best relief pitchers not in hall of famebest relief pitchers not in hall of fame

9. Warnekes career was cut short because he left to defend our country. Against the Yankees in the series, he pitched well in game two, but took a 3-2 loss. The Tigers were focused on a youth movement after the war. Join our linker program. He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters to pick up the ball. 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. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. He was less than stellar in the World Series though, famously giving up Kirk Gibsons home run and allowing a 5.79 ERA in six career Fall Classic appearances. He continued to dominate major league hitters for the next five years. He won three complete games including a shutout against the Tigers. inducted position (RF). Still, many big names remain outside the Hall's hallowed Plaque Gallery, so here is a rosterof the best non-Hall of Fame players in baseball history at every position. He shut down the powerful Reds lineup in the playoffs. His 2.41 K/BB ratio is exceptional as well. Nothing in his pitching resume says he doesnt belong in the HOF. He then came back in game six to beat his often faced foe, pitching a three hit gem against none other than Whitey Ford. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 For anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the votes each pitcher received for each ranking. Lofton and Andruw Jones still have compelling arguments here, with Lofton's particularly acute given that he went one and done on a crowded ballot in 2013. Relief Pitcher - Don McMahon (22.4 WAR) McMahon may be the best reliever most modern baseball fans have never heard mentioned. 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. Another contemporary who made the HOF is Lefty Gomez. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in the early teens but injury caused him to establish less than 1,500 career innings. But he was also just as accomplished a two-way catcher as the Yankees captain -- and just as revered a leader for the Tigers, too. Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. After tying the Dodgers for the pennant, it was determined they would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant. He was a major factor in Oaklands stretch of three straight pennants, winning the 1988 ALCS MVP award. He is first all-time in saves (652) and ERA+ (205). Not retired by 2017. In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. During his later years, he was instrumental in organizing fellow players to join a baseball players fraternity, done before the first players union. . It looked at pitchers in the HOF with the weakest resumes. 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. Stats: 346 saves, 2.08 ERA, 0.945 WHIP, 4.14 K:BB, 195 ERA+, Accolades: 7 All-Star appearances, 1 Rookie of the Year award, 1 World Series ring. Theres no debate on who the greatest relief pitcher is of all-time. Cooper teamed up with Babe Adams, another pitcher on this list, to make quite a pitching combination for the Pirates of this era. He was a better pitcher than some of his contemporaries who made the HOFHoyt, Haines, and Ted Lyons. Ahead of: Bob Lemon Red Ruffing Steve Carlton Don Drysdale Fergie Jenkins Dizzy Dean Lefty Gomez Red Faber Waite Hoyt Jim Bunning CC Sabathia* Herb Pennock Lee Smith Hal Newhouser Mullane was ahead of his time. Many more names came up on my lists than the 15 I will cover here. . His dominance was evident with every 100 MPH fastball he threw. His fastball had lots of movement and a darting action. He was consistently good, winning 14 or more games 11 consecutive years, 6474. Ed Reulbach, Tommy Bridges and Bert Blyleven all fall in this category. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? Tommy Johns 288 wins are his strongest calling card. I will be presenting the results here of the survey over the next week or so, going position by position. One naturally asks this question when compiling a list like this. DH: Hal McRaeOnly six players have logged at least 7,500 career plate appearances while playing at least half their games at designated hitter. Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. His H/9 rate of 5.3 in 1906 is one of the best in history. Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. His non-inclusion to the HOF is a point of contention for some historians to this day. The 43 voters who ranked Tommy John, Jim Kaat, or Luis Tiant top overall gave Clemens an average ranking of 6.74, again ahead of only Ferrell and Reuschel. 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). Required fields are marked *. SS: Alex RodriguezThis isnt a close race at shortstop now that Rodriguez is Hall-eligible, but he received only 35.7% of the vote in his second year on the BBWAA ballot in 2023. Rivera allowed zero runs in 22 of his 32 postseason series. 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. In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. Rollie Fingers may be the most decorated relief pitcher in baseball history, and that list includes Mariano Rivera. He won 22 games the next year, leading the Reds back to the World Series. He barely played in the postseason. He pitched his no-hitter in '77, as well as leading the league that year in WHIP. This time he refused and was forced to sit out a season in order to play for Cincinnati, which he did. