MLB
Ranking the Top 5 Best MLB Pitchers of All-Time
Breaking down the 5 best pitchers of all-time with some of the most historic names in the history of America's pastime
Bleacher Report
If the greatest sight in baseball is seeing someone hit a home run, then next on that list has to be a pitcher shutting those batters down. From paving the way in the early stages of the game to taking America’s pastime to new heights, these hurlers set records, made history, and changed the game with their electric stuff and precise command. Let’s take a look back at the best baseball pitchers of all-time.
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Starting this list with Cy Young seemed like the right thing to do, but after looking into their respective careers, Christy Mathewson might have the more impressive resume. He has more National League wins to his name than pretty much any other player in history and despite retiring from the sport back in 1916, he still ranks amongst the top names in just about every metric to evaluate the best pitchers in history.
Mathewson led his teams to a whopping 373 career wins. Things don’t stop there; Mathewson bossed up at the mound and in a six-year period, led the league in strikeouts an astonishing five times. That combined with being the wins and ERA leader saw him claim two Triple Crowns in 1905 and 1908 respectively as the unquestioned best pitcher in the game.
He was a big-game player too with his playoff form mesmerizing; over his 16-year career, he averaged a postseason ERA of 0.97 whilst the 1905 World Series was another level of genius as Mathewson recorded three shutouts in six days en route to a 4-1 Series win for the Giants and cementing his status as an all-time legend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK5XTBClpBY
When it comes to Sandy Koufax, many fans are left thinking about what might have been. Don’t get it twisted, the Dodgers stalwart had a brilliant career but had his body not worn down quite so hard, Koufax could have legitimately topped this list. Instead, he’ll have to settle for fourth.
Koufax posted a sensational career ERA of 2.76 but his list of achievements is almost never-ending. He won four World Series – being named MVP in two of them – along with making the cut in seven All-Star games. Throw into the mix the fact he led the league in ERA, wins, and strikeouts on multiple occasions and he’s earned the right to be considered one of the best pitchers of all time. After a historic 2020 World Series, however, he can no longer be viewed as the greatest pitcher in his own team’s history.
Of the five names on this list, Clayton Kershaw is the only man still playing. It means he could even move up this list before packing it all in. Since being picked at seventh overall back in 2006, he’s remained loyal to the Dodgers after working his way into the big leagues during his 2008 debut.
Since then, Kershaw has an ERA of 2.43, which has helped him lead the MLB in five different seasons and has racked up over 2,500 strikeouts to his name, not to mention the most postseason strikeouts of all-time. He’s led the league in Ks during three separate campaigns. Three Cy Young awards, a trio of National League pennants, and now a World Series triumph in 2020 add up to a serious list of historic honors. It wouldn’t be wise to bet against him adding to it as well.
When someone becomes the only player ever to take 100% of the Hall of Fame voting, it’s clear they’re pretty special. Yankees legend Mariano Rivera is definitely that and then some. The Panamanian had a feared delivery owing to the pace he’d generate and it is no surprise his ERA of 2.21 is up there with the best of the best.
Despite having 13 All-Star appearances to his name along with five World Series wins, it’s not even those impressive accomplishments that make him stand out from the crowd. Oh no, the thing that separates him from the pack is his ability to close out a game with the pressure on, and in the moments that matter the most. He led the MLB in saves on three occasions and had a total career haul of 652, an all-time Major League record that won’t get broken anytime soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtERj3kYd6c
The competition to being the best pitcher of all-time is fierce, but nobody was more dominant during their peak than the Big Unit himself, Randy Johnson. The first-ballot Hall of Famer didn’t exceed his rookie limits until he was 25 years old, which is old for a big-league freshman, but he still managed to put together a legendary 22-year career in the Bigs that lasted until he was 46 years old.
As amazing as he was for the entirety of his career, it was the period from 1999-2002 that really puts him on another level. Winning the Cy Young for FOUR consecutive seasons, the Big Unit was about as unhittable as a starting pitcher can get, owning a 2.48 ERA, 12.4 K/9, and 1.044 WHIP over that four-year stretch.
Someone who threw as hard as Johnson usually didn’t have the control or offspeed stuff, but Randy had it all as he racked up 200+ IP in 14 different seasons, showcasing his strike-throwing ability and versatile repertoire to keep turning over batting lineups in their third or fourth time up to the plate. Johnson had the 5 Cy Youngs, 10 All-Stars, World Series MVP, Perfect Game, Triple Crown, and about any achievement possibly attainable on a big-league mound. Randy Johnson is the best of all-time.
There it is, the best pitchers in the history of the MLB. Getting the last out in the World Series might be a feeling that can be only compared to scoring a game-winning touchdown in the Superbowl or crossing the finishing line in the TwinSpires.com Kentucky Derby. Therefore, the pitchers in this list deserve to be celebrated and remembered, and hopefully, many more talents join the list in the future.
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