Baseball Reference Blog
The 10 greatest right-handed pitchers
Posted by Brett Baker on September 15, 2023
In a 1999 commercial, Atlanta Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine famously proclaimed “Chicks dig the long ball” after watching adoring fans fawn over Mark McGwire’s batting practice homeruns. And while that may be true, every baseball fan knows that a good pitcher can neutralize those long ball hitters. After all, McGwire had more than twice as many strikeouts as homeruns in his career. Even though great power hitters like Babe Ruth may receive more adoration, baseball history is filled with players whose main skill was keeping Ruth and his ilk from getting on base. Whether throwing the ball past a hitter – with brute speed or a sweeping break – or locating a pitch so precisely, or varying its speed just enough to throw off a hitter’s timing and cause light contact, pitchers have found ways to get outs. Here are the top ten greatest right-handed pitchers in baseball history, according to WAR, presented alphabetically.
Grover Alexander
Name Note: Also known as Pete Alexander
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 185lb (185cm, 83kg)
Born: February 26, 1887 in Elba, NE us
Died: November 4, 1950 (Aged 63-251d) in St. Paul, NE
Buried: Elmwood Cemetery, St. Paul, NE
High School: St. Paul HS (St. Paul, NE)
Debut:
April 15, 1911
(Age 24-048d,
3,461st in major league history)
vs. BSN 9.1 IP, 8 H, 4 SO, 5 BB, L
Last Game:
May 28, 1930
(Age 43-091d)
vs. BSN 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1938.
(Voted by BBWAA on 212/262 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Grover Alexander’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1911 season
Full Name: Grover Cleveland Alexander
Nicknames: Old Pete
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
119.3
373
208
2.56
696
600
32
5190.0
2198
1.121
The best pitcher in the NL in the 1910s, Grover Alexander threw more than 3,000 innings with an ERA of 2.06 in the first decade of his career, despite missing most of 1918 while serving in World War I. He returned to baseball in 1919, and won the Triple Crown in 1920, despite suffering from shell shock after being gassed during the war. He earned two wins and save in the Cardinals 1926 World Series win over the Yankees, with a 1.33 ERA.
Bert Blyleven
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-3, 200lb (190cm, 90kg)
Born: April 6, 1951 (Age: 72-161d) in Zeist, Netherlands nl
Draft: Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 3rd round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA).
High School: Santiago HS (Garden Grove, CA)
Debut:
June 5, 1970
(Age 19-060d,
13,000th in major league history)
vs. WSA 7.0 IP, 5 H, 7 SO, 1 BB, 1 ER, W
Last Game:
October 4, 1992
(Age 41-181d)
vs. TEX 4.2 IP, 12 H, 3 SO, 0 BB, 6 ER, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2011.
(Voted by BBWAA on 463/581 ballots)
View Bert Blyleven’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1970 season
Agents: Dick Moss • Previously: LaRue Harcourt
Full Name: Rik Aalbert Blyleven
Nicknames: Frying Dutchman
Pronunciation: \BLYE-lev-en\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
94.5
287
250
3.31
692
685
0
4970.0
3701
1.198
Some pitchers achieve greatness with exceptional performance over a limited period of time, and others do it by maintaining better-than-averageness for many years. Blyleven falls into the second category of players. A two-time all-star, and three-time top-four Cy Young finisher, Blyleven maintained a 3.01 ERA over his first 16 seasons. Blyleven led the league in WAR twice, but somehow never finished higher than thirteenth in MVP voting. He’s fifth in career strikeouts.
Roger Clemens
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-4, 205lb (193cm, 92kg)
Born: August 4, 1962 (Age: 61-041d) in Dayton, OH us
Draft: Drafted by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft from San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX) and the Boston Red Sox in the 1st round (19th) of the 1983 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX).
High School: Spring Woods HS (Houston, TX)
Schools: San Jacinto College (Pasadena, TX), San Jacinto College, North Campus (Houston, TX), University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)
Debut:
May 15, 1984
(Age 21-285d,
14,897th in major league history)
vs. CLE 5.2 IP, 11 H, 4 SO, 3 BB, 4 ER
Last Game:
September 16, 2007
(Age 45-043d)
vs. BOS 6.0 IP, 2 H, 4 SO, 3 BB, 0 ER
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1984 season
Agents: Randy Hendricks, Alan Hendricks
National Team: us USA (WBC)
Full Name: William Roger Clemens
Nicknames: Rocket or The Texas Con Man
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Father of Kody Clemens
Career
139.2
354
184
3.12
709
707
0
4916.2
4672
1.173
A seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens is third all-time in AL/NL career strikeouts. Clemens won the MVP in 1986, and led the AL in WAR four times. His 139.2 WAR trails only Cy Young and Walter Johnson among pitchers. He won the pitching Triple Crown in 1997 and 1998 with Toronto, and was the All-Star Game MVP in 1986, pitching three perfect innings on just 25 pitches. His led the league in ERA+ eight times, finishing with an ERA+ of 143 for her career.
