Has there ever been a more talented pitcher than Dwight Gooden?

Answer 1

In 1985 and 1986 there was no pitcher more talented than Gooden. What a waste though... I remember the Yankees were trying to market their young fire-baller at that time... Jose Rijo...

Love him with the Reds

Answer 2

Gooden's first few years in the major leagues were incredible. When a rookie starts the way Gooden did, every hope... every dream is possible.

His 1985 season (2nd year in the majors) remains a testament to what he could have achieved in a brilliant Major League career.

No one knows more than Gooden the legacy he could have left behind and in hindsight... I'm sure he would have changed alot of things in his life. He fellow teammate at the time, Darryl Strawberry, also had this tremendous potential (and one of the sweetest strokes I've ever seen) and has often remarked about the mistakes he had made in life as a ballplayer...

No doubt.. Dwight Gooden was very talented but there remains alot of pitchers who not only accomplished what he did but were also able to maintain a level of excellance for far longer.
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Answer 3

I'd have to say that there are countless pitchers more talented than Dwight Gooden. Statistically, his closest comparison is David Cone, and I don't think anyone would consider David Cone to be one of the all-time greats. Doc had two PHENOMENAL seasons ('84 and '85) and several very-good-to-great seasons, but to even consider him in the question of "most talented", in front of old timers like Lefty Grove, Walter Johnson, and Christy Matthewson, "more recent" retirees like Sandy Koufax, Whitey Ford, and Bob Gibson, and modern players like Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux, and Roger Clemens is, well, comical. I'd even go so far as to say that Johan Santana has shown more talent thusfar in his career than Dwight Gooden.

That's not a slap at the Doc. The guy was an excellent pitcher. But there's a reason that Gooden only got 3.3% of the votes for the Hall Of Fame last year, and unlike others have joked, it's not because of the cocaine. It's like asking if there was ever a better base stealer than Tim Raines. Yeah, Raines was an excellent base stealer, but it doesn't take much thought to realize there were others much better.

Answer 4

Are you smoking what Gooden got caught smoking?
Let me see
Nolan Ryan
Bob Gibson
Sandy Koufax
Ron Guidry
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
Curt Shilling
Bert Blyleven
Jim Kaat
and so on and so forth.

Answer 5

Yes - Sandy Koufax, Christy Mathewson, and Nolan Ryan come to mind. Gooden is up there as far as raw talent, but I think his talent gets overstated a bit because of how badly he squandered it - it sounds better to say "most natural talent ever, wasted" than "in the top tier".

Answer 6

Does that mean the MLB should change the CY YOUNG award to the THIS IS ONE DUMB QUESTION award?

Last I heard, Gooden was no where close to Cy Young's career numbers.....nor Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Warren Spahn, Grover Alexander, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton.

Answer 7

New York Yankee's prospect Brien Taylor was supposed to be pretty talented - r u thinking of him, maybe?

"Time may be running out for the Yankee career of Brien Taylor, the former No. 1 draft pick from 1991 who signed for a $1.55 million bonus, then suffered a shoulder injury in a fight two years later and has never been the same."

Answer 8

Gooden did it twice, Clemens and Maddux have done it CONSISTENTLY for 20 years.

After a game, Gooden would party. Clemens and Maddux would study. Gooden was a "pro athlete", Clemens and Maddux ARE ballplayers.

Answer 9

Yes. I will name them:
Roger Clemens
Randy Johnson
Pedro Martinez
Curt Shilling
Andy Pettite
David Cone
David Wells
Roy Halladay
Greg Maddux
Tom Glavine
John Smoltz
Feel free to come up with more as I am sure there are.

Answer 10

Roger Clemens