The 10 greatest MLB pitchers of all time
Of the nine positions on a baseball diamond, none has evolved more drastically over the course of MLB history than the pitcher.
Once upon a time, pitchers were routinely expected to throw nine innings or more and go on short rest. Specialty relievers didn’t exist. Even the hardest throwers likely topped out in the low-90s. Modern conditioning, radar guns and concepts such as spin rate would have sounded like science fiction to the hurlers of yore.
Thus, when compiling a list of the 10 greatest pitchers in MLB history, it’s necessary to consider historical context. Would guys like Walter Johnson and Cy Young have dominated in today’s game? Impossible to say. But they were among the best in their time and posted numbers that, when stacked against their peers, are undeniably impressive.
In addition to the difficulty of comparing between eras, there is the question of what qualities are most valuable. Is a long career that featured impressive counting stats like total innings and strikeouts more impressive than a shorter burst of virtually unhittable brilliance?
We tried to balance all those factors—though, of course, the debate is part of the fun.
One more note: Only pitchers who have hung up their rosin bags were considered, meaning current stars and future Hall of Famers such as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and Houston Astros’ Justin Verlander will have to wait their turn.
All statistics, including WAR, are courtesy of Baseball Reference.
