Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. 3 Curt Schilling 4.9 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. Most Unique Players by Age by Similarity Scores, Most Games without a World Series Appearance, Most Games without a Postseason Appearance, Highest Career and Single-Season Salaries, Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Matsui has no chance of ever making the Hall of Fame. When Bruce Sutter began experimenting with the split-fingered fastball, he wasn't looking for a path to Cooperstown. Warneke has more shutouts, a better K/BB ratio, and a better WHIP. 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? In an era when everyone posts gaudy relief statistics, the trick is figuring out how rare and special Wagner really was. But Trevor Hoffman may have the most unique path, going from a failed minor league shortstop to one of the all-time great closers. Will pitched a very respectable 3500 innings, but crammed most of it into eight years of pitching. Cooper was slender and had a remarkable smooth and graceful delivery. Pierce was known for his battles against the White Sox nemesis, the New York Yankees, and in particular against Whitey Ford. He won 20 games three consecutive years right at the Tigers heyday in the mid-30s. Babe Adams had brief looks at the major leagues in 06 with the St. Louis Cardinals and 07 for the Pirates. 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. Pitching for the Cubs, Reulbach teamed up with Mordecai Brown to make one of the great pitching tandems in baseball history. 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. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. The most-deserving players not in the Hall of Fame: Pitchers Embed from Getty Images see more Roger Clemens, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox prepares to throw a pitch during the Major League Baseball American League East game against the Cleveland Indians on 27 May 1987 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Pitching multiple innings per relief appearance was Wilhelms trademark. To come up with this list I researched the best pitchers of each era. and the most games started75. The Worst Pitchers in the HOF: Searching for Historys Bottom Line. Players said they could hear the ball spinning as it approached and went by. Or what if the fans in Cincinnati had accepted his efforts for the team? Mccormick ended up in Pittsburgh where he ended his career the next year. His career K/BB ratio of 2.80 is also a mark of historical significance. The pitchers on this list are every bit as skilled as their contemporaries already voted in. The knock on Gossage is his high blown save total his 112 are the most in baseball history. Kimbrel still hasnt hit the decline phase of his career, unless 2019 was the beginning of the end and not just an aberration. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP, File) via Associated Press. Supporting evidence also shows that John was an effective pitcher. History doesnt remember Hoyt Wilhelm the way it should. After improving his control in 51, and developing a slider, he began a series of impressive years for the White Sox. He drew 59.5 percent of the vote in his most recent appearance on the writers ballot for Cooperstown. Required fields are marked *. He pitched the vast majority of his career for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is 5-1 with a 2.47 ERA, 36 Ks against only 8 BB, and a WHIP of 1.077. By '59, Pappas was a mainstay of the Orioles staff. Stats: 273 saves, 2.23 ERA, 1.023 WHIP, 3.56 K:BB, 184 ERA+, Accolades: 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring. 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 . Honorable mention: Nathan, Papelbon, Rodrguez, Keith Foulke, Tom Gordon, Tom Henke, Firpo Marberry, Troy Percival, Kent Tekulve, John Wetteland. Go Orange. He was the second great Latin pitcher, following Juan Marichal. Stats (as reliever): 228 saves, 2.51 ERA, 1.131 WHIP, 2.04 K:BB, 147 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 6 All-Star appearances, 1 World Series ring, Baseball Hall of Fame. 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). Tommy was pitching in October for six consecutive seasons, posting a 6-3 mark with a 2.65 ERA over 88 innings. Before the '66 season, Pappas was sent to Cincinnati for Frank Robinson in a very unpopular trade. Hoffman broke in with the inaugural Florida Marlins team, was traded for Gary Sheffield, and then racked up an absurd 15 seasons of 30+ saves and nine of 40+, each of which still stands as MLB records. This excludes any pitcher still on the mound today, and those like Greg Maddux who are retired but not yet eligble. After being traded to the Pirates in the National League, he helped the team to a World Series title. Sabermetrics lover. With the aid of Comiskey Park, Gary Peters, Tommy John, and Joe Horlen, they were backed up by the likes of Bob Locker, Eddie fisher, Don McMahon and none other than Hoyt Wilhelm at his peak. the