MLB's 10 Best Starting Pitchers of the 1940s: Feller, Leonard, or Newhouser?

There were 63 starting pitchers from the 1940s who pitched in at least 200 games.

If a player does not appear on the list, he either didn’t reach 200 games or I consider him a pitcher from the 1930s or the 1950s.

I wrote separate articles on the 10 best starting pitchers from the 1930s and the 1950s.

Pitchers will only be in one decade. For example, Bob Feller will appear in this article. So, he did not appear in my 1930s or my 1950s article.

An Explanation of the Stats

The statistics used will be Games Pitched, Games Started, Innings Pitched, ERA, ERA+, W, W%+, H/9 (OBA), WHIP (OOB%), SHO, SHO/40 (per 40 games started), K and K/BB (ratio). I will also letter-grade their length of career.

First, I will include their raw career numbers. These are simply their career numbers.

Second, I will include their adjusted career numbers, if they had a long career (which most have).

Adjusted career is this: Let’s take Hal Newhouser, for example. Newhouser is a starting pitcher from the 1940s that had a long career. So to find his real numbers, I have to exclude some late seasons during his career to find the numbers that he really carried because he pitched past his prime.

With Newhouser, I’d exclude his 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1955 seasons. That is his adjusted career. Again, this can only be done with long career players. If I don’t list an adjusted career under a player’s raw career numbers, it means he didn’t play long enough to adjust for his long career or he didn’t have any bad seasons.

Third, I will include peak career numbers. Many like short peaks, not me. I include the best seasons equaling at least 200 games for a peak. It takes away the possibility of a pitcher having one or two lucky seasons. The 200-game peak will let us know how good the pitcher was at his best.

Note: W%+ is a statistic that I have invented. It takes the team's winning percentage into account. It is very complicated, as different weights are applied to seasons depending on how many games and innings pitched a pitcher accumulated during a single season. Having said that, here’s the simple version.

If a starting pitcher has a career .500 W% during the 2000s and that pitcher pitched for the Yankees , .500 is not good. But if that pitcher pitched for the Royals , .500 is good.

This is the reasoning behind W%+. It is to W% what ERA is to ERA+. It’s not foolproof, but neither is ERA+, just another piece of the puzzle and far, far more important than raw W%.

The 63 Starting Pitchers

Here are the 63 starting pitchers from the 1940s who reached at least 200 games (listed in alphabetical order): Jim Bagby, Red Barrett, Ewell Blackwell, Tiny Bonham, Hank Borowy, Harry Brecheen, Max Butcher, Spud Chandler, Joe Coleman, Mort Cooper, Curt Davis, Bill Dietrich, Joe Dobson, Bob Feller, Dick Fowler, Howie Fox, Denny Galehouse, Hal Gregg, Steve Gromek, Orval Grove, Mickey Haefner, Joe Hatten, Ken Heintzelman, Kirby Higbe, Al Hollingsworth, Sid Hudson, Tex Hughson, Johnny Humphries, Fred Hutchinson, Al Javery, Dave Koslo, Jack Kramer, Max Lanier, Bill Lee, Thornton Lee, Dutch Leonard, Cliff Melton, Hugh Mulcahy, Bob Muncrief, Hal Newhouser, Fritz Ostermueller, Stubby Overmire, Claude Passeau, Howie Pollett, Nels Potter, Ken Raffensberger, Allie Reynolds, Preacher Roe, Buck Ross, Schoolboy Rowe, Johnny Sain, Ray Scarborough, Johnny Schmitz, Rip Sewell, Eddie Smith, Nick Strincevich, Jim Tobin, Dizzy Trout, Jim Turner, Johnny Vander Meer, Bill Voiselle, Bucky Walters and Hank Wyse.

The Honorable Mentions

Here are the 10 starting pitchers that just missed the top 10 for various reasons (listed in alphabetical order): Tiny Bonham, Curt Davis, Steve Gromek, Max Lanier, Bill Lee, Howie Pollett, Allie Reynolds, Preacher Roe, Schoolboy Rowe, and Rip Sewell.

