Pitcher WAR Rankings
Our Player Rankings are based on Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and a combination of career, short and long peak performance, prime performance, and performance during championship seasons.
SCORE
Our formula that combines career, peak, prime, and championship WAR.
WAR
Career Wins Above Replacement.
WAR7
Top 7 seasons, based on Wins Above Replacement.
WAR5C
Best 5 consecutive seasons by Wins Above Replacement.
WAR3
Top 3 seasons, based on Wins Above Replacement.
CHWAR
Wins Above Replacement in pennant-winning seasons.
| RANK | PLAYER | HOF | FROM | TO | SCORE | WAR | WAR7 | WAR5C | WAR3 | CHWAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Johnson | Y | 1907 | 1927 | 592.7 | 165.2 | 83.1 | 61.3 | 40.0 | 11.9 |
| 2 | Greg Maddux | Y | 1986 | 2008 | 494.6 | 106.7 | 55.5 | 43.8 | 27.4 | 20.0 |
| 3 | Tom Seaver | Y | 1967 | 1986 | 460.2 | 110.1 | 56.7 | 40.9 | 28.8 | 17.9 |
| 4 | Randy Johnson | Y | 1988 | 2009 | 460.1 | 101.1 | 63.3 | 43.8 | 30.1 | 10.0 |
| 5 | Lefty Grove | Y | 1925 | 1941 | 460.0 | 106.1 | 66.5 | 46.0 | 30.8 | 26.6 |
| 6 | Bob Feller | Y | 1936 | 1956 | 459.4 | 63.9 | 51.8 | 48.5 | 29.2 | 3.7 |
| 7 | Pete Alexander | Y | 1911 | 1930 | 459.2 | 120.2 | 67.2 | 46.2 | 33.6 | 17.1 |
| 8 | Roger Clemens | N | 1984 | 2007 | 453.8 | 139.6 | 65.7 | 41.4 | 31.9 | 33.9 |
| 9 | Pedro Martinez | Y | 1992 | 2009 | 429.4 | 84.0 | 59.1 | 42.8 | 30.4 | 5.5 |
| 10 | Bob Gibson | Y | 1959 | 1975 | 414.1 | 89.4 | 55.9 | 42.5 | 30.5 | 19.7 |
| 11 | Cy Young | Y | 1890 | 1911 | 413.5 | 168.0 | 79.7 | 56.6 | 38.9 | 7.1 |
| 12 | Phil Niekro | Y | 1964 | 1987 | 413.4 | 96.2 | 53.6 | 40.1 | 26.7 | 0.0 |
| 13 | Bert Blyleven | Y | 1970 | 1992 | 410.2 | 95.0 | 50.7 | 35.0 | 25.0 | 7.8 |
| 14 | Warren Spahn | Y | 1942 | 1965 | 401.9 | 99.9 | 49.7 | 34.0 | 26.2 | 12.1 |
| 15 | Steve Carlton | Y | 1965 | 1988 | 398.1 | 90.5 | 51.6 | 31.8 | 29.2 | 15.7 |
| 16 | Robin Roberts | Y | 1948 | 1966 | 385.7 | 86.0 | 53.0 | 42.6 | 27.1 | 7.3 |
| 17 | Christy Mathewson | Y | 1900 | 1916 | 385.3 | 104.0 | 63.4 | 45.2 | 30.2 | 36.2 |
| 18 | Curt Schilling | N | 1988 | 2007 | 384.7 | 79.6 | 49.8 | 36.3 | 25.4 | 23.3 |
| 19 | Mike Mussina | Y | 1991 | 2008 | 376.0 | 83.0 | 44.5 | 28.2 | 21.9 | 13.7 |
