Despite a late introduction to the game, as he did not play organized baseball until he was 16, Walter Johnson was the greatest pitcher in MLB history.
Typically playing for woeful Washington Senators teams, Johnson’s record suffered due to a lack of run support. He was still great enough to win twenty or more games twelve times, leading the league in wins on six occasions. His fastball was legendary for its speed, as he retired as the all time strikeout leader, recording seven 200 strikeout seasons and two 300 strikeout years. These performances led to two MVP awards, as Johnson had established himself as one of the best players in the league.
His career numbers were truly amazing. Johnson had a 417-279 record with a 2.17 ERA and a 1.061 WHiP, striking out 3,509 batters in his 5914.1 innings. His 110 shutouts are the most in baseball history, and he ranks second in wins, ninth in WHiP and strikeouts, and fifth in complete games. Like Cy Young, who he trails on the wins list, Johnson is also high on the career loss list, ranking fourth all time.
In regards to making plays on the mound, Johnson was not one of the best as a glove man. He did, however, make the plays he could get to, as he led the league in fielding five times. He did lead the league in putouts three times, and ranks 26th in putouts and fifth in assists, but typically was not amongst the leaders in those categories. Of course, with the strikeouts that Johnson recorded, he did not have many opportunities.
The best pitcher in the history of the game, Walter Johnson was a modern pitcher, capable of striking out virtually everyone at any time, in the early days of the game. He was a sign of what was to come in the later decades as the game changed and strikeouts were no longer stigmatized.
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