Stats: 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, 4.10 K:BB, 205 ERA+. But most of Kents dingers were hit during unprecedented boon times for the long ball, and while defensive metrics get murkier the further back one goes, Whitakers more polished all-around game stands out more to this author. Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. He is the one pitcher on this list that is still on the HOF ballot. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. 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). It took the veterans committee some 90 years to find and induct Vic Willis. I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. His H/9 rate of 5.3 in 1906 is one of the best in history. 5) Billy Pierce (1945-1964) (3.27 ERA; ERA+ 119; 38 SHO; 3,306 IP/ 2,989 H/ 8.1 H/9; 1,999 K/ 1178 BB/ 1.70 ratio; 1.260 WHIP). That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Its time the veterans committee woke up and realized he should also be in baseballs HOF, good looks aside. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. 3 Curt Schilling 4.9 Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. 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! His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. 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. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. But he might not be on this list much longer. The current Hall of Famers are then grouped by position and the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most .208. Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. The players had withstood enough abuse by 1890 and formed their own league. Gomez career was cut short because he blew out his arm, losing the zip on an exceptional fastball. He displayed consistent excellence throughout his career. 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. 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. inducted position (RF). He was a product of the more relaxed "Golden Years". Blyleven is arguably among the top 20-25 pitchers in baseball history. He was a better pitcher than some of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Ted Lyons. For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. Every supporting evidence points to him being a HOF pitcher. In the 1970s, the closer was the pitcher that would enter the game with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and try to work out of a jam and then sometimes finish the game. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. 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. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders. |. 9) Will White (1877-1886) (229-166; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 120; 36 SHO; 3,542 IP/ 3,440 H/ H/9 8.7; 1041 K/ 496 BB; 2.10 ratio; 1.111 WHIP). Why were pitchers like Pennock, Chesbro, and McGinnity going in before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols? Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. 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. 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. He failed to garner enough votes to make on the 15th try. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Eck didnt become a reliever until his age-32 season but still appeared in enough games to retire first on the games all-time list (1,070). 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. "Billy the Kid was part of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a look with the club at age 18 in 45. Certainly he can be given credit for his time in the service, as he would have easily made 200 wins without giving up the season and a half to the war, plus the recovery time. By 1946 they told him he was washed up-finished. Join our linker program. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. Pierce was often the recipient of scant run support. 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. Hes insanely dominant against both righties and lefties as well. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Perhaps his strongest career stat is his 43 shutouts, more than Hunter, Jim Bunning, Lemon, Newhowser, and Sandy Koufax. Babe went on to pitch the rest of his career for Pittsburgh. Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. averages are skewed due to a lack of players at that position, so there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. Were there a clear consensus, someone would be closer to 1 here. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. I think the voting has become somewhat skewed in recent years in regards to starting pitching; too many of the voters expect no less than 300 wins. Here is AJ Cassavell's ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Padres history: 1. He is first all-time in saves (652) and ERA+ (205). 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]. If he does not pick up that . In '41 Lon pitched a no-hitter against the Reds. This gives us a cut off of 2500 innings to use on the short end, while looking for candidates to make our list of best pitchers not in the HOF. McCormick was a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. He was arguably as good a pitcher as Whitey Ford. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. Awards. 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. But whos the second best relief pitcher ever? His fastball had lots of movement and a darting action. That's the type of respect he garnered. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. 7 Noodles Hahn 4.4 His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. 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. 9 Charlie Buffinton 3.7 He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. He would hold the ball with both hands and then surprise the hitter. 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. 2) Luis Tiant (1964-1982) (229-172; 3.30 ERA; ERA+ 114; 49 SHO; 3,486 IP/ 3,075 H/ 7.9 H/9; 2416 K/ 1104 BB/ 2.19 ratio; 1.199 WHIP). 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. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. If thats the case, Kimbrel probably wont move down these rankings at all but he also wont move any higher. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. I guess his curve ball fooled a few batters. 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. I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. Billy Wagner. When he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so. Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. Or the Dave Roberts steal in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. However, Smokey Joe Wood is not among those pitchers given a bye for the length of their careers. 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. 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. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 He re-surfaced with incredible campaigns in '84 and '85. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. 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