In Major League Baseball, the starting pitchers are arguably the most important players to their teams’ success. There have been countless great starting pitchers in the history of the game, and many of them have etched their names in the record books. The following is a list of the top 10 starting pitchers in MLB history, based on a combination of skill, achievement, and longevity and their overall impact on the game.
1. Cy Young
Widely regarded as the greatest pitcher to ever play the game, he holds Major League Baseball‘s career record for wins with an astonishing 511. Young was known for his control and consistency, as evidenced by his 15 seasons of 20 or more wins. For perspective, no other pitcher has accomplished that more than 10 times. Young’s dominance on the mound was so awe-inspiring that the prestigious annual award given to professional baseball‘s best pitcher became known as the Cy Young Award.
2. Walter Johnson
Also known as The Big Train, he was a force to be reckoned with during his 21-year career. Johnson is widely regarded as the most dominant right-handed pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball. Only one pitcher has more wins to his name than Johnson, and that is Young, with 511. The Big Train also holds the MLB record for career shutouts with 110.
3. Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax was a left-handed pitcher who played for 12 seasons in the Major League. Although he played for just a short while, he was undoubtedly one of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the sport. Koufax won three Cy Young Awards in a row between 1962 and 1966, as well as an MVP. He also secured five straight ERA championships and four no-hitters. He was forced to retire due to an arm injury at the age of 30.
4. Christy Mathewson
Known as “Matty”, Christy Mathewson was a premier pitcher in the early 20th century. Renowned for his control, intelligence, and earning sportsmanship, Mathewson registered 373 victories with a 2.13 career ERA, which ranks among the best. In addition, he dominated as the dead-ball era ace for several of the New York Giants’ world championships.
5. Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens remains among the most controversial players due to the supposition that he employed performance-enhancing drugs. Regardless, Clemens’ on-field accomplishments are undeniable. Winner of record seven Cy Youngs and third all-time with 4,672 Ks, Clemens’ fierce competitiveness and fastballs made him the most dominating pitcher of his era.
6. Greg Maddux
Greg Maddux embodied pinpoint and finesse control. Maddux was not intimidating on the mound but changed his pitches’ speed and location with utmost precision. Maddux won back-to-back four Cy Youngs awards from 1992-1995 and retired with 355 merits. He was probably the most intelligent pitcher in simply outsmarting hitters while pitching.
7. Tom Seaver
Dubbed “Tom Terrific,” Tom Seaver was the premier Mets’ starter pitcher from the 1960s to the 1970s. Winning three Cy Young trophies and five strikeouts led, Seaver displayed impeccable mechanics or magnetism that attracted fans.
8. Pedro Martinez
In terms of sheer skill, Pedro Martinez might have been the most talented pitcher on this list. Martinez was a pint-sized pitcher who still had a larger-than-life presence on the mound. Despite standing at a mere five feet, eleven inches tall, Martinez had a disadvantage in intimidating opposing hitters.
He had a fastball that was nearly untouchable and a changeup that was merely wicked. Martinez won three Cy Young awards in his career and led in ERA titles five times. Due to Martinez’s absolute dominance in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there is no questioning Martinez’s place on this list as one of the greatest pitchers of his era.
9. Randy Johnson
There may have been no more intimidating pitcher to have ever played in Major League Baseball than Randy Johnson. A man who stood at 6’10” and threw left-handed, his blazing fastball combined with a slider that seemed almost unhittable.
Johnson was a Cy Young award winner for years and won 5 during his time spent in the MLB. Also, Johnson is the second on the all-time strikeout list with 4,875 strikeouts. No other pitcher had the utter and total domination of a game that Johnson brought to it.
10. Nolan Ryan
Perhaps Nolan Ryan should be higher on this list for the sheer power he was able to bring to the game of baseball. With the most strikeouts of all time at 5,714, no other pitcher who pitched within recent memory even came close. Ryan was also a pitcher who pitched until he was 46 years old. The menacing way that he simply could blow the ball by any hitter was unbelievable to see.
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