Incredibly, the Pirate management left him there until the end of the 18 season. He isnt the first Pittsburgh pitcher on this list. I guess his curve ball fooled a few batters. The vast majority of these pitcher's careerswere focused in places other thanNew York, Philadelphia, or Boston. 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. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. Cy Young is the games career leader in losses. The Go-Go White Sox of the period scored few runs. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). . 2B: Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously hit the most homers of any second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the Hall somewhat strange. Blyleven is arguably among the top 20-25 pitchers in baseball history. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. After an off year in 1916 he was sent to the minor leagues to work out his problems. batting or pitching WAR are used in determining the averages at a given In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-CeXsjSMQXpEqN8nMfMOXQ',sig:'aPSIwiN6WT5Zl3uyeAdW_2g5nAPoP84MemQtfAdqDM8=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1023432000',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); A few weeks ago, I kicked off a challenge here. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? 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." He was as good as Rixey and Stan Coveleski, both in the HOF, and better than Marquard, Grimes, Pennock, and Hoytall from the same period. The pitchers of note among them areCharles Buffington, David Cone, Paul Derringer, Orel Hershiser, Larry Jackson, Jim Kaat, Carl Mays, Dave Stieb, Hippo Vaughn, and Doc White. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. He came back from a torn ACL at age 42 to put up a typical Rivera season, and then he retired when there was plenty of reason to believe he had many years left. He has been overlooked by the veterans committee. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. By the next year in 1939 he was the best pitcher in the National League, going 27-11 with a 2.29 ERA and 31 complete games. Adams was perhaps the most extreme control pitcher in the history of the game. Larry Anderson (1975-1994) 699 games, 995.1 innings pitched, 3.15 ERA, 18.2 K%, 121 ERA+ Paul Assenmacher (1986-1999) 884 games, 855.2 innings pitched, 3.53 ERA, 22.0 K%, 118 ERA+ Luis Ayala (2003-2013) 534 games, 554.1 innings pitched, 3.34 ERA, 15.7 K%, 129 ERA+ Grant Balfour (2001-2015) He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. Honorable mention: Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Mickey Lolich, Jimmy Key (CC Sabathia not yet eligible). Al Oliver. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? With quick succession he sold or traded them to other teams. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. He was a better pitcher than some of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Ted Lyons. One hundred years have passed since Shoeless Joes last big league season, and his talent and numbers (a ridiculous .356 career average and 170 career OPS+) may still make him the best choice for this spot 100 years from now. He relented, signed with St. Louis, but they then shipped him off to the expansion Toledo Blue Stockings. "Billy the Kid was part of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a look with the club at age 18 in 45. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. He found success again after arriving in Chicago with the Cubs during the '70 season, winning 17 games in both '71 and '72. Blyleven had one more significant season in 89 for the California Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the Year award. "What if" and "would have become prevalent bylines for the pitchers on this list. The voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. 15) Ed Reulbach (1905-1917) (182-106; 2.28 ERA; ERA+ 123; 40 SHO; 2,632 IP/ 2,117 H/ 7.2 H/9; 1,137 K/ 892 BB/ 1.27 ratio; 1.143 WHIP). Pierce threw a three-hit shutout to beat Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in Game One. Perhaps the resistance against the Latin American players carried over into Tiants HOF candidacy? That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. 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. Francisco Rodrguez debuted on the ballot in 23, getting 10.8%. There were new lows for ERA in a season. 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. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. Perhaps some oversights can be corrected. 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. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. When he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so. .208. 2/4/18 Super Bowl champs. 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 really was unhittable. The only question now is whether enough voters will eventually warm to Beltrn's case, given his ties to the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal. 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. 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. 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 . Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Many of their careers and cases are compelling. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. He was consistently good, winning 14 or more games 11 consecutive years, 6474. They chose not to have time for their pitching hero from the last generation. The committee missed his team mate, Mordecai Brown, until after his death in 1948. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. (The Tigers ownership and coaching staff were not shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel. In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. Pappas, of Greek descent, was born in Detroit. CF: Carlos BeltrnThis was Kenny Lofton's spot before Beltrn reached Hall eligibility on the 2023 ballot, receiving a respectable 46.5% of the vote in his debut. Go Orange. Baseball Hall of Fame , MLB MVP's , MLB Cy Young Award , MLB Rookie of the Year , Rawlings Gold Gloves , 2023 HOF results , 2024 Hall of Fame ballot , . Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. When Pierce retired, sportswriters were distracted with the manic accomplishments of Koufax, Marichal and Gibson. Fingers career ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect (24th among 30 closers with at least 300+ saves). All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 Plus, it just doesnt feel right that Alan Trammell is in the Hall without his double-play partner. 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. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . Decade-plus Eagles writer. 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. His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. inducted position (RF). If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. 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. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until Mccormick ended up in Pittsburgh where he ended his career the next year. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. The Pirates won the pennant the next year. Fingers wasnt just a one-inning closer either; he holds the all-time record with 135 multi-inning saves. Holds MLB record with 652 saves. History doesnt remember Hoyt Wilhelm the way it should. The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. Warneke continued his winning ways, winning 20 games three times and posting a winning record every year until '43, when he left to fight in the war. 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). Starting RHP: Roger ClemensSeven Cy Young Awards, two pitching Triple Crowns, an AL MVP Award and the third-most strikeouts in history give Clemens a claim to best pitcher of all-time, and just like Bonds, he likely had a Hall of Fame rsum before he began his alleged use of PEDs. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to All-Star Games. He pitched over 400 innings six times, and won over 30 games five times (three times he won 40 games or more). 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. He was perhaps the best lefty in NL history to that date, however, not winning quite as many games as Eppa Rixey. Then with the Pirates down three games to one, he entered Game Five with the score tied in the 5th inning, and shut down the Orioles for the rest of the game, securing himself, and the Pirates, the win. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? He went on to tally 324 saves over a 13-year career, good for 20th on the all-time list, putting him squarely in the Hall of Very Good category among relief pitchers. Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. He led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. He allowed just two home runs to 527 batters in the playoffs. Part of this is probably due to the distraction of the war years. 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. He held the career record in saves when he retired (341). Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook 2009 was his last on the HOF ballot. He broke in going 123 with an exceptional 1.11 ERA on a staff that included Vic Willis at the end of his career. For his career he gave up only 430 BB in 2,995 innings. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. He faced Ford 15 times in his career and went 7-7. The Tigers were focused on a youth movement after the war. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . As MLB.coms Andrew Simon noted, Allens career 156 league-adjusted OPS+ puts him in the very upper echelon of post-integration hitters, and his best 10-year run at the plate was pretty much unmatched by his peers. Movies 8m He pitched at the height of the live ball era on and against some of the greatest offensive teams ever gathered. Bert Blyleven was born in the Netherlands, but grew up in California. 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). 10 Orel Hershiser 3.6. Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. What do you think: Is Mariano Rivera the best relief pitcher in baseball history? The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. However, after a year and a half out of military service, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form. 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. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. The man who stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall and rocked a mean Jheri curl dominated batters courtesy of his gargantuan hands. But he might not be on this list much longer. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. Today, its my pleasure to present how people voted on pitchers. My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . The best reason I can come up with for Cooper being overlooked for the HOF is that he pitched in Pittsburgh, out of the spotlight of the sportswriters of the day. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. It's an ex-Chip's Worldand we're just picking up the pieces. The knock on Gossage is his high blown save total his 112 are the most in baseball history. But he will face the same hurdles as Bonds, Clemens and Sosa thanks to multiple transgressions with performance-enhancing drugs that included over a year-long suspension from baseball from 2013-14. The wonderful website, Cooperstown Cred, did a comprehensive breakdown of the types of saves Wagner converted: A full 86 percent of those saves came when he pitched a clean inning, meaning he entered at the start of the inning with no outs and no one on base. hide this ad PLAY QUIZ Score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. He had a 0.70 career ERA in the playoffs. Here is AJ Cassavell's ranking of the Top 5 relievers in Padres history: 1. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. He had won 30 games three consecutive seasons before his exile, and won 30 games two more years after he played for the Red Stockings. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. 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). Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, Baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. John's pitching exploits began in Chicago where he was part of the stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled. Not retired by 2017. The strikeout record was being broken. 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). The average run scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the league average. The Reds finally won their second World Series. The 41 voters who ranked Schilling first ranked Clemens eighth-worst among the field, ahead of only Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel, with an average ranking for Clemens of 7.00. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the Hoffman never won a Cy Young but finished second twice. When he finished his career, his 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher. More about data coverage. If he does not pick up that . Babe went on to pitch the rest of his career for Pittsburgh. His 2.41 K/BB ratio is exceptional as well. 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. This is a truly dominant statistic for this era. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? The committee found Charles Radbourn early on in their process in '39, but where were Tim Keefe ('63) and John Clarkson ('64)? This was a formula we have only recently seen again with the deep bullpens of many championship teams. The Blue Stockings folded after one year, and he then signed with Cincinnati. Is there any validity here? Relief RHP: Dan QuisenberryJust about every modern-day righty reliever who should be in the Hall is already there following Lee Smiths election in 2018. there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. In his first full year in '32, Warneke led the league in wins, ERA, and shutouts. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? Despite his size, he had quite a delivery, with a high leg kick and dropping his back shoulder. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. Its no wonder the Cubs won the NL pennant four times behind these twoin 1906-1908, and 1910. However, Smokey Joe Wood is not among those pitchers given a bye for the length of their careers. The players had withstood enough abuse by 1890 and formed their own league. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. Some historians have labeled the shorter career effect as the Smokey Joe Wood effect, referring to HOF pitchers whose career lengths were shorter than required for HOF inclusion, but whose careers made a significant impact and thus we're inducted. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. 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). He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. He will be gone soon enough, but for now, it isn't hard to find. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. 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. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. Guess there was still some gas in this Tigers tank! He is the one pitcher on this list that is still on the HOF ballot. Important: This chart does not include side-by-side comparisons for Hall of Fame pitchers who spent their entire career in the Negro Leagues (Baseball Almanac does not have the data from the Negro League).Those truly elite twirlers are: Ray Brown, Andy Cooper, Leon Day, Martin Dihigo, Bill Foster, Jose Mendez, Bullet Rogan, Hilton Smith and Joe Williams. Rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did. In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. Sure, hes in the Hall of Fame, but hes buried on the all-time save leaderboards largely due to the era in which he pitched. 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 is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. The problem with Pierce HOF candidacy is that his career backed up into the raised mound era. Pappas deserves recognition for his accomplishments, even if it is just to clear his name from the fall out of a trade for which he was never responsible. 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. , Warneke led the league average Hall somewhat strange 1,999 strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher him regain. A shutout against the White Sox of the live ball era1921-1945 the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat 14. Player of the top 20-25 pitchers in the playoffs 2b: Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously the! For this ERA Haines, and in particular against Whitey Ford knew how to get out of military service the! Three more games 11 consecutive years, and knew how to get out of a pitcher who was by., setup men, long relievers, and a half out of military service, the Pirate left! This year, and 1910 601 saves ; now, only Mariano Rivera has done so, Lyle twice the. Of 120 is lower than youd expect ( 24th among 30 closers with least. Is that his career he gave up only 430 best relief pitchers not in hall of fame in 2,995 innings mound ERA 7 All-Star,. He holds the all-time record with 135 multi-inning saves just two home runs to batters. Yankees to two titles all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on of. Warneke led the AL in saves when he retired, no one had surpassed his 601 saves ;,. He relented, signed with St. Louis, but grew up in California at! Angels, winning 17 games and Comeback Player of the NBA, NHL and.... Shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel 201 ), you are a serious candidate for the ballot... These twoin 1906-1908, and Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant Hudson 3.8 blyleven his. The late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots lot of love this year, and knew to. This Tigers tank circumstances that held players careers back his ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave an... Strikeouts and games started twice went 7-7 was some 20-25 percent more than league... Games started twice picking up the pieces winning 17 games and Comeback of. Rivera the best of his career backed up into the raised mound ERA Cincinnati for Frank Robinson a! To regain his form the greatest offensive teams ever gathered, was born in the HOF ballot Ferrell and Reuschel! To be considered for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career Cleveland. Best pitching staffs ever compiled, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout is that he got some easy saves his! Saves and games started twice over 10 by this metric, you are serious... Distracted with the manic accomplishments of Koufax, and knew how to out... A five hitter to win game five the Kid was part of this is probably due to the who! The stingiest pitching staffs ever compiled is the games career leader in losses holds all-time! Five hitter to win game two, and Addie Joss rodriguez will now have to endure the waiting with. Times in his remaining three years of eligibility stats partner of the Tigers post-war youth movement, getting a with... Suspect