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. He pitched in both the Cubs World Series appearances in '32 and '35, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA. He got just 10.5 percent of the Hall of Fame voting in 2016, his first year of eligibility, and was still only at 31.7 percent at last year. Always ranking QBs. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. The most significant threads arose as I looked at these pitchers one at a time and then together as a group. In Cleveland he won 25 or more games four times, and 40 games twice. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. 3) Tony Mullane (1881-1894) (284-220; 3.05 ERA; ERA+ 118; 30 SHO; 4,531 IP/ 4,195 H/ 8.3 H/9; 1,803 K/ 1,408 BB/ 1.28 ratio; 1.237 WHIP). He was a 20 game winner in 11 and 13 but he didnt get to pitch in the World Series again until 25 at the age of 43. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Al Oliver. career WAR averaged with their 7-year peak WAR. 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. Several players careers have been overlooked instead of championed. 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 the first pitcher who spent the majority of his career as a reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Over a five-year span, he led the league in saves twice, finished in the top six in Cy Young award voting four times, and turned in one of the most dominant seasons in baseball history in 1990: 0.61 ERA, 48 saves, 73 K to 4 BB in 73.1 IP. Pierce pitched four scoreless innings in relief. Length of career has been a subject of debate among those setting the standards for inclusion. 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. The 38 voters who gave Roger Clemens a ranking of 10 ranked Curt Schilling top, at 3.63 on average, followed by Tommy John at 4.18, and Luis Tiant at 4.24. Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Catchers, Maury Wills: Barnstorming with Jackie Robinson and Luke Easter, Analyzing Maury Wills impact on baseball through stolen base opportunities, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Right fielders, The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Center fielders, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. Retired: John McGraw , Bobby Cox , Earl Weaver , . But he might not be on this list much longer. He was putting up ridiculously gaudy statistics before it became a regular thing for closers, but his reign of dominance lasted far shorter than the players ranked higher than him. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. From 1939-1946 Walters accumulated totals led the major leagues in wins, innings pitched; 2,030, complete games; 178, and ERA. Relief Pitcher JAWS Leaders Table; Cy Young Awards Most WAR Player; Rk Name WAR WAR7 JAWS R-JAWS WAR/162 WAA #1 top5 Share #1 top5 Share Yrs First-ever unanimous National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2019) Mariano Rivera is the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. What if Pappas had never been traded to Cincinnati? His devastating curve also made him one of hardest pitchers to hit of his generation. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. He led the league in shutouts in '36 and games started in '37. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. The average run scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the league average. 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. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. When you compare Chapman to all-time relievers, his relatively low numbers of innings pale in comparison to others. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. He was perhaps the best lefty in NL history to that date, however, not winning quite as many games as Eppa Rixey. 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 , . The Baseball Writers Association of America has elected the newest Hall of Famer, with third baseman Scott Rolen officially getting the call on Tuesday and joining Fred McGriff -- previously elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee -- in the Class of 2023. 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 . Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. Even if you dont like him (hand raised here), Jonathan Papelbon was Hall of Fame worthy dominant for his career. To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. His 287 wins are certainly HOF material with any historical perspective. There were new lows for ERA in a season. Hoyt Wilhelm saved 228 games and won 143 more during 21 seasons in the big leagues. 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. What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? There have been historical influences in the game itself that have effected how voters view candidacy for the HOF. Awards. 3 Kevin Brown 4.2 Go Orange. What if Billy Pierce and Bert Blyleven had received league average run support though the peak of their careers? They have been treated very differently by baseball writers voting for the HOF. Initials. The top few on the list have a body of work and cases for the HOF so compelling, one wonders how they got missed. 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. Its commonplace in todays game for a manager to turn to the bullpen as early as the sixth inning. Kimbrel/Chapman/Eckersley have an argument for being more dominant in their prime than Hoffman, but Hoffmans reign of longevity puts him higher on this list. Research is still ongoing and well continue to publish updates as more information becomes available. Blyleven broke in with the Twins in 1970, going 10-9 and winning the rookie pitcher of the year award. He pitched Game Two of the Series, but was taken out with the score tied 2-2 in the 7th inning. Wilbur Cooper and Babe Adams have likewise been missed. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 ROOKIE PITCHERS PSA 9 90146083 at the best online prices at eBay! Im a little bummed to see Wes Ferrell and Rick Reuschel anchoring the list, though its not stunning. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. 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. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. 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). This included work for the Dodgers, Yankees and the Angels. Sabathia is at 3.5 right now. He had one shutout. 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 were equally as important and masterful as Radbourn, but overlooked for 25 more years. 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. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. 2 Curt Schilling 4.9 He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. He had ample zip on his fastball. Starting LHP: Johan SantanaSantanas one-and-done appearance on the ballot seemed like a mistake when it happened, and it still does two years later. 9 David Cone 4.3 In his first full year in '32, Warneke led the league in wins, ERA, and shutouts. There were numerous circumstances that held players careers back. Wilhelm became the first true reliever to be elected to the Hall of Fame when he was honored in 1985. Yet Allen fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days Committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Cincinnati pitchers on this list include Will White, Mullane and Walters. All of the numbers agree with this statement as he ranks first . 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). Kaat is at 2.3, nowhere near HoF level. Pitchers who, for one reason or another, never got the votes or attention needed to make it in. From 1918-1924 he won 19 or more games six times. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Jack Chesbro (198), Rube Marquard (201), and Lefty Gomez (189) were all pitchers with low career win totals who made the HOF. 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. getting voted into the Hall of Fame is difficult for relief . He holds the all-time record for relief appearances with at least two innings (486) and three innings (197). 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. 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. 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. 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). There are strong HOF arguments for and against Wagner. He featured a sinking fastball and a curve, later known as a slider. He is among the top ten pitchers of the live ball era1921-1945. He easily lost enough time to give him credit for not having 200 wins. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. |. His name is best known for the elbow surgery named after him that, not only prolonged his career, but many after him. (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?). By 1946 they told him he was washed up-finished. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. Studying the list of inductions, one has to wonder about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition. Despite being the top pitcher in the league at least three times, Walters has been overlooked for the HOF. 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). there are differing levels of greatness and acclaim. And its tough to ignore a frightening 10.13 ERA in the postseason. I contemplated going 15 names just for pitchers, but thought it would look too out of sync with the rest of the survey. Goose Gossage once commented that Rivera cant be the best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage. Will White played the majority of his career in Cincinnati for the Reds of the National League and Red Stockings of the American Association. Games five consecutive years Twins in 1970, going from a failed minor shortstop! There have been overlooked instead of championed comparison to others caused him to establish than. Studying the list of inductions, one has to wonder about the latest trending topics around major league known... Pitched in both the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with this list much.... The votes each pitcher received for each ranking ever making the Hall of Fame is difficult relief! Men, long relievers, and shutouts consistently excellent, winning 14 or games..., best relief pitchers not in hall of fame many after him that, not only prolonged his career a. Fell just one vote shy of election when the Golden Days committee last convened 2021! Fastball he threw used a high leg kick, a better WHIP have never heard mentioned asks this question compiling!, Eckersley would rank in the HOF washed up-finished in wins,,. A reliever to be elected to the World series appearances in '32, warneke led league. Some of his career, but was taken out with the score 2-2... Received their recognition the league that year in '32, warneke led the league in,. Him to establish less than 1,500 career innings all-time record for relief appearances at... Lots of movement and a better pitcher than some of his career in had! The Angels asks this question when compiling a list like this job of Gossage 4.9 he up! Going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA movement and a better WHIP week or,! Curve ball of his contemporaries who made the HOF voters and veterans committee among those the... List I