Best Pitchers By Half-Decade: Conclusion

This is the final post in a series on the greatest pitchers in MLB history, focused on five-year blocks: 1900-04, 1905-09, 1910-14, etc., up through 2020-24.

Best Pitchers of 1900-24
Best Pitchers of 1925-49
Best Pitchers of 1950-74
Best Pitchers of 1975-99
Best Pitchers of 2000-24

It's nice to have information in one place, so this post exists to wrap things up. Let's do some leaderboards.

Innings Pitched

1900-04: Joe McGinnity, 1,918 2/3
1905-09: George Mullin, 1,629 1/3
1910-14: Walter Johnson, 1,779
1915-19: Walter Johnson, 2,020 1/3
1920-24: Wilbur Cooper, 1,512
1925-29: Ted Lyons, 1,353 1/3
1930-34: Carl Hubbell, 1,395 1/3
1935-39: Bobo Newsom, 1,423 1/3
1940-44: Bucky Walters, 1,392
1945-49: Hal Newhouser, 1,455 1/3
1950-54: Robin Roberts, 1,632 2/3
1955-59: Warren Spahn, 1,380
1960-64: Don Drysdale, 1,464
1965-69: Juan Marichal, 1,430 2/3
1970-74: Gaylord Perry, 1,617 2/3
1975-79: Phil Niekro, 1,553
1980-84: Steve Carlton, 1,302 1/3
1985-89: Bert Blyleven, 1,280 2/3
1990-94: Greg Maddux, 1,237
1995-99: Greg Maddux, 1,157 2/3
2000-04: Liván Hernández, 1,171
2005-09: CC Sabathia, 1,113 1/3
2010-14: Félix Hernández, 1,155 2/3
2015-19: Max Scherzer, 1,050 2/3
2020-24: Aaron Nola, 850

Without making any projections about Hernández, Scherzer, or Nola, 16 of these 25 pitchers are in the Hall of Fame (counting Johnson and Maddux twice each).

1900-24: Walter Johnson, 5,317
1925-49: Red Ruffing, 4,321
1950-74: Robin Roberts, 4,315 1/3
1975-99: Dennis Martínez, 3,999 2/3
2000-24: CC Sabathia, 3,577 1/3

Four Hall of Famers and Dennis Martinez.

Wins

1900-04: Joe McGinnity, 141-74
1905-09: Christy Mathewson, 139-50
1910-14: Walter Johnson, 147-67
1915-19: Walter Johnson, 146-94
1920-24: Urban Shocker, 107-64
1925-29: Ted Lyons, 90-75
1930-34: Lefty Grove, 116-35
1935-39: Red Ruffing, 98-44
1940-44: Bucky Walters, 94-62
1945-49: Hal Newhouser, 107-58
1950-54: Robin Roberts, 115-64
1955-59: Warren Spahn, 101-62
1960-64: Whitey Ford, 95-34
1965-69: Juan Marichal (108-49) and Denny McLain (108-51)
1970-74: Catfish Hunter, 106-49
1975-79: Jim Palmer, 96-53
1980-84: Steve Carlton, 88-47
1985-89: Frank Viola, 88-61
1990-94: Greg Maddux, 86-53
1995-99: Greg Maddux, 90-35
2000-04: Randy Johnson, 86-40
2005-09: CC Sabathia, 82-46
2010-14: Justin Verlander, 87-46
2015-19: Zack Greinke, 82-33
2020-24: Framber Valdez, 60-33

The highest win total here is Walter Johnson (147). The second-highest is also Walter Johnson (146). He averaged 29.3 wins over a 10-year period. In, like, the 20th century, not the Old Hoss Radbourn days.

The innings leader and the wins leader are the same 13 times out of 25, fewer than I would have expected. Double-counting Johnson and Maddux again, 19 of these pitchers are in Cooperstown.