| 20 | Fergie Jenkins | Y | 1965 | 1983 | 372.8 | 84.4 | 50.1 | 36.5 | 25.3 | 0.0 |
| 21 | Justin Verlander | N | 2005 | 2020 | 359.9 | 71.6 | 48.4 | 31.0 | 24.1 | 24.1 |
| 22 | Clayton Kershaw | N | 2008 | 2020 | 357.6 | 68.0 | 47.7 | 36.3 | 23.2 | 8.9 |
| 23 | Nolan Ryan | Y | 1966 | 1993 | 347.0 | 81.8 | 43.4 | 27.5 | 21.8 | 0.7 |
| 24 | Roy Halladay | Y | 1998 | 2013 | 345.8 | 64.3 | 51.3 | 34.0 | 25.3 | 0.0 |
| 25 | Zack Greinke | N | 2004 | 2020 | 341.4 | 71.7 | 45.2 | 26.8 | 25.2 | 1.3 |
| --- | HOF Starting Pitcher | --- | --- | --- | 337.7 | 76.8 | 47.7 | 34.9 | 24.8 | 13.3 |
| 26 | Tom Glavine | Y | 1987 | 2008 | 336.9 | 80.8 | 36.6 | 25.2 | 18.6 | 25.7 |
| 27 | David Cone | N | 1986 | 2003 | 334.7 | 62.4 | 43.7 | 30.7 | 21.0 | 11.0 |
| 28 | Max Scherzer | N | 2008 | 2020 | 334.7 | 60.3 | 47.0 | 34.9 | 22.8 | 10.0 |
| 29 | Juan Marichal | Y | 1960 | 1975 | 332.9 | 63.0 | 49.8 | 37.1 | 27.2 | 3.5 |
| 30 | Gaylord Perry | Y | 1962 | 1983 | 327.9 | 90.4 | 53.2 | 37.0 | 27.5 | 0.0 |
| 31 | Sandy Koufax | Y | 1955 | 1966 | 326.8 | 49.0 | 48.7 | 40.7 | 29.1 | 31.2 |
| 32 | Jim Palmer | Y | 1965 | 1984 | 326.2 | 68.9 | 47.0 | 30.7 | 22.6 | 19.3 |
| 33 | Carl Hubbell | Y | 1928 | 1943 | 322.0 | 68.4 | 45.6 | 37.3 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| 34 | Ed Walsh | Y | 1904 | 1917 | 314.8 | 66.0 | 59.9 | 48.1 | 32.4 | 4.7 |
| 35 | Stan Coveleski | Y | 1916 | 1928 | 314.8 | 60.3 | 52.9 | 40.3 | 26.5 | 15.0 |
| 36 | John Smoltz | Y | 1988 | 2009 | 313.7 | 69.1 | 37.3 | 24.0 | 18.6 | 24.9 |
| 37 | Rube Waddell | Y | 1897 | 1910 | 308.2 | 58.3 | 51.2 | 43.6 | 29.4 | 18.8 |
| 38 | Luis Tiant | N | 1964 | 1982 | 307.0 | 66.5 | 44.7 | 28.2 | 22.8 | 2.6 |
| 39 | CC Sabathia | N | 2001 | 2019 | 305.4 | 63.0 | 38.8 | 30.4 | 19.5 | 6.2 |
| 40 | Johan Santana | N | 2000 | 2012 | 305.1 | 51.6 | 44.2 | 35.6 | 23.3 | 0.0 |
| 41 | Eddie Plank | Y | 1901 | 1917 | 305.1 | 91.5 | 48.2 | 33.3 | 22.8 | 24.1 |
| 42 | Don Drysdale | Y | 1956 | 1969 | 304.5 | 67.2 | 42.1 | 29.9 | 21.0 | 17.9 |
| 43 | Dazzy Vance | Y | 1915 | 1935 | 301.7 | 60.1 | 51.2 | 36.6 | 28.3 | 1.0 |
| 44 | Jim Bunning | Y | 1955 | 1971 | 301.6 | 59.6 | 47.9 | 31.7 | 24.8 | 0.0 |
| 45 | Vic Willis | N | 1898 | 1910 | 296.6 | 63.7 | 51.5 | 34.7 | 27.7 | 9.7 |
