Yesterday, it was said that Sandy Koufax was the greatest pitcher ever…. and I agree with that IF YOU JUST LOOK AT HIS LAST 5 SEASONS! However, in his first 7 seasons, he was really bad, then bad, then pretty good. Then, in his last 5 seasons, he became GREAT! However, what if we narrowed it down to the GREATEST SEASON EVER by a starting pitcher? As great as Koufax was, he is only #5 on the All-Time Best Season List, and Clayton Kershaw is #9. Here’s the AI-generated list (at least I admit to using it):
Top 10 Pitching Seasons (Modern Era)
1. Bob Gibson — 1968
- 1.12 ERA, 304.2 IP, 13 SHO, 258 ERA+
- So overpowering MLB literally changed the rules after the season.
The benchmark. The monolith.
2. Pedro Martínez — 2000
- 1.74 ERA, 291 ERA+, peak steroid era, AL East
- Arguably, the hardest environment any pitcher has ever dominated.
The modern apex predator.
3. Greg Maddux — 1995
- 1.63 ERA, 260 ERA+, 209 IP in a normalized offensive era
- Precision so sharp it bent reality.
Pitching as architecture.
4. Dwight Gooden — 1985
- 1.53 ERA, 276 K, 229 ERA+, age 20
- Velocity + command + fearlessness.
A comet that hit the strike zone.
5. Sandy Koufax — 1965
- 2.04 ERA, 382 IP, 317 K, Cy + MVP
- Pain, power, perfection.
The left arm of destiny or God.
6. Roger Clemens — 1997
- 2.05 ERA, 292 K, 226 ERA+, Cy Young
- Peak power pitching before the storm fully broke.
Controlled violence on the mound.
7. Randy Johnson — 2002
- 2.32 ERA, 334 K, 225 ERA+
- A skyscraper throwing sliders from the clouds.
Unhittable geometry.
8. Lefty Grove — 1931
- 2.06 ERA, 31 wins, 217 ERA+
- Transition-era dominance with brutal workloads.
Old-school thunder.
9. Clayton Kershaw — 2014
- 1.77 ERA, 239 ERA+, MVP + Cy
- Peak modern efficiency in a high-offense league.
Elegance with teeth.
10. Zack Greinke — 2009
- 2.16 ERA, 229 ERA+, Cy Young
- Outsized dominance on a bad team.
A virtuoso solo recital.
A few notes that matter
- Workload penalty applied: Strike-shortened seasons (Maddux ’94) downgraded slightly.
- Context boost: Steroid era, DH leagues, and offensive environments weighed heavily.
- Postseason impact matters, but this list is primarily about regular-season supremacy.
MLB Top-10 Shortstops Right Now for 2026
Rank The Shredder Brian Kenny
1 Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
2 Corey Seager (Rangers) Gunnar Henderson (Orioles)
3 Francisco Lindor (Mets) Francisco Lindor (Mets)
4 Gunnar Henderson (Orioles) Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks)
5 Mookie Betts (Dodgers) Corey Seager (Rangers)
6 Geraldo Perdomo (Diamondbacks) Trea Turner (Phillies)
7 Trea Turner (Nationals) Mookie Betts (Dodgers)
8 Jeremy Peña (Astros) Elly De La Cruz (Reds)
9 Elly De La Cruz (Reds) Dansby Swanson (Cubs)
10 Zach Neto (Angels) Zach Neto (Angels)
And that’s after Mookie’s worst offensive season ever…
DH–Ohtani
RF–Tucker
SS–Betts
1B–Freeman
C–Smith
3B–Muncy
LF–Teo
2B–Edman
CF–Pages
SP1–Yamamoto
SP2–Ohtani
SP3–Glasnow
SP4–Sheehan
SP5–Wrobleski
SP6–Sasaki
[Assuming Snell starts late]
With all due respect to Zack Greinke, that Top Ten Pitching Seasons overlooked a big one….
Steve Carlton in 1972: 27 wins, 30 complete games, 8 shutouts, an ERA of 1.97
He did this for a last-place Phillies team that only won 59 games. Yes, he had nearly half of the Phils’ total wins. On a good team, he might have won 30.
This is why I love AI. I went back and asked this: “Steve Carlton in 1972: 27 wins, 30 complete games, 8 shutouts, an ERA of 1.97. Why was he not on the list? It seems he was better than Greinke.”
AI’s response:
You’re absolutely right to call that out. This isn’t nitpicking, it’s a legitimate correction. ⚾
Steve Carlton — 1972 deserved to be on the list, and yes, it clears Zack Greinke 2009 without much strain.
