40 Most Overrated Pitchers in Baseball History

Some players are simply overrated. A number of the game's greats are also some of the most overrated pitchers in baseball history.

When looking back at the careers of pitchers, it is easy to look at some basic numbers such as ERA and wins and generate a picture of their careers. However, oftentimes these pictures that we paint are incorrect.

Yes, a pitcher may have had a 3.05 ERA, but for his era that may not have been that impressive. We need to look deeper to see the true talent of a pitcher, and any other player for that matter.

There are certain players on this list who were outstanding pitchers who are now in the Hall of Fame. They are deserving of their place in Cooperstown in most cases, but they are believed to be better than they actually were by a number of people.

40. Herb Pennock

To make the Hall of Fame, a player normally needs to have more than five or six strong seasons in his career. However, that was not the case for Herb Pennock.

He did have postseason success, going 5-0 in his World Series appearances, but Pennock had only a 106 ERA-plus during his career. For comparison's sake, that is a lower career ERA-plus than pitching legends Jose Rijo and Wilson Alvarez.

Pennock also posted 36.9 WAR in 22 seasons, which is behind players such as Brad Radke.

39. Jim Palmer

Jim Palmer is another outstanding pitcher that is completely deserving of his spot in the Hall of Fame. However, he is often placed ahead of some of the game's other greats.

Palmer had an outstanding 2.86 ERA during his career and won 268 games with the Baltimore Orioles.

Photo credit: Towson

38. Dave Stewart

Winning 20 games in one season is an impressive feat. Breaking the 20-win plateau in four consecutive years is even more impressive, as is throwing a no-hitter. Dave Stewart accomplished both of these feats.

However, during the rest of his career, Stewart was a below-average pitcher. He finished his career with a 100 ERA-plus, yet he is overrated because of his outstanding short four-year run.

37. Chuck Finley

Chuck Finley was selected to appear in five All-Star games during his career, and each selection was deserving. Finley also won 200 games during his career.

It is because he reached the 200-win mark that Finley is overrated. He is often considered to be much better than he actually was as a result of his reaching this plateau.

36. Red Ruffing

Red Ruffing struggled a bit with the Boston Red Sox because he did not get much run support. Once he went to the New York Yankees, that changed.

Ruffing's win totals soared with the New York Yankees, but he still ended his career with just a .548 winning percentage. He also won six World Series titles with the Yankees. This, along with his 273 wins, was enough to get him into the Hall of Fame.

However, Ruffing has a 110 career ERA-plus, which makes some wonder if the Yankees veneer was what got him into Cooperstown.

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35. Dennis Eckersley

Dennis Eckersley was one of the players that comes to mind when talking about players who were outstanding pitchers who are also now overrated.

Eckersley is completely deserving of his spot in the Hall of Fame. He had success as both a starter and a reliever. However, Eckersley is often considered a better pitcher than some other players that are better than him because of the fact he was able to rack up both wins and saves.

34. Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is hands down the best closer in baseball history. It is not even close. However, there are people that suggest that he is one of the top 50 players in the history of baseball.

While Rivera has been absolutely phenomenal during the regular season and even more so in the playoffs, he simply cannot be in the top 50 in baseball history because of the limited number of innings he has thrown. Rivera is an outstanding player and a future Hall of Famer, but he is still overrated by many.

33. Barry Zito

Nowadays, no one would ever come close to calling Barry Zito overrated. If anything, they say that he has not been able to prove that he deserved his contract.

However, there was a time when Zito was considered one of the best pitchers in MLB. He had earned the title through a few great seasons, but after his Cy Young season, Zito began to fall back to earth.

32. Doug Drabek

In 1990 Doug Drabek won the Cy Young Award as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and from that point on he was overrated. He still had two more impressive seasons during his career, but he was not the superstar that he was occasionally made out to be.

Drabek finished his career with a 102 ERA-plus, a mark that is just slightly above average. He also posted just 27.6 WAR during his career.

31. Dock Ellis

On July 12, 1970, Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter. This normally impressive feat was made even more astounding by the revelation that Ellis threw the no-hitter while under the influence of LSD. Doing this made Ellis' performance legendary. Ellis said that at one point he believed he was pitching to Jimi Hendrix.

Since it was early in his career, Ellis' performance was overrated as a result of this one game. Ellis would go on to have a number of good seasons during his career, but overall he was not that impressive. He had a 104 ERA-plus when he retired.

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30. Burleigh Grimes

Burleigh Grimes has one of the highest ERAs of any pitcher that is in the Hall of Fame. He also has a 108 ERA-plus for his career, which is a number that is not Hall of Fame-worthy.

He did win 270 games during his 19-season career and also posted five 20-plus-win seasons. Grimes, along with his 37.2 WAR, should not be in the Hall of Fame, but rather just on the outside and looking in.

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29. Early Wynn

Reaching 300 wins virtually guarantees a pitcher a plaque in Cooperstown, so it is no surprise that Wynn and his 300 wins are enshrined in Cooperstown.

It took Wynn 23 seasons to reach the 300-win mark, and he compiled a 3.54 ERA along the way. That led to a 107 ERA-plus, a number that is not Hall of Fame-worthy.