| 46 | Hal Newhouser | Y | 1939 | 1955 | 294.9 | 63.3 | 50.5 | 40.9 | 28.7 | 12.5 |
| 47 | Dennis Eckersley | Y | 1975 | 1998 | 291.0 | 62.4 | 38.3 | 27.7 | 19.9 | 8.2 |
| 48 | Joe McGinnity | Y | 1899 | 1908 | 290.7 | 57.9 | 51.9 | 43.6 | 30.0 | 12.2 |
| 49 | Bret Saberhagen | N | 1984 | 2001 | 289.2 | 59.0 | 43.1 | 30.5 | 25.0 | 7.3 |
| 50 | Kevin Brown | N | 1986 | 2005 | 289.1 | 68.0 | 46.3 | 36.7 | 23.8 | 15.6 |
| 51 | Dave Stieb | N | 1979 | 1998 | 286.8 | 56.7 | 44.7 | 35.9 | 22.6 | 0.0 |
| 52 | Wes Ferrell | N | 1927 | 1941 | 286.5 | 61.2 | 46.2 | 30.2 | 23.3 | 0.0 |
| 53 | Ted Lyons | Y | 1923 | 1946 | 283.8 | 71.5 | 38.6 | 23.8 | 18.6 | 0.0 |
| 54 | Red Faber | Y | 1914 | 1933 | 283.4 | 65.0 | 41.5 | 32.4 | 26.7 | 2.3 |
| 55 | Don Sutton | Y | 1966 | 1988 | 281.1 | 67.0 | 34.5 | 22.6 | 18.3 | 12.0 |
| 56 | Orel Hershiser | N | 1983 | 2000 | 280.0 | 56.3 | 37.3 | 28.7 | 20.6 | 13.2 |
| 57 | Kevin Appier | N | 1989 | 2004 | 279.7 | 54.7 | 43.3 | 32.3 | 23.3 | 1.8 |
| 58 | Dwight Gooden | N | 1984 | 2000 | 274.8 | 53.0 | 36.1 | 29.2 | 22.1 | 7.0 |
| 59 | Felix Hernandez | N | 2005 | 2019 | 274.6 | 50.1 | 38.6 | 27.6 | 19.5 | 0.0 |
| 60 | Eddie Cicotte | N | 1905 | 1920 | 274.4 | 58.7 | 44.0 | 32.9 | 28.2 | 20.9 |
| 61 | Wilbur Wood | N | 1961 | 1978 | 274.0 | 50.3 | 47.2 | 39.1 | 29.9 | 0.0 |
| 62 | Mordecai Brown | Y | 1903 | 1916 | 273.2 | 58.3 | 40.8 | 35.7 | 24.0 | 25.4 |
| 63 | Mark Buehrle | N | 2000 | 2015 | 272.7 | 59.3 | 35.7 | 23.5 | 17.3 | 4.8 |
| 64 | Frank Tanana | N | 1973 | 1993 | 272.3 | 57.6 | 38.4 | 30.7 | 23.2 | 0.0 |
| 65 | Ron Guidry | N | 1975 | 1988 | 271.8 | 48.1 | 38.0 | 28.7 | 21.4 | 17.5 |
| 66 | Cole Hamels | N | 2006 | 2019 | 270.4 | 59.6 | 36.6 | 27.7 | 18.5 | 6.3 |
| 67 | Chuck Finley | N | 1986 | 2002 | 267.1 | 58.1 | 39.7 | 25.9 | 22.0 | 0.0 |
| 68 | Tim Hudson | N | 1999 | 2015 | 263.6 | 58.2 | 37.5 | 27.1 | 20.1 | 1.5 |
| 69 | Red Ruffing | Y | 1924 | 1947 | 262.3 | 68.7 | 33.8 | 23.5 | 18.2 | 29.0 |
| 70 | Whitey Ford | Y | 1950 | 1967 | 262.2 | 56.9 | 33.3 | 23.7 | 17.1 | 42.4 |
| 71 | Mickey Lolich | N | 1963 | 1979 | 261.4 | 48.3 | 38.6 | 30.3 | 21.6 | 0.9 |
| 72 | Urban Shocker | N | 1916 | 1928 | 261.2 | 58.9 | 42.7 | 31.4 | 21.5 | 7.3 |