Let’s unpack why Carlton ’72 belongs and why Greinke was the soft spot.
The headline numbers (already mythic)
27–10 record
30 complete games (out of 41 starts!)
8 shutouts
1.97 ERA
ERA+: 182
WAR: ~12.1
Now add the context that turns this from great to historic.
The context hammer
Team record: 59–97 Phillies
Carlton’s wins: 27
Team wins without him: 32
That means Carlton personally accounted for ~46% of his team’s wins, which is borderline surreal. No modern pitcher comes close to that share.
He wasn’t just dominant, he was structural support. Remove Carlton and that team collapses into dust.
Why he sometimes gets undervalued historically
This is the key reason he gets bumped in casual top-10 lists:
Lower ERA+ than Gibson/Pedro
True, but ERA+ compresses value in already-low-offense environments.
1972 was pitcher-friendly, but not absurdly so
League ERA was ~3.26, meaning Carlton wasn’t riding a 1968-style dead-ball wave.
Narrative bias
No rule changes followed. No iconic postseason run. Just relentless excellence on a bad team.
But WAR, workload, and win-share all scream inner-circle season.
Head-to-head: Carlton ’72 vs Greinke ’09
Category Carlton 1972 Greinke 2009
ERA 1.97 2.16
ERA+ 182 229
Innings 346.1 229.1
Complete Games 30 0
Shutouts 8 2
WAR ~12.1 ~10.4
Team Quality Terrible Below average
Greinke was brilliant. Carlton was a one-man pitching staff.
Revised Top 10 (correction applied)
Out: Greinke 2009
In: Steve Carlton 1972
Updated #6–10 range
Clemens 1997
Randy Johnson 2002
Steve Carlton 1972
Clayton Kershaw 2014
Lefty Grove 1931
That ordering is debatable, but Carlton’s inclusion is not.
Bottom line
You were right. Carlton ’72 wasn’t a “nice mention” season.
It was a load-bearing pillar in pitching history, and it absolutely belongs ahead of Greinke.
Good Call, Duke!
Gracias…. I remember when it happened. Just mindboggling that a team so bad could have a pitcher that good.
I could see Ohtani and possibly Yamamoto slow walked given they will both be pitching in the WBC.
That sounds right. And I expect that, assuming they have solid springs, River Ryan and Gavin Stone may get some early opportunities as they compete with Sheehan and Sasaki for spots in the rotation.
Awesome lineup, especially if Mookie’s offense bounces back. I expect it will. The L/R rhythm that Roberts likes is a bit off, but I don’t think that matters: Tucker treats lefties and righties pretty much the same.
With fingers crossed, I’m expecting continued growth from Pages on both offense and defense. He showed all-star potential last season before his late-season slump. While some teammates will likely show age-related regression, Pages still has that “up” arrow. We’ll see.
Edman’s ankle may delay his return, which I hope will provide Kim with a full-time opportunity for several weeks. His presence makes the team younger. I’d have him batting ninth ahead of Shohei. If he succeeds, fantastic. If he struggles, no worries–Edman, Ibanez and Rojas can step in.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitchers River Ryan and Gavin Stone aren’t expected to make L.A.’s Opening Day rotation, per The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
“They are expecting Gavin Stone and River Ryan back from injury,” Ardaya wrote. “Stone led the team in innings during their 2024 title season. Ryan, according to The Athletic’s Keith Law, could be the top pitching prospect in baseball if he were completely healthy. Neither is projected to start the season in the rotation, not just because of workload but because the Dodgers still have six starters they like ahead of them right now.”
I bet one of them breaks camp with the big club….
I have thought that Ryan would be in the pen this year.
My money’s on Graterol not being ready
how about pitcher WAR in a season? I know it’s a different ERA, but the single top season for pitcher WAR was Pud Galvin in 1884. He was 46-22 with a 1.99 ERA, 71 CG in 72 starts, 636 IP, and 20.5 WAR.
how about most wins when pitcher wins meant something? IN the same 1884 season, Ol’ Hoss Radbourn went 60-12 with a 1.38 ERA, 73 CG in 73 starts. 205 ERA+, 678 IP?
I doubt that Galvin’s season would be included since 1884 was previous to when MLB was formally formed in 1890.
He’s in the HOF, as is Radbourn. These records are included in the MLB record book. The NL was founded in 1876. And either way, the question is whether their seasons should be included. They did happen.
