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MLB History: Top 15 right-handed pitchers in MLB history

By Benjamin Chase

BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Nationals won 2-0. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 30: Max Scherzer #31 of the Washington Nationals pitches during a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Nationals won 2-0. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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circa 1940: Full-length image of baseball pitcher Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians winding up for a pitch during practice. (Photo by New York Times Co./Getty Images) /

15. Bob Feller, 266 wins, 3.25 ERA, 3,827 innings, 2,581 strikeouts, 63.9 bWAR

Robert William Andrew Feller stepped right off the cornfields of Iowa at 17 years of age in 1936 and was immediately one of the most feared pitchers in all of the game, a distinction he would hold for virtually all of his major league career.

Feller is considered the first true dominant hard-thrower in the game, relying primarily on his fastball, which many believed exceeded triple digits. That type of velocity had really not been seen in the game previous, and it allowed Feller to be an All-Sar at 19 and lead the AL in wins, with 24, at 20 years old.

He would go on to miss roughly 3 2/3 seasons due to military service in World War II, right at the peak of his powers, as he “lost” his age 23-25 seasons and made just 9 starts in his age-26 season. Considering that he led the league in wins, starts, strikeouts, and innings both in 1940-1941 before he went into service and then also in 1946-1947 in his first full seasons back, many felt he easily would have eclipsed 300 wins in his career and very possibly have surpassed Walter Johnson’s career strikeouts record without his military service.

Feller did see his career take a quick turn after the war, however. His 1946 season may have been his very finest, throwing 371 1/3 innings, striking out 348 with 10 shutouts, 36 complete games, winning 26 games, and posting a 2.18 ERA. However, in 1947, he would strikeout just 196 over 299 innings, which still led the league significantly, but he continued to see that strikeout rate drop and his home run rate allowed rate rise after that 1946 season, and his post-30 seasons were not great. Feller also ran into a common issue that many hard throwers still today run into, as he walked over 4 batters per 9 innings for his major league career.

Overall, Feller was elected to 8 All-Star games, won the 1940 pitching triple crown in the American League, and he finished top 5 in MVP voting four times in his career. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962 with 93.8% of the vote.

Next: 14. Dr. Baseball

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