The history of MLB has been filled with elite starting pitching, from the likes of Grover Alexander and Lefty Grove to more recent names like Greg Maddux and Clayton Kershaw. But, which starting pitchers should be considered the greatest in MLB history? It’s subjective but let’s go over our list of the best starters.

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9. Randy Johnson

We start our list with arguably one of, if not the most, intimidating pitchers in MLB history. Randy Johnson began his career as a wild starter with the Mariners, as he led the Majors in walks from 1990-92. However, he quickly blossomed into a superstar thanks to a plus-plus fastball, a splitter, and his slider that was dubbed “Mr. Snappy.”

Johnson led his league in strikeouts in nine seasons and is second on the all-time leaderboard in career strikeouts (4,875). “The Big Unit” won one AL and four NL Cy Young awards and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. He’s also the last pitcher to this date to record 300 wins.

8. Bob Gibson

The 1960s saw iconic Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson dominate opposing hitters. Gibson won 20 games four times, accrued over 2,000 strikeouts, and posted what was considered absurd numbers during the 1968 (22-9, 1.12 ERA, 268 K over 304.2 IP) season. He didn’t win a World Series that year but he did win the Cy Young and MVP.

Gibson was able to dominate hitters in his day thanks to a hard fastball and incredible splitter. That combination earned the Cardinals legend two NL Cy Young Awards, 3,117 career strikeouts, and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.

7. Christy Mathewson

The New York Giants were a force in the National League during the early parts of the 20th century and Christy Mathewson played a key role in their success. Mathewson, who owned a career playoff ERA of 0.97 over 101.2 innings, won two Triple Crowns and led the National League five times in strikeouts and ERA.

Mathewson ended his career in 1916, one that saw him record 373 wins.

6. Bob Feller

Indians/Guardians legend Bob Feller began his MLB career at the age of 17 and made an immediate impact when he struck out 76 over 62 innings in 1936. It would mark the start of a historic career, one that saw him lead the Majors seven times in strikeouts. Feller had his walk problems, but teams had a hard time hitting the Baseball Hall of Famer.

The “Heater from Van Meter” could have very well ended his career with over 3,000 strikeouts, had he not missed the 1942-44 seasons due to World War II service. However, that doesn’t diminish what Feller accomplished in his career.

5. Nolan Ryan

Baseball icon Nolan Ryan began his career as a starter/reliever with the Mets but ended it as the all-time leader in strikeouts (5,714). Ryan, much like Feller, could prove to be wild at times early on in his career. However, very few hitters during his stints with the Angels, Astros, and Rangers were able to hit him throughout his career.

Ryan was well-known for his hard fastball and curveball combo but held up very well in his later years thanks to incorporating a changeup into his arsenal while the Astros. The legendary righty led his league in strikeouts during his age 40-43 campaigns.

4. Lefty Grove

As far as strikeouts are concerned, A’s and Red Sox legend Lefty Grove was the king of that stat during his era. Grove led the AL in strikeouts in each of his first seven seasons, including in 1931 when he went 31-4 with an AL-best 2.06 ERA and won the AL MVP that year.

Grove won the pitching Triple Crown twice, won the ERA title nine times, and helped the then-Philadelphia Athletics win two World Series titles.

3. Greg Maddux

The 1990s and 2000s were filled with prolific power hitters. With that said, there may not have been a better pitcher when it came to keeping the ball in the park than Greg Maddux. Maddux’s precision and command on the mound helped him lead the Majors four times in ERA and WHIP, four straight Cy Young awards from 1992-1995, and over 300 wins.

Maddux was never a hard thrower on the mound. However, his incredible command, coupled with a circle changeup, cutter, sinker, and cutter, allowed him to give hitters different looks and keep them off balance. But on top of his prowess pitching, Maddux was also an excellent defender. He won 18 Gold Gloves in his career, two ahead of Jim Kaat for the most in MLB history.

2. Cy Young

It wouldn’t be fitting to have a list of the greatest MLB starting pitchers without the name whose name is on the Cy Young. Cy Young began his career as a dominant starter for the Cleveland Spiders, as he consistently owned low ERA totals and led the National League twice in wins (1892, 1895).

Young joined the Boston Americans (now known as Red Sox) in the 1901 campaign and was dominant for the team, even as he entered his late 30s. Young is the all-time leader in wins (511), complete games (749), and innings pitched (7356).

1. Walter Johnson

No pitcher in MLB history has a higher bWAR (165.1) than Washington Senators (now known as the Minnesota Twins) icon Walter Johnson. Johnson could be considered the king of strikeouts during the 1910s and 20s, as Johnson led the AL in strikeouts 12 times between 1910-24.

Johnson ended his career with 417 wins, 3,509 career strikeouts, and the most shutouts in MLB history at 110.

Note: Data may not be completely accurate due to the lack of game logs from the early 1900s.