I get it, but that was an entirely different era. They are not included for a reason.
Speaking of eras….
Where would Satchel Paige rate? Or others who were denied the opportunity to pitch in MLB in their primes?
Bob Gibson, when asked if Koufax was the defining pitcher of his generation, said “no”. He admitted that for a 6 year period, Koufax was the best pitcher in baseball, BUT he felt that his own excellence over a longer period outranked Koufax. While saying this he was essentially admitting that Koufax at his peak was a better pitcher, and not for 6 minutes but for 6 years. Mark, I concede your point that his first few years were not great, but keep in mind that Alston barely used him in those years. He should have been in the minors but had to be kept on the big club due to the bonus baby rules at the time. Because he pitched so few innings those first few years, they did not hurt his overall stats too awful bad, but for most pitchers those stats during that period would have been minor league stats and would not bring done his major league stats. Even with those stats included, Sandy’s numbers are beaten only by Walter Johnson and look at how dramatically Jonson’s numbers changed with the live ball. His live ball numbers are not so impressive. Koufax is the best ever.
rom Baseball-Alamanac.com
1877 Canvas bases 15 inches square were introduced.
Home plate was placed in the angle formed by the intersection of the first and third base lines.
The hitter was exempted from a time at bat if he walked.
1879 Player reserve clause was for the first time put into a contract.
The number of “called balls” became 9 and all balls were either strikes, balls or fouls.
The pitcher had to face a batsman before pitching to him.
A staff of umpires was first introduced.
1880 Base on balls was reduced to 8 “called balls.”
The base runner was out if hit by a batted ball.
The catcher had to catch the pitch on the fly in order to register and out on a third strike.
1883 The “foul bound catch” was abolished and the pitcher could deliver a ball from above his waist.
1884 All restrictions on the delivery of a pitcher were removed.
Six “called balls” became a base on balls.
Championships were to be decided on a percentage basis.
1885 One portion of the bat could be flat (one side).
Home base could be made of marble or whitened rubber.
Chest protectors worn by catchers and umpires came into use.
1887 The pitcher’s box was reduced to 4 feet by 5 1/2 feet.
Calling for high and low pitches was abolished.
Five balls became a base on balls.
Four “called strikes” were adopted for this season only.
Bases on balls were recorded as hits for this season only.
The batter was awarded first base when hit by a pitch.
Home plate was to be made of rubber only – dropping the marble type and was to be 12 inches square.
Coaches were recognized by the rules for the first time ever.
1888 Player reserve clause was written into the contracts of minor leaguers for the first time.
The base on balls exemption from a time at bat was restored.
A batsman was credited with a base hit when a runner was hit by his batted ball.
1889 Four balls became a base on balls.
A sacrifice bunt was statistically recognized.
1891 Substitutions were permitted at any point in the game.
Large padded mitts were allowed for catchers.
1893 Pitching distance increased from 50 feet to 60 feet 6 inches.
The pitching box was eliminated and a rubber slab 12 inches by 4 inches was substituted.
The pitcher was required to place his rear foot against the slab.
The rule exempting a batter from a time at bat on a sacrifice was instituted.
The rule allowing a flat side to a bat was rescinded and the requirement that the bat be round and wholly of hard wood was substituted.
1894 Foul bunts were classified as strikes.
1895 Pitching slab was enlarged to 24 inches by 6 inches.
Bats were permitted to be 2 3/4 inches in diameter and not to exceed 42 inches.
Infield-fly rule was adopted.
A held foul tip was classified as a strike.
1901 Catchers were compelled to remain continuously under the bat.
BUT
also from baseball-almanac.com-1903 Foul strike rule was adopted by the American League.
1904 Height of the mound was limited to 15 inches higher than the level of the baselines.
1908 Pitchers were prohibited from soiling a new ball.
Shinguards were reintroduced.
The sacrifice fly rule was adopted.
1910 The cork center was added to the official baseball.
1917 Earned-run statistics and definitions were added to the rules.
1920 All freak deliveries, including the spitball, were outlawed.
The failure of a preceding runner to touch a base would not affect the status of a succeeding runner.
The batter was given credit for a home run in the last of the ninth inning if the winning run was on base when the ball was hit out of the field.
The number of runs batted in were to be included in the official score.
Frivolous ninth-inning uncontested steals in one-sided games were discarded.
1925 Pitcher was allowed to use a resin bag.
The minimum home-run distance was set at 250 feet.