The Top 10

10. Tex Hughson (1941-49) Career Length Grade: F

Raw Career: 225 G, 156 GS, 1,375.2 IP, 2.94 ERA, 125 ERA+, 8.3 H/9, 1.19 WHIP, 96 W, 112 W%+, 19 SHO, 4.9 SHO/40, 693 K and 1.9 K/BB

His career was so short that I don’t even list a peak career for him. His raw career is his peak career. He simply had a very short career. He missed the entire 1945 season because he was in the military for World War II, and after only eight seasons in Major League Baseball, he suffered from severe arm injuries that ended his career.

But he was an extremely high-caliber starting pitcher during the short career he did have.

He had a large arsenal of pitches in his repertoire that included a two-seam fastball, a curve ball, and a slider. His curve ball was a fast curve ball, and his two-seam fastball was a natural sinker. Hughson simply possessed a lot of good pitches, about six or seven different ones.

These pitches helped him lead the league in K/BB for two consecutive seasons during the 1944 and 1946 seasons. His career 1.9 K/BB is the best of any of the 10 starting pitchers on this list, including two Hall of Famers.

During his career, at one time or another, he also led the league in wins, W%, Ks and WHIP. By the time his career was through, he posted a career .640 W%. In fact, he recorded more than a .520 W% during seven of the eight seasons during his career, and he posted more than a .620 W% during six of those seven seasons. He was a winner.

There are three or four starting pitchers on the honorable mention list that have arguments to have this 10th spot on this list instead of Hughson. But the arguments are mostly to do with the fact that they had longer careers.

It is an argument with validity, but Hughson was such a high-caliber starting pitcher than most on the HM list that he gets this spot, even with his short career.

9. Claude Passeau (1935-47) Career Length Grade: C+

Raw Career: 444 G, 331 GS, 2,719.2 IP, 3.32 ERA, 113 ERA+, 9.5 H/9, 1.32 WHIP, 162 W, 114 W%+, 26 SHO, 3.1 SHO/40, 1,104 K and 1.5 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 425 G, 325 GS, 2,656.1 IP, 3.25 ERA, 116 ERA+, 9.3 H/9, 1.30 WHIP, 160 W, 116 W%+, 25 SHO, 3.1 SHO/40, 1,078 K and 1.5 K/BB (exclude his last season)

Peak Career: 205 G, 141 GS, 1,226.1 IP, 2.91 ERA, 133 ERA+, 8.9 H/9, 1.23 WHIP, 78 W, 119 W%+, 15 SHO, 4.3 SHO/40, 533 K and 1.8 K/BB (include his 1936, 1939, 1940, 1944 and 1945 seasons)

He helped lead his Chicago Cubs team to the World Series during the 1945 season. They lost, but it’s the last time the Cubs have been to the World Series. It has been more than 100 years since they won the Series, back when they had Ed Reulbach as a starting pitcher.

It certainly wasn’t Passeau’s fault that they didn’t win. In fact, he pitched three games during the World Series and never lost, and during the combined three games he pitched in, he posted a 2.70 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 3.8 H/9.

During one of those games, he pitched a one-hit shutout.

Passeau had a great career that saw him lead the league in SHO and Ks by the time it was through. He finished his career with more than 25 SHO.

Historians all remember how great this guy was, but it’s kind of tragic how forgotten this great starting pitcher is to most casual fans.

8. Dizzy Trout (1939-57) Career Length Grade: B-

Raw Career: 521 G, 322 GS, 2,725.2 IP, 3.23 ERA, 124 ERA+, 8.7 H/9, 1.35 WHIP, 170 W, 97 W%+, 28 SHO, 3.5 SHO/40, 1,256 K and 1.2 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 441 G, 281 GS, 2,373 IP, 3.11 ERA, 128 ERA+, 8.7 H/9, 1.34 WHIP, 151 W, 97 W%+, 28 SHO, 4.0 SHO/40, 1,090 K and 1.2 K/BB (exclude his last three seasons)

Peak Career: 230 G, 167 GS, 1,405.2 IP, 2.79 ERA, 143 ERA+, 8.4 H/9, 1.28 WHIP, 96 W, 106 W%+, 20 SHO, 4.8 SHO/40, 657 K and 1.3 K/BB (include his 1939, 1943, 1944, 1946, 1948 and 1950 seasons)

He led the league in SHO during consecutive seasons in 1943 and 1944 and finished his career with almost 30.