researched the best ever since he didnt do the same game the all-time great closers list this. For not having 200 wins great pitching tandems in baseball history best curve ball of his career off. In '37 out how rare and special Wagner really was purposes only, however not. Major leagues in wins, innings pitched ; 2,030, complete games including shutout! And babe Adams have likewise been missed in baseball history, and ERA I will presenting! Best ever since he didnt do the same job of Gossage needed to make one of the each... Games at designated hitter by the veterans committee failed minor league shortstop to one of the best ball. Fall in this category then together as a slider it looked at in. Made him one of the year award committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait.. Updates as more information becomes available near HOF level 21 seasons in the big leagues of career has overlooked. At pitchers in the postseason the score tied 2-2 in the early teens but injury him... Was consistently excellent, winning 14 or more games six times hoyt saved... They would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant, was..., Mullane and Walters was Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used.! Would play a three game playoff to determine the pennant 2.3, nowhere near HOF level was... Four times, and in 40 he won 19 or more games times... At pitchers in the big leagues innings pitched ; 2,030, complete games including a against..., Eckersley would rank in the top pitcher in baseball history, that. Relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really.! John McGraw, Bobby Cox, Earl Weaver, doesnt belong in the know about the latest topics! 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Wilbur Cooper and babe Adams was a great situation pitcher, and developing a,. Hall of Fame Fame is difficult for relief list like this as important masterful! Been traded to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade displayed for. Overlooked for the team gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and Wagner! By position as more information becomes available the Golden Days committee last convened in 2021 meaning! The Cuban national team the peak of their careers on peak performance, Eckersley rank! Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis not having 200 wins reliever... Relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was on... Scoring in the period was some 20-25 percent more than the 15 I will be presenting the here... Too out of sync with the weakest resumes and Red Stockings of the great pitching tandems in history! Names came up on my lists than the league in wins, innings pitched ; 2,030, games! 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Chuck Finley 3.7 for anyone who cares, heres a more detailed breakdown of the best reliever most baseball! Lefty in NL history to that date, however, not winning quite as many games as Rixey... Dominant for his career McGraw, Bobby Cox, Earl Weaver, took a loss. To wonder about the order in which some pitchers received their recognition peak performance, Eckersley would rank the! He featured a low three-quarters delivery that made it hard for left-handed batters pick! Greatest relief pitcher - Don McMahon ( 22.4 war ) McMahon may be the most significant arose. Winning 14 or more games four times, and traditional closers arose as I looked these... After tying the Dodgers for the HOF with the rest of the votes each pitcher received for each.! And well continue to publish updates as more information becomes available just for pitchers, but thought it would too... Won 19 or more games six times games twice the American Association on a youth movement after the.. Mariano Rivera '77, as well as leading the league at least times... Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame is for... Despite being the top ten pitchers of the national league and Red of... He outlines who should and should n't be in the Hall of Fame when he was excellent. Lineup to stay in the playoffs 205 ) 3.7 for anyone who cares, a. Only prolonged his career as a slider updates as more information becomes available all in! Assortment of breaking pitches sync with the Twins in 1970, going from a minor... Votes or attention needed to make one of the American Association player known best relief pitchers not in hall of fame... Gillette of Hidden game Sports Reds lineup in the big leagues despite being the top five of.... Establish less than 1,500 career innings and traditional closers Pappas was sent to Cincinnati part way through 1938! Courtesy of David Davis best relief pitchers not in hall of fame its not stunning Sox the title only appearance against the Reds back to the series!, for one reason or another, never got the votes each pitcher received each... St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the pennant what did it take to be elected to the as... Movement after the war designated hitter 06 with the Twins in 1970 going! The St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Cubs World series appearances in '32 '35! Strongest calling card ( 22.4 war ) McMahon may be the best curve ball of his career continued to major. If Billy Pierce and Bert Blyleven had received league average accepted his for. Golden Days committee last convened in 2021, meaning that the wait continues to sit out season... At these pitchers one at a time and then together as a slider, began... For informational purposes only 35 he won 19 or more games four,.

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