The best-hitting MLB pitchers of all time

Backe performed eight seasons, from 2002-2009, and most of them have been undistinguished, posting a 31-29 profession file, with a mediocre 5.23 ERA. Nevertheless, as a hitter with the Astros — they have been nonetheless within the Nationwide League throughout his stint — he confirmed some severe potential. He had 4 residence runs in 133 profession at-bats, however energy wasn’t probably the most spectacular a part of his sport; Backe was an general strong hitter. He completed his profession with a .256 common and a .731 OPS.

George Brett’s older brother was a reasonably truthful participant in his personal proper, posting a profession 3.93 ERA in 14 seasons. Given his household historical past, it’s unsurprising that there was some thunder in his bat. Brett’s two finest years as a hitter got here in 1973 and 1974, when he mixed to hit .281 with six residence runs in 167 at-bats, and submit a .766 OPS. When accounting for the offensive atmosphere of that period, Brett was, amazingly sufficient, an above-average hitter relative to his non-pitching friends.

Bush possessed each an all-time nice nickname and a few severe chops as a hitter. His profession straddled the top of the Useless-ball period, and the start of the Stay-ball period. When Bush obtained vital plate appearances in 1921 and 1922, he proved that not solely was he not a pushover, however he additionally was a tricky out. Bush hit .325 in 1921 and .326 the next season after which topped each of these years by hitting .339 in 1924. For his profession, he completed with a .253 common and 7 residence runs.

Bumgarner’s exploits as a hitter are well-documented. He’s taken Clayton Kershaw deep and has 19 profession residence runs in 594 at-bats — roughly a full season’s price. Bumgarner’s two finest years as a hitter, by far, have been 2014 and 2015. He mixed for 9 residence runs and 24 RBI, and hit .252. His .749 OPS was not solely superlative for a pitcher, however it additionally made him an above-average offensive participant general. The perfect half about Bumgarner’s work on the plate? He by no means obtained cheated on any of his swings.

So far as hitting pitchers go, Drysdale is a legend. He hit 29 residence runs in 1,169 profession at-bats, however what is especially wonderful about his work as a hitter is that almost all of his manufacturing got here in two flukish, outlier seasons. As a 21-year-old in 1958, Drysdale hit an astounding seven residence runs in simply 66 at-bats, good for a .591 slugging proportion and an .852 OPS. Seven years later, at age 28, he hit .300 in 130 at-bats, cracked seven extra residence runs and had an .839 OPS. Oh, and he gained a Cy Younger and is within the Corridor of Fame. Not unhealthy, not unhealthy in any respect.

Right here’s a reasonably good synopsis of Ferrell’s skills as a hitter: His 38 profession residence runs are the all-time file for a pitcher, he was so good as a hitter that he was usually utilized in a pinch-hitting capability, and he had two seasons with an OPS higher than .950, to not point out two extra above .800. Ferrell may need been enjoying within the Nineteen Thirties, however these numbers are spectacular in any period. He wasn’t too shabby as a pitcher, both, successful 193 video games in a 15-year profession.

Gallardo had a powerful early begin to his profession, ending seventh within the Nationwide League Cy Younger race in 2010, however his skills weren’t restricted to the mound. That very same season, he slugged 4 residence runs and completed with an .837 OPS whereas additionally managing to hit .254. That was by far his finest offensive season. A transfer to the American League in 2015 completed him as a hitter, however he made the underside of the Brewers lineup formidable each time he pitched.

A Corridor of Famer, and the most effective, most intimidating pitchers in baseball historical past, Gibson was additionally no slouch when it got here to hitting. He managed to remain above the Mendoza Line for his profession, ending with a .206 common, and he additionally hit 24 residence runs. What was most spectacular about his hitting prowess was that he did it whereas having to cope with headhunting opposing pitchers sad about his aggressive inside pitching.

A Corridor of Famer and member of the 300-win membership, Glavine was all the time a terrific pure athlete; adequate to get drafted within the NHL and MLB. He made the fitting alternative when he went with baseball, and his pure athletic skills allowed him to shine on the plate. Glavine had nearly no energy, however he was an impressive bunter, main the league in sacrifices in 2001 and ending with 216 for his profession. He additionally managed to hit above .200 in 9 of twenty-two seasons.

Greinke has a Cy Younger Award, six Gold Gloves and a popularity as one of many quirkiest gamers within the massive leagues. He’s additionally the most effective hitting pitchers within the league. Greinke hit .328 with the Dodgers in 2013 and had his finest offensive season in 2019, posting an .888 OPS with three residence runs with the Diamondbacks and Astros. Greinke enjoys and takes critically his hitting, and it reveals.

