Top 10 Best Pitchers of All Time Ranked

Baseball’s Living Pulse Pitchers Who Defined the Game

When fans argue over who the best pitchers of all time are, things get heated fast. Everyone’s got a favorite, some swear by the old-school legends who threw complete games like it was nothing, others back the modern aces armed with analytics and 100 mph heaters. But greatness isn’t just about velocity. It’s command, guts, consistency. A kind of poetry in motion, even when it looks rough.

And yet, it’s weird—pitching is the loneliest, most beautiful role in baseball. One bad throw, and the crowd groans. One perfect night, and your name will live on for decades. That’s what separates the best pitchers of all time from the rest. It’s never just about stats or strikeouts; it’s about legacy, dominance, and those unforgettable moments when hitters looked completely helpless. For more stories that celebrate the legends who shaped their sports, check out our athlete spotlights section.

1. Cy Young: The Foundation of Pitching

You can’t start any list of the greatest pitchers of all time MLB without Cy Young. The guy basically wrote the rulebook on endurance.
511 wins. Let that sink in. In today’s era, where 300 career wins feels mythic, Young’s record is untouchable. For those curious about the full breakdown of Cy Young’s career statistics, Baseball Reference offers complete data on his legendary 511 wins and 7,000+ innings.

He pitched from 1890 to 1911, throwing over 7,000 innings. Sure, the game was different back then, mounds higher, schedules lighter, but Young’s control was freakish. He didn’t rely on sheer power; he worked the corners, tricked hitters with tempo.

It’s fitting that MLB’s highest pitching award is named after him. Every Cy Young Award handed out since 1956 is a nod to his ghost, still standing tall on that dusty 19th-century mound. You can explore more inspiring player stories like this in our athlete spotlights section.

Table: Cy Young’s Career Highlights

Category	Stat
Career Wins	511
ERA	2.63
Strikeouts	2, 803
Complete Games	749
No-Hitters	3

2. Walter Johnson: The Silent Thunderbolt

Nicknamed The Big Train, Walter Johnson wasn’t just fast, he was efficient. Imagine a time before radar guns, and people said his pitches “hissed” through the air. That’s intimidation, 1910s-style.

Johnson led the league in strikeouts 12 times. He posted a 1.14 ERA in 1913 and still holds records for shutouts (110, by the way). He wasn’t loud or flashy; he just mowed hitters down like it was routine.

Even modern sabermetrics love him. By adjusted ERA+ (which factors era difficulty), Johnson ranks near the top across all eras. Dominance doesn’t fade with time—it adapts. For more legendary stories of baseball icons, explore our athlete spotlights collection.

3. Sandy Koufax: The Lefty Who Burned Bright

If Cy Young represents endurance, Sandy Koufax stands for brilliance — short-lived but unforgettable. In any talk about the best pitchers of all time, his name shines near the top, especially among left-handers.

From 1961 to 1966, Koufax was untouchable. He led MLB in ERA for five straight seasons and won three Cy Young Awards back when only one was given for both leagues. His fastball broke late, his curveball looked like witchcraft — a combination that made him a nightmare for every batter who faced him.

Then, arthritis forced him out at 30. Gone too soon, but those six years? Pure dominance. Four no-hitters, one perfect game, and an aura that still makes hitters nervous just hearing his name.

As the game evolves, Koufax’s influence still echoes in modern sports trends, where pitchers chase the same mix of precision, power, and poise that made him legendary.

Table: Koufax’s Peak Years (1961–1966)

Year	ERA	Wins	Strikeouts	Awards
1963	1.88	25	306	MVP, Cy Young
1965	2.04	26	382	Cy Young
1966	1.73	27	317	Cy Young

4. Nolan Ryan: The Fireballer’s Code

Nolan Ryan didn’t care about finesse. He was chaos, unleashed. His fastball — unofficially clocked at 108 mph — terrified hitters long before radar guns got precise. With 5,714 strikeouts, nobody else even comes close.

