23. John Hiller, LHP
Career Stats: 545 G (43 GS), 125 SV, 1,242 IP, 2.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 10.28 BB%, 19.9 K%
A Canadian, born in Toronto, Hiller signed with the Tigers in 1963 and broke in at the major league level in 1965. He quickly established himself as one of the toughest left-handed relievers in the league and was viewed during his career as one of the best relief pitchers that had pitched in the game.
Incredibly, Hiller suffered a heart attack in 1971 and missed the entire season, but he came back to record some of the most dominant relief seasons in MLB history from 1973-1978, when he averaged 52 games pitched and 114 innings thrown, with a 2.45 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and a 50/108 BB/K during that six-year dominant run. He would set an American League record for saves in 1973 with 38 that would not be broken for a decade.
What is incredible about Hiller’s career is that after his heart issues, he seemed to thrive in the most pressure-packed situations, pitching his best when he was being pushed against the wall, sometimes seeming to put a man or two on base just to help his own focus.
Hiller was widely considered the best relief pitcher of all-time from the left side by many until the mid-80s brought along a handful of guys that will appear later on this list. His 1973 season earned him 4th place votes both in the Cy Young and MVP, his highest placement in both awards of his career. He would make just one All-Star game, in 1974.
Sadly, when he had his name on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1986, it was in an era where relievers were highly undervalued for the Hall of Fame, and he received just 2.6% of the vote, failing to remain on the ballot.
Next: 22. K-Rod