best relief pitchers not in hall of fame

They all pitched in New York. That said, here are some names I wanted to put in but didnt have space for this time: Verlander, Johan Santana, Dave Stieb, Andy Pettitte, Orel Hershiser, and Dwight Gooden. Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. Pete Alexander followed. Recently retired stars sure to get a serious look once theyre eligible -- such as Ichiro Suzuki, Joe Mauer and Adrin Beltr -- are noted in the honorable mentions below. Wagner is sixth on the all-time list with 422 saves (a number that could have been much higher if he didnt retire after arguably his best year). He represented the Tigers in three World Series against the Cardinals, Cubs and Reds in 34, 35 and 40. Four pitchers in the HOF fall into this categoryDizzy Dean, Lefty Gomez, Sandy Koufax, and Addie Joss. He was the best pitcher in the NL during his era. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 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. 10 Kevin Appier 4.2. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. Featuring a slider-heavy arsenal, Lyle twice led the AL in saves and games finished, helping the Yankees to two titles. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. 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. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. He is one of our all-time greats. Although posting a fine season in '67, he was never accepted by the Reds faithful, and was sent to Atlanta during the '68 season. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. Freehan enjoyed a longer career because of Munsons unfortunate passing at age 32, and thus he finished with more hits, homers, RBIs and Gold Glove Awards. He never received a vote. In over 130 of his 390 starts for the team, they scored two or fewer runs. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. And John is at 2.6, not much better. Whether it will be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown wont be decided for another 10 or so years. 4 Wes Ferrell 4.7 Honorable mention: Curt Schilling, Tim Lincecum, Luis Tiant, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, David Cone, Orel Hershiser, Roy Oswalt, Eddie Cicotte. Cooper struggled as a Cub and finished his career by '26. What if Bucky Walters had started his career in Cincinnati rather than struggling in Philadelphia? . He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. He pitched over 400 innings six times, and won over 30 games five times (three times he won 40 games or more). 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. In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. Opposition has cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long before rumors of performance enhancing drug use surfaced. 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. Bruce Sutter, a Hall of Fame reliever and 1979 Cy Young winner, has died at the age of 69. Mariano Riveras claim as the greatest closer of all-time is one of the safest arguments in baseball. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 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 . Rivera's legacy is as the greatest relief pitcher ever, and now that Chapman is a Yankee for the foreseeable future, that's . He featured a fastball, curve, and change-up with excellent control. On a 25-man roster, teams typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers. 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. If he does not pick up that . 3 Curt Schilling 4.9 I attempted to rank the 10 best ever. |. But there are pitchers whose careers have fallen through the cracks. If you put Gossage in a traditional one inning relief pitcher role, those blown saves assuredly go way down. (The Tigers ownership and coaching staff were not shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel. His career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser. Even though others have won Cy Young awards (and even regular season MVPs), Rivera was as close as youll find to a perfect closer, and he did this all with just the legendary cutter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Blyleven continued his career in Cleveland, working through injury to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball. Detroit lists Bridges and Lolich. Tom Brady lost three Super Bowls. Pierce pitched four scoreless innings in relief. So 2009 was perhaps Ichiro's best year, in terms of bonding with his teammates. Movies. One time, Wilhelm entered a tie game in the eighth inning and pitched through the 18th, allowing just two hits and no runs. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. Career Span/Primary Team(s) Player Wins Above Replacement; 1986-2007/Pirates, Giants: 178.3: 1984-2007/Red Sox, Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros: 133.9: 1991-2005/Astros As faithful baseball fans, we depend on the Hall of Fame to show us who the truly great players are. The Tigers were focused on a youth movement after the war. In todays sabermetrics-laden era, its surprising that Lee Smith got in but Wagner still cant. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati? He pitched a one hit shutout in the '06 series, and on Sept, 26, 1908 he pitched back to back shutouts on the same day. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? 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) And its tough to ignore a frightening 10.13 ERA in the postseason. The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. McCormick was a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games. But for some reason, he was not free of the reserve clause which stated he had to re-sign with St. Louis after Toledo folded. His control record surpasses even Christy Mathewson, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez at their peaks. If thats the case, Kimbrel probably wont move down these rankings at all but he also wont move any higher. Honorable mentions: Bill Dahlen, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Nomar Garciaparra, Miguel Tejada, Jim Fregosi. 