| 73 | Tommy John | N | 1963 | 1989 | 260.7 | 62.0 | 34.4 | 20.9 | 16.6 | 11.1 |
| 74 | Frank Viola | N | 1982 | 1996 | 260.5 | 47.2 | 41.3 | 28.9 | 22.2 | 8.1 |
| 75 | Jimmy Key | N | 1984 | 1998 | 260.2 | 49.1 | 36.9 | 22.0 | 18.7 | 6.8 |
| 76 | Mark Langston | N | 1984 | 1999 | 259.7 | 50.3 | 41.7 | 26.9 | 22.4 | 0.0 |
| 77 | Early Wynn | Y | 1939 | 1963 | 259.1 | 61.1 | 35.0 | 23.9 | 19.3 | 8.0 |
| 78 | Rick Reuschel | N | 1972 | 1991 | 258.6 | 69.7 | 43.0 | 31.1 | 21.4 | 4.3 |
| 79 | Dizzy Dean | Y | 1930 | 1947 | 257.2 | 45.6 | 40.7 | 34.6 | 22.1 | 15.2 |
| 80 | Andy Pettitte | N | 1995 | 2013 | 256.9 | 60.3 | 34.9 | 22.3 | 20.8 | 30.6 |
| 81 | Cliff Lee | N | 2002 | 2014 | 254.3 | 43.5 | 40.0 | 30.1 | 22.8 | 2.5 |
| 82 | Roy Oswalt | N | 2001 | 2013 | 254.0 | 50.1 | 38.0 | 25.5 | 19.6 | 5.9 |
| 83 | Billy Pierce | N | 1945 | 1964 | 253.9 | 53.2 | 38.6 | 26.4 | 20.3 | 3.9 |
| 84 | Mariano Rivera | Y | 1995 | 2013 | 253.1 | 56.2 | 28.7 | 18.4 | 13.5 | 29.4 |
| 85 | Chris Sale | N | 2010 | 2019 | 252.0 | 45.3 | 39.6 | 27.3 | 19.5 | 6.9 |
| 86 | Jerry Koosman | N | 1967 | 1985 | 249.0 | 53.9 | 37.9 | 18.4 | 19.4 | 11.7 |
| 87 | Hippo Vaughn | N | 1908 | 1921 | 248.0 | 46.4 | 41.7 | 33.7 | 21.9 | 7.8 |
| 88 | David Wells | N | 1987 | 2007 | 247.2 | 53.6 | 30.8 | 19.8 | 14.1 | 7.2 |
| 89 | Sam McDowell | N | 1961 | 1975 | 245.8 | 41.9 | 42.0 | 26.7 | 23.0 | 0.0 |
| 90 | Vida Blue | N | 1969 | 1986 | 245.3 | 45.4 | 38.7 | 21.0 | 22.5 | 4.8 |
| 91 | Curt Davis | N | 1934 | 1946 | 244.1 | 38.6 | 30.7 | 30.2 | 18.7 | 2.4 |
| 92 | Larry Jackson | N | 1955 | 1968 | 242.5 | 52.1 | 35.1 | 24.1 | 18.5 | 0.0 |
| 93 | Jacob deGrom | N | 2014 | 2020 | 242.1 | 34.9 | 34.9 | 29.6 | 22.1 | 5.2 |
| 94 | Steve Rogers | N | 1973 | 1985 | 241.2 | 44.9 | 37.6 | 24.2 | 18.7 | 0.0 |
| 95 | Bucky Walters | N | 1934 | 1950 | 240.8 | 53.3 | 37.5 | 25.5 | 21.2 | 14.6 |
| 96 | Dennis Martinez | N | 1976 | 1998 | 240.7 | 49.0 | 34.0 | 22.8 | 16.2 | 7.7 |
| 97 | Fernando Valenzuela | N | 1980 | 1997 | 240.3 | 42.1 | 33.2 | 24.0 | 16.5 | 4.8 |
| 98 | Bobo Newsom | N | 1929 | 1953 | 240.1 | 47.9 | 38.4 | 26.6 | 21.8 | 9.7 |
| 99 | Eddie Rommel | N | 1920 | 1932 | 240.0 | 49.7 | 39.2 | 28.4 | 18.9 | 6.4 |
| 100 | Wilbur Cooper | N | 1912 | 1926 | 239.2 | 53.7 | 38.3 | 27.5 | 19.3 | 0.0 |