1900-24: Walter Johnson, 377-250
1925-49: Lefty Grove, 300-141
1950-74: Warren Spahn, 298-204
1975-99: Roger Clemens, 247-134
2000-24: Justin Verlander, 262-147

Verlander's career win total is such an outlier in today's game. Lefty Grove winning 68% of his games in nearly 450 decisions, with two different teams, is pretty wild, too.

Strikeouts

1900-04: Rube Waddell, 1,163
1905-09: Rube Waddell, 1,088
1910-14: Walter Johnson, 1,291
1915-19: Walter Johnson, 1,153
1920-24: Bob Shawkey, 621
1925-29: Dazzy Vance, 871
1930-34: Lefty Grove, 729
1935-39: Bobo Newsom, 827
1940-44: Bobo Newsom, 738
1945-49: Hal Newhouser, 950
1950-54: Warren Spahn, 822
1955-59: Sam Jones, 962
1960-64: Sandy Koufax, 1,211
1965-69: Sam McDowell, 1,348
1970-74: Nolan Ryan, 1,341
1975-79: Nolan Ryan, 1,337
1980-84: Steve Carlton, 1,189
1985-89: Nolan Ryan, 1,202
1990-94: Randy Johnson, 1,175
1995-99: Randy Johnson, 1,363
2000-04: Randy Johnson, 1,468
2005-09: Johan Santana, 1,070
2010-14: Clayton Kershaw, 1,160
2015-19: Max Scherzer, 1,371
2020-24: Aaron Nola, 953

There are more repeat leaders here: Waddell, WJ, and Newsom, plus Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson three times each. Sixteen of these pitchers have been enshrined in Cooperstown.

Seven of these leaders are the same as the innings leaders, and six are the same as the wins leaders. Walter Johnson (1910-14 and 1915-19), Hal Newhouser (1945-49), and Steve Carlton (1980-84) are the only pitchers to lead all three categories over the five-year periods covered here.

1900-24: Walter Johnson, 3,228
1925-49: Lefty Grove, 2,150
1950-74: Bob Gibson, 3,057
1975-99: Nolan Ryan, 4,142
2000-24: Justin Verlander, 3,416

Walter Johnson from 1900-24 is the only one to lead his quarter-century in innings, wins, and strikeouts. Grove and Verlander lead in wins and strikeouts, but not innings.

Best Right-Handed Pitchers

From this point on, all evaluations (best RHP, etc.) are my own subjective opinions.

1900-04: Cy Young
1905-09: Christy Mathewson
1910-14: Walter Johnson
1915-19: Walter Johnson
1920-24: Urban Shocker
1925-29: Dazzy Vance
1930-34: Wes Ferrell
1935-39: Dizzy Dean
1940-44: Mort Cooper
1945-49: Bob Feller
1950-54: Robin Roberts
1955-59: Billy Pierce
1960-64: Don Drysdale
1965-69: Bob Gibson
1970-74: Tom Seaver
1975-79: Tom Seaver
1980-84: Dave Stieb
1985-89: Roger Clemens
1990-94: Greg Maddux
1995-99: Greg Maddux
2000-04: Pedro Martínez
2005-09: Roy Halladay
2010-14: Félix Hernández
2015-19: Max Scherzer
2020-24: Zack Wheeler

Sixteen of these pitchers are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The exceptions, besides the recent guys, are Urban Shocker (1920-24), Wes Ferrell (1930-34), Mort Cooper (1940-44), Billy Pierce (1955-59), Dave Stieb (1980-84), and Roger Clemens (1985-89). I encourage you to read the earlier articles if those selections seem off to you.

1900-24: Walter Johnson
1925-49: Bob Feller
1950-74: Bob Gibson
1975-99: Roger Clemens
2000-24: Justin Verlander

There are great pitchers whose careers don't fit cleanly into any of these time periods — Cy Young, Tom Seaver, Greg Maddux, and Pedro Martinez come to mind — but I don't think there's much room for doubt that these five all rank among the top 15 RHP in major league history.

