Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. Particularly blighted were the pitchers in Pittsburgh. 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. Tommy John has more wins than any of these pitchers. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. Initials. But long before Cooperstown honored him on Sunday, the first black reliever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame was well-known around baseball circles as: Lee Arthur Smith. 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). Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. Plus, it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in the Hall without his double-play partner. The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. 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 was voted the league MVP as the Reds won the pennant. 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. That's the type of respect he garnered. Detroit lists Bridges and Lolich. 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). Many of their careers and cases are compelling. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. The Go-Go White Sox of the period scored few runs. hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses. A 3.10 postseason ERA isn't terrible, but it's not Hall of Fame worthy. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? 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). Here is AJ Cassavell's ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Padres history: 1. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. And his .187 batting average allowed is the lowest of any retired relief pitcher. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. Do you have a blog? One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. The Pirates went on to win the game. Honorable mention: Pete Rose, Manny Ramirez. His K/BB ratio of 2.01 is historically strong. RF Andre Ethier Despite having made his MLB debut over 100 years ago (1908), "Shoeless" Joe Jackson remains one of the most controversial figures in the game. 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 has been overlooked by the veterans committee. Stats: 601 saves, 2.87 ERA, 1.058 WHIP, 3.69 K:BB, 141 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. After winning 20 games in '24, the Pirates traded him to the Cubs. 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 . Movies 8m Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. 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? Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. All-Star Games. Qualtrics allows more sophisticated functionality. Despite his size, he had quite a delivery, with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. In Game Three he came in to save the game, retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. 7 Andy Pettitte 3.7 The problem with Pierce HOF candidacy is that his career backed up into the raised mound era. He featured a fastball, curve, and change-up with excellent control. 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. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). Jim McCormick was the first Scottish born major league player. Reggie Jackson struck out the most times. Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. 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. He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. 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 . 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. Only John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley can say they were multi-time All-Star starting pitchers and then became dominant closers afterwards. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 "With pick #132, @Brian59044 selects the first real relief pitcher of the draft, Phoenix Sanders. I found some interesting threads that could be followed up. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. He led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. On a technical level, both Freehan and Munson (along with Gene Tenace, who nearly split his career evenly between catcher and first base) own the highest JAWS totals (Jay Jaffes system that combines career Wins Above Replacement with a players seven best seasons) among eligible backstops on the outside of Cooperstown looking in. After a down year and a couple of years dealing with injury, he ended up in Boston where he re-invented himself in '72. Mariano Rivera. 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. Tommy John is perhaps guilty of hanging on longer than the normal impact of his career allowed. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. 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. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. Pappas, of Greek descent, was born in Detroit. 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. If he does not pick up that . 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). Another contemporary who made the HOF is Lefty Gomez. Bold - Indicates Player is not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame or was First. Historically, pitchers like Red Ruffing, Red Faber, Ted Lyons, Eppa Rixey, and Burleigh Grimes are in the HOF mostly because of their win totals. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. His initial surgery came after the 1974 season. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. Data Provided By 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. Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. After breaking in with the Cleveland Indians, Tommy John spent significant time with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Yankees, as well as a shorter stint with the California Angels. Billy Pierce was slight of build at 5 10 and a whopping 160 lbs. Awards. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). 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. He regularly hits 100 miles per hour on his fastballs and holds the all-time record by registering 105.1 on a pitch (twice). But he might not be on this list much longer. 952 games finished ranks first all-time. 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. Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Cooper was born in West Virginia. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. (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?). The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. Drysdale, Ferguson Jenkins, and Early Wynn are the other pitchers with 49 shutouts, and all are in the HOF. 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. 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. 2 Johan Santana 5.1 He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. He was arguably as good a pitcher as Whitey Ford. Mariano Riveras claim as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the safest arguments in baseball. In the postseason, Papelbon started his career with 25 consecutive scoreless innings in October, including 4.1 of those innings in the 2007 World Series. 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. And interestingly enough, hes probably more known for his handlebar mustache than what he did on the field. Not retired by 2017. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. It's an ex-Chip's Worldand we're just picking up the pieces. He went 3517 in the minors. In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. He was just hoping to save his career. 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 relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. . His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). But by 48 the Tigers gave up on Pierce, shipping him off to the White Sox. 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. 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 he might not be on this list much longer. 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). I looked at some pitchers with shorter careers as well, and included some whose careers I thought made the greatest statements. It was 0.32 in the ALDS, 0.92 in the ALCS, and 0.99 in the World Series. He was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. What if Lon Warnekes and Tommy Bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII? He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. 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. Note that some players listed as HOFers may have been inducted for non-playing reasons. Theres no one since Randy Johnson who puts fear into batters like Aroldis Chapman does. The HOF process seemed uneven, and somewhat political. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. 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