It’s the nature of baseball fans that they can never agree on the “best” of anything. But with the help of loyal Diamond Mind Online followers like Morton G., we’re able to pick our favorite MLB Pitchers of all time and put it to a vote! Sandy Koufax, Lefty Grove, Bob Feller, Carl Hubbell, Dizzy Dean, and Warren Spahn.
Who’s Your Favorite MLB Pitcher?
Are they the best? Maybe. But they certainly are favorites for many fans including Morton. Here’s an overview of each of them. Read it over, and then vote for who you think deserves to be named your favorite MLB pitcher of all time!
Sandy Koufax
No description of Sandy Koufax is complete without mentioning style and grace, both of which he personified in his 12-year MLB career, all of it with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. Along the way, he pitched a perfect game, four no-hitters, struck out 2,396 batters and was named World Series MVP twice. His career was cut short by arthritis in the elbow, but he became the youngest player ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame at the age of 36.
Lefty Grove
Although he did not reach the majors until he was 25 years old, Lefty Grove dominated the game, playing from 1925 to 1933 with the Philadelphia Athletics and 1934 to 1941 with the Boston Red Sox. He is most associated with winning and strikeouts – a lot of both. He led the American League in strikeouts his first seven seasons in the majors, led the AL in ERA in nine seasons, won 300 games in his career and won 20 games or more in eight seasons. His winning percentage of .680 is the highest among all pitchers with at least 300 wins.
Bob Feller
Playing 18 seasons between 1936 and 1956 with the Cleveland Indians, Bob Feller put up numbers that are still amazing today. He threw 279 complete games, 44 shut outs and recorded 2,581 strikeouts for his career, all while maintaining a lifelong ERA of 3.25. He also left baseball to fight for his country during World War II, volunteering after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Carl Hubbell
Although never considered a strikeout pitcher, Carl Hubbell is best remembered for the five strikeouts in a row he threw in the 1934 All-Star Game. He struck out, in order, the following players: Al Simmons, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Joe Cronin. That’s impressive. Hubbell also had a good career, including a memorable 18-inning shutout pitched against the St Louis Cardinals in 1933.
Dizzy Dean
Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean pitched from 1930 to 1941 (he had a one-game comeback in 1947), with his most memorable years as part of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. He was part of the Gashouse Gang that won the 1934 World Series over the Detroit Tigers. The Arkansas native earned his nickname because of his sometimes crazy and colorful antics, including making bold predictions such as how many times he would strike out a player or how many wins he would get in a season. He frequently backed up his boasts. Dean was forced to retire early with an arm injury, but he left the game with a lifetime 3.02 ERA and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1953. He continued being a fan favorite as a baseball announcer for many years.
Warren Spahn
In his 21-year career, Warren Spahn established himself as one of the best of all time and left a legacy of longevity and quality that few have matched. He won at least 20 games in 13 seasons, won the Cy Young in 1957 and was runner-up three times. Perhaps most amazingly, he put up a 23-7 record for the Milwaukee Braves when he was 42 years old. He had a 3.09 lifetime ERA and struck out 2,583 batters over his career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1973.
So, which of these six pitchers rank as your favorite MLB pitcher of all time? Let us know by voting for your favorite below!
Walter ‘Big Train’ Johnson
My favorite pitcher is not listed. Bob Gibson was the best
Bob Gibson is my favorite too.
Gibby was the best!
Walter Johnson!
AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE ARE ON THE BALL.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT WALTER JOHNSON WAS THE GREATEST.
MOST WINS 417 IN THE MODERN ERA, MOST STRIKEOUTS FOR OVER 60 YEARS,
MOST SHUTOUTS 110 WILL NEVER BE BROKEN. HIS BEST SEASON 36 AND 7, 1.14 ERA, STARTED 36 GAMES COMPLETED 29 AND PLAYED 21 YEARS FOR THE SAME TEAM.
My favorite pitcher is Steve Carlton. Not saying he was the best, just my favorite.
No Walter Johnson???? How can you have a list like this without the most dominating pitcher in MLB history???
Unlike all of the others, Sandy Koufax pitched for what became an, at best average hitting and defensive team. Yet his team, over an eleven year period, won six pennants and five world championships.
Christy Mathewson – my all-time favorite, and in the argument for best ever
You leave my favorite off the list Nolan Ryan. What about Cy Young.
My Father said that Walter Johnson was the best pitcher he ever saw. I think the best pitcher was Sandy Koufax. Koufax could pitch in any era.