Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. Many thanks to him. He proved it often enough. In fact, from 1905 through 1909 his H/9 never reached 7.0. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. After an off year in 1916 he was sent to the minor leagues to work out his problems. Joe Nathan and Jonathan Papelbon both went one-and-done after falling shy of 5% of the BBWAA vote in their 22 ballot debuts. They all pitched in New York. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. When he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so. Movies. He is first all-time in saves (652) and ERA+ (205). His ban from the game doesn't seem like it will ever be lifted. Movies 8m During the '76 season he was traded to Texas, where he joined a strong staff and put in some outstanding work. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! Miranda Remaklus. Here are the best Hall of Fame candidates. All of the numbers agree with this statement as he ranks first . The process of selection and voting for the HOF has been uneven at best. Do you have a sports website? After tying the Dodgers for the pennant, it was determined they would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant. His 2.52 career ERA was the lowest by a pitcher with at least 2,000 innings pitched since Walter Johnson. Or the Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. 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. As a teen he went to watch Sandy Koufax pitch and later learned how to throw a curve ball with a hold similar to Koufax. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. But by '35, after being sold to the Phillies and because of his great arm, the manager and coaches pushed him to pitch. One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. .208. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. 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 led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. 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. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. Comparing across eras isnt easy, as the role of a relief pitcher has changed drastically over the years. The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. This was a formula we have only recently seen again with the deep bullpens of many championship teams. 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). Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. His post season work began in 77 with the Dodgers, after his return from surgery. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. Arguably Fingers most impressive statistic is his percentage of career saves that were clean saves Fingers is at 15 percent, the lowest of any Hall of Fame closer. 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. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. He led the NL in fewest H/9 and was second in WHIP, shutouts, and winning percentage. Rankings of Negro League players should consider that Negro League data is not complete. In his World Series career, he threw an absurd amount of innings (33.1), appearing in 16 of a possible 19 games and fashioning a 1.35 ERA. Career: 16 years (1995-2010) Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves. 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. What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? The ballot just isnt that strong over the next few years. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. 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. 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 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. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. 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. averages are skewed due to a lack of players at that position, so The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Gossages 1975 season is still the greatest in baseball history by a relief pitcher in terms of WAR (8.2); he had a 1.84 ERA, a league-leading 26 saves, and an absurd 141.2 innings in 62 relief appearances. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. 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. career WAR averaged with their 7-year peak WAR. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. How many relief pitchers are on a baseball team? I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 By adubbdubb Plays - /5 - RATE QUIZ MORE INFO Classic Best Score? Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. Billy Wagner. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. Its no wonder the Cubs won the NL pennant four times behind these twoin 1906-1908, and 1910. Hes unlike any relief pitcher weve seen to date, allowing fewer hits per nine innings than Aroldis Chapman and striking out more batters per nine innings than Billy Wagner. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 ROOKIE PITCHERS PSA 9 90146083 at the best online prices at eBay! And Muhammad Ali lost five fights. He was arguably as good a pitcher as Whitey Ford. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. Reulbach had arguably a more impressive career than any of them. From 1918-1924 he won 19 or more games six times. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. 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 led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. 10 Orel Hershiser 3.6. So 2009 was perhaps Ichiro's best year, in terms of bonding with his teammates. In the '30s he pitched with Schoolboy Rowe, and later with Bobo Newsome. His 60 shutoutsninth all timeare automatic HOF material. His 49 career shutouts are just about automatic HOF criteria. His 46 shutouts are HOF worthy, and his postseason resume shows he was still good against the best competition of the era. 12) Milt Pappas (1957-1973) (209-164; 3.40 Era; ERA+ 110; 43 SHO; 3186 IP/ 3046 H/ H/9 8.6; 1728 K/ 858 BB/ 2.01 ratio; 1.225 WHIP). 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). Only players who are known primarily as relief pitchers or closers. But even Michael Jordan missed game-winning shots. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. 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. After winning 20 games in '24, the Pirates traded him to the Cubs. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. Pierce pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? Rivera trails only Trevor Hoffman in all-time saves and has perhaps the most dominant one-pitch arsenal this side of Phil Niekro. His 2.41 K/BB ratio is exceptional as well. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 batting or pitching WAR are used in determining the averages at a given |. He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. 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. Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well. I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. Tony Mullane was just inducted into the Cincinnati Reds HOF earlier this year. 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 4 Wes Ferrell 4.7 Perhaps the resistance against the Latin American players carried over into Tiants HOF candidacy? Oct 14, 2022, 04:09 PM EDT. 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." 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). But Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. 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. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Important note: For this exercise, we only considered players who have been retired for at least five years, the waiting time required before one can appear on a BBWAA ballot. Detroit lists Bridges and Lolich. Pierce got his chance to test his grit in postseason action in 62 for the Giants. He was as automatic as youll ever find for a closer. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. 6) Babe Adams (1906-1926) (194-140; 2.76 ERA; ERA+ 117; 2,995 IP/ 2,841 H/ 8.5 H/9; 1,036 K/ 4,30 BB/ 2.41 ratio; 1.092 WHIP). Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. 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. Reulbachs 97-39 record combined with Browns 114-42 for a 211-81 record over those five years. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Thats three seasons for workhorse Mike Marshall from the 1970s. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Everything is in line, but hes been overlooked by the veterans committee. 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. The strikeout record was being broken. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. 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. C: Bill FreehanCall this a toss-up between Freehan and Thurman Munson, both of whom could use a longer look from the Halls veteran committees. Mullane was ahead of his time. 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