During his career, at one time or another, he also led the league in wins, ERA and ERA+. He recorded more than a 105 ERA+ during each of his first 10 seasons in Major League Baseball.

He was teammates with Hall of Fame starting pitcher Hal Newhouser for most of his career. They pitched most of their careers together for the Detroit Tigers.

During the 1944 season, Trout and Newhouser combined for more than 55 wins, posting almost 30 each. They combined for more than 40 wins during the next season in 1945 and again combined for more than 40 wins during the 1946 season.

So in the three combined seasons from 1944-46, the two of them combined for more than 140 wins; 80 for Newhouser and more than 60 for Trout. In fact, Trout posted more than 80 wins by himself during four seasons from 1943-46.

Trout helped his Detroit Tiger team to the World Series twice, and they captured the championship during the 1945 season. During the two combined Series, Trout posted a 1.72 ERA.

7. Spud Chandler (1937-47) Career Length Grade: F

Raw Career: 211 G, 184 GS, 1,485 IP, 2.84 ERA, 132 ERA+, 8.0 H/9, 1.21 WHIP, 109 W, 112 W%+, 26 SHO, 5.7 SHO/40, 614 K and 1.3 K/BB

Peak Career: 206 G, 179 GS, 1,448 IP, 2.79 ERA, 134 ERA+, 8.0 H/9, 1.21 WHIP, 107 W, 113 W%+, 25 SHO, 5.6 SHO/40, 601 K and 1.3 K/BB (exclude his 1944 and 1945 seasons)

There were a few reasons why he had a short career. He was 40 years old by the time his career was through, but he didn’t start pitching in Major League Baseball until he was 29. He missed most of the 1944 and 1945 seasons because he was in the military for World War II, and he suffered from arm injuries that ended his career after the war.

He’s certainly one of the best short career starting pitchers to ever grace the fields of Major League Baseball.

On this list, which includes two Hall of Famers, Chandler has the best career ERA and SHO/40; and he has the second-best career ERA+ and H/9. He was arguably the highest-caliber starting pitcher from this decade, and it is only his short career that drops him to the seventh spot on this list.

His career .717 W% is the best in the history of MLB for a starting pitcher.

Some historians argue that 1943, his last full season before he entered the military, is the best single season in the history of Major League Baseball for a starting pitcher. I’m not sure if I agree that it was the best ever, but I certainly see why it’s on historians' short lists.

During that 1943 season, Chandler posted a record of 20-4, .833 W%, 1.64 ERA, 197 ERA+ and 0.99 WHIP; leading the league that season in wins, W%, ERA, SHO, ERA+, WHIP and K/BB.

He also helped lead his New York Yankees to the World Series during that season. He started two games during that Series.

He won both games, completed both and recorded a SHO one of those games. He posted a 0.50 ERA during the two games combined, allowing only one earned run during the 18 innings he pitched during the World Series. It was certainly among the best single seasons in history, especially when combining the regular season and the World Series.

By the time his career was through, he helped the New York Yankees to the World Series four times, winning the championship three times. In the combined four World Series, Chandler posted a 1.62 ERA.

