He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Over a five-year span, he led the league in saves twice, finished in the top six in Cy Young award voting four times, and turned in one of the most dominant seasons in baseball history in 1990: 0.61 ERA, 48 saves, 73 K to 4 BB in 73.1 IP. Robinson went on to win the triple crown in '66 and the MVP award for the American League. 4 Wes Ferrell 4.7 But he might not be on this list much longer. Today, its my pleasure to present how people voted on pitchers. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. 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. Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Or write about sports? Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. Many thanks to him. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). The reserve clause was so restrictive in his era that once you signed with a team, unless they traded or sold you, you belonged to them. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. Always ranking QBs. All are in or will be in their respective sports Hall of Fame. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. Rollie Fingers may be the most decorated relief pitcher in baseball history, and that list includes Mariano Rivera. 3 Curt Schilling 4.9 John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. Find out more. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. 8 Urban Shocker 4.4 He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. The players who dominated, not just for a season or two, but for years. These are the primary factors I used in my evaluations: 10. I put Ferrell and Reuschel in the survey partly in tribute to my friend and fellow baseball researcher Adam Darowski, who has advocated heavily for their induction in recent years, though each has a nuanced case that could be overlooked in a quick survey. From 1939-1946 Walters accumulated totals led the major leagues in wins, innings pitched; 2,030, complete games; 178, and ERA. Fingers wasnt just a one-inning closer either; he holds the all-time record with 135 multi-inning saves. The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Catchers, Maury Wills: Barnstorming with Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter, Analyzing Maury Wills impact on baseball through stolen base opportunities, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Right fielders, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Center fielders, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Managers. That year, facing Ty Cobb and the Tigers in the postseason, the Pirates manager went on a hunch and started Adams in game one of the series. . In Gossages day, he did all of that. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. 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. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. He was the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Mark McGwire reached higher peaks, but Palmeiro nearly matched McGwires career homer total, almost doubled Big Macs hit total and was a more lauded defender, too. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. He is one of our all-time greats. Answer (1 of 5): I honestly think that some manager should try it. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. Lofton and Andruw Jones still have compelling arguments here, with Lofton's particularly acute given that he went one and done on a crowded ballot in 2013. Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. He finished second in the MVP balloting. A player's JAWS is their Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. 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. If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 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). Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. Reulbach had arguably a more impressive career than any of them. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Quiz Stats - By adubbdubb Quizzes Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. Not every pitcher on this list should necessarily be in the HOF, but all of them could have been selected and voted in with the proper attention and support without any change in the historical standards that have been set. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the Lolich had a splendid career with the Detroit Tigers from 6375. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. 1) Bert Blyleven (1970-1992) (287-250; 3.31 ERA; ERA+ 118; 60 SHO; 4970/ 4632 H/ 8.4 H/9; 3701 K/ 1322 BB/ 2.80 K/BB ratio; 1.198 WHIP). and the most games started75. He began his career with the Cleveland Indians in '64, and established himself as an effective pitcher with lots of stuff. He has the requisite 200 wins, over 40 shutouts, and his 2,832 Ks are still third among left-handed pitchers all-time. He was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. 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. 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 That's the type of respect he garnered. Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. Bruce Sutter Career Stats (1976 - 1988) - Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta G IP W SV ERA FIP WHIP K/9 BB/9 FG War BR WAR 661 1,042 68 300 2.83 2.94 1.14 7.4 2.7 19.2 24.0 For the most part, the best pitchers are in the HOF. If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. But he might not be on this list much longer. He was as good as Rixey and Stan Coveleski, both in the HOF, and better than Marquard, Grimes, Pennock, and Hoytall from the same period. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. Wilhelm posted a sub-2.00 ERA for five consecutive seasons in his 40s, and he did so while averaging 108 innings pitched per year. He proved it often enough. SS: Alex RodriguezThis isnt a close race at shortstop now that Rodriguez is Hall-eligible, but he received only 35.7% of the vote in his second year on the BBWAA ballot in 2023. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. 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. 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. He is perhaps best known for his performance in the 68 series, pitching three complete game victories, and facing down Bob Gibson in game seven. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Rocky Colavito, Vote: The most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame at each position, The best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? inducted position (RF). .208. All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. then in Boston. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. No starting pitchers. 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. The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. It's an ex-Chip's Worldand we're just picking up the pieces. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That said, after 425 responses, voting has officially wrapped for this poll. They all pitched in New York. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. 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. His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. The other difference is that last year, Hoffman picked up 74 percent of the Hall of Fame vote, which put him just barely on the wrong side of immortality. Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. It is not a stretch to believe he would have won thirty games the year he was forced to sit out in protest of the reserve clause. His ERA is outstanding, his K/BB ratio is excellent, and he has enough wins and shutouts. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 10) Mickey Lolich (1963-1979) (217-191; 3.44 ERA; ERA+ 105; 41 SHO; 3,638 IP/ 3,366 H/ 8.3 H/9; 2,832 K/ 1,099 BB/ 2.58 K/BB ratio; 1.227 WHIP). Tommy Bridges began and finished his career with the Detroit Tigers. 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. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). He was a 20 game winner in 11 and 13 but he didnt get to pitch in the World Series again until 25 at the age of 43. He was scouted by Hal Newhowser, who encouraged him to sign with the Orioles. He perhaps would have a few more wins, without his career being interrupted, and perhaps some postseason success, as the Orioles became one of the best teams of the era, going to the World Series in '66, '69, '70, and '71. His stamina and effectiveness began to wane in the early '80s. The Pirates went on to win the game. What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? Al Spalding took a disliking to the off-field activities of several of the players during the '86 campaign. And it says something about Rivera that when you think of the Yankees dynasty of recent years, a reliever is one of the first names to come to mind. With that backdrop in mind, let's proceed with our tenth-best relief pitcher of all time: 10. 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." Stats: 341 saves, 2.90 ERA, 1.156 WHIP, 2.64 K:BB, 120 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, 1 MVP, 1 Cy Young award, 3 World Series rings, 1 World Series MVP, Baseball Hall of Fame. His 11.9 K/9 rate is tops of all retired relievers (tied with Brad Lidge). Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. Pierce threw a three-hit shutout to beat Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in Game One. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. The problem with Pierce HOF candidacy is that his career backed up into the raised mound era. 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. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). Let's say you carry 13 and schedule three pitchers eac. Bucky wasnt done there. Wagner has rapidly gained BBWAA support in recent years, rising to 68.1% in 2023, which gives him a good shot to crack the 75% mark over his two remaining ballots. Kimbrel/Chapman/Eckersley have an argument for being more dominant in their prime than Hoffman, but Hoffmans reign of longevity puts him higher on this list. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 Blyleven is arguably among the top 20-25 pitchers in baseball history. 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 suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. Stats: 310 saves, 3.01 ERA, 1.232 WHIP, 2.05 K:BB, 126 ERA+, Accolades: 9 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring, Baseball Hall of Fame. He was a product of the more relaxed "Golden Years". Against the Yankees in the series, he pitched well in game two, but took a 3-2 loss. If he does not pick up that . This included work for the Dodgers, Yankees and the Angels. Mullane was ahead of his time. Teams can vary this somewhat . He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. He didnt debut in the majors until he was almost 30 and promptly led the National League in ERA (2.43), games pitched (71), and winning percentage (.833). Recently retired stars sure to get a serious look once theyre eligible -- such as Ichiro Suzuki, Joe Mauer and Adrin Beltr -- are noted in the honorable mentions below. Sportswriters and players wondered how Pierce could go toe-to-toe with the firepower of the Yankees, coming armed with slap hitters Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Minnie Minoso. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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 Bucky began his big league career as a third baseman in Boston for the Braves in '31. