Which starting pitcher of the last 20 years had the best overall season in baseball?

Question

Another tough question! Dr. Maddux, K-Dro (Pedro), Schilling, Randy Johnson, Johan, Glavine, Smoltz, Any of the Big 3? chris Carpenter? Kevin Brown? Pick your soldier, pick your poison. 1 pitcher to rule them all...who is your champion?

*Note: The difference in choosing your favorite pitcher (Personally mine is Pedro) and picking the best pitcher are two very different things, keep an open mind folks and show me your perspective! Teach me something i don't know...

Answer 1

Maddux's 1995 season. 19-2, era of 1.62 when the rest of the NL's era was 4.23.

He had to average one run or less and go until at least the 6th inning to keep it there.

Answer 2

which means the genuine 5 gamers? or you pick my possibilities on who i imagine will pass interior the genuine 5 rounds? i have not truly checked it out yet to make sure what all the participant score will be. i'd ought to pass with this for now. genuine 5 position gamers; a million. A-Rod 2. H. Ramirez 3. M. Tiexiera 4. A. Pujols 5. D. Wright or M. Cabrera -- save an eye fixed on Josh Hamilton, Carlos Quentin and Ryan Braun. they're youthful adult men who had astounding years very last year. Will they save it up this year, or take a step decrease back? They likely are not first round possibilities this year, yet produced like ones very last season. A-Rod, you comprehend what you're gonna get. Hanley, nicely, the position else are you gonna get production like his from a shortstop? Teixeira, now on the Yanks, receives about 3000 RBI's this year... lol. genuine 5 Pitchers (starting up) a million. C.C. Sabathia 2. Santana 3. Lincecum 4. Cliff Lee 5. Peavy/ Webb -- Lincecum will be first if the Giants were given him some adult men who ought to hit. He nevertheless had 18 wins very last year. Peavy and Webb, i'm no longer positive what percentage wins they receives by using an similar motives because the Giants. No run help. Sabathia on the different hand, 11-2 record at the same time as he became traded to a crew that ought to grant run help. genuine 5 closers: a million. ok-Rod 2. Soria 3. Papelbon 4. Rivera 5. Nathan or Lidge

Answer 3

If you had said 21 years then it would have been

Dwight Gooden -1985
W-24 L-4 ERA-1.53

As good a year as anyone in the past 20.
Bret Saberhagen - 1989
W-23 L-6 ERA-2.16

Later: I will stick with Saberhagen as my choice, only one AL pitcher during the DH era has had, more wins, a lower ERA and a better winning percentage. It's so much tougher for an AL pitcher that the comparison isn't a fair one.
Ron Guidry - 1978
W-25 L-3 ERA-1.74

BTW: As you can see from my ID I'm a NL guy, who thinks the DH should go the way of the dinosaurs.

Answer 4

Maddux and Pedro are good choices. It's longer than 20 years, but Dwight Gooden's 1985 season was special. He was 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA. John Tudor's '85 season was special because he had 10 Shutouts...unheard of nowadays. Also had an ERA under 2 (1.93).

Answer 5

Maddux's '95 is a good choice. Randy Johnson's '95 was pretty good, too (18-2, 2.48 ERA, 294 K's in a strike-shortened year). It's cool that people are giving Bob Welch his due. But...

Pedro Martinez's 2000 season. Yeah, he only went 18-6, but he gave up 128 hits in 217 innings and had an ERA of 1.74. In the AL. Playing half his games in Fenway. That's astounding to me. I think I watched Wade Boggs knock 128 hits off the Green Monster one year just by himself...

Answer 6

In the last 20 years, the pitcher with the best overall season would be Bob Welch of the 1990 Oakland A's. During his magical campaign, he went 27-6 with a 2.95 era, 127 strikeouts (a fairly low number for a 20 game winner), and two shutouts (again, fairly low for a 20 game winner). Why is this remarkable? The A's would go on to represent the American League in the World Series (and get swept by Jose Rijo and the Cincinnati Reds), and Welch would win the Cy Young award of course. However, in 1991, Welch slumped to a 12-13 record with a 4.58 era. By far one of the steepest drops of a 20 game winner in a long time.

Answer 7

I'll give you a more obscure name, but may have been one of the best pitching seasons in 20 years.

Mike Scott's 1986 season with the Astros is my choice.
Despite not winning 20 games, he led the Astros to the division in a four-man rotation, threw 37 games, including 7 complete games and 5 shutouts, over 275 innings, only allowing 182 hits and 72 walks, and threw 306 SO, accumulating an ERA of 2.22.

He won the Cy Young award, and was 10th in MVP rankings.

So, for an alternate to Maddux, Johnson, Schilling and Martinez, I give you Mike Scott.

Answer 8

Maddux's 1995 season with the Braves was most impressive.

19-2, 10 CG, 3 SHO, 209 innings, 147 hits, 23 walks!, 181 K's, 1.63 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, Cy Young & 3rd in MVP voting.

Answer 9

In the past 20 years, it has to be Orel Hershiser in 1988. I am an Oakland A's fan, and I was still amazed at what he did to us in the World Series. How about this for a season: He led the league in wins (23), innings, and complete games. He pitched 95 consecutive scoreless innings, breaking Drysdale's record! Selected to the All-Star team. Won a Gold Glove. A UNANIMOUS Cy Young Award winner. A 2.26 ERA! Pitched in 4 games in the NLCS, and named MVP! He pitched a complete game shutout in the World Series, and won the clinching Game 5. He was World Series MVP, Sporting News Pitcher of the Year, and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year! For my money, no one season for a pitcher comes close to that!!

Answer 10

In the last 20 years? He's not even on your list.

Bob Welch, 1990

For the record, I'm NOT an A's fan.

Hershiser's 1988 was one for the ages, as well. This is where run suppport factors into the equation.