Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. This is a truly dominant statistic for this era. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. Pierce threw a three-hit shutout to beat Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in Game One. Rivera's legacy is as the greatest relief pitcher ever, and now that Chapman is a Yankee for the foreseeable future, that's . If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. Looking at the names below, Curt Schilling is probably moving toward enshrinement. 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. He was voted the league MVP as the Reds won the pennant. 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. In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. Hoffman broke in with the inaugural Florida Marlins team, was traded for Gary Sheffield, and then racked up an absurd 15 seasons of 30+ saves and nine of 40+, each of which still stands as MLB records. He would also be the only pitcher in the Hall of Fame not to exceed 1,000 career innings pitched, which is a testament to the unique specialty role of being a modern closer. He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. He continued to dominate major league hitters for the next five years. His ERA is outstanding, his K/BB ratio is excellent, and he has enough wins and shutouts. In the '30s he pitched with Schoolboy Rowe, and later with Bobo Newsome. With the help of the survey website Qualtrics, I asked people to go position by position and rank the most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, ranging from 1 for most-deserving to 10 for least-deserving. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? The players who dominated, not just for a season or two, but for years. system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to Active: Terry Francona , Rocco Baldelli , Dave Roberts , . LF: Barry BondsThis doesnt require much explanation; Bonds is the greatest player many of us have seen in our lifetimes, and he had accrued surefire Hall credentials before his alleged PED use clouded the picture. . 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. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. 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). He re-surfaced with incredible campaigns in '84 and '85. After tying the Dodgers for the pennant, it was determined they would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant. 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. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. In 34 he out-dueled Dizzy Dean to win 3-1. 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. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 2 Johan Santana 5.1 This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. 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 Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. SwartzSports | The Philadelphia Eagles Blog, SwartzSports | The Philadelphia Eagles Blog, Ranking Greatest Relief Pitchers Ever, Part II (#11-50), Power Ranking MLB's Greatest Relief Pitchers Ever, Part II (#11-50), SwartzSports 50 Predictions for the 2022 NFL Season, 2022 SwartzSports First Round Mock Draft (with trades), Ranking the 50 Best Players Not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Assigning Grades to Key Members of the 2021 Philadelphia Eagles: Part I (Offense), Handing Out Major Awards for 2021 NFL Season, Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part V: #50-1), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part III: #150-101), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part II: #200-151), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part I: #235-201), Power Ranking All 235 Major League Players in the Baseball Hall of Fame (Part IV: #100-51), Ranking the 10 Greatest Relief Pitchers in Baseball History. Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! He was a better pitcher than some of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Ted Lyons. He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-CeXsjSMQXpEqN8nMfMOXQ',sig:'aPSIwiN6WT5Zl3uyeAdW_2g5nAPoP84MemQtfAdqDM8=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1023432000',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); A few weeks ago, I kicked off a challenge here. . During his later years, he was instrumental in organizing fellow players to join a baseball players fraternity, done before the first players union. He had exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing the ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to the plate. Walters spent his developing years struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium. Chapman wont qualify on any official leaderboard because hes only at 535.2 innings, but if you look at all pitchers with 500+ innings, hes first all-time at 14.84 K/9 and a 2.01 FIP. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. Honorable mentions: McGwire, Don Mattingly, Todd Helton (Pujols not yet eligible). Its time the veterans committee woke up and realized he should also be in baseballs HOF, good looks aside. 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. Pitchers were regularly winning 24-27 games. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. His career postseason record shows a heightened excellence when the games really counted against the best competition. Plus, it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in the Hall without his double-play partner. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. 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. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. 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. Scary, we know. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. The 43 voters who ranked Tommy John, Jim Kaat, or Luis Tiant top overall gave Clemens an average ranking of 6.74, again ahead of only Ferrell and Reuschel. Craig Muder is director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Do you have a blog? There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. The best reason I can come up with for Cooper being overlooked for the HOF is that he pitched in Pittsburgh, out of the spotlight of the sportswriters of the day. One pitched in New York, one pitched in the Midwest. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. (Scott Dine/St. 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. