Lists

Best pitchers in MLB: Who are the best all-time and in 2021?

In this article, we will go through the best pitchers in the MLB and split them into two categories – current best MLB pitchers & best of all-time.

Our Top Picks for Best MLB Pitchers Right Now

These are our picks for the best pitchers in the MLB, who are currently still active.

Jacob deGrom (New York Mets)

Jacob deGrom plays for the New York Mets since his debut in 2014. Over the years he has won the Cy Young award two times in 2018 and 2019, played in the All-Star game three times, and was chosen as the Rookie of the Year the season he debuted. Jacob also led the National League in ERA (2018) and strikeouts two seasons in a row in 2019 and 2020.

jacob degrom best MLB pitcher

Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees)

Gerrit Cole made his debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2013. After that, he played for the Houston Astros from 2018 to 2019 before signing a nine-year contract for the New York Yankees. His contract was the highest signed by a pitcher to date. Cole participated in three All-Star games in his career (2015, 2018, and 2019) and was an ERA and strikeout leader of the American League in 2019.

Trevor Bauer (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Bauer made his debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks back in 2012 and since then played for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and most recently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Among his honors are a Golden Spikes Award in 2011, Cy Young Award in 2020, participation in the 2018 All-Star game, and was the ERA leader for the National League in 2020.

Shane Bieber (Cleveland Indians)

Shane Bieber made his debut in 2018 and since then he has played only for the Cleveland Indians. 2020 was his year because he won the American League Cy Young award, and the Tripple Crown (wins, ERA, and strikeout leader in 2020). In the same year, he also led the American League in another statistic – batting average with .167.

Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals)

Max Scherzer is another player who made his debut in the Arizona Diamondbacks. He started his professional career in 2008 and since then has Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals. He participated in seven All-Star games won the 2019 World Series, won three Cy Young awards, and has led multiple seasons in wins and strikeouts. He holds two MLB records along with other players – most strikeouts in a nine-inning game and 250 strikeouts in five straight seasons.

Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers)

Another LA Dodgers player on this list – Clayton Kershaw has played with the Dodgers since his debut in 2008. In his career, he has participated in eight All-Star games, won the World Series in 2020, got the NL MVP award in 2014, won three Cy Young awards, and got the Tripple Crown in 2011. He has been an NL leader in multiple stats many different times and has a Gold Glove and Roberto Clemente Awards.

clayton kershaw

Picks for Best Pitchers in the MLB of All-Time

These are our picks for the best pitchers in the MLB in all of the written history of Baseball.

Walter Johnson

Walter Perry Johnson was born in 1887 and he played for the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1927. He has two MVP awards, a World Series, three Tripple Crowns, and is a multiple statistics leader across various statistics. He holds the MLB record for 110 career shutouts and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 with an over 80% vote on the first ballot.

Cy Young

Cy Young is one of the all-time best pitchers in the MLB and he played across five different teams in his career. His honors include a Tripple Crown, World Series, and he is also famous for pitching a perfect game in 1904. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 and has an award named after him for the best pitchers in the American and National Leagues. Cy Young also holds multiple MLB records to date.

Roger Clemens

During his career, Roger Clemens played for five different teams, including the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox. He participated in eleven All-Star games and won two World Series games in a row in 1999 and 2000. He won seven Cy Young awards, two Tripple Crowns, and was AL MVP once. He achieved the MLB record for twenty strikeouts in a single nine-inning game twice and is part of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Roger Clemens all time great MLB pitcher

Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson played for six different teams in his professional career, including Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Giants, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015 and his career highlights include the 2001 World Series winner, ten All-Star games, five Cy Young awards, World Series MVP, Tripple Crown in 2002, etc. He pitched a perfect game in 2004.


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