MLB: Top 20 closers in Major League Baseball history
Career Statistics:
- Games: 1,070
- Saves: 228
- Won-Loss Record: 143-22
- ERA: 2.52
- ERA+: 147
- FIP: 3.06
- WHIP: 1.125
- Innings: 2,254.1
- Strikeouts: 1,610
- Strikeout Percentage: 17.6%
- All-Star Appearances: 5
- World Series Championships: 1
- Awards: None
It’s extremely difficult to compare Hoyt Wilhelm to any other pitcher in Major League history, let alone closers that pitched in the 1980s, ’90s and 2000s.
First of all, Wilhelm’s big league career began with the New York Giants in 1952 at the age of 29. After completing his military duty and spending six seasons in the minors, Wilhelm exploded onto the scene with a 15-3 record in his first season. That year, he won the National League ERA title with a 2.43 mark in a Major League leading 71 appearances – all out of the bullpen. He struck out 108 hitters in 159.1 innings, finished as the runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year and was fourth in MVP voting (the highest finish for a reliever at the time).
Not a bad debut for a late-bloomer, and the bullpen strategy paid off well for the rest of Wilhelm’s career. He started only 52 of his 1,070 career games.
Secondly, forget about triple-digit heat in the ninth inning; Wilhelm was a knuckleballer. He used the pitch effectively across a 21-year Major League career that didn’t end until Wilhelm was 49 years old. He was the first pitcher in history to appear in more than 1,000 games and the first to collect 200 saves. His career 2.52 ERA ranks second to Walter Johnson among pitchers that tossed more than 2,000 career innings.
Next: 11. Francisco Rodriguez