Walter Johnson
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 200lb (185cm, 90kg)
Born: November 6, 1887 in Humboldt, KS us
Died: December 10, 1946 (Aged 59-034d) in Washington, DC
Buried: Rockville Cemetery, Rockville, MD
High School: Fullerton Union HS (Fullerton, CA)
Debut:
August 2, 1907
(Age 19-269d,
2,950th in major league history)
vs. DET 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, L
Last Game:
September 30, 1927
(Age 39-328d)
vs. NYY 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1936.
(Voted by BBWAA on 189/226 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Walter Johnson’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1907 season
Full Name: Walter Perry Johnson
Nicknames: Barney or The Big Train
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
165.1
417
279
2.17
802
666
34
5914.1
3509
1.061
The all-time AL/NL leaders with 110 career shutouts, The Big Train led the AL in complete games six times, including a stretch from 1910-1916 in which he completed 241 of 269 games started. He led the league in strikeouts 12 times, surpassing Cy Young for most career strikeouts. He remained the leader for 62 seasons. His .780 WHIP in 346 innings pitched in 1913 is the only season in baseball history with a sub .800 WHIP and more than 220 innings pitched. His 15.1 WAR that season is the highest WAR of any AL/NL pitcher after 1889.
Greg Maddux
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-0, 170lb (183cm, 77kg)
Born: April 14, 1966 (Age: 57-153d) in San Angelo, TX us
Draft: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2nd round of the 1984 MLB June Amateur Draft from Valley HS (Las Vegas, NV).
High School: Valley HS (Las Vegas, NV)
Debut:
September 2, 1986
(Age 20-141d,
15,225th in major league history)
vs. HOU 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, L
*
(*game was a suspended game and the player actually debuted the day following the day listed.)
Last Game:
September 27, 2008
(Age 42-166d)
vs. SFG 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 SO, 0 BB, 1 ER, W
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2014.
(Voted by BBWAA on 555/571 ballots)
View Greg Maddux’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1987 season
Agents: Boras Corporation
Full Name: Gregory Alan Maddux
Nicknames: Mad Dog or The Professor
Pronunciation: \MADD-ucks\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Mike Maddux
Career
106.6
355
227
3.16
744
740
0
5008.1
3371
1.143
With twenty consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins (eighteen of those with at least 15 wins), Greg Maddux provided an unmatched level of consistent production. Maddux won four consecutive Cy Young Awards and finished in the top-5 in five other seasons. He’s the only pitcher to begin his career since 1967 and reach 5,000 innings pitched. An 18-time Gold Glove winner, his 1.56 ERA in 1995 is the third-lowest single-season ERA for any pitcher since 1948. Maddux also holds the record for most seasons (10) with at least one stolen base without getting caught stealing.
Christy Mathewson
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)
Born: August 12, 1880 in Factoryville, PA us
Died: October 7, 1925 (Aged 45-056d) in Saranac Lake, NY
Buried: Lewisburg City Cemetery, Lewisburg, PA
High School: Keystone Academy (Factoryville, PA)
School: Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)
Debut: July 17, 1900 (Age 19-339d, 2,212th in major league history)
Last Game:
September 4, 1916
(Age 36-023d)
vs. CHC 9.0 IP, 15 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, 8 ER, W
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1936.
(Voted by BBWAA on 205/226 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Christy Mathewson’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1901 season
Full Name: Christopher Mathewson
Nicknames: Big Six or Matty
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Henry Mathewson
Career
106.5
373
188
2.13
636
552
30
4788.2
2507
1.058
With five ERA titles, and eight seasons of leading the NL in fielding independent pitching, Christy Mathewson was among the very best of the Dead Ball era pitchers. His 2.13 career ERA included five seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA. His 1908 season is one of the best pitching seasons in AL/NL history with 390.2 IP, 37 wins, a 1.43 ERA, and an astonishing 0.827 WHIP while earning an 11.8 WAR. In 101 World Series innings pitched he had a 0.97 ERA, and 0.836 WHIP.
Kid Nichols
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Both • Throws: Right
5-10, 175lb (178cm, 79kg)
Born: September 14, 1869 in Madison, WI us
Died: April 11, 1953 (Aged 83-209d) in Kansas City, MO
Buried: Mount Moriah Cemetery, Kansas City, MO
Debut: April 23, 1890 (Age 20-221d, 1,453rd in major league history)
Last Game:
May 18, 1906
(Age 36-246d)
vs. CHC 0.1 IP, 2 H, 0 SO, 2 BB
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1949.
(Voted by Old Timers Committee)
View Kid Nichols’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1890 season
Full Name: Charles Augustus Nichols
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
116.3
362
208
2.96
621
562
16
5067.1
1881
1.224
Despite missing two seasons in the middle of his career to pitch for and manage a minor league team that he partially owned, Kid Nichols amassed more than 5000 innings pitched and 362 victories. He had seven seasons with a WAR of 9.0 or higher, and averaged 35 complete games per season. Nichols is 17th all-time in WAR, after leading the league in WAR on four occasions.