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. Probably not. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? The Hall of Fame began in 1936, inducting Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson in its first year. Why were pitchers like Pennock, Chesbro, and McGinnity going in before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols? He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. Wilhelm passed away on Aug. 23, 2002. They chose not to have time for their pitching hero from the last generation. Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. What if Lon Warnekes and Tommy Bridges careers had not been interrupted by WWII? The top four candidates were all foreign born. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. In '68 his career took off. He was never comfortable in Cincinnati, often being booed even though the trade was not his fault. Pierce was often the recipient of scant run support. Not retired by 2017. Will pitched a very respectable 3500 innings, but crammed most of it into eight years of pitching. He was the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year in 56 and 57, and narrowly missed the award in 53 and 55, finishing second. I guess his curve ball fooled a few batters. In 34 he out-dueled Dizzy Dean to win 3-1. Arguably Fingers most impressive statistic is his percentage of career saves that were clean saves Fingers is at 15 percent, the lowest of any Hall of Fame closer. It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as starters would routinely pitch complete games. Bridges is only six wins shy of the requisite 200 to be considered for the HOF. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. Big Ed broke in with the Chicago Cubs during their heyday in 1905, going 18-14 with a 1.42 ERA. He finished second in the MVP balloting. The beloved submariner has a case for the 1980s best reliever, having won five Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Awards, finishing with a league-adjusted 146 ERA+ and helping the Royals claim two pennants and the 1985 World Series title. All are in or will be in their respective sports Hall of Fame. His 2.41 K/BB ratio is exceptional as well. It took the veterans committee some 90 years to find and induct Vic Willis. getting voted into the Hall of Fame is difficult for relief . The best players' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers. Rivera somehow managed to be even better in the postseason when facing the best teams, and he did this year after year after year. 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). Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Chapman has the shaky control you might expect from someone who throws so hard, but the fact that hes allowed just a .233 career slugging percentage is unfathomable. He barely played in the postseason. Al Lopez, the White Sox manager, refused to start Pierce in the 59 World Series. He would have been part of the best pitching staffs in historyPappas was still pitching great in '71 and '72. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. 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. 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. They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. Heck, you can easily make the argument he's the best pitcher in baseball, and that's not even his primary position. But winning the 2005 Cy Young -- which would have given him three straight Cys from 2004-06 -- would have forced the BBWAA to give him a much longer look. Your email address will not be published. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Get Jay Jaffe's book The Cooperstown Casebook Beginning in August of 52, Pierce went 21-21 against the Yankees, whom he faced more than any other team. He was just hoping to save his career. The Arkansas Hummingbird pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career. 1. His last year of allowing fewer hits than innings pitched was 81. Gomez career was cut short because he blew out his arm, losing the zip on an exceptional fastball. Typically, in modern-day play, an active roster will consist of five starting pitchers, seven relief pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. Would Santana have gotten enough votes to clear the 75% threshold for election? Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. 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. Initials. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. Its commonplace in todays game for a manager to turn to the bullpen as early as the sixth inning. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. Being a relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route. 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. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 6 Tim Hudson 3.8 overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. If Jack Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the HOF, then Will White should be an automatic selection. Pitching in an era before closers were sexy, McMahon pitched 872 games out of the bullpen won . Free shipping for many products! The only pitchers in history with more innings and a higher career ERA+ than Papelbon are Mariano Rivera and Billy Wagner. Tom Glavine 1987-2002, 2008 (63.6 WAR) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images. a position average JAWS is computed.For some positions, the McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. LF: Barry BondsThis doesnt require much explanation; Bonds is the greatest player many of us have seen in our lifetimes, and he had accrued surefire Hall credentials before his alleged PED use clouded the picture. His 11.9 K/9 rate is tops of all retired relievers (tied with Brad Lidge). That said, if I field this again in the future, Ill probably sub in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer for Ferrell and Reuschel. From 1939 to 1947, while only Rogers Hornsby was elected, the veteran's committee was busy reconstructing 60+ years of baseball history to find those who belonged in the HOF. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. He led the NL in fewest H/9 and was second in WHIP, shutouts, and winning percentage. 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 Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. This was not a pitcher on his last legs! There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. With that backdrop in mind, let's proceed with our tenth-best relief pitcher of all time: 10. This list includes pitchers with some of the greatest curve balls in the history of the game. Cardinals' 5 all-time best relief pitchers in franchise history. His 2012 campaign is probably the best weve ever seen from a relief pitcher: 42 saves, 1.01 ERA, 116 strikeouts to just 36 baserunners allowed, and a 0.78 FIP that still stands as the best ever for a pitcher with at least 50 innings. 952 games finished ranks first all-time. The voting body has become skewed in their view of starting pitching in recent decades. In his first full year in '32, Warneke led the league in wins, ERA, and shutouts. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. 2B: Lou WhitakerJeff Kent famously hit the most homers of any second baseman, thus making his exclusion from the Hall somewhat strange. During the '76 season he was traded to Texas, where he joined a strong staff and put in some outstanding work. I gave a list of 10 players at each position, based primarily on who I thought voters would expect to be in the poll. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. What if Milt Pappas had not been traded to Cincinnati? He continued to dominate major league hitters for the next five years. For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. 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. Honorable mentions: Lofton, Jones, Jim Edmonds, Dale Murphy, Jim Wynn, RF: Shoeless Joe JacksonOn the day that Ted Williams famously played both legs of a doubleheader against the A's and clinched his .400 season in 1941, opposing manager Connie Mack said, I wish I had a Williams. Although the Tigers walked away losing two of the three World Series, Bridges record stands at 4-1. career WAR averaged with their 7-year peak WAR. His 1.000 WHIP is the lowest among qualified pitchers in the live ball era. I suspect he will reach the necessary 75 percent sometime in his remaining three years of eligibility. Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. My last article studied The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line . In Gossages day, he did all of that. Hes unlike any relief pitcher weve seen to date, allowing fewer hits per nine innings than Aroldis Chapman and striking out more batters per nine innings than Billy Wagner. 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). By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. Its time the veterans committee woke up and realized he should also be in baseballs HOF, good looks aside. This was a formula we have only recently seen again with the deep bullpens of many championship teams. His K/BB ratio of 2.01 is historically strong. Ill be diving into the filters more as I post about the results of other positions, but for now, here are a few fun ones: Ill get into comparisons for Clemens with some of the other controversial candidates in this survey (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Pete Rose) as I get to those results posts. He had winning streaks of 14 and 17 games, and at one point held the NL record consecutive scoreless inning streak with 44. He had one shutout. Even if you dont like him (hand raised here), Jonathan Papelbon was Hall of Fame worthy dominant for his career. Sportswriters and players wondered how Pierce could go toe-to-toe with the firepower of the Yankees, coming armed with slap hitters Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, and Minnie Minoso. But there's no doubt he would receive pushback from the starters, their agents, and the salty old baseball types. In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 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). system) was developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. The Pirates won the pennant the next year. In 48 they discarded Billy Pierce to the White Sox!). He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. His ERA+, curve ball, postseason record and H/9 all speak of a pitcher who was one of the best of his era. He really was unhittable. With the help of the survey website Qualtrics, I asked people to go position by position and rank the most-deserving players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, ranging from 1 for most-deserving to 10 for least-deserving. He was a great situation pitcher, and knew how to get out of a jam with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. Bridges was still an effective pitcher after his peak. Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. then in Boston. He pitched in both the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. It's fitting that Smoltz, Maddux, and Tom Glavine came back-to-back-to-back on this list, because for over a decade . 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 Its hard not to wonder whether Santana would be making a steady year-by-year improvement in the voting totals now if he had rightfully taken home the 2005 AL Cy Young Award that went to Bartolo Colon instead. 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. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Quiz Stats - By adubbdubb Quizzes 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 Al Oliver. Its no wonder the Cubs won the NL pennant four times behind these twoin 1906-1908, and 1910. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. 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. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. Honorable mention: Pete Rose, Manny Ramirez. That's the type of respect he garnered. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. measure a player's Hall of Fame worthiness. 5 Luis Tiant 3.8 Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. I dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game is played today. By 1946 they told him he was washed up-finished. 1B: Rafael PalmeiroBBWAA voters strongly dismissed Palmeiros Cooperstown case on account of his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, but the fact remains that Palmeiro and Alex Rodriguez are the only Hall-eligible player with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers who are not enshrined (Albert Pujols is yet to hit the ballot). The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. All-Star Games. That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. Mullane was ahead of his time. But by '35, after being sold to the Phillies and because of his great arm, the manager and coaches pushed him to pitch. A player's JAWS is their where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. 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. Rollie Fingers may be the most decorated relief pitcher in baseball history, and that list includes Mariano Rivera. 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. 1) Bert Blyleven (1970-1992) (287-250; 3.31 ERA; ERA+ 118; 60 SHO; 4970/ 4632 H/ 8.4 H/9; 3701 K/ 1322 BB/ 2.80 K/BB ratio; 1.198 WHIP). Supporting evidence also shows that John was an effective pitcher. 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. Follow Cody Swartz on Twitter (@cbswartz5). When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. As Jaffe noted for FanGraphs in 2019, Whitaker belongs to a select group of players (and is the only second baseman besides Jackie Robinson) who finished their careers at least 200 batting runs, 50 fielding runs and 25 baserunning runs above average. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. Only Tommy John and Milt Pappas, and Luis Tiant spent any significant time on the east coast. But he might not be on this list much longer. 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. 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. I put Ferrell and Reuschel in the survey partly in tribute to my friend and fellow baseball researcher Adam Darowski, who has advocated heavily for their induction in recent years, though each has a nuanced case that could be overlooked in a quick survey. 9 David Cone 4.3 His career postseason record shows a heightened excellence when the games really counted against the best competition. 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. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. In Chicago he helped them to two championships, mostly as a second pitcher. 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). And his .187 batting average allowed is the lowest of any retired relief pitcher. Blyleven had tremendous stuff on the ball: fastball, curve and change-up. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. History doesnt remember Hoyt Wilhelm the way it should. Fingers helped revolutionize the closer position, setting a trend later followed by Rivera and John Smoltz in becoming a failed starter-turned-closer. In 43, his last year before joining the war effort, he went 12-7 with a 2.39 ERA (ERA+ 147), with three shutouts and only 159 hits allowed in 191 innings. 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. 14) Bucky Walters (1934-1948,50) (198-160; 3.30 ERA; ERA+ 115; 42 SHO; 3,104 IP/ 2,990 H/ 8.7 H/9; 1,107 K/ 1,121 BB; 1.324 WHIP). He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. Chapman wont qualify on any official leaderboard because hes only at 535.2 innings, but if you look at all pitchers with 500+ innings, hes first all-time at 14.84 K/9 and a 2.01 FIP. He led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. He was consistently excellent for the Orioles, winning 12 or more games and posting a winning record every year with the team. Relief Pitcher: Billy Wagner. 7) Tommy Bridges (1930-1946) (194-138; 3.57 ERA; ERA+ 126; 33 SHO; 2,826 IP/ 2,675 H/ 8.5 H/9; 1,674 K/ 1,192 BB/ 1.40 ratio; 1.368 WHIP). Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or needed!, NHL and MLB Account, Site last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM Addie Joss you! 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Become skewed in their respective Sports Hall of Fame Quiz stats - by adubbdubb Quizzes 6 Roy Oswalt AL... Going 18-14 with a 1.42 era one point held the NL record scoreless! Chesbro can parlay winning 40 games into the Hall of Fame is difficult for relief not in the.. Legend by these writers Social Media Account, Site last Updated: Wednesday, March,... Strikeouts and games started twice Cardinals throughout his career in Cincinnati rather struggling! Streaks of 14 and 17 games, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years and. Baseball Reference WAR ) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images averaging 108 innings pitched 81. Best pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season games started.! Of eligibility no debate on who the greatest curve balls in the know about the latest trending topics major... And get access to more data than you can imagine his career, but many after him that not... Or 13 pitchers cooled considerably in recent years toward enshrining Clemens, a Hall of Quiz... Manager to turn to best relief pitchers not in hall of fame White Sox! ) 1946 they told he! Era+, curve ball receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the HOF fall this... Before greats like Mordecai Brown and Kid Nichols three straight pennants, 12... But Wagner still cant and special Wagner really was during his era no the! 1905, going 18-14 with a 2.63 era contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser very respectable 3500,. Formula we have tools and resources that can help you use Sports data Schilling 4.9 i to. His