The Top 40 Pitchers of the 20th Century
Title: BASEBALL’S BEST: The TRUE Hall of Famers
Author: Michael Hoban, Ph.D.
Formats: PDF (ebook) | Paperback
Pages: 223
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| The Best Pitchers of the 20th Century |
Here is a list of the top 40 starting pitchers of the century according to the NEWS Hall of Fame Gauge.
All numbers include the 2007 season.
Bold = Hall of Famer
Italic = Active Player in 2007
CWS = Career Win Shares
CV = Core Value (sum of win shares for 10 best seasons)
NEWS = Career Value (Non-traditional Evaluative Win Shares)
= CV + .25(CWS – CV)
| Player | CWS | CV | NEWS | |
| 1. | Walter Johnson | 560 | 380 | 425 |
| 2. | Pete Alexander |
476 |
331 |
367 |
| 3. | Christy Mathewson | 426 | 335 | 358 |
| 4. | Lefty Grove | 391 | 301 | 324 |
| 5. | Roger Clemens |
437 |
260 |
304 |
| 6. | Warren Spahn | 412 | 259 | 297 |
| 7. | Tom Seaver | 388 | 255 | 288 |
| 8. | Eddie Plank | 361 | 259 | 285 |
| 9. | Greg Maddux |
392 |
246 |
283 |
| 10. | Gaylord Perry | 369 | 243 | 275 |
| 11. | Bob Gibson | 317 | 258 | 273 |
| 12. | Mordecai Brown | 296 | 264 | 272 |
| 13. | Steve Carlton | 366 | 240 | 272 |
| 14. | Phil Niekro | 374 | 235 | 270 |
| 15. | Joe McGinnity | 269 | 269 | 269 |
| 16. | Robin Roberts | 339 | 246 | 269 |
| 17. | Jim Palmer | 312 | 252 | 267 |
| 18. | Vic Willis | 293 | 257 | 266 |
| 19. | Carl Hubbell |
305 |
248 |
262 |
| 20. | Ed Walsh |
265 |
259 |
261 |
| 21. | Fergie Jenkins | 323 | 233 | 256 |
| 22. | Bob Feller | 292 | 239 | 252 |
| 23. | Randy Johnson |
309 | 230 |
250 |
| 24. | Bert Blyleven | 339 | 218 | 248 |
| 25. | Wilbur Cooper | 266 | 239 | 246 |
| 26. | Burleigh Grimes | 286 | 231 | 245 |
| 27. | Hal Newhouser | 264 | 234 | 242 |
| 28. | Jack Powell | 287 | 227 | 242 |
| 29. | Eppa Rixey | 315 | 217 | 242 |
| 30. | Red Ruffing | 322 | 212 | 240 |
| 31. | Early Wynn | 309 | 217 | 240 |
| 32. | Juan Marichal | 263 | 229 | 238 |
| 33. | Carl Mays | 256 | 230 | 237 |
| 34. | Ted Lyons | 312 | 210 | 236 |
| 35. | Stan Coveleski | 245 | 231 | 235 |
| 36. | Rube Waddell | 240 | 231 | 233 |
| 37. | George Mullin | 255 | 224 | 232 |
| 38. | Tom Glavine | 314 | 203 | 231 |
| 39. | Jim Bunning | 257 | 221 | 230 |
| 40. | Don Drysdale | 258 | 221 | 230 |
The NEWS HOF Gauge has established a benchmark of 235 for a starting pitcher to have definite
Other Pitchers with Hall of Fame Numbers
The following three groups of pitchers also have
| 300 Career Win Shares |
| Player | CWS | CV | NEWS |
| Nolan Ryan | 334 | 191 | 227 |
| Don Sutton | 319 | 187 | 220 |
| Dennis Eckersley | 301 | 183 | 213 |
| 180 NEWS in fewer than 2400 Innings – Starters/Relievers |
| Player | CWS | CV | NEWS |
| Addie Joss | 191 | 191 | 191 |
| Sandy Koufax | 194 | 190 | 191 |
| Hoyt Wilhelm | 256 | 168 | 190 |
| Goose Gossage | 223 | 173 | 186 |
| Dizzy Dean | 181 | 180 | 180 |
| 150 NEWS in fewer than 1700 Innings – Relievers |
| Player | CWS | CV | NEWS |
| Mariano Rivera | 190 | 170 | 175 |
| Lee Smith | 198 | 152 | 164 |
| Bruce Sutter | 168 | 163 | 164 |
| Dan Quisenberry | 157 | 155 | 156 |
| Rollie Fingers | 188 | 144 | 155 |
As noted above, only forty-nine (49) 20th century pitchers have definite Hall of Fame numbers according to the NEWS
| Player | CWS | CV | NEWS |
| Red Faber | 292 | 206 | 228 |
| Bob Lemon | 232 | 223 | 225 |
| Dazzy Vance | 241 | 216 | 222 |
| Whitey Ford | 261 | 202 | 217 |
| Jack Chesbro | 209 | 209 | 209 |
| Waite Hoyt | 262 | 189 | 207 |
| Herb Pennock | 240 | 188 | 201 |
| Chief Bender | 231 | 186 | 197 |
| Catfish Hunter | 206 | 184 | 190 |
| Rube Marquard | 208 | 180 | 187 |
| Lefty Gomez | 185 | 182 | 183 |
| Jesse Haines | 207 | 155 | 168 |