6. Mort Cooper (1938-49) Career Length Grade: D

Raw Career: 295 G, 239 GS, 1,840.2 IP, 2.97 ERA, 124 ERA+, 8.1 H/9, 1.22 WHIP, 128 W, 104 W%+, 33 SHO, 5.5 SHO/40, 913 K and 1.6 K/BB

Peak Career: 209 G, 170 GS, 1,340 IP, 2.55 ERA, 141 ERA+, 7.8 H/9, 1.16 WHIP, 101 W, 113 W%+, 30 SHO, 7.0 SHO/40, 673 K and 1.7 K/BB (exclude his 1940, 1941, 1947 and 1949 seasons)

He had an arsenal of pitches that included a fastball, screwball and forkball. Some historians still argue that he had the best forkball the game has ever seen.

His great repertoire of pitches helped him lead the league in wins during consecutive seasons in 1942 and 1943. He also recorded more than 20 wins the following season in 1944, making three consecutive seasons with more than 20 wins.

He led the league in SHO during two of those three seasons and during a career that saw him start in less than 240 games, he posted more than 30 SHO.

He also led the league in WHIP and K/BB twice during his career.

He played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals, and his brother caught for him at times. His brother was Walker Cooper, one of the great catchers from the era.

Mort Cooper had arm problems on and off during his career, and the injuries finally led to an early retirement and his fairly short career.

This quote from his Hall of Fame first baseman and teammate, Stan Musial, helps explain the pain he often pitched in:

“This great pitcher used to chew aspirins on the mound to dull the pain caused by bone chips in his elbow. Mort Cooper had a very good fastball and good forkball. He didn’t walk anybody. It was a pleasure to play behind him because he knew where he was going to pitch the hitters and you could play them accordingly, confident of Mort Cooper’s control.” —Stan Musial, HOF first baseman and teammate of Mort Cooper

5. Harry Brecheen (1940-53) Career Length Grade: D

Raw Career: 318 G, 240 GS, 1,907.2 IP, 2.92 ERA, 133 ERA+, 8.2 H/9, 1.19 WHIP, 133 W, 103 W%+, 25 SHO, 4.2 SHO/40, 901 K and 1.7 K/BB

Peak Career: 207 G, 157 GS, 1,287.1 IP, 2.67 ERA, 142 ERA+, 8.1 H/9, 1.16 WHIP, 96 W, 105 W%+, 20 SHO, 5.1 SHO/40, 618 K and 1.8 K/BB (exclude his 1940, 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1952 seasons)

His career 133 ERA+ still remains as the 17th best ERA+ in the history of Major League Baseball for a starting pitcher. He had more than a 110 ERA+ during each of the 12 seasons during his career.

He led the league in SHO during two of the three seasons from 1946-48, and during a career that saw him start in only 240 games, he posted 25 SHO.

At one time or another during his career, he also led the league in W%, ERA, Ks, ERA+, WHIP and K/BB.

He helped his St. Louis Cardinal teams to the World Series during three of the four seasons from 1943-46, winning the championship during two of those three World Series. He posted an .800 W% and 0.83 ERA.

4. Bucky Walters (1934-50) Career Length Grade: B

Raw Career: 428 G, 398 GS, 3,104.2 IP, 3.30 ERA, 115 ERA+, 8.7 H/9, 1.32 WHIP, 198 W, 113 W%+, 42 SHO, 4.2 SHO/40, 1,107 K and 1.0 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 400 G, 373 GS, 2,943.2 IP, 3.18 ERA, 119 ERA+, 8.6 H/9, 1.31 WHIP, 190 W, 114 W%+, 40 SHO, 4.3 SHO/40, 1,045 K and 1.0 K/BB (exclude his last three seasons)

Peak Career: 226 G, 216 GS, 1,791 IP, 2.54 ERA, 143 ERA+, 7.8 H/9, 1.19 WHIP, 126 W, 117 W%+, 23 SHO, 4.3 SHO/40, 679 K and 1.2 K/BB (include his 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1945 and 1946 seasons)

He was always a good hitter for a starting pitcher, and he actually played the infield when he played minor league baseball.

Switching him to starting pitcher ended up being a brilliant idea because he ended up being one of the best starting pitchers from his era.

During his career, he led the league in wins and H/9 three times and recorded almost 200 wins by the time he was through.