My personal top 15, in chronological order: Kid Nichols, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Bob Feller, Robin Roberts, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Phil Niekro, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer.

Obviously, this excludes some of the best pitchers who ever lived, but who were prevented from playing in the major leagues, such as Satchel Paige, Smokey Joe Williams, and Bullet Rogan.

Best Left-Handed Pitchers

1900-04: Rube Waddell
1905-09: Eddie Plank
1910-14: Nap Rucker
1915-19: Hippo Vaughn
1920-24: Wilbur Cooper
1925-29: Lefty Grove
1930-34: Lefty Grove
1935-39: Lefty Grove
1940-44: Hal Newhouser
1945-49: Hal Newhouser
1950-54: Warren Spahn
1955-59: Warren Spahn
1960-64: Sandy Koufax
1965-69: Sandy Koufax
1970-74: Steve Carlton
1975-79: Steve Carlton
1980-84: Steve Carlton
1985-89: Frank Viola
1990-94: Tom Glavine
1995-99: Randy Johnson
2000-04: Randy Johnson
2005-09: Johan Santana
2010-14: Clayton Kershaw
2015-19: Clayton Kershaw
2020-24: Max Fried

Seventeen of these pitchers are in the Hall of Fame. The exceptions, besides the recent guys, are Nap Rucker, Hippo Vaughn, Wilbur Cooper, Frank Viola, and Johan Santana.

There is a period of 60 years — roughly 1925-84 — in which there were only five names most people would use to answer the question, "Who is the best left-handed pitcher in the major leagues?"

1900-24: Eddie Plank
1925-49: Lefty Grove
1950-74: Warren Spahn
1975-99: Randy Johnson
2000-24: Clayton Kershaw

My personal top 15 MLB LHPs: Rube Waddell, Eddie Plank, Lefty Grove, Carl Hubbell, Hal Newhouser, Warren Spahn, Whitey Ford, Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Tom Glavine, Randy Johnson, Johan Santana, CC Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale. Extending this to the Negro Leagues, Bill Foster is a pretty obvious addition, somewhere in the top ten.

Best Non-HOF Pitchers

1900-04: Noodles Hahn
1905-09: Orval Overall
1910-14: Babe Adams
1915-19: Hippo Vaughn
1920-24: Urban Shocker
1925-29: George Uhle
1930-34: Wes Ferrell
1935-39: Bill Lee
1940-44: Mort Cooper
1945-49: Harry Brecheen
1950-54: Mike Garcia
1955-59: Billy Pierce
1960-64: Bob Friend
1965-69: Sam McDowell
1970-74: Mickey Lolich
1975-79: J.R. Richard
1980-84: Dave Stieb
1985-89: Roger Clemens
1990-94: Roger Clemens
1995-99: Kevin Brown
2000-04: Curt Schilling
2005-09: Johan Santana
2010-14: N/A
2015-19: N/A
2020-24: N/A

There are some pretty famous HOF snubs who didn't make it for any of these half-decades, including Luis Tiant and Tommy John. Tiant's best years were '68 and '74, not the same half-decade, and John was kind of a slow-and-steady type. Meanwhile, late-80s guys like Dwight Gooden and Bret Saberhagen got locked out because of Clemens.

1900-24: Babe Adams
1925-49: Bucky Walters
1950-74: Billy Pierce
1975-99: Roger Clemens

Walters is a change from the original article, where I went with Tommy Bridges. It was a close call, and I gave the tiebreaker to Bridges because I wanted to write about him, but I've been feeling icky about it ever since. I should have taken Walters.

I didn't name anyone for 2000-24, since many of the best pitchers are not yet eligible for induction, but I think Johan Santana is the biggest snub so far.

Actually, I think the BBWAA and (especially) the various iterations of Veterans Committees have been excessively generous to older players, and too harsh on recent ones, so Clemens and Santana and maybe Kevin Brown are the only players listed here whom I would really consider snubs. The others were very good players who, for various reasons, fell a little short of Cooperstown.

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