Phil Niekro
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 180lb (185cm, 81kg)
Born: April 1, 1939 in Blaine, OH us
Died: December 27, 2020 (Aged 81-270d) in Flowery Branch, GA
Buried: Memorial Park South Cemetery, Flowery Branch, GA
High School: Bridgeport HS (Bridgeport, OH)
Debut:
April 15, 1964
(Age 25-014d,
12,204th in major league history)
vs. SFG 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 SO, 0 BB, 0 ER
Last Game:
September 27, 1987
(Age 48-179d)
vs. SFG 3.0 IP, 6 H, 0 SO, 6 BB, 5 ER
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1997.
(Voted by BBWAA on 380/473 ballots)
View Phil Niekro’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1965 season
Agents: Bruce Church
Full Name: Philip Henry Niekro
Nicknames: Knucksie
Pronunciation: \NEE-kro\
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Joe Niekro; Uncle of Lance Niekro
Career
95.9
318
274
3.35
864
716
29
5404.0
3342
1.268
Despite never winning a Cy Young award, Phil Niekro played 24 seasons, and remained among the best pitchers in the league for most of his career. He had five top-6 Cy Young finishes, and five Gold Gloves to go along with five all-star selections. He led the National League in WAR (10.4) in 1978, and led in WAR for pitchers in 1979 with 7.4. His 5,404 career innings is fourth most all-time, and his 19 seasons of at least 200 IP is more than any pitcher except Don Sutton. He finished his career 11th in WAR for pitchers, despite having given up more earned runs than anyone in history except for Cy Young.
Tom Seaver
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)
Born: November 17, 1944 in Fresno, CA us
Died: August 31, 2020 (Aged 75-288d) in Calistoga, CA
Draft: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) and the Atlanta Braves in the 1st round (20th) of the 1966 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA).
High School: Fresno HS (Fresno, CA)
Schools: Fresno City College (Fresno, CA), University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut:
April 13, 1967
(Age 22-147d,
12,557th in major league history)
vs. PIT 5.1 IP, 6 H, 8 SO, 4 BB, 2 ER
Last Game:
September 19, 1986
(Age 41-306d)
vs. TOR 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 SO, 2 BB, 3 ER, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1992.
(Voted by BBWAA on 425/430 ballots)
View Tom Seaver’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1967 season
Agents: Bob Lawrence
Full Name: George Thomas Seaver
Nicknames: Tom Terrific or The Franchise
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
109.9
311
205
2.86
656
647
1
4783.0
3640
1.121
The list of 300-game winners with a career ERA below 3.00 is short. Twelve pitchers. And the list of those pitchers who began their career after the end of the Dead Ball Era is even shorter: 1. Only Tom Seaver. In addition to winning three Cy Young awards, Seaver had four other top-5 finishes. The twelve-time all-star led the league in strikeouts five times, and won three ERA titles. Of pitchers with 4000+ career innings pitched, only Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson allowed fewer hits per nine innings than Seaver’s 7.5. Numbers like that are why he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with 98.8% of votes.
Cy Young
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-2, 210lb (188cm, 95kg)
Born: March 29, 1867 in Gilmore, OH us
Died: November 4, 1955 (Aged 88-220d) in Newcomerstown, OH
Buried: Peoli Cemetery, Peoli, OH
Debut: August 6, 1890 (Age 23-130d, 1,527th in major league history)
Last Game:
October 6, 1911
(Age 44-191d)
vs. BRO 6.1 IP, 11 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1937.
(Voted by BBWAA on 153/201 ballots)
Induction ceremony in Cooperstown held in 1939.
View Cy Young’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
Rookie Status: Exceeded rookie limits during 1890 season
Full Name: Denton True Young
Nicknames: Cyclone
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Career
163.6
511
315
2.63
906
815
18
7356.0
2803
1.130
The man so good that they named the pitching award after him, Denton True (Cy) Young is still the all-time AL/NL leader in a number of categories, more than 100 years after his final game: Innings pitched (7356), games started (815), complete games (749), wins (511), and batters faced (29,565). On the flipside, he’s also the all-time leader in losses (315), earned runs (2147), and hits allowed (7,092). He had 16 seasons of at least 300 innings pitched.
The top ten greatest right-handed pitchers is an impressive list. Whether pitching in the pre-1920 Dead Ball Era, or the late 20th and early 21st century, or the decades in between, the pitchers in the list above accumulated more WAR than all of the other right-handed pitchers in the history of baseball. Some were hard throwers, some were soft tossers, but all of them effective!
Cy Young is the greatest MLB pitcher of all time according to a number of statistics. He leads all AL/NL pitchers in WAR (165.6), Wins (511), IP (7,356), and complete games (749). Roger Clemens has the highest WAR (138.7) of any pitcher in the Modern Era (after 1920).
Nolan Ryan is the all-time leader in career strikeouts in the AL/NL with 5,714. With 3,509 career strikeouts, Walter Johnson retired as the all-time career strikeout leader, and remained so for 62 seasons until Steve Carlton broke his record in 1983. Nolan Ryan broke the record the following year, and has led ever since.
Justin Verlander leads all active MLB pitchers with 80.9 career WAR. Clayton Kershaw (76.6), Max Scherzer (73.6) and Zack Greinke (71.7) are right behind Verlander.
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