Rank The Best Modern Day Pitchers

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by BringBackJoeT

Tim Wakefield. And not because I'm a Red Sox fan (I'm not). This is purely a longevity vote. For the 17th consecutive year, the dude has a job as a starting pitcher. That's amazing.

Also, wouldn't Hersheiser qualify in this time period?

Not tough to stay healthy when you throw 60 MPH...he's mediocre.

[Monkeydad]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I don't know if there will ever be a Maddux again. Ever. If it were not for Greg Maddux, I probably would not like baseball.

1. Greg Maddux - He's the face of the modern era. At least, the steroid-free modern era.

2. Pedro Martinez - My greatest wish for Zack Greinke is that his career looks something like Pedro's when it's all said and done. In his prime, no one has ever been better.

3. Randy Johnson - I don't think people realize just how good Randy Johnson has been. Curt Schilling was having some of his best years, and he was unquestionably his team's No. 2 starter.

4. Bert Blyleven - I know for sure that people don't realize how good he was. I'm counting him as part of the modern era since he's still HOF eligible.

5. Johan Santana - Over the last five years, no one in the game has been better.

6. Roy Halladay - Should have gotten the AL Cy Young last year over Cliff Lee. While Lee was more valuable by the pitch, Roy's amazing durability, inning eating ability, and strikeout consistency would have given him my vote. Five years from now, he's still going to be an annual Cy Young threat.

7. Tom Glavine - His remarkable durability often gets lost in reasons why the Braves were so good for so long, and even John Smoltz missed much of this decade and found himself in relief. Glavine has his perception a little bit by hanging on too long, but he's an absolute lock for the HOF, which Smoltz is not.

8. Roger Clemens - The other face of the era, for different reasons, Clemens was no better than the seventh or eight best pitcher, but was dominating in his prime, and did it for a long time.

9. Bret Saberhagen - In the late eighties, he was Pedro before there was a Pedro.

10. Mike Mussina - Numbers say: better than Schilling.

Great call with Saberhagen, he's usually forgotten.

I'd move Pedro way down and Clemens up o #1 or #2, but your list looks decent. Halladay and Santana will be on the list, but not yet. Replace him with maybe Kevin Appier or Chuck Finley.
Blyleven was great, but all but about his last 2 seasons were outside the past 20 years.

Mine:

1. GREG MADDUX
2. ROGER CLEMENS
3. RANDY JOHNSON
4. TOM GLAVINE
5. DAVID CONE
6. JOHN SMOLTZ
7. MIKE MUSSINA
8. PEDRO MARTINEZ
9. BRET SABERHAGEN
10. CHUCK FINLEY

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by Buster

Great call with Saberhagen, he's usually forgotten.

I'd move Pedro way down and Clemens up o #1 or #2, but your list looks decent. Halladay and Santana will be on the list, but not yet. Replace him with maybe Kevin Appier or Chuck Finley.
Blyleven was great, but all but about his last 2 seasons were outside the past 20 years.

Mine:

1. GREG MADDUX
2. ROGER CLEMENS
3. RANDY JOHNSON
4. TOM GLAVINE
5. DAVID CONE
6. JOHN SMOLTZ
7. MIKE MUSSINA
8. PEDRO MARTINEZ
9. BRET SABERHAGEN
10. CHUCK FINLEY

Just not sure how David Cone is higher than John Smoltz. Smoltz has more wins, a ton of saves, and was a big game pitcher too. Postseason 15-4 2.65 era, not bad.

DC Postseason 8-3 3.80 era. Not in the same neighborhood as JS.

[jsarno]

Not sure Finley should make the list. Certainly a good pitcher. His best years were from 89-93 (89 and 90 being by far his best), but from 94-02 he had exactly 1 sub 4.15 era season. Take away his two good years and he would have a 174-173 career record. You shouldn't be able to take away 2 years of a guy with a 17 year career and all of sudden he becomes average. I didn't calculate it, but I'm betting it would put his career mark over the 4.00 era if you took away those two season as well.

[jsarno]

ps- Hershiser was better than Finley.

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Not sure Finley should make the list. Certainly a good pitcher. His best years were from 89-93 (89 and 90 being by far his best), but from 94-02 he had exactly 1 sub 4.15 era season. Take away his two good years and he would have a 174-173 career record. You shouldn't be able to take away 2 years of a guy with a 17 year career and all of sudden he becomes average. I didn't calculate it, but I'm betting it would put his career mark over the 4.00 era if you took away those two season as well.

CF had a good career but he's not in the conversation. 200 W's, 3.8 ERA, good but not elite.

[skindeep]

Just giving nats. Fans props on there new drafty hope he is tru.

[70Chip]

I don't know enough to rate 5, but when Maddux was in his prime, he was brutal. He was truly unhittable. Or so it seemed to me. I'm not really a baseball expert.