Top 4 Dead Ball Era Pitchers

Indexé : 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]While pre-1900's baseball had some of the biggest rule changes in MLB history just because they were figuring out the sport and getting it all together, the dead ball era also had its fair share of changes. And some of the changes included the ball being changed to a hard rubber core in the early 1900s, open for more offense. That would then change later on going to a lighter cork core. While that was supposedly to increase the offense, balls were hardly ever replaced in the dead ball era unless they were lost in the stands.

[00:00:33]Otherwise, pitchers had complete control. They were able to muck up the ball as much as they wanted, do basically whatever they wanted to to the ball and pitchers had complete advantage. This is Nick from the 10th inning and in today's video I will be giving you the top four pitchers of the dead ball era. The dead ball era in mob is usually a time period that is recognized through 1901 to 1920. We get some of the best pitchers the game had ever seen. They raised the mound to a maximum of 15 in high, but with no standardized height, the mount could change at will depending on teams and even dayto-day based on pitchers preferences. The fourth best pitcher of the dead ball era was a pitcher seen in the greatest pre-1900s baseball list, Sai Young. Pitching from 1901 to 1911 in the era, Young accumulated a 70.7 war, a 225 and 146 record, a 2.12 ERA, started in 369 games, throwing complete games in 331 of them for 44 shutouts, going for 3,312 in a third inning, 1,563 strikeouts, 413 walks, a 1.00 000 whip, a 2.15 erra, a 3.78 strikeout to walk ratio, and a 138 erra plus. Already a legendary pitcher entering his age 34 season, the first year of the dead ball era happened to be Yarn's best. Joining the Red Sox, Jan led the newly formed American League with 33 wins. Jan also led the league with a 1.62 62 RA and a.972 whip, 158 strikeouts, and what easily was his best pitching season of the new century. Jarn accounted for 33 of his team's 79 wins on the season. 1902 and 1903 also saw Yarn lead the lead in wins, tallying 32 and 28 with an erra just over two for that time frame. Jan remained with the Red Sox through the 1908 season and those seasons from 1904 until 1908 saw an erra of over two just once during the 1906 season. After leaving the Red Sox for the 1909 season, Young pitched until the 1911 season, but he was not the same pitcher that he once was. Retiring after the 1911 season, Young left the game as the all-time leader in many categories and made an early statement for the best pitcher in both the 19th and the 20th century. At number three, we have Grover Alexander, better known as Grover Cleveland Alexander or Pete Alexander. In the era, Alexander pitched from 1911 to 1919, posting a 69 and a half war, a 208 and 100 record, a 2.09 09 ERA, 307 games started, 242 complete games, 70 shutouts, 2,753 in pitched, 1539 strikeouts, 596 walks, a 1.052 whip, a 2.32 FIP, a 2.58 strikeout to walk ratio, and a 145 ERA plus. debuting during the 1911 season, Alexander immediately made a splash, leading the National League in wins with 28 and shutouts with seven. The following two seasons saw 19 and 22 victories before Alexander went on to lead the lead in four straight seasons in wins from 1914 to 1917.

[00:03:59]27, 31, 33, and 30 victories came during those seasons. Alexander also led the league in erra during the 1915, 1916, and 1917 seasons, posting ERAs of 1.22, 1.55, and 1.83.

[00:04:18]Seven seasons into the league, Alexander was great at getting wins, not allowing runs, and striking batters out.

[00:04:24]Alexander led the league in five of those seven seasons in strikeouts and looked to be one of the NL's best. 1917 was Alexander's final season in Philadelphia, being traded to the Cubs in December of 1917.

[00:04:37]After only three games in 1918, Alexander was drafted into the Army and missed the remainder of the 1918 season.

[00:04:43]Bad for the 1919 season, Alexander led the league with a 1.72 ERA. And from 1915 to 1919, there may not have been a better pitcher than Grover Cleveland Alexander, winning 112 games with a 1.57 erra rate over that time frame.

[00:05:01]Alexander never won any awards during his time in the league, but between him and Christy Matthew, he was one of the best two pitchers in the National League during the dead ball era and just one of the best pitchers of that era overall.