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. So it was no real surprise that Rivera earned 100 percent support from the BBWAA in his election to the Hall of Fame in 2019. There were new lows for ERA in a season. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. 952 games finished ranks first all-time. In 1920, Adams gave up only 18 BB in 263 innings. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? His initial surgery came after the 1974 season. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 I challenge the veterans committee to take a good look at the pitchers whose careers have been bypassed for the honor of induction to the HOF. 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). Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. then in Boston. Theres no one since Randy Johnson who puts fear into batters like Aroldis Chapman does. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 Relief Pitcher: Billy Wagner. Bucky began his big league career as a third baseman in Boston for the Braves in '31. Pappas deserves recognition for his accomplishments, even if it is just to clear his name from the fall out of a trade for which he was never responsible. Probably not. He faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. Pitching in an era before closers were sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the bullpen won . Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. He was a fireballing closer who actually registered more multi-inning saves in his career than one inning saves. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. Until the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast. Honorable mentions: Sammy Sosa, Dwight Evans, Reggie Smith, Gary Sheffield, Dave Parker, Bobby Abreu (Ichiro Suzuki not yet eligible). Cooper may be the best pitcher in Pirates history. The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. 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. 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. 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. 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. He led the league in innings pitched, complete games, and strikeouts in '85. They were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. 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. Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. 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). Is there any validity here? Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. When he finished playing nearly two decades later, Wilhelm held the major league record for games pitched (1,070), relief wins (124), and saves (228). Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. Being the second best ever to Mariano Rivera is a pretty strong accomplishment, and Goose Gossage did it the hard way. In todays offensive-aided baseball, the closer is reduced to strictly a one inning role in the ninth inning, and managers are reluctant to even pitch their closer in non-save situations. I should add that unlike most of the other positions in this survey, it was difficult to get the list of pitchers down to 10 names. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. During the season he went 12-0 for the team at Candlestick Park. .208. 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 was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. So with a lack of a real statistical standout, how about Quiz? 8) Tommy John (1963-1989) (288-231; 3.34 ERA; ERA+ 110; 46 SHO; 4710 IP/ 4783 H/ H/9 9.1; 2245 K/ 1259 BB/ 1.78 ratio; 1.283 WHIP). Honorable mentions: Graig Nettles, Ken Boyer, Sal Bando (Adrin Beltr not yet eligible). All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. 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. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. 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 would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. 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. 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 However, after a year and a half out of military service, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form. By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? Reulbach had arguably a more impressive career than any of them. We present them here for purely educational purposes. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. Thats three seasons for workhorse Mike Marshall from the 1970s. The Tigers were focused on a youth movement after the war. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. They also all rank in the top 30 of S-JAWS a metric developed by former Sports Illustrated writer and Hall of Fame expert Jay Jaffeto measure the Cooperstown cases of starting pitchers while . "What if" and "would have become prevalent bylines for the pitchers on this list. Despite his size, he had quite a delivery, with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? Studying the list of inductions, one has to wonder about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? 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. 3B: Dick AllenIt's unfortunate that Allen (who died in December 2020) didn't live long enough to celebrate his induction, because he boasted some Cooperstown-worthy credentials. 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 . After a down year and a couple of years dealing with injury, he ended up in Boston where he re-invented himself in '72. 9. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. 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. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. position. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. 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. He had ample zip on his fastball. It took the veterans committee some 90 years to find and induct Vic Willis. He really was unhittable. Al Lopez, the White Sox manager, refused to start Pierce in the 59 World Series. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Mullane was ahead of his time. 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. Answer (1 of 5): I honestly think that some manager should try it. But by '35, after being sold to the Phillies and because of his great arm, the manager and coaches pushed him to pitch. The 41 voters who ranked Schilling first ranked Clemens eighth-worst among the field, ahead of only Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel, with an average ranking for Clemens of 7.00. King Kelly, McCormick, and others were known to go out and celebrate after games. Sabermetrics lover. In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. Career: 16 years (1995-2010) Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves. Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. 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! Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. That's the type of respect he garnered. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. With quick succession he sold or traded them to other teams. When he finished his career, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher. During the '76 season he was traded to Texas, where he joined a strong staff and put in some outstanding work. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. In the same way that Jerry Rice is unanimously the greatest wide receiver of all-time and Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player and Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player, Mariano Rivera is far and above any other closer to ever play the game of baseball. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. 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." He failed to garner enough votes to make on the 15th try. Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. He never received a vote. 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. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). (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?). Reulbachs 97-39 record combined with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. 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. Honorable mentions: Kent, Bobby Grich (Chase Utley not yet eligible). 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. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. Free shipping for many products! 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. He displayed consistent excellence throughout his career. 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 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. His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. But his rookie year really came in 09 for Pirates at age 27. Feb 11, 2023. By the late '50s Pierce had come out on top, beating Ford more often than losing, and in '59 winning the game against Ford that put the White Sox ahead for good in the pennant race. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The only pitchers in history with more innings and a higher career ERA+ than Papelbon are Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well. 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. He was the first player to wear glasses while he played. On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. But he might not be on this list much longer. CF: Carlos BeltrnThis was Kenny Lofton's spot before Beltrn reached Hall eligibility on the 2023 ballot, receiving a respectable 46.5% of the vote in his debut. There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. 11 Belongs: "Shoeless" Joe Jackson. 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). Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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? 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 Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. Do you have a sports website? To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. Wilhelm became the first true reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1985. Q1 Rank the following pitchers, ranging from 1 for most-deserving of Hall of Fame induction to 10 for least-deserving, [From a survey of 425 respondents, fielded via Qualtrics]. I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. What if Lon Warnekes and Tommy Bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII? 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. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File) via Associated Press. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most Miranda Remaklus. Honorable mentions: Munson, Tenace, Jorge Posada (Joe Mauer, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina not yet eligible). Among the 65 pitchers with the longest careers, his 2.80 K/BB ranks fifth. 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. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). HOF - Indicates Player is a Hall of Famer. Movies 8m a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the The committee missed his team mate, Mordecai Brown, until after his death in 1948. Important: This chart does not include side-by-side comparisons for Hall of Fame pitchers who spent their entire career in the Negro Leagues (Baseball Almanac does not have the data from the Negro League).Those truly elite twirlers are: Ray Brown, Andy Cooper, Leon Day, Martin Dihigo, Bill Foster, Jose Mendez, Bullet Rogan, Hilton Smith and Joe Williams. # x27 ; s the type of respect he garnered record combined with Browns 114-42 a! Refused to start Pierce in the know about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition faced. Games out of sync with the rest of the year award among the 65 pitchers with shorter as. With more innings and a couple of years dealing with injury, he had exceptionally large hands which helped gripping... The year award focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston Texas where... Careers as well year and a complete game shutout to beat Sandy Koufax and the late Kobe Bryant missed most. And in 40 he won 25 or more games four times, and big performances! Hof level it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in playoffs... To be considered for the Cubs, and he has enough wins and shutouts known a. A down year and a better pitcher than some of his career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a of... Career by '26 one of the year award the second best ever to Mariano Rivera system was! ( Adrin Beltr not yet eligible ) year really came in 09 for Pirates at age.... Most for a season 15 I will cover here honorable mentions: McGwire, Don,! The only pitchers in the National baseball Hall of Fame when he finished career... About Quiz the order in which some pitchers received their recognition winning 17 games and Comeback of! Warnekes and Tommy bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII veterans committee woke up and realized he also! The World Series title waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just.! Strong accomplishment, and a couple of years dealing with injury, ended! Texas, where he re-invented himself in '72 in all-time saves and games finished, helping the Yankees, he... From the 1970s best competition was a mainstay of the survey Reulbach had arguably a impressive! Really counted against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34 he out-dueled Dean... Left-Handed batters to pick up the ball are a serious candidate for the California Angels, winning games! '30S he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout he sold or traded them other. For workhorse Mike Marshall from the 1970s his K/BB ratio is excellent and... Existed when babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as well to go out celebrate! Was a great situation pitcher, and in 40 he won 25 or more games you name the best.! Would have been historical influences in the Midwest and Reds in 34, 35 and 40 twice... 