total count of actual and average players matches that of the most He holds the record for the most innings pitched in one season680. Can you name the Best Relief Pitchers not in the MLB Hall of Fame (by Baseball Reference WAR)? He was a significant figure from his era, and should not be punished for his stand against the reserve clause. After an off year in 1916 he was sent to the minor leagues to work out his problems. Ill add in hyperlinks for each subsequent post, allowing anyone who happens upon this post later to easily be able to navigate between the different positions. Part of this is probably due to the distraction of the war years. His alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal cut his careers short and has prevented him from being inducted in the Hall of Fame. In order to be considered for this honor, a pitcher must be eligible for the HOF. His 60 shutoutsninth all timeare automatic HOF material. Gossages 1975 season is still the greatest in baseball history by a relief pitcher in terms of WAR (8.2); he had a 1.84 ERA, a league-leading 26 saves, and an absurd 141.2 innings in 62 relief appearances. He led the league in ERA+ and shutouts (nine) in '73, but didnt get the attention he deserved for the Cy Young award. Tiant was known for his unusual delivery, turning away from the batter during the wind up. In 35 he won two games against the Cubs, and in 40 he won his only appearance against the Reds. He ended up nostalgically back in Minnesota for the '86 season, and helped the team to the World Series title in '87. His 3,701 Ks make Blyleven fifth all-time. Thisresearch should give us a framework to look within for our best pitchers not in the HOF. From 1939-1946 Walters accumulated totals led the major leagues in wins, innings pitched; 2,030, complete games; 178, and ERA. 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 , . Heres a stat for you to show Wagner was ahead of his era: There were five seasons before 2000 (38 after 2000) in which a pitcher threw at least 50 IP and had at least a 14.0 K/9 rate. The knock against Wagner is that he got some easy saves throughout his career. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1978 Topps #703 Jack Morris RC Rookie Pitchers NM at the best online prices at eBay! 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 even Michael Jordan missed game-winning shots. There are seventh inning guys, lefty specialists, setup men, long relievers, and traditional closers. 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. Im struck by the parity between Kevin Brown and Jim Kaat. overall HOF average hitters are added to that position's average until 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. where he outlines who should and shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame based on his JAWS metric used here. Many thanks to him. Walters spent his developing years struggling in Philadelphias bandbox of a stadium. Mariano Rivera was a failed starter. Qualtrics allows more sophisticated functionality. From 1918-1924 he won 19 or more games six times. He pitched with six different teams, but most significantly with the Cleveland Blues and Chicago White Stockings. Against Detroit, he pitched a five hitter to win Game Two, and a complete game shutout to win Game Five. A player's JAWS is their His 49 career shutouts are just about automatic HOF criteria. And its tough to ignore a frightening 10.13 ERA in the postseason. In the '40s he pitched with young pitchers Hal Newhowser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. He threw 33 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings in October ball. 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. John then went to LA to join Don Sutton on another team with a pitching rich tradition. He was consistently excellent, winning between 15-20 games five consecutive years, and striking out between 219-258 batters for six consecutive years. He racked up 126 saves in his 40s. 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). What did it take to be ignored by the HOF voters and veterans committee? Being the second best ever to Mariano Rivera is a pretty strong accomplishment, and Goose Gossage did it the hard way. One naturally asks this question when compiling a list like this. Dave Parker, Does he belong in the Hall of Fame? Robinson went on to win the triple crown in '66 and the MVP award for the American League. Tony Mullane was an Irish born major league player known for pitching with both handssometimes in the same game. Top 25 Relief Pitchers not in the Hall of Fame Quiz Stats - By adubbdubb Quizzes McMahon pitched 18 seasons between 1957 and 1974 and was named to the 1958 All-Star team in his second big league season. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. Babe Adams was a great pitcher who was overlooked by the veterans committee. The top four candidates were all foreign born. Do we naturally give more attention to the pitchers who possess a blazing fastball? That means he entered the game in jams, and usually got out of those jams. 