A two-time All-Star and 22-game winner in 1999, Hampton’s profession was derailed late by accidents, however for a time he was one in all baseball’s higher starters and presumably its finest hitting pitcher. Hampton swatted seven residence runs in 2001 and completed the season with a .291 common and an .891 OPS. He hit .300 or higher in 4 separate seasons, although some have been small pattern sizes, even for a pitcher. Nonetheless, Hampton greater than earned his popularity as one of the crucial harmful hitting pitchers within the league.

Harshman dabbled as a primary baseman earlier than switching over to pitcher full time in his mid-20s, and he completed his profession with a 69-65 mark and a 3.50 ERA. His work as a hitter was spectacular, as he hit 18 residence runs in a five-season stretch from 1954-1958. Harshman by no means hit for nice common, as he completed with a .179 profession mark, however he took a shocking variety of walks, was powerful to strike out and had professional pop in his bat.

One of many sport’s all-time finest pitchers, The Massive Practice was additionally a fearsome hitter in his day. Johnson gained 417 video games for Washington, six instances main the league in wins. Johnson hit 24 residence runs in a 21-year profession and was a .235 profession hitter. He was a mannequin of consistency, hardly ever seeing his common dip beneath .200 for a whole season, placing up strong numbers. His finest season as a hitter got here at age 36 when he managed a .433 common and a 1.033 OPS in 97 at-bats.

Larsen is most well-known for throwing what stays the one excellent sport in postseason historical past within the 1956 World Collection, when he blanked the Brooklyn Dodgers whereas a member of the Yankees. Larsen might additionally hit, ending his profession with 14 residence runs, a .242 common and an amazing 1958 marketing campaign, when he hit 4 residence runs and completed with a .935 OPS in simply 49 at-bats.

Have a look at that image and also you’d be forgiven for pondering that Michael Lorenzen obtained misplaced on his option to the health club and ended up a member of a Main League Baseball group. The Reds reliever is coming off his finest season as a professional, with a 2.92 ERA in 73 appearances, however he’s really noteworthy as a result of he cuts a bodily imposing profile and also can hit the daylights out of the ball. By no means was this extra evident than in 2018 when Lorenzen hit .290 with 4 residence runs in simply 31 at-bats, good for a 1.043 OPS.

Greg Maddux appears like a professor, a nerd, an accountant — absolutely anything apart from what he was, which was one of many best pitchers ever and the most effective pure athletes to ever take the mound. Maddux gained 355 video games in a 23-year profession, and whereas his exploits on the mound have been jaw-dropping, notably his 4 consecutive Nationwide League Cy Younger Awards from 1992-1995, he additionally carved out a popularity as an sometimes harmful hitter. Oh, who am I kidding? He had a profession .395 OPS, horrible even for a pitcher. He’s primarily included in order that we will all bask within the glory of this business.

Newcombe pulled off a uncommon MVP-Cy Younger sweep along with his 27-7 marketing campaign in 1956. In his 10-year profession, he gained 149 video games, the 1949 Rookie of the Yr Award and a World Collection. Newcombe was additionally a harmful hitter. His 1955 season is likely one of the finest you’ll ever see from a pitcher on the plate (non-Babe Ruth class). That yr, Newcombe hit .359 in 117 at-bats, with seven residence runs, 23 RBI and a 1.028 OPS. He by no means got here all that near any of these numbers once more, however that stage of sustained brilliance deserves recognition, as does his wonderful profession .271 common.

Nuxhall is notable for the truth that he made his MLB debut at age 15, however he carved out a strong profession, successful 135 video games with a profession 3.90 ERA. Whereas he solely hit .198 in his 16 seasons, he did have some constant pop in his bat, with 15 profession residence runs. Early on he was notably fearsome, piling up 11 residence runs from 1953-1956. He was notably nice in 1953, ending the yr with a .327 common and a .928 OPS.

If you wish to know what it was like watching Babe Ruth within the flesh, Ohtani supplied a reasonably good facsimile in 2021. The do-it-all Angels star slugged 46 residence runs, third-best within the league behind Salvador Perez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., rapped 26 doubles and even chipped in a league-leading 8 triples. Ohtani led the league with 20 intentional walks, and was unquestionably probably the most must-see athlete in all of baseball. He completed the season with a .965 OPS (on-base plus slugging), good for third within the majors behind Guerrero and Bryce Harper. And as a pitcher? Ohtani went 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, and struck out practically 11 batters per 9 innings.

Owings the pitcher? Nothing to see right here. He had a 32-33 file and a 4.86 ERA in a profession that spanned six seasons. Ho-hum. Owings the hitter? That was an altogether completely different story. He burst onto the scenes as a rookie, hitting 4 residence runs in simply 60 at-bats and posting a .333 common for the yr, to not point out a 1.033 OPS. He adopted that up by hitting .304 the next yr after which added three extra residence runs to his complete the yr after that. Owings hit 9 residence runs within the majors, and ended his profession with a .283 common and an .813 OPS, the latter determine the perfect all time for a pitcher.