[00:05:14]Speaking of Christy Matthew, he is our second best pitcher of the dead ball era. Pitching from 1901 to 1916, Matthew put a war of 101.4, 4, a 373 and 185 record, a 2.11 RA, 551 games started, 434 of which were complete games, 79 shutouts, 4,755 innings pitched, 2,492 strikeouts, 828 walks, a 1.054 whip, a 2.25 FIP, a 3.01 01 strikeout to walk ratio and a 137 erra plus. Making his debut in 1900, Matthew got some of the kinks out and at the start of the era in 1901, he was one of the National League's best. Pitching with the New York Giants, Matthew was really remembered as the first modern star of the era, recording 20, 14, 30, and 33 victories through 1904. He never posted an ERA over 2.5.

[00:06:19]1905 though really saw how good Matthew could truly be, leading the lead with a 1.28 erra and 31 victories. This was also his third straight season posting over 200 strikeouts. Matthew's fadeaway pitch or a screw ball was nearly unhitable when thrown correctly and it baffled batters, made Matthew look even more dominant, and his stats showed it.

[00:06:42]After his 1.28 RA in 1905, Matthew posted a 2.97 and 2.0 0 RA in 1906 and 1907 before leading the lead four times in ERA over the next six seasons. A 1.43 ERA in 1908, a 1.14 ERA in 1909, a 1.99 ERA in 1911, and a 2.06 ERA in 1913 were all the seasons that he led the league.

[00:07:08]There was no one in the National League better over this time frame. And Matthew also led the league in wins in 1910 with 27. From 1907 to 1913, Matthew never posted an erra above 2.12 and he won at least 20 games in each of those seasons.

[00:07:24]He was the standard in every great pitcher afterward would be compared to him. One final 20 win season came in 1914, followed by eight in 1915 and four in 1916 when he split time between the Giants and the Reds. tied with Rover Alexander and wins. Matson compiled all 373 of his during this era and was easily the best pitcher of the NL.

[00:07:48]Without the next pitcher, the big train, he would have an argument for the best pitcher in the MLB.

[00:07:54]However, number one has to be the big train, Walter Johnson.

[00:07:59]Walter Johnson pitched from 1907 to 1919 in this era. Compiled a war of 123.1, a 291 and 191 record, a 1.65 65 RA, 439 games started, 388 of which were complete games, 86 shutouts, 4,90 and 2/3 an inch pitched, 2,614 strikeouts, 818 walks, a.969 width, a 1.94 FIP, a 3.2 strikeout to walk ratio, a 172 RA plus, and one MVP over this time frame. Joining the American League's Washington Senators in 1907, Walter Johnson never played for good teams and therefore his record didn't do any favors for him. Still, he was good as any right away. Going 500 or worse in each of his first three seasons, Johnson posted a 1.88 ERA, 1.65 RA, and 2.22 RA in those seasons. only really having a fast ball up to that point. Johnson added a curveball in the 1910s and went from great to even greater. In 1910, Johnson won 25 games with a 1.36 erra and began a streak of 10 straight 20 win seasons. A 1.9 erra came with 25 wins in 1911. And then Johnson really came alive, leading the lead with a 1.39 ERA in 1912 before leading with a 1.14 erra in 1913 in route to his MVP. 1913 also saw Johnson lead the league in wins with 36. This would be the first of four straight seasons and five of the next six leading the league in wins. 28 in 1914, 27 in 1915, 25 in 1916, and 23 in 1918.

[00:09:49]Johnson was an absolute workhorse on the mound and in the era strong. Johnson led the league in erra and strikeouts during the 1918 and 1919 seasons with a 1.27 erra and 162 strikeouts in 1918 and a 1.49 and 147 strikeouts in 1919.

[00:10:08]Johnson ended the era with an absolutely ridiculous 1.65 RA. Johnson was not only one of the era's best, but he will always be remembered as one of the best in general and will always be brought up when discussing the best pitchers ever.

[00:10:23]And it all started with an absolutely great dead ball era. So, those are the four best pictures of the dead ball era.

[00:10:30]Did I get it right? Did I forget anybody? Let me know in the comments section. And thank you all for watching the