Ryan pitched for 27 seasons. That’s not a typo. From 1966 to 1993, he outlasted generations of hitters and carved his name among the best pitchers of all time. Sure, he walked plenty too, but when your heater makes grown men flinch, command’s optional.

Seven no-hitters. Eight All-Star appearances. And a Texas Rangers legend who once punched Robin Ventura mid-game. That’s old-school grit — wrapped in pure, unfiltered heat. His legacy continues to influence modern sports trends, reminding fans that raw power and intensity never go out of style.

Ryan isn’t just a stat sheet, he’s baseball mythology. When we talk about the most dominant pitchers ever, his name is practically carved in stone.

5. Roger Clemens: Power and Controversy

Roger Clemens divides the room every time. The Rocket was surgical with his control and overpowering with velocity. Seven Cy Young Awards. 354 wins. Over 4,600 strikeouts. On paper, he’s among the top 10 pitchers in baseball history and rightfully considered one of the best pitchers of all time.

But the steroid cloud lingers. The numbers, though, don’t lie. Clemens had longevity, winning Cy Youngs across three decades. Boston, Toronto, New York — everywhere he went, he dominated.

You can’t erase him from MLB lore, even if some wish they could. Clemens represents an era where greatness was complicated, stats inflated, but the competition fierce — a storyline that still fuels debates across multi-sport news discussions today.

A Quick Glance: Best Pitchers by Career ERA (Top 5)

Rank	Pitcher	Career ERA	Era Played
1	Ed Walsh	1.82	1904–1917
2	Addie Joss	1.89	1902–1910
3	Jim Devlin	1.90	1875–1877
4	Jack Pfiester	2.02	1903–1911
5	Mariano Rivera	2.21	1995–2013

Even comparing eras is tricky, pitchers from the dead-ball period faced different realities. But consistency, that’s universal.

The Shift: From Complete Games to Specialists

Pitching used to mean throwing until your arm gave out. Today? Analytics, pitch counts, bullpen matchups. The best starting pitchers in MLB history often doubled as closers before that was even a role.

Now, you’ve got best relief pitchers of all time debates that never existed 50 years ago. Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, Dennis Eckersley, they reshaped how we think about pitching dominance.

Rivera’s cutter alone could make this list. 652 saves, 0.70 postseason ERA. Pure composure.

Table: Top Relief Pitchers by Career Saves

Rank	Pitcher	Saves	ERA
1	Mariano Rivera	652	2.21
2	Trevor Hoffman	601	2.87
3	Lee Smith	478	3.03
4	Francisco Rodríguez	437	2.86
5	John Franco	424	2.89

6. Greg Maddux: The Professor at Work

Greg Maddux was the opposite of Nolan Ryan. Barely touched 90 mph, but carved hitters with surgical precision.
Four straight Cy Youngs (1992–1995). Career ERA of 3.16. More complete games than most teams manage now.

He’d paint the corners so well that hitters swung out of frustration. Maddux was proof that most dominant pitchers ever don’t need to be flamethrowers, they just need to outthink everyone.

He once said, “The key to pitching is to make them think you’re throwing a strike.” That was his art form.

Tom Seaver: The Franchise Who Defined Consistency

If baseball ever built a monument to control and grace, Tom Seaver’s motion would be carved into it. The best right-handed pitchers in MLB history conversation isn’t complete without his name near the top.

Seaver, nicknamed “Tom Terrific, ” was the soul of the New York Mets in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. When he pitched, you didn’t look away. He struck out over 3, 600 batters, won three Cy Young Awards, and carried a lifetime ERA of 2.86, and that’s over 20 seasons.

The guy was all rhythm and bite. His delivery was fluid, compact, repeatable, almost hypnotic. The way he’d dip his right knee into the dirt on follow-through became iconic.

And you could see how hitters hated facing him. He wasn’t overpowering like Nolan Ryan, but he dissected at-bats like a surgeon. When you talk about the most successful pitchers in MLB who combined art and execution, Seaver sits comfortably near the top.

