Greatest pitchers in MLB history

Roger Clemens▲ Rising

The Rocket struck out 20 Seattle Mariners in a single game in 1986, then did it again a decade later, bookending a career that produced seven Cy Young Awards, an unmatched total. The steroid cloud from the Mitchell Report will forever asterisk his legacy in the court of public opinion, but the sheer longevity and dominance—winning a Cy Young at 41 with Houston—make him one of the most statistically overwhelming pitchers ever to toe a rubber.

World Series: 2Wins: 354

added by IJRin 2 rankingsRoger Clemens

Randy Johnson▲ Rising

The Big Unit's 6'10" frame and cross-fire delivery made him a nightmare no hitter wanted to face, epitomized by the pitch that literally disintegrated a dove mid-flight in a 2001 spring training game. He teamed with Curt Schilling to co-author a World Series upset of the Yankees in 2001, and his perfect game in 2004, at age 40, made him the oldest man to ever throw one—a career of pure, terrifying velocity paired with a slider that broke ankles.

World Series: 1Wins: 303

added by IJRin 5 rankings

Greg Maddux▲ Rising

Maddux never threw harder than 90 mph, yet he carved up lineups like a surgeon, painting corners with a fastball that seemed to have a mind of its own. His signature was the 1995 season, a 1.63 ERA in the height of the steroid era, proof that command and guile could out-pitch raw power; four straight Cy Youngs and 355 wins later, he's the patron saint of pitchers who win with their brain instead of their arm.

World Series: 1Wins: 355

added by IJRin 3 rankingsGreg Maddux

Sandy Koufax▲ Rising

For five seasons, from 1962 to 1966, Koufax was simply unhittable, a lightning bolt of a left arm that produced a perfect game in 1965 and three no-hitters, before arthritis forced him to retire at 30, still near his absolute peak. His refusal to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series on Yom Kippur became a cultural touchstone, but it's the sheer, brief, blinding brilliance—an ERA under 2.00 in his final two seasons—that makes him the argument for peak over longevity.

World Series: 4Wins: 165

added by IJRin 3 rankingsSandy Koufax

Pedro Martinez▲ Rising

In an era drenched in offense, Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000 while the American League batted .276 around him, a statistical anomaly so extreme it remains one of the greatest pitching seasons ever thrown. His 17-strikeout, one-hit masterpiece against the Yankees in 1999 and his fearless brushback of Don Zimmer in the 2003 ALCS defined an era where a 5'11" fireballer with a devastating changeup terrorized the most feared lineups in baseball.

World Series: 1Wins: 219

added by IJRin 3 rankings

Nolan Ryan▼ Falling

The Ryan Express threw seven no-hitters, a record so absurd it's more than double the total of anyone else in history, and he did it across four different decades, striking out 5,714 batters along the way. His 1990 no-hitter at age 43 against Toronto, and the image of him putting a headlock on Robin Ventura after being charged the mound in 1993, cemented a legend built on pure, unrelenting fastball velocity that never seemed to fade with age.

World Series: 1Wins: 324

added by IJRin 6 rankingsNolan Ryan

Walter Johnson▼ Falling

The Big Train threw a fastball so fast that hitters in the dead-ball era swore it was invisible, racking up 417 wins and a then-record 3,509 strikeouts while pitching for mostly mediocre Washington Senators teams. His 110 career shutouts remain an unbreakable record, and the sheer volume of dominance—leading the league in strikeouts twelve times—makes him the foundational figure against whom every power pitcher since has been measured.

World Series: 1Wins: 417

added by IJRin 4 rankings

Clayton Kershaw▼ Falling

Kershaw's curveball, dubbed 'Public Enemy No. 1' by Vin Scully, buckled knees for over a decade, anchoring three Cy Young Awards and a 2.48 career ERA that stands as the lowest of any starter since the mound was lowered in 1969. His early postseason struggles gave way to redemption with the Dodgers' 2020 championship, finally silencing critics and cementing a legacy built on regular-season perfection matched by few in the modern game.

World Series: 1Wins: 210

added by IJRin 2 rankingsClayton Kershaw