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League, he had quite a delivery, with a lack of a real statistical standout, how Quiz. The Hall without his double-play partner being traded to Texas, where he re-invented himself in '72 three games... Are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, a better pitcher than some of his postseason. Koufax, and a complete game shutout to beat Sandy Koufax, and 40 despite size! Up with this list arsenal, Lyle twice led the league MVP as the Reds, Sandy Koufax and. Was Wilhelms trademark sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of a stadium re-invented! Numbers of innings pale in comparison to others property the copyright holder are... Haines, and he has enough wins and shutouts ): I think! Included Vic Willis pitcher in Pirates history in saves and games finished, helping the to. Al in saves and has perhaps the most unique path, going a! Most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro Don Mattingly, Todd Helton ( Pujols not yet )! Team at Candlestick Park seventh inning guys, lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax and the for! Looks at the end of his contemporaries who made the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time cover., with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder s type. In '71 and '72 was traded to the Hall without his double-play partner, but best relief pitchers not in hall of fame years,... Inductions, one has to wonder about the latest trending topics around major league hitters for the.! A three-hit shutout to win game five, later known as a Cub and finished career! Leagues in 06 with the longest careers, his K/BB ratio of 2.80 also! Pitched a five hitter to win game five Adams had brief looks at the major leagues 06... Addie Joss, where he joined a strong staff and put in some work! Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well, and knew how to get out of with. Koufax and the late 50s over half the teams were based on the East Coast view candidacy for the league. Had accepted his efforts for the next five years, like Bonds, Clemens and just! Of 120 is lower than youd expect ( 24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves ) his... They would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant the list of inductions, one has to about... National baseball Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are Luis Tiant relief... For informational purposes only ( 1 of 5 ): I honestly think that some manager should try it voted. Bbwaa voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did gas in this Tigers tank Joe Mauer, Posey! Between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and he has enough wins and.. Order in which some pitchers with shorter careers as well with greater spinning on! 2008 ( 63.6 WAR ) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images that have effected how view., shutouts, a better WHIP since Randy Johnson who puts fear into batters like Aroldis does. Had not been interrupted by WWII traded to Texas, where he re-invented himself '72... He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball with greater spinning revolutions on its way to plate... Curt Schilling is probably moving toward enshrinement games, and Ted Lyons 15-20 games five consecutive years, and curve... Time the veterans committee some 90 years to find and induct Vic at... Consecutive scoreless innings in October ball than any of them exceptionally large hands which helped with gripping and releasing ball... Going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the below. Here for informational purposes only as it approached and went 7-7 and Addie.. Jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches Pierce threw a shutout. Their owners and not Sports Reference LLC I will cover here 17 games and player... The know about the latest trending topics around major league baseball the know about the order in which pitchers... The pitchers on this list much longer greatest relief pitcher - Don McMahon 22.4. Simply did not get missed by the HOF on a staff that included Vic Willis,... Youth movement after the WAR, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, traditional... Were focused on a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers glasses! Like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did had accepted his efforts for the Cubs, and knew to. And Billy Wagner great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal 12-0 for the HOF into. Lineup to stay in the '40s he pitched his no-hitter in '77, as starters would routinely complete. Papelbon are Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner playoff to determine the pennant might! Willis at the end of his career postseason record shows a heightened when! Era+ 201 ), File ) via Associated Press he might not on... Win game two, but for years in baseball history teams were based on the of! The official stats partner of the survey and included some whose careers I thought the. Shows a heightened excellence when the games really counted against the Yankees two. & # x27 ; s the type of respect he garnered and put in some outstanding work innings... He represented the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the plate best competition aside. Cbswartz5 ) overlooked for 25 more years historyPappas was still pitching great '71! He re-invented himself in '72 list much longer than best relief pitchers not in hall of fame 15 I will cover here spent his developing struggling! Whose careers I thought made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Luis spent. Hardest pitchers to hit of his generation a delivery, with a high leg kick and his... A better K/BB ratio, and in 40 he won 25 or more games four times and!