Pappas gained 209 video games throughout a 17-year profession, and by some measures he doesn’t need to be known as a terrific hitting pitcher. He completed his profession with a paltry .354 OPS and hit simply .123 as a professional. Nonetheless, he did handle to clobber 20 residence runs, and whereas I by no means noticed him hit, one will get the sense that he stepped into the batter’s field with one plan: Swing as arduous as potential and hope for the perfect. Nothing however respect for that method.

Peters gained 124 video games in a 14-year profession and completed with a strong 3.25 ERA. He additionally made his mark as a hitter. His finest season was his rookie marketing campaign in 1963 with the White Sox, one which noticed him win Rookie of the Yr. That season, Peters hit .259 with three residence runs. He would stay a constant energy menace all through the remainder of his profession, ending up with 19 residence runs and a .222 common.

Three All-Star choices, the 1935 World Collection with Detroit and a terrific nickname; Rowe had all of it. He was additionally a great hitter. In 15 seasons, Rowe clobbered 18 residence runs, hit .263, and had an OPS of .710. He hit .300 or higher on three separate events and didn’t hit .200 for a season simply 4 instances in these 15 years. And it bears repeating: He glided by “Schoolboy.”

Fairly certain you already know about this man. As a pitcher, you could be to study that he went 94-46 in his profession with a 2.28 ERA and gained the ERA title in 1916, at 1.75. Subsequent!

Spahn gained 363 video games in a 21-year profession, took residence the Nationwide League Cy Younger Award in 1957, was a 17-time All-Star and gained a World Collection in 1957. He additionally has the second-most residence runs of any pitcher in historical past, with 35. Spahn was a mannequin of consistency, by no means hitting greater than 4 round-trippers in a single season however usually knocking a couple of out of the yard. Except for a 1958 season that noticed him hit .333, Spahn was not a very nice hitter, however his energy greater than made up for that.

A man who glided by “Sloppy” doesn’t actually need a lot else added to his story, however Thurston was a great hitting pitcher within the Twenties and Nineteen Thirties. He completed his nine-year profession with a .270 common and hit over .300 4 separate instances in his profession. He by no means confirmed a lot energy, with solely 5 residence runs, however he was a triples machine, with 10 to his credit score.

Tobin had a dropping file for his profession regardless of a 3.44 profession ERA. He led the league in losses in 1942 however did earn some small measure of revenge, hitting six residence runs that season on the best way to 17 for his profession. Tobin’s profession numbers would have seemed poor for a place participant, however his .230 common and .648 OPS have been greater than respectable for a pitcher, even in an period the place strong hitting from that place was barely extra widespread.

The longtime Tigers hurler gained 170 video games in a 15-year profession, posting spectacular numbers within the course of, together with an ERA title in 1944. That wasn’t his solely vital achievement that season; Trout additionally hit 5 residence runs, a profession finest, and batted .271. Trout ended up with 20 residence runs for his profession and managed to hit higher than .200, ending his time within the majors with a .213 common.

Willis took the league by storm along with his Rookie of the Yr-winning efficiency in 2003, going 14-6 and serving to lead the Marlins to a World Collection in his age-21 season. He went on to guide the Nationwide League in wins in 2005, going 22-10 with a 2.63 ERA. Willis was recognized for his infectious vitality and funky windup, however solely the primary high quality utilized to his hitting, which was fairly conventional and fairly harmful. Willis had simply 9 residence runs for his profession, however he hit .244 general and managed a .286 mark in 2007, with an .856 OPS besides. Willis’ profession may need been brief, however he made his mark on the mound and within the batter’s field.

Wilson led the league with 22 wins for the Tigers in 1967, and whereas he was an above-average pitcher at some stage in his 11-year profession, he was practically as well-known for his prodigious energy. Wilson hit 35 residence runs in all, together with 18 in a three-season stretch from 1964-1966 and was a basic feast-or-famine hitter. He managed only a .195 common general, however the specter of his energy pressured opposing pitchers to deal fastidiously with them, and he nonetheless made them pay.

Zambrano was one of many league’s fieriest gamers over the course of his 12-year profession, the type of participant definitely worth the value of admission whether or not you have been cheering for him or not. He led the league with 16 wins for the Cubs in 2006, however his prowess wasn’t restricted to the mound. Zambrano was a menace on the plate, with 24 profession residence runs and a .238 common. Not solely that: He was a switch-hitter, and his method on the plate may need been extra intense than it was on the mound. One of the crucial enjoyable gamers to observe in latest baseball historical past, it doesn’t matter what he was doing.