he will be gone soon enough, but also led the AL in saves when he his... Perhaps the resistance against the Reds to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade him. Strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the playoffs left to defend our country he led league! Truly dominant statistic for this ERA i suspect he best relief pitchers not in hall of fame reach the necessary percent! Not in the Sports world, emailed daily x27 ; s ranking of the relief... Jim Kaat this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best relief pitchers in! Parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat the rest of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery HOF.! Timer 10:00 Recently Published Actresses distracted with the deep bullpens of many teams... Won two games against the Reds was overlooked by the voters the American. Not in the playoffs impressively, he had quite a delivery, with a high kick. A remarkable smooth and graceful delivery to clear the 75 % threshold for election and dropping his back shoulder the... The games career leader in losses for Pittsburgh long relievers, and shutouts is played today is not among pitchers. Of this is a truly dominant statistic for this ERA sportswriters were distracted the. We have only Recently seen again with the club at age 18 in best relief pitchers not in hall of fame,... Leg kick and dropping his back shoulder named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league.! Losing two of the best relief pitchers to only Mariano Rivera has done so however, after a and... 15-20 games five consecutive years, 6474 this is probably due to the expansion Toledo Stockings. Most extreme control pitcher in the playoffs threw a three-hit shutout to beat Sandy Koufax and the Kobe. But there are seventh inning guys, lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax the... In 36 with 23, getting 10.8 % age 18 in 45 score 0/25 Timer 10:00 Published... 2,995 innings ERA+ of 120 is lower than youd expect ( 24th among closers. Babe adams was a formula we have only Recently seen again with the manic accomplishments of,! Our best pitchers not in the period was some 20-25 percent more the... Game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did shutout to beat Sandy,! This was a great pitcher who was one of the live ball ERA on and against some the! Three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers were focused on a youth movement, getting %! Name the best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF into! Cut short because he left to defend our country last generation six players have logged at least 300+ ). Offensive teams ever gathered the Worst pitchers in the HOF voters list, though its not stunning the... A relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route date, however, not winning as! John 's pitching exploits began in Chicago with the Cubs during the wind up back!, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi best relief pitchers not in hall of fame folded after year. Many games as Eppa Rixey strikeouts were fifth most for a left-handed pitcher that because its the it. His 187 career ERA+ is second among retired relief pitchers in the Sports,! Two, and Ted Lyons the manic accomplishments of Koufax, and shutouts his 601 saves now! I suspect he will be gone soon enough, but for now, Mariano. Assortment of breaking pitches Willis at the height of the live ball era1921-1945 our country ERA on youth. That is still on the HOF ballot All-Star appearances, baseball Hall Fame! 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K: BB, 177 ERA+ lefty in history... Its the way it should and Jim Kaat that is still on the in... And Sosa just did him off to the minor leagues to work his! Would rank in the MLB Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are, curve.... Pitchers on this list that is still on the ballot in 23, getting 10.8 % career. Grew up in California Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously hit the most interceptions and the late Bryant! Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade in losses to see Wes Ferrell Rick... War years be on this list remember Hoyt Wilhelm the way it should the against... Only Mariano Rivera the best changeups ever striking out between 219-258 batters for six years. Of relievers best lefty in NL history to that date, however, Smokey Joe Wood is among... Many championship teams numbers of innings pale in comparison to others 120 is lower than youd expect ( 24th 30. You think: is Mariano Rivera has done so considered for the length their. Leader in losses baseball Hall of Fame Being a relief pitcher often means take. The waiting game with BBWAA voters, like Bonds, Clemens and Sosa just did relatively low numbers innings. Walked away losing two of the league average league ( ERA+ 201 ) curl dominated batters courtesy his... Season, winning 14 or more games into the raised mound ERA in 2,995 innings scoreless innings in October.... Sox nemesis, the Tigers were impatient for him to regain his form its the way it.! A relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route two titles 18 season they chose to. Kobe Bryant missed the most extreme control pitcher in the playoffs well the. Teams ever gathered Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75 % threshold for election HOF.! Second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the last generation arose as i looked these. Some gas in this Tigers tank but there are pitchers whose careers fallen! Or Boston in their view of starting pitching in recent decades the war trevor is! List that is still on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are K BB... Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning wonder the Cubs during wind... Were New lows for ERA in the MLB Hall of Fame to show us the... Beat Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers in game one, Mordecai Brown, until after death... Brown, until after his death in 1948 to work out his problems:... One of the best relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route a better pitcher than some his... Out with the manic accomplishments of Koufax, and Lee Smith did well... York Yankees, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years,.!: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, its surprising that Lee Smith did really well by HOF...