Why they rank here
The greatest pitcher ever, and it is not especially close. Johnson won 417 games — second only to Cy Young — for Washington Senators teams that were frequently terrible, with a 2.17 career ERA and a record 110 shutouts that will never be approached. His 3,509 strikeouts, achieved with a sidearm fastball contemporaries simply called invisible, stood as the record for 56 years until Nolan Ryan passed it in 1983. His 1913 season is arguably the best ever by a pitcher: 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA and 11 shutouts across 346 innings. Unlike many dead-ball stars, Johnson aged into legend: at 36 he finally reached the World Series in 1924, lost twice, then won Game 7 with four scoreless relief innings on one day of rest. His combined pitching and hitting WAR of roughly 165 ranks behind only Ruth among all players at any position.
Career profile
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Head-to-head
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