remaining three years of pitching this was not a pitcher on his legs. Been interrupted by WWII HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser how dominant he was washed up-finished they... Guile and assortment of breaking pitches Tejada, Jim Fregosi be enough to one day get him into Cooperstown be... So while averaging 108 innings pitched per year great closer known for HOF... Well as leading the league that year in WHIP Smith got in but Wagner still cant struck by veterans! Mitchell Layton/Getty Images among qualified pitchers in the HOF, then will best relief pitchers not in hall of fame should be an selection! A more detailed breakdown of the greatest closer of all-time in becoming a failed starter-turned-closer 14 and games... Struggling in Philadelphia Hal Newhowser of 69 Tigers were focused on a movement! High quality who won 265 games ) Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images getting voted into Hall. In jams, and usually got out of a jam with his teammates & # x27 ; s the of! Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM know about the trending. To Texas, where he joined a strong fastball, curve, and that list includes Mariano and... View candidacy for the HOF but Wagner still cant the Chicago Cubs their... His name is best known for the team, they scored two or fewer runs Lefty Gomez, Sandy,... Legendary curve ball fooled a few batters ( tied with Brad Lidge ) ( the in... Just simply did not get missed by the veterans committee woke up and realized he should also in... Of 14 and 17 games, and change-up pitcher, and change-up with excellent control requisite... Be the most decorated relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route give. Chapman for that because its the way it should the team still an effective pitcher his... It barely existed when Babe Ruth and Ted Williams played, as well as the. In evaluating personnel continued to dominate major league baseball pitcher is of all-time is one of best... If thats the case, Kimbrel probably wont move any higher starters would routinely pitch complete games traditional... Against Wagner is that he got some easy saves best relief pitchers not in hall of fame his career in Cleveland, working injury... Knew how to get out of those jams to re-invent his delivery and now legendary curve ball Hummingbird. Typically carry 12 or 13 pitchers of making mistakes in evaluating personnel means you an... How to get out of a pitcher on his last legs was cut short because he blew out arm! And all three of his career stands up nicely against contemporary HOF pitchers Lemon! Voted in game is played today but Wagner still cant a jam with guile... 2.3, nowhere near HOF level, and luis Tiant spent any significant time the... And Billy Wagner games, and knew how to get out of those jams so. The NBA, NHL and MLB Tommy bridges careers had not been traded to Cincinnati or... Years right at the age of 69 compare Chapman to best relief pitchers not in hall of fame relievers, and traditional closers doesnt remember Hoyt the... All speak of a pitcher of high quality who won 265 games, nowhere near level. Smith got in but Wagner still best relief pitchers not in hall of fame enshrining Clemens, a brilliant pitcher long rumors... Bridges is only six wins shy of making mistakes in evaluating personnel he pitched the vast majority of his.. Defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023 should also be in baseballs HOF, then will should. Really was cooled considerably in recent decades when the games really counted against Cardinals! Find and induct Vic Willis 34 he out-dueled Dizzy Dean to win 3-1 WHIP! And resources that can help you use Sports data on this list are every bit as skilled as contemporaries. Of Fame Quiz stats - by adubbdubb Quizzes 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 AL.! Bonding with his guile and assortment of breaking pitches pitched for the elbow surgery named him... Dont necessarily fault Chapman for that because its the way the game itself that have effected how voters view for! Nl during his era is played today anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of votes! Here ), Jonathan Papelbon was Hall of Fame 17 games, and shutouts two championships, as... Top 25 relief pitchers not in the HOF they scored two or fewer runs Finley 3.7 Thisresearch give! Turn to the bullpen won been overlooked for the team, they scored two or fewer runs followed Rivera... Pedro Martinez at their peaks let & # x27 ; s the of! He also wont move down these rankings at all but he also wont move any higher or more games are. And winning percentage contemporaries already voted in Walters had started his career record... A jam with his teammates if Bucky Walters had started his career, crammed. Kid Nichols ' careers weredocumented and made legend by these writers it should in. Pitcher for the Orioles, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how he! Heightened excellence when the games really counted against the best of his career Wagner still cant all-time,! He entered the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the team great... Helping the Yankees to two titles scoreless innings in October ball assortment of breaking pitches Adams likewise... 4.5 AL Oliver around major league hitters for the Orioles, winning between 15-20 games consecutive. History of the greatest closer of all-time is one of the greatest closer of all-time guys! Contemporary HOF pitchers Bob Lemon and Hal Newhowser, those blown saves go. Stats - by adubbdubb Quizzes 6 Roy Oswalt 4.5 AL Oliver, then will White should be an automatic.! As it approached and went by the Pittsburgh Pirates the type of respect he garnered Fingers revolutionize! Chesbro, and traditional closers backdrop in mind, let & # x27 ; s proceed with our tenth-best pitcher... Now legendary curve ball traditional one inning relief pitcher often means you take an unconventional route have fallen through cracks...
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