Table: Tom Seaver’s Career Snapshot

Category	Stat
Career Wins	311
Strikeouts	3, 640
ERA	2.86
Cy Young Awards	3
Career WAR	109.9

That WAR stat, yeah, that’s real. 109.9. One of the highest WAR pitchers ever.
He wasn’t flashy, didn’t chase attention, but when Seaver stepped on the mound, the Mets felt unbeatable.

8. Pedro Martínez: The Magician of the Modern Era

If you ever need proof that dominance isn’t about size, look at Pedro Martínez. Barely six feet tall, lean frame, yet he terrorized hitters through the late ‘90s, arguably the most explosive offensive era in baseball history.

Pedro’s peak from 1997 to 2003? Ridiculous. He won three Cy Youngs, struck out 300+ batters twice, and posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000 when the league average was nearly double that. You could call him the most dominant pitcher of the modern MLB era.

He wasn’t just overpowering. He was unpredictable, fastball, changeup, curve, all devastating. He’d start at your chin and end at the knees. The intimidation was surgical.

In terms of MLB pitchers with most strikeouts all time, Pedro doesn’t top the list. But in terms of strikeout-to-walk ratio, adjusted ERA+, and dominance against steroid-era hitters, he might be the best ever.

Stat Check: Pedro’s Prime (1997–2003)

Year	Wins	ERA	Strikeouts	ERA+	WHIP
1999	23	2.07	313	243	0.92
2000	18	1.74	284	291	0.74
2002	20	2.26	239	202	0.92

Numbers like that during the height of the juiced-ball era? Unreal.

Pedro was a showman too, fiery, emotional, magnetic. Fenway loved him, Yankee Stadium feared him. Every at-bat felt like a duel.

9. Randy Johnson: The Big Unit and the Fear Factor

Randy Johnson looked like a comic book character brought to life. Six-foot-ten, sidearm release, slider that broke across time zones. You didn’t “face” him; you survived him.

He’s the textbook case for most unhittable pitchers in MLB history. His slider was so nasty, lefties sometimes just walked back to the dugout without protest. Johnson’s dominance stretched across three decades.

Five Cy Youngs. Over 4, 800 strikeouts. Second only to Nolan Ryan on the all-time list. He threw a perfect game in 2004 at age 40, forty. That’s absurd.

What really cements his legend, though, is 2001. He and Curt Schilling formed one of the top pitching duos in baseball history, carrying the Arizona Diamondbacks to a World Series title over the Yankees. Johnson even came out of the bullpen in Game 7 to seal it.

Table: Randy Johnson vs. Nolan Ryan (Career Overview)

Stat	Randy Johnson	Nolan Ryan
Wins	303	324
Strikeouts	4, 875	5, 714
ERA	3.29	3.19
No-Hitters	1	7
Cy Youngs	5	0 (before award’s full expansion)

You can argue that Randy’s peak years (1999–2002) were more dominant than any four-year stretch in history.
It wasn’t just speed, it was command, intimidation, and that death-glare from 60 feet away.

10. Mariano Rivera: The Calm Assassin

If Randy Johnson was chaos, Rivera was silence. Smooth, unshaken, unbothered.
He’s the best relief pitcher of all time, hands down.

One pitch, the cutter. Everyone knew it was coming, and still couldn’t hit it. Left-handers watched it saw off their bats; right-handers just froze.

Rivera’s career numbers read like a cheat code:
652 saves. 0.70 postseason ERA. 13 All-Star appearances. Five World Series rings. And that’s before mentioning he was the only player ever unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame.

You can dig through all MLB career pitching records, and you won’t find another closer who defined consistency like he did.

When Eras Collide: Old vs. Modern Pitchers

This debate never dies, were pitchers tougher in the old days, or better now?
The best modern MLB pitchers vs. old era comparison isn’t clean-cut.

Back then, guys like Walter Johnson and Cy Young pitched complete games every week. Now, with pitch counts and relievers, modern aces throw fewer innings, but against deeper lineups, with hitters trained for power.

If you dropped Pedro Martínez into 1910, he’d look like a sorcerer. Drop Cy Young into 2002, and he might need a few seasons to adjust.
Different contexts, same greatness.

