The recent success of pitching phenom Felix Hernandez has brought to mind other young pitchers who left their mark on the major leagues. With Hernandez in mind, I thought I would take a look at the best 19 year old pitchers in baseball history.

 

Scanning for these pitchers, one can not help but note that the number of teenage players in the major leagues has declined drastically in the present age. Last year, B.J. Upton was the only teenager to play in the major leagues. Fifty years ago, it was common to see at least five teenagers in each league. The primary reason for the abundance of young players then was the "bonus baby" rule. In an effort to discourage big market clubs from signing the best amateur talent, the rule stipulated that a team that signed an amateur to a sizeable contract must keep that player on its big league roster for two years. One such pitcher, Tom Qualters, pitched a third of an inning over two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. In the days before farm systems, teams would keep young players on their rosters since this was the only way of holding their rights. These days, the advent of the modern farm system generally keeps young players out of the Majors until they are ready.

 

Some care has been exercised in selecting pitchers from the 19th Century. Some pitchers show up on leaderboards almost by historical accident instead of any terrific ability at a tender age. Elmer Smith won 34 games at the age of 19. However, he did it in 52 starts, in the American Association. His 34 wins ranked third in the league. That is fairly impressive, but it is not the same as a pitcher winning 34 games in the majors today. That he never found success outside of the American Association probably indicates the quality of his competition. That many 19 year old pitchers with a pile of wins came from the American Association speaks more for the league than for the players. League quality was also a factor in excluding any player not from the National League in the 19th Century, and certain other cases such as Rube Bressler, who entered the American League in 1914 when Federal League raids left the talent pool drier than usual.

 

1. Bob Feller, 1938

 

Bob Feller reached the major leagues as a 17 year old in 1936, impressing observers at a very young age by striking out more than a batter an inning. 1938 marked Feller's third year in Major League Baseball, and his wildest. Feller pitched 277.7 innings and won 17 games. He also struck out 240 batters and walked an astounding 208. Amazingly however, Feller threw just 5 wild pitches and hit only seven batters. Walks were extremely common in Feller's day, as only two American League clubs threw more strikeouts than walks. And one of those clubs, the New York Yankees, beat their walk total by one. And that club led the league in ERA by almost half a run! So much of Feller's high walk totals are due to the unusual playing conditions of his day.

 

Feller went on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career, leading the league in wins six times, strikeouts seven times, and shutouts four times. Feller also won a world championship with the '48 Indians, the first American League club to integrate.

 

2. Amos Rusie, 1890

 

I will have plenty more to say on the 19th Century later on. Despite my later proclamations, Rusie stands out as a superior pitcher here. In 1890, Rusie compiled a 29-34 record with a 2.56 ERA, 341 strikeouts and 289 walks in 548.7 IP. What Rusie brought to the mound was not so much effectiveness as a change in the fundamental way baseball was played. For his time, Rusie threw one of the best fastballs in the history of baseball. Moreover, Rusie stood 50 feet away and had a running start. When more pitchers of Rusie's ilk entered the majors, batting plummeted. By 1892, the league batting average was .245. The next year the National League adapted its rules to move the pitcher back to his present distance and style.

 

3. Gary Nolan, 1967

 

Nolan made his MLB debut in 1967, compiling a 14-8 record with a 2.58 ERA and 206 strikeouts in 226.7 innings. Nolan however never experienced a season as good the rest of his career. Assorted injuries plauged Nolan for several years, until he missed nearly all of 1973 and all of '74. Nolan returned to post two good seasons in 1975-76, but never reached the heights of his early career. He retired by age 30 with a career record of 110-70.

 

4. Wally Bunker, 1964

 

Wally Bunker made a single start with the Orioles in 1963, giving up six runs in four innings. He returned in 1964 to post an excellent 19-5 record alongside a 2.69 ERA. However, you DipS fans may notice a problem, as Bunker struck out just 96 batters in 214 innings, along with 62 walks. Quite frankly, Bunker was hit lucky. Without the same luck, Bunker fell to mediocracy, and retired after the 1971 season with a meager 60-52 record.

 

5. Dwight Gooden, 1984

 

A few of you may remember this gentleman. Gooden dominated in '84, compiling a 17-9 record along with a 2.60 ERA in 218 innings, striking out 276, walking 73, and giving up just three home runs. Gooden had amazing talent and control. The next year Gooden harnessed that talent into a legendary season, posting a 24-4 record and 1.53 ERA. However, those two seasons were Gooden's best. Due to either overuse or drug abuse, Gooden quickly became an average pitcher, and he floated around for the next 15 years, including one World championship year with the New York Yankees in '96.

 

6. Larry Dierker, 1966

 

Fans who remember Dierker as a manager may not realize he was a very good pitcher in his day. Dierker debuted for a weak Astros expansion club in 1964 as a 17 year old. The club was committed to building with youth, and given the Mets' early decade failures, it is shocking the Mets won the pennant first. Dierker in '66 compiled a 10-8 record along with a 3.18 ERA, about league average at the time. Dierker experienced a great season in 1969 at the age of 22, winning 20 games with a 2.33 ERA. However, he hurt his shoulder in 1973, and while Dierker pitched one more good season and a no-hitter in 1976 he was out of the big leagues at 30. Dierker still rates second in Astros' history in wins behind knuckleballer Joe Niekro.