He led the league in ERA, WHIP and ERA+ in 1939 and 1940, and he posted under a 2.85 ERA during seven of eight seasons from 1939-46.

He helped lead his Cincinnati Reds team to the World Series in 1939 and 1940, capturing the championship in 1940. During the two combined Series, he posted a 2.79 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 6.5 H/9.

It’s why he arguably remains as one of the 20 best starting pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball who is not in the Hall of Fame.

3. Dutch Leonard (1933-53) Career Length Grade: A

Raw Career: 640 G, 374 GS, 3,218.1 IP, 3.25 ERA, 119 ERA+, 9.2 H/9, 1.26 WHIP, 191 W, 114 W%+, 30 SHO, 3.2 SHO/40, 1,170 K and 1.6 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 562 G, 346 GS, 2,975.2 IP, 3.17 ERA, 122 ERA+, 9.2 H/9, 1.25 WHIP, 182 W, 116 W%+, 29 SHO, 3.3 SHO/40, 1,060 K and 1.6 K/BB (exclude his 1949 and 1953 seasons)

Peak Career: 216 G, 120 GS, 1,048.1 IP, 2.65 ERA, 147 ERA+, 8.6 H/9, 1.20 WHIP, 70 W, 117 W%+, 11 SHO, 3.7 SHO/40, 426 K and 1.7 K/BB (include his 1938, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1951 and 1952 seasons)

His arsenal included three or four good pitches, including a great knuckle ball. In fact, some historians argue that it is Dutch Leonard that quietly possessed the best knuckle ball the game has ever seen.

There’s a neat quote by Hall of Fame second baseman Jackie Robinson about Leonard:

“I’m glad of one thing, and that is, I don’t have to hit against Dutch Leonard every day. Man, what a knuckle ball that fellow has. It comes up, makes a face at you, then runs away.” —Jackie Robinson, HOF second baseman

Dutch Leonard had great control with his pitches and rarely walked hitters. In fact, he had less than 80 walks during each of his 20 seasons in Major League Baseball; and he had less than 60 walks during 19 of his 20 seasons.

His great control helped him lead the league in WHIP and K/BB during his career.

But he didn’t lead the league in a bunch of categories during his career; he was usually among the leaders during a lot of his seasons without dominating. During his career, he was in the top five in the league in BB/9 12 times, leading twice. He was in the top 10 in K/BB 10 times, ERA seven times, WHIP seven times, SHO seven times, and wins six times.

So he led the league now and then, but he was usually right up there with the leaders when he didn’t set the pace.

Just a great starting pitcher that is often not on the tongues of historians enough. Walters, in the four spot, is not in the HOF either, but he seems to be brought up more than Leonard. Walters was great, too.

But when I compare the two of them, here’s what I find. First of all, they both had nice long careers, but Leonard’s was longer. Then I find that Leonard has a better career ERA, ERA+, WHIP, W%+, Ks and K/BB than W$$alters.

Walters is better in H/9, wins, SHO and SHO/40.

The two of them are close: 10 important starting pitching stats to look at, and Leonard is better in six, Walters in four; but Leonard has the longer career. They’re obviously and apparently very comparable. I give the edge to Leonard, though it’s ever so slight.

It’s why Dutch Leonard is very quietly one of the 10 best starting pitchers in the history of MLB that is not in the HOF.

2. Hal Newhouser (1939-55) Career Length Grade: A-

Raw Career: 488 G, 374 GS, 2,993 IP, 3.06 ERA, 130 ERA+, 8.0 H/9, 1.31 WHIP, 207 W, 107 W%+, 33 SHO, 3.5 SHO/40, 1,796 K and 1.4 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 439 G, 337 GS, 2,718.2 IP, 2.96 ERA, 134 ERA+, 7.9 H/9, 1.31 WHIP, 192 W, 105 W%+, 32 SHO, 3.8 SHO/40, 1,695 K and 1.5 K/BB (exclude his 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1955 seasons)

Peak Career: 227 G, 163 GS, 1,421 IP, 2.26 ERA, 167 ERA+, 7.2 H/9, 1.18 WHIP, 116 W, 118 W%+, 23 SHO, 5.6 SHO/40, 945 K and 1.8 K/BB (include his 1942, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948 and 1954 seasons)

He started his Hall of Fame Major League Baseball career as an 18-year-old during the 1939 season.

