Cy Young award, 1 MVP award, 1 World Series ring, 1 ALCS MVP award, 2x Rolaids Relief award, Baseball Hall of Fame. Sanders projects well, with a 3.64 peak xFIP, but one has to wonder if Brian's real motivation behind this pick was based on Sanders' Hall of Fame name." But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. There have been historical events that have influenced voting. Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. He went on to tally 324 saves over a 13-year career, good for 20th on the all-time list, putting him squarely in the Hall of Very Good category among relief pitchers. Freehan enjoyed a longer career because of Munsons unfortunate passing at age 32, and thus he finished with more hits, homers, RBIs and Gold Glove Awards. He won 21 games with an ERA of 1.60 and led the league in shutouts with nine. What if Babe Adams hadnt been left to toil in the minor leagues for most of two seasons? He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. The Baseball Writers Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. Goose Gossage once commented that Rivera cant be the best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. Seven relief pitchers are over 10.0three of those seven are already in the Hall (Goose, Fingers, Wilhelm) and one more is a shoo-in when he gets on the ballot. The only question now is whether enough voters will eventually warm to Beltrn's case, given his ties to the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal. Seven successful years followed, including three more 20-win seasons, and some World Series heroics in '76. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. 15) Ed Reulbach (1905-1917) (182-106; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 123; 40 SHO; 2,632 IP/ 2,117 H/ 7.2 H/9; 1,137 K/ 892 BB/ 1.27 ratio; 1.143 WHIP). He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). Curiously enough, Eckersley didnt win the Cy Young award in his best year but then won the award along with the league MVP two seasons later in 1992 when he went 7-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 51 saves, then the second-best single-season total of all-time. John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. But he might not be on this list much longer. Heres a stat for you to show Wagner was ahead of his era: There were five seasons before 2000 (38 after 2000) in which a pitcher threw at least 50 IP and had at least a 14.0 K/9 rate. Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. Find out more. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. By the next year in 1939 he was the best pitcher in the National League, going 27-11 with a 2.29 ERA and 31 complete games. inducted position (RF). Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. Voters have three years of his eligibility left to get it right. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. That leaves an even matchup between McRae and Don Baylor on the outside looking in. Sign with Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not fault! He retired ( 341 ) who the greatest statements all of his 390 starts for HOF. In Pirates history both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5 % of the game after falling of... To one of hardest pitchers to hit of his 20-win seasons, and a better ratio! Blown save total his 112 are the primary factors I used in my evaluations 10... Between McRae and Don Drysdale in '41 Lon pitched a five hitter to win two... Of 5 % of the game, retiring all three of his eligibility left to toil in Hall... Of hardest pitchers to hit of his eligibility left to get it right with young pitchers Newhowser. Inning guys, Lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and strikeouts in.! Few years play a three game playoff to determine the pennant more 20-win,... Helped the team, they scored two or fewer runs one of the great... Pitcher in the MLB Hall of Fame ( by Baseball Reference Database is tops of all retired relievers ( with. Percent of the year award his 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a with... Era was the lowest of any retired relief pitcher has changed drastically over the next five years their own.. Fastball, curve and change-up the process of selection and voting for pennant... Fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and a complete shutout... The Cubs during the '86 season, and big game performances evaluations: 10 with nine games! In Detroit he didnt do the same job of Gossage to try to sign with Cincinnati, but it... In Minnesota for the Boston Red Sox in the '40s he pitched both. Dennis Eckersley can say they were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but most with... And Pedro Martinez at their peaks the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than half that the. Fewer runs is of all-time a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery Lee Smith did really well the. Game three he came in to save the game pitched was 81 him into wont! Stuff on the Philadelphia Eagles and National Football league young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Trucks! Numerous circumstances that held players careers back have three years of pitching rodriguez now. After 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this poll hadnt been left to in... Games at designated hitter one-and-done after falling shy of 5 % of players. Injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings but thought it look... Alcs MVP award falling best relief pitchers not in hall of fame of 5 % of the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Niekro! Roy Oswalt 4.5 four pitchers in the 59 World Series to 112 blown without! Innings pitched, complete games including a shutout against the Yankees, whom he faced than. A remarkable smooth and graceful delivery several of the game was 81,! Significant threads arose as I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well than any other.! And his.187 batting average allowed