 

7. Bert Blyleven, 1970

 

If there is one single favorable comparison for Felix, it is Blyleven. Many fans remember Blyleven as the aged gopherballer of the late '80s. Blyleven was a great young pitcher in the 1970s, posting low ERAs for largely losing teams. In 1970, Blyleven made 25 starts, compiling a 10-9 record along with a 3.18 ERA, 135 strikeouts and just 47 walks. Blyleven would not post a higher ERA until 1979, when his Pittsburgh Pirates won a world championship. Blyleven is a deserving Hall of Fame candidate with 287 wins, and his curveball is often rated as one of the greatest.

 

8. John Montgomery Ward, 1879

 

Ward certainly deserves to rank on this list, but the question is where? To understand John Ward's season, you need to understand a little about 19th century pitching. Pitchers of Ward's day stood 50 feet from the plate, not the 60 1/2' they do today. Pitchers threw from a box instead of the pitcher's rubber, and they threw underhanded. Every team carried one pitcher who started virtually every game. Most importantly, the league ERA was 2.50, while teams scored 5.31 runs a game. In other words, teams scored 2.81 unearned runs every game. The league fielding percentage came in under .900. Teams only walked 0.8 batters per game, mostly because it took nine balls to walk a hitter. Hitters were expected to put balls in play and not work the count, and for that reason we assume pitch counts were very low compared to today's games.

 

With that said, let's hit the individual criticisms of John Ward's season. Ward produced a 2.15 ERA in 587 innings. The league ERA was 2.35, so Ward comes in slightly below average. Ward won 47 games, but did so for a team that led the league in scoring runs. These seem like petty arguments to an extent. After all, no other pitcher is within ten wins, no matter when he played. I think the main problem is that fielders played the primary role over pitchers when it came to scoring runs, particuarly in the earliest stages of the game. The National League of the 1879 was a major league in the loosest sense of the word, running teams in Syracuse and Troy. The caliber of competition Ward faced was a fraction of what the majors are today.

 

9. Smokey Joe Wood, 1909

 

After a cup of coffee the year before, Wood compiled an 11-7 record for the Boston Red Sox along with a 2.18 ERA. Wood made 19 starts and completed thirteen of them. Wood went on to go 12-13 in 1910, 23-17 in 1911, and 34-5 in 1912. For two years, Wood was the dominant pitcher in baseball. However, arm troubles ended Wood's effectiveness as a pitcher soon after. Undaunted, Wood left the majors for a season and returned as an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians. Wood saw mostly part-time action until landing the right field job in his last season in 1922. Wood retired with a career batting line of .283/.357/.411, very respectable numbers. Wood's pitching line stood at 117-57, with a 2.03 career ERA. It is arguable that after Ruth, Wood rates as the greatest hitting/pitching combination in major league history. This is Rick Ankiel's dream career.

 

10. Don Gullett, 1970

 

Gullett entered the Reds' bullpen in 1970, pitching 44 games, 77.7 innings, and giving the Reds an ERA of 2.43 with 6 saves for his efforts. Gullett then pitched effectively in the 1970 playoffs, giving the Reds 10.3 innings with an 0.87 ERA. The Reds lost the World Series thanks to Brooks Robinson's glove, but Gullett did much to bring the Reds as far as they got. Gullett earned a starting job the next season, and went on to earn a 109-50 record in the majors. However, repeated shoulder injuries ended Gullett's career prematurely. Looking over Gullett's career record, it is fun to note that Gullett played on four consecutive World Championship teams, the 1975-76 Reds, and 1977-78 Yankees. For those who are wondering, I believe the record is five, shared by twelve members of the 1949-53 Yankees.

 

What does this all mean for Felix Hernandez? One, he is still subject to the same rash of arm injuries that can plague any group of young pitchers. He could be a Hall of Famer, or he could be all but finished in ten years. It is a matter of staying healthy. Second, there is no real consistant pattern to pitching prospects. Pitchers can spin in a number of ways, and there is little to predict them. I can say with a measure of confidence however that Hernandez's raw talent is incredible, and certainly gives him a leg up on the competition. I give him my encouragement. Baseball needs more exciting pitchers like him.

I must say, this 19th century stuff is quite fascinating.

Thank you. Many times fans will cite statistics from the 19th century, but very few truly understand the context these numbers were compiled in. Take Ross Barnes for example. In 1876 Barnes hit .429, the third highest mark in baseball history (not counting 1887 when walks counted as hits). So was he a great player? Absolutely not. Baseball's foul rule was that a ball that bounced in fair territory at any point was a fair ball. Barnes perfected a bunt where the ball would bounce fair and then roll past the third base line, making a play nearly impossible. When that rule was changed, Barnes' average fell to .272 the next season.