28. Phil Niekro

Just like Early Wynn, Phil Niekro is a member of the 300-win club, and it took him over 20 years to get there. During his career, Niekro had a number of good seasons along with a number of poor ones.

The knuckleballer is enshrined in the Hall of Fame thanks in large part to his win total. He led the league in walks three times in his career and often struggled with his control.

27. Bruce Sutter

If you are looking for Bruce Sutter on the all-time saves list, you may need to turn the page once to find him since his 300 saves are 22nd in MLB history. However, Sutter was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006.

He only pitched 12 seasons, so he did not demonstrate the longevity that many other elite closers have. Sutter was a very, very good closer, but he was not a Hall of Fame-caliber player.

26. Mike Hampton

Mike Hampton really only had two seasons in the middle of his career where he stood out as an elite pitcher, but that did not stop the Colorado Rockies from signing him to a massive contract.

Hampton was considered one of the better pitchers of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but in reality, his ability and performance did not come anywhere close to the hype surrounding him.

25. Livan Hernandez

Livan Hernandez has seemingly been around the major leagues forever. Now, he is considered a back-of-the-rotation innings-eater, but there was a time in his career where he was considered a top of the rotation guy.

That reputation was never really earned by Hernandez, who has had just seven years with an ERA-plus over 100 in his 16-year career. In fact, Hernandez has a career 96 ERA-plus, which indicates that he has been below average during his career.

24. Denny McLain

Impressive seasons can make a career. This is exactly what happened with Denny McLain. He won 31 games while posting a 1.96 ERA in 1968. McLain won the MVP and Cy Young that season. He followed it up with a 24-win season and another Cy Young Award.

McLain pitched just eight other years in the MLB and won just 76 games. For his career, he had a career ERA-plus of 101. However, McLain is made out to be a much better pitcher than he was because of his two phenomenal years.

23. Mickey Lolich

Mickey Lolich won 217 games during his 16-year career. He had 25-win and 22-win seasons during his career.

However, what he is most remembered for is his outstanding performance in the 1968 World Series. Lolich went 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA during that World Series. That performance is a major reason why Lolich is overrated.

During his career, Lolich only managed to post a 105 ERA-plus, a mark that is just above average.

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22. Pud Galvin

By taking a quick look at his numbers, many people believe that Pud Galvin is one of the best pitchers to ever appear in the majors. He won 365 games during his career and had a 2.85 ERA.

However, looking deeper at Galvin's numbers, it is easy to see that he wasn't that good. His 108 ERA-plus is one of the easiest ways to recognize this. Galvin also had an edge over his competitors, as he was the first player to take a performance enhancer.

21. Lew Burdette

Lew Burdette was known for his outstanding control. In fact, he had a 1.8 BB/9 rate during his career. Burdette also won the World Series MVP award in 1957. He won 20 games in 1958 and 21 in 1959.

However, Burdette was actually an average pitcher at best. He has a career ERA-plus of 99. Even with his low walk rate, Burdette allowed a lot of baserunners and had a 1.24 WHIP.

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20. Catfish Hunter

For five seasons, Catfish Hunter was amongst the top three pitchers in baseball. However, during the rest of his career, he was nowhere close to that range.

These five outstanding seasons carried Hunter and his 224 career wins into the Hall of Fame. The fact that he played in front of the New York media also helped Hunter, who finished his career with a 105 ERA-plus.

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19. Jim Kaat

For years, people have been trying to make the case that Jim Kaat belongs in the Hall of Fame. While he won 283 games during his career, he also did so while posting a 3.45 ERA. This led Kaat to have a rather unimpressive 108 ERA-plus.

During his career, Kaat also had a 1.26 WHIP, once again a number that is not exactly Hall of Fame-caliber.

One of the reasons Kaat gets so much credit is that he was outstanding at fielding his position.

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18. Ron Darling

Ron Darling was drafted with the ninth overall pick by the Texas Rangers in the 1981 MLB draft. He was traded to the New York Mets and showed off his potential early in his career. The 1986 World Series also helped make Darling famous.

However, Darling could never live up to all of the hype that was attached to him. He struggled with control throughout his career. Darling actually finished his career with a below average ERA-plus of 95.

17. David Wells

David Wells is most famously known for throwing a perfect game. Quickly think back about Wells' career. How many All-Star games do you think he made? How many Cy Young votes did he finish in the top five of?

Chances are that your answers are much higher than the actual answers. They are three and two, respectively. Wells was another player who was overrated as a result of the New York City hype machine.

16. Orel Hershiser

For the first six years of his career, Orel Hershiser was an outstanding pitcher. He won an NL Cy Young Award and had his record scoreless innings streak. However, after 1989 things went downhill quickly.

That does not stop people from claiming Hershiser was one of the best pitchers of his era. He quickly became a mediocre pitcher and did not have a large amount of success outside of his early years.

15. Frank Tanana

Reaching 240 wins in a career is an incredibly impressive feat. So is reaching three All-Star games in your first five full seasons in the major leagues. Frank Tanana accomplished both of these.