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. batting or pitching WAR are used in determining the averages at a given His post season work began in 77 with the Dodgers, after his return from surgery. Movies 8m Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. 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. In the '30s he pitched with Schoolboy Rowe, and later with Bobo Newsome. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. 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). They chose not to have time for their pitching hero from the last generation. Wagner is sixth on the all-time list with 422 saves (a number that could have been much higher if he didnt retire after arguably his best year). Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. He won 21 games with an ERA of 1.60 and led the league in shutouts with nine. His 49 career shutouts are just about automatic HOF criteria. He is first all-time in saves (652) and ERA+ (205). Trevor Hoffman, 1993-2008 Key fact: He's one of two pitchers in MLB history, with Mariano Rivera, to eclipse the 500- and 600-save plateaus. He led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. Pete Alexander followed. As it is, Pappas has 209 wins, as many as Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser, and a similar number to Don Drysdale and Catfish Hunter, all of whom are in the HOF and pitched between 1950 and 1975. career WAR averaged with their 7-year peak WAR. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is the 12th pitcher to amass 1,000 career strikeouts in relief, and just the third pitcher with 1,000 relief strikeouts all with one team, joining Hall of Fame closers . He led the NL in fewest H/9 and was second in WHIP, shutouts, and winning percentage. The voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. Next came Cy Young. He was the best pitcher in the NL during his era. He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. His momentum with BBWAA voters stalled out, and he didn't fare any better with the Today's Game Era Committee in late 2022, meaning that it's hard to see Bonds reaching Cooperstown anytime soon. Kimbrel still hasnt hit the decline phase of his career, unless 2019 was the beginning of the end and not just an aberration. Honorable mention: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not yet eligible). Not retired by 2017. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 His resume for the HOF is strong. Pappas, of Greek descent, was born in Detroit. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. Along with those pitchers, Ill evaluate others with a case to be considered among the 10 best ever, which can be broken into categories of the modern (Craig Kimbrel, Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, Francisco Rodriguez, Billy Wagner, and Joe Nathan), and the throwbacks (Sparky Lyle and Dan Quisenberry). Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. However, after a year and a half out of military service, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form. 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. Starting RHP: Roger ClemensSeven Cy Young Awards, two pitching Triple Crowns, an AL MVP Award and the third-most strikeouts in history give Clemens a claim to best pitcher of all-time, and just like Bonds, he likely had a Hall of Fame rsum before he began his alleged use of PEDs. He pitched in both the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. 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. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. What if Billy Pierce and Bert Blyleven had received league average run support though the peak of their careers? But for some reason, he was not free of the reserve clause which stated he had to re-sign with St. Louis after Toledo folded. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. 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). Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). Chapmans statistics look mind-boggling, even when you account for the fact that every reliever strikes out a ton of hitters. Larry Anderson (1975-1994) 699 games, 995.1 innings pitched, 3.15 ERA, 18.2 K%, 121 ERA+ Paul Assenmacher (1986-1999) 884 games, 855.2 innings pitched, 3.53 ERA, 22.0 K%, 118 ERA+ Luis Ayala (2003-2013) 534 games, 554.1 innings pitched, 3.34 ERA, 15.7 K%, 129 ERA+ Grant Balfour (2001-2015) He had won 30 games three consecutive seasons before his exile, and won 30 games two more years after he played for the Red Stockings. 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. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. 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. Cooper may be the best pitcher in Pirates history. 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. He faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. 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). What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. Sabermetrics lover. Warnekes career backed up into WWII. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score And he never got a single Cy Young vote. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. 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. Baseball Hall of Fame , MLB MVP's , MLB Cy Young Award , MLB Rookie of the Year , Rawlings Gold Gloves , 2023 HOF results , 2024 Hall of Fame ballot , . My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . In his first full year in '32, Warneke led the league in wins, ERA, and shutouts. Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.10 K:BB, 205 ERA+. The know about the latest trending topics around major league baseball not just for a season or,!, for one reason or another, never got the votes or needed. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season cooper may the. 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