Rank These Pitchers (HOF Edition) (1 Viewer)

How would you rank these 3 pitchers that will be on the 2015 HOF ballot?

Mike Mussina

3562 IP

W/L of 270-153 (win % of 63.8)

2813 strikeouts

3.68 ERA / ERA+ of 123

1.192 whip

82.7 WAR; 7yr peak WAR of 44.5

Postseason: 140 IP, 3.42 ERA, 7-8 W/L, 1.103 whip

5x all-star, 7x gold glove

6x Top 5 in CY voting (another 3 years at #6)

JAWS - 28th best SP

3 most similar players: Andy Pettitte, Juan Marichal, David Wells

Curt Schilling

3261 IP

W/L of 216-146 (win % of 59.7%)

3116 strikeouts

3.46 ERA / ERA+ of 127

1.137 whip

80.7 WAR; 7yr peak WAR of 49.0

Postseason: 133 IP, 2.23 ERA, 11-2 W/L, 0.968 whip

6x all-star

4x Top 5 in CY voting (3x at #2)

JAWS - 27th best SP

3 most similar players: Kevin Brown, Bob Welch, Orel Hershiser

John Smoltz

3473 IP

W/L of 213-155 (win % of 57.9%)

3084 strikeouts

3.33 ERA / ERA+ of 125

1.179 whip

154 saves

66.5 WAR / 7yr peak WAR of 38.7

Postseason: 209 IP, 2.67 ERA, 15-4 W/L, 1.144 whip

8x all-star

1 CY award; 3x Top 5 (another 2x top 7)

JAWS - 58th SP

3 most similar players: Curt Schilling, Kevin Brown, Jim Bunning

these 3 are so very close in my opinion.

Smoltz was a dominant starter and reliever, putting up tremendous seasons and great playoff performances.

Mussina and Schilling are the Morris and Blyleven of their eras, both merit consideration for the HOF but I could go either way on whether they get in. Smoltz IMO is a lock.

It's not rational, but the parlor trick of 200 wins and 100 saves puts Smoltz over the top of the other two for me. Moose's career is incredible consistency which puts him second for me. I think if the bloody sock never happens, Schilling's career overall is just too inconsistent.

That said, I know nothing, and Schilling probably goes in first.

All three are HOF players to me. Moose was coming up with the Orioles when I was in my early 20s in the DC area, so I'll always be a little biased towards him.

When you consider what he did in the heart of the steroid era, pitching his entire career in the AL East, it's phenomenal IMO.

Smoltz...Mussina...Schilling

Very close though and I think all 3 are Hall of Famers.

Went Mussina/Schilling/Smoltz, but agree that it is close and all three are HOFers.

I marginally debit Smoltz for his time as a reliever rather than bump him for it. I'd have definitely put Smoltz first if he did not have the TJ/arm issues that either knocked him out, or sent him to the bullpen, for about 4 years.

Doctor Detroit said:

Smoltz was a dominant starter and reliever, putting up tremendous seasons and great playoff performances.

Mussina and Schilling are the Morris and Blyleven of their eras, both merit consideration for the HOF but I could go either way on whether they get in. Smoltz IMO is a lock.

Click to expand...

pretty much

Doctor Detroit said:

Smoltz was a dominant starter and reliever, putting up tremendous seasons and great playoff performances.

Mussina and Schilling are the Morris and Blyleven of their eras, both merit consideration for the HOF but I could go either way on whether they get in. Smoltz IMO is a lock.

Click to expand...

Agree with this pretty much.

I do think Smoltz will receive many votes as he switched to reliever really in the prime of his career, and pitched 3 pretty dominant years, and then went back to starter and was still dominant. I think quite a few voters will take this into consideration and figure he may have been good for another 50-60 wins if he stayed a starter. He won a cy young as a starter, and came in third as a reliever. He had quite a few fantastic seasons.

I would not have a problem if either Mussina or Schilling made the hof, but probably wouldn't vote for either.

i dunno. i see similarly dominant seasons from all 3 guys.

Intangibles and postseason...you got to go with Schilling. Went to the WS with three different teams; was a dominant postseason pitcher...made the most of his postseason performances. Plus, even though it sucks....the Bloody Sock is in The Annals of Storied Baseball Moments. Plus, he was involved in four of the most lopsided trades of all time. Schilling also did much of his damage despite not (because of injury and moving between starter and closer) really getting on track until almost 30.

Mussina probably did the most with the least. The O's were pretty bad....though his low win totals with the Yanks (a team he should have been 18-20 wins with yearly) probably cost him 300.

Smoltz probably did the least with the most. Converting to closer (although selfless) cost him....plus those Braves teams underachieved.

That being said, I think HOF goes....Smoltz gets in....Schilling should probably get in.......Mussina won't get in.

I like Mussina the most of the three. Those were some awful O's teams.

bump for today's vote