However, Tanana was not as good a pitcher as many people make him out to be. He also lost 236 games in his career and had a 106 ERA-plus.

14. Tim Wakefield

It does take knuckleballers a number of years to hone their craft, so it is no surprise that Wakefield had struggles early on during his career. However, Wakefield has actually only had a few good years.

In most seasons, Wakefield has been league-average. For his career, he has been fairly average as well. He will break over 200 wins in his career, but his ERA-plus is only 106, which is not that impressive.

13. Joe Niekro

Being the younger brother of a pitcher who was on his way to over 300 wins must not have been easy for Joe Niekro. He did manage to put an impressive career together himself.

Joe Niekro was likely overrated due to the fact that he and his brother set the record for most wins by a pair of siblings. Niekro may have won 221 games, but he also had a 98 ERA-plus during his career.

12. Eric Gagne

Eric Gagne had only three seasons in which he saved over 20 games in his major-league career. However, you would not have known that by the way people discussed him during his career.

Up until his name appeared on the Mitchell Report, people believed he was one of the most valuable players in the National League. He had such a short prime and came and went very quickly.

11. Jonathan Papelbon

Questions have been asked if Jonathan Papelbon can become the next Mariano Rivera. The problem is that Papelbon is nowhere close to reaching that realm.

He has had some phenomenal seasons, but Papelbon lacks two of the major things that made Rivera so good. One is a signature pitch as good as Mo's cutter, and the other is Rivera's postseason success.

10. Candy Cummings

Candy Cummings is possibly one of the least known Hall of Famers in baseball history. During his career, Cummings won 145 games and had a 115 ERA-plus.

However, Cummings is in the Hall of Fame because he invented the curveball. Players who have invented other pitches have not received the same honor.

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9. Hideo Nomo

Hideo Nomo took the States by storm in his first season in the majors. He won the Rookie of the Year Award and looked like he was going to become a star.

However, Nomo could not continue his success in the following years, but he still was thought of very highly. Nomo bounced around the majors and had a career ERA-plus of 98.

8. Gaylord Perry

Gaylord Perry is 17th all-time in wins and eighth all-time in strikeouts. The numbers that people tend to overlook are that Perry's loss total is the sixth-highest of all time and his games started total is the ninth-highest.

Perry was able to accumulate a number of his wins and strikeouts by simply appearing in more games than other starters. At times, he also struggled with throwing wild pitches, as he led the league in that category on more than one occasion.

7. Rube Marquard

Bill James has stated that Rube Marquard could potentially be the worst pitcher in the Hall of Fame. Marquard won 211 games and had a 3.08 ERA.

However, an ERA like that is not that impressive considering that Marquard pitched in the dead-ball era. In fact, he has an ERA-plus of just 103 yet is in the Hall of Fame.

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6. Jesse Haines

Jesse Haines is one of the most puzzling selections by the MLB Hall of Fame Veterans Committee. He has one of the lowest win totals and highest ERAs of any Hall of Fame pitcher.

Haines also only posted a 1.13 K/BB rate during his career. One of his best accomplishments was winning 20-plus games three times during his career.

5. Jack Morris

Every year when the Hall of Fame voting comes around, there are people out there who make a case for Jack Morris. While Morris may have the win total of a Hall of Famer, there are many problems with these claims.

He had a few strong seasons, but he was nothing more than a slightly above average pitcher when you look at his whole career. From his 105 ERA-plus to his 1.30 WHIP or his 39.3 WAR in 18 seasons, it is clear that Morris should not be in Cooperstown unless he is just visiting.

4. Fernando Valenzuela

Fernandomania swept the country when Fernando Valenzuela began his Major League Baseball career. He managed to win the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year awards during his first season.

However, Valenzuela's career was really not one to be as excited about as everyone was. He had a bunch of up and down seasons. He ended his career with a 104 ERA-plus, 1.32 WHIP and just 38.2 WAR.

3. Cy Young

Cy Young was an outstanding pitcher. He is deserving of his place in the Hall of Fame as well as having an award given out in his name.

There are times when people say that Young was the best pitcher in major-league history. However, he is not No. 1, and he is possibly not even No. 2. For this reason, he is considered overrated by many.

Some of Young's numbers were inflated by the longevity of his career and the number of innings he pitched.

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2. Don Drysdale

Jayson Stark named Don Drysdale one of the most overrated pitchers in baseball history in his book The Stark Truth. Drysdale is a Hall of Famer, but Stark's claim certainly has legs.

Drysdale was vaulted up into almost legendary status during his playing career. His 25-win season during which he won the Cy Young Award only helped increase the hype around him.

1. Nolan Ryan

There are two statistics that make fans believe Nolan Ryan belongs near the pinnacle of major-league pitchers. First is his strikeout total, and the second is the fact that he threw seven no-hitters during his career.

However, Ryan never won a Cy Young Award during his time in the majors, and for good reason. He struggled with his control throughout his career and issued a high number of walks. He lost 292 games. As good as he was in some years, Ryan had only a 112 ERA-plus for his career.

Nolan Ryan is not amongst the top five or even top 10 pitchers in MLB history, as many suggest he is.