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. Billy Wagner. He struck out a healthy 1,674 batters. If you cross over 10 by this metric, you are a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame. But Beltrn gets the slight edge, given his enviable combination of power (435 homers), speed (312 steals), defense (three Gold Gloves) and postseason heroics. By 76 he was pitching again and all three of his 20-win seasons came post-surgery. Everything is in line, but hes been overlooked by the veterans committee. Stats: 368 saves, 2.44 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 4.37 K:BB, 177 ERA+. Mack was referring to Jackson -- maybe the games most revered natural hitter before Williams came along -- whom Mack regrettably traded away before he became a star in Cleveland. The best players in New York just simply did not get missed by the HOF voters. Dennis Eckersley, 1987-1998 (as reliever), Stats (as reliever): 390 saves, 2.85 ERA, 0.999 WHIP, 6.29 K:BB, 136 ERA+, Accolades (as reliever): 4 All-Star appearances, 1 Cy Young award, 1 MVP award, 1 World Series ring, 1 ALCS MVP award, 2x Rolaids Relief award, Baseball Hall of Fame. Four straight seasons early on Kimbrel led the league in saves, posting absurd single-season ERAs of 2.10, 1.01, 1.21, and 1.61. Recent history doesnt recognize Billy Wagner for how dominant he was. The man who stood 6 feet, 6 inches tall and rocked a mean Jheri curl dominated batters courtesy of his gargantuan hands. All-Star Games. All of his indicators are strong, especially his strikeouts, shutouts, and big game performances. 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. He led the league in shutouts in '36 and games started in '37. 8 Chuck Finley 3.7 Luis Tiant was born in Cuba and his father was a famous pitcher for the Cuban national team. 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. He finished second in the MVP balloting. Reulbach used a high leg kick, a la Juan Marichal, to hide the delivery of the best curve ball of his generation. The committee missed his team mate, Mordecai Brown, until after his death in 1948. Next came Cy Young. His career took off when he was traded to Cincinnati part way through the 1938 season. His career records match up well with Catfish Hunter and Don Drysdale. 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 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 led the league in wins in 36 with 23, but also led the league in strikeouts and games started twice. He wasnt perfect think of the Luis Gonzalez walkoff single in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. If we limit it to 3000 innings, heres the top ten: 1 Roger Clemens 5.7 Wagner had three of them, and they came in three consecutive years (1997, 1998, and 1999). Then again, you typically dont get to 112 blown saves without being a great closer. Join our linker program. He simply does not have the statistics or the longevity. I think the voting has become somewhat skewed in recent years in regards to starting pitching; too many of the voters expect no less than 300 wins. His WHIP of 1.09 is remarkable, as are his 44 shutouts. In Gossages day, he did all of that. One of the top relievers of the decade, Lyle was acquired from the Red Sox in March 1972 and recorded a 2.41 ERA (148 ERA+) in New York, tallying 141 saves and finishing 348 games. 11) Lon Warneke (1930-1945) (192-121; 3.18 ERA; ERA+ 119; 30 SHO; 2782 IP/ 2726 H/ H/9 8.8; 1140 K/ 739 BB/ 1.54 ratio; 1.245 WHIP). Dennis Eckersley was a starter-turned-reliever. Brett Favre threw the most interceptions and the late Kobe Bryant missed the most shots. Four of them (Harold Baines, Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz and Frank Thomas) are already in the Hall following Big Papis election in 2022, while Nelson Cruz remains active. Clemens, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are the only three-time winners who dont have a plaque. 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). Most impressively, he did all this without possessing a strong fastball, instead relying on one of the best changeups ever. That's the type of respect he garnered. He really was unhittable. Based strictly on peak performance, Eckersley would rank in the top five of relievers. There have been historical events that have influenced voting. His ERA of 1.97 in 55 gave him an ERA less than half that of the league (ERA+ 201). Bridges was gutsy and tough in the postseason. Trevor Hoffman is getting a lot of love this year, and Lee Smith did really well by the voters . 5 Bret Saberhagen 4.6 They have similar winning records except Warneke won three more games. That said, look for the results for catchers tomorrow. That leaves an even matchup between McRae and Don Baylor on the outside looking in. It is a decision many believe cost the Sox the title. Miranda Remaklus. Their careers ranged from 1,900+ IP to 2,500 IP. 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