1931 Sacrifice fly rule was brought back, this time with a man scoring after the catch only.
Defensive interference was changed from an offense solely by a catcher to one by a fielder as well.
No fielder could take a position in line with a batter’s vision with the deliberate intent to in any way distract the batter.
Regulations referring to a batter contacting his own ball were clarified as was the area of bases awarded a batter when a defensive player threw his glove at a batted or thrown ball or in the case of spectator interference.
1953 Players were to remove their gloves from the field (in 1954) when batting and no equipment was to show on the field at any time.
1959 Regulations were set up for minimum boundaries for all new parks, 325-400-325 feet.
1968 The anti-spitball rule was rewritten and tightened up because of the wave of moistened pitches that floated plateward the prior season.
1969 The pitcher’s mound was dropped five inches.
The strike zone was shrunken to the area from the armpits to the top of the batter’s knees.
The save rule was added to the official rules for the first time.
1971 All major-league players were ordered to wear protective helmets.
1973 The rule on glove size and color was minutely outlined for standardization.
The American League began using designated hitter for pitchers on an experimental basis.
1974 The save rule was rewritten.
Minimum standards for individual championships were outlined.
1975 The ball was permitted to be covered with cowhide because of the shortage of horses.
Suspension for three days became mandatory if batter were to hit a fair ball with a filled, doctored or flat-surfaced bat.
The save rule was changed again.
see what I mean? baseball was and still is an everchanging sport.
Tuning into the Dodger Yankee exhibition game for Roy Campanella at the Coliseum in 1959. When Vin announced that the starting pitcher was Sandy Koufax I said “ Oh no not Koufax!”
I felt quite differently the next time he started against the Yankees opening the 1963 World Series.
There is a pretty good chance that this may be the Dodgers’ starting rotation in April:
1. Glasnow
2. Sasaki
3. Sheehan
4. Wrobleski
5. Stone
6. Ryan
Snell, Yamamoto, and Ohtani are being slow-walked.
It’s possible that no one on the Dodgers will start more than 20 games.
And I’d be fine with that.
That makes a lot of sense to me.
Oh, and BTW, the next Dodger first baseman after Freddie Freeman will be….
Kyle Tucker!
If that’s the case, they need to trade Rushing immediately.
They’re not going to play him in the outfield.
He’s not likely to catch more than 2 games a week.
Shohei’s contract makes him the DH through 2033.
So, if you’re right Mark (and I don’t think you are), Rushing will be a depreciating asset for every game he’s still here.
I personally think the plan is to make him Freddie’s successor at 1B although Freddie might stick around for an additional couple of years which would take him through 2029. I think they should trade Rushing while they can still get something for him. Tucker might have to battle DePaula for the future first baseman’s job.
I think Dalton will play 1B this year for Freddie, but when Freddie retired, I think Tuck is the guy.
Rush will catch once or twice a week and play 1B once a week. He could see some action in LF if they wanted to stack LH hitters.
I would not trade Rushing with Smith’s history.
MLB.COM ranked Andy Pages as the #6 best CF’er in baseball.
I don’t think Harrison Bader is ranked ahead of him.
😉
I’ll take Andy….
I just watched that video of the Toronto fan’s account of Game 7. Pretty good. “Story I didn’t want to tell” or something. That catch gutted them.
Does Tucker have experience at 1B?
He’d probably be fine–better than Joc was, certainly– but I’m guessing the prediction is based largely on the hope that at least two of the top OF prospects will succeed. Perhaps an OF of Hope-Quintero-Pages, with Sirota as 4th OF? I still want de Paula to learn 1B, just in case they all blossom.
Should Rushing be traded?
Well, for whom?
The Dodgers are so loaded that it’s difficult to propose plausible trades that can improve the team.
Except for Skubal, that is.
Dark horse to succeed Freddie: Shohei.
I don’t think he has, but he has a quick glove, and his defensive metrics are getting pretty bad. He’s better than Teoscar, but he’s sinking…
STB – hope you’re good.
I think I’d keep Rushing as things stand. Will is not getting any younger, and possibly another concussion or two away from seriously having to step back from catching at the level he is now.
You state that Shohei will be out DH through 2033 but if I’m being honest, I don’t see him pitching more than 2 or 3 more years.
I know we’ve touched on it before, but I see a move to LF for him at some point as I don’t see him wanting to ride the pine if he’s not pitching. Just my opinion of course. Would give us even more flexibility.
I agree that Shohei will not pitch much longer and he could play LF… or RF. I’m sure he could handle 1B, too.