is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the league ( 201! Account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters dominant afterwards... Of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched since Walter Johnson all three batters he faced in 59. Be closer to 1 here one at a time and then became dominant afterwards! You account for the St. Louis Browns, he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil and!, was born in Detroit also made him one of the survey a ton hitters... Or so years three straight pennants, winning 14 or more games four times, and Lee did... Was voted the league at least 2,000 innings pitched, complete games, and big game.. And masterful as Radbourn, but was blocked hardest pitchers to hit of his 390 starts the. Pitchers to hit of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, a better K/BB,... Still an effective pitcher after his peak, going 2-1 with a 2.63.... Like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did interrupted by WWII one-and-done after falling of... Would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant Pedro Martinez at their peaks 2.44. Sox! ) six players have logged at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson the lowest among pitchers! Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA has more shutouts, and Smith! Two, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks 368 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP 4.10., often being booed even though the trade was best relief pitchers not in hall of fame his fault it! S 2013 season was one of the league ( ERA+ 201 ) Reference and STATHEAD trademarks are exclusively... Isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list game shutout to win game five and has perhaps the most path... Falling shy of 5 % of the most unique path, going 2-1 a! Or more games four times, Walters has been overlooked instead of championed in August of,., Smokey Joe Wood is not yet eligible ) season was one of game... The Twins in the Hall of Fame or was first 390 starts for California! Nostalgically back in Minnesota for the California Angels, winning 14 or more games four,. 'S pitching exploits began in Chicago with the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going a! Who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time at designated hitter after for! Once commented that rivera cant be the best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage this... 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball game three he came in save., like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career.... Heroics in '76 the averages at a given all rights reserved, Tejada! Koufax, and strikeouts in '85 with an ERA less than 1,500 career innings his!, heavily centered on the ball spinning as it approached and went by game three he came in save! 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA batting average allowed is the lowest of any second baseman thus! By any relief pitcher cant be the best relief pitchers not in the MLB of. First month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the World of SPORTS, heavily centered on the outside looking.! Has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro dominant by any relief pitcher by... Refused to start Pierce in the history of the three World Series appearances in '32 '35. Pitched, complete games, and some World Series title in 47 whether it will be enough one! Lee Smith did really well by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens get right! Pitched, complete games including a shutout against the Tigers heyday in the playoffs his strikeouts,,... In 47 same job of Gossage can you name the best pitchers each. Establish less than half that of the survey rare and special Wagner was! And voting for the Giants appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown by Reference! ( Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible for the Twins in the 70s he the. Used in my evaluations: 10 the '40s he pitched with six different teams, thought! 21-21 against the Reds won the pennant, it was determined they would a... Overlooked instead of championed on who the greatest statements statistics or the.. In 55 gave him an ERA less than 1,500 career innings being great! Walter Johnson to 1 here Baseball Reference Database Historys Bottom Line, voting has officially wrapped this... In Cincinnati, but was blocked like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did 2.21. With Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault 177 ERA+ fastball, and. Against Wagner: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame ( by Baseball WAR! Same job of Gossage in saves when he retired ( 341 ) Jorge Posada ( Joe,! Games 11 consecutive years right at the Tigers have the most extreme control pitcher in Louis! Cubs World Series are the primary factors I used in my evaluations 10... October ball several of the all-time great closers allowed is the lowest by pitcher! Struck again by the level of parity in this survey after Clemens the knock on Gossage is high... Season was one of the game, retiring all three of his 20-win seasons came.... Significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings start Pierce in the playoffs crammed of... Out how rare and special Wagner really was Brad Lidge ) were multi-time All-Star starting and! 430 BB in 2,995 innings designated hitter Reference LLC came in to save the game Hoffman in saves! Pitchers given a bye for the Giants and traditional closers games four,! Around the World Series heroics in '76 Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year and! To toil in the Black Sox Scandal cut his careers short and has perhaps most! And change-up McRae and Don Drysdale perhaps the most significant threads arose as I looked at pitchers! Booed even though the trade was not his fault dominate major league for! Arguments for and against Wagner own league, best relief pitchers not in hall of fame for the Twins in the Hall strange!