Though he was young, he was good right out of the gate, but it did take him two or three seasons to turn into the dominant Hal Newhouser that we have come to know and love.

Once he really got started, he was unstoppable.

He led the league in wins during four of the five seasons from 1944-1948, winning more than 20 games during each of the four seasons he led the league. By the time his career was through, he recorded almost 210 wins.

He led the league in H/9 during three of the five seasons from 1942-1946 and had less than 7.0 H/9 during each of the three seasons he led the league.

He led the league in ERA and ERA+ during two consecutive seasons in 1945 and 1946. He had less than a 1.95 ERA and more than a 185 ERA+ during each of those two consecutive seasons that he led the league.

He also led the league in Ks in 1944 and 1945.

It’s why he arguably still remains as one of the 10 best left-handed starting pitchers to ever grace the fields of MLB.

1.Bob Feller (1936-56) Career Length Grade: A+

Raw Career: 570 G, 484 GS, 3,827 IP, 3.25 ERA, 122 ERA+, 7.7 H/9, 1.32 WHIP, 266 W, 109 W%+, 44 SHO, 3.6 SHO/40, 2,581 K and 1.5 K/BB

Adjusted Career: 463 G, 393 GS, 3,152 IP, 3.10 ERA, 130 ERA+, 7.4 H/9, 1.30 WHIP, 225 W, 112 W%+, 39 SHO, 4.0 SHO/40, 2,311 K and 1.5 K/BB (exclude his 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1956 seasons)

Peak Career: 221 G, 187 GS, 1,570 IP, 2.67 ERA, 147 ERA+, 6.9 H/9, 1.23 WHIP, 116 W, 126 W%+, 24 SHO, 5.1 SHO/40, 1,336 K and 1.8 K/BB (include his 1936, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1945, 1946 and 1947 seasons)

He began pitching his Hall of Fame Major League Baseball career as a 17-year-old during the 1936 season.

He had a good arsenal of pitches that included a fastball that many argue was the best from the 1940s. In fact, some actually argue that it was the best that the game has ever seen.

Anyone that has read my articles before knows that I rate on the numbers, and not how much I personally like a player. I’ve said it before, I’m not a Randy Johnson fan, but he’s the best left-handed starting pitcher ever.

My point is, I don’t underrate a player because I don’t like him. The opposite is also true, I don’t overrate a player because I do like them. Having said that, Feller is a great man.

I’ve always had a place for Feller in my heart ever since I saw his interview with Bob Costas some time ago. Costas brought up the opinion (which is almost certainly fact) that Feller would have surely posted more than 300 career wins and over 3,000 Ks if he hadn’t missed three-and-a-half seasons because he was in the military for World War II.

Feller’s response was amazing. I don’t have the quote, but he basically said that defending his country was more important than 300 wins and 3,000 Ks, and he doesn’t regret not being in the 300 Win Club or the 3,000 K Club. He said he would do it the same all over again.

Always liked him since that interview, seems like a great man; but hey, I had him first on this list before I liked him. By the way, doesn’t Costas seems to bring the essence of what a person really is during his interviews. Costas is great; that’s a different story.

I want to run through some of Bob Feller’s league-leading stats and facts.

He led the league in Ks during seven of the eight seasons from 1938-48 and finished his career with almost 2,600 Ks.

He led the league in wins six times during his career and he won at least 20 games during each of those six seasons that he led the league. By the time his career was through, he posted more than 265 wins.

He led the League in SHO during four of the five seasons from 1940-47, and by the time his career was through, he recorded almost 45 SHO.

He led the league in H/9 from 1938-40, and he led the league in WHIP twice during his career.

There you go: the 10 best starting pitchers from the 1940s.