Still, some modern pitchers have carved their names onto this sacred list. Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, they’re the best pitchers 2025 has carried forward from that tradition.

Kershaw’s 2.48 career ERA ranks among the lowest ERA pitchers in history. Verlander’s longevity echoes the old-school durability, while Scherzer’s intensity mirrors Johnson’s fire.

The torch keeps passing.

Table: Modern Greats vs. Legends (ERA+ Comparison)

Pitcher	ERA+	ERA	Strikeouts	Active Years
Pedro Martínez	154	2.93	3, 154	1992–2009
Randy Johnson	135	3.29	4, 875	1988–2009
Clayton Kershaw	157	2.48	3, 200+	2008–Present
Greg Maddux	132	3.16	3, 371	1986–2008
Cy Young	138	2.63	2, 803	1890–1911

Kershaw’s ERA+ actually edges out nearly everyone, proof the modern game’s evolution didn’t make pitching weaker. It just made it different.

Honorable Mentions: Because Lists Aren’t Big Enough

Honestly, narrowing this list to ten feels wrong. There’s Bob Gibson, whose 1.12 ERA in 1968 literally forced MLB to lower the mound. There’s Lefty Grove, Steve Carlton, Curt Schilling, and yes, even some underrated pitchers of all time like Mike Mussina or Don Sutton.

And don’t forget the fan favorites. Tim Lincecum’s freak mechanics, Mark Buehrle’s speed-of-play, CC Sabathia’s sheer presence. The fan favorite pitchers in MLB often stick in memory more than stats ever could.

Then there are the MLB Hall of Fame pitchers whose influence extends far beyond the field, Satchel Paige, for instance, whose prime years were lost to segregation but whose legacy looms enormous.

This list could’ve been fifty names long, but top ten forces the hard choices.

A Few Crazy Stats Worth Knowing

Record	Pitcher	Stat
Most Career Strikeouts	Nolan Ryan	5, 714
Most Wins	Cy Young	511
Lowest Career ERA (min. 1, 000 IP)	Ed Walsh	1.82
Most No-Hitters	Nolan Ryan	7
Most Shutouts	Walter Johnson	110
Most Complete Games	Cy Young	749

Every one of these numbers tells a story about obsession, pain tolerance, and the human edge between control and chaos. You can explore MLB all-time pitching records for an updated look at strikeouts, ERA, and complete games that continue to redefine greatness.

Baseball Legends, Forever in Motion

There’s no single answer to who’s the GOAT pitcher in baseball.
Ask ten fans, get twelve answers.

For some, it’s the raw dominance of Nolan Ryan or the electric magic of Pedro. For others, the icy calm of Rivera or the machine-like rhythm of Maddux.

And honestly? That’s what makes baseball timeless.
The game moves, records break, mechanics evolve, but every time a pitcher steps on the mound, he’s connected to that same lineage. From dusty mounds in the 1900s to packed domes in 2025, the craft hasn’t changed. Just the tools.

Maybe that’s why we still argue. Because deep down, every fan wants to believe their guy was the best.

And maybe they’re right.

FAQs: “People Also Ask”

1. Who is considered the greatest pitcher ever?
Most fans and historians point to Walter Johnson or Nolan Ryan, depending on how you define “greatest.” Johnson for dominance in his era, Ryan for longevity and strikeouts.

2. Who has the best record as a pitcher in MLB history?
With 511 wins, Cy Young has the record for most wins in a career. This mark is likely to never be broken.

3. Who is the best starter in Major League Baseball right now?
In 2025, Shohei Ohtani (when fit), Gerrit Cole, and Spencer Strider are some of the most talked-about players in the modern era.

4. In MLB history, who threw the most no-hitters?
Seven times for Nolan Ryan, a mark that has stood for decades.

5. Which starter has the all-time lowest earned run average?
The best ever pitcher was Ed Walsh, who had an ERA of 1.82 during the dead-ball era.

The list will never really end. Each generation rewrites it.
That’s kind of the point, greatness in baseball isn’t frozen.
It just… keeps throwing.