MLB Power Rankings: The Top 10 Slider Pitchers Of All-Time
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The Slider is one of the most popular pitches in the history of baseball. Many pitchers have tried to perfect the skill of throwing the perfect slider, however, not many have succeeded.
This list will take a look at some of the best slider pitchers to ever step on the mound.
With the help of statistics from fangraphs.com, the best slider pitchers of all time will be revealed.
10. Zack Greinke
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Career Statistics:
60 wins
3.8 career ERA
Averages 7.63 strikeouts per nine innings
If Greinke hadn’t spent his whole career on the Royals and was on, say the Yankees or the Red Sox, we may have him higher on the list as he didn’t get a lot of the credit he deserved early in his career.
Greinke’s slider has always been his best and most consistent pitch and will look to develop it even further as his future unfolds.
9. C.C. Sabathia
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Career Statistics:
His slider is 98.2 runs above average for his career
157 wins
3.57 career ERA
Averages 7.56 strikeouts per nice innings
Sabathia’s slider may not be the best looking slider, but it has been a very effective pitch for him and it may be the best slider among active pitchers.
Sabathia doesn't use his slider as much as pitchers like Francisco Rodriguez or Randy Johnson, but it is still an important pitch in his arsenal.
8. Dennis Eckersley
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Career Statistics:
197 wins and 390 saves
3.50 career ERA
Averaged 6.58 strikeouts per nine innings
Dennis Eckersley was one of the most successful closers of all-time. He started his career as a starting pitcher and had his ups and downs before he joined the Athletics.
Once he joined the Athletics he became a dominating closer with his fastball-slider combination.
Forget about the slider that Kirk Gibson hit for a home run in the World Series, Eckersley's slider is what made him a Hall of Famer.
7. Francisco Rodriguez
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Career Statistics:
His slider is 49.9 runs above average since 2002
268 saves
2.50 career ERA
If you thought Sabathia's slider was good, K-Rod throws the perfect slider. It has a perfect blend of both speed and movement, thus the reason he is sixth on this list. K-Rod is one of the best closers in the game because his slider has been so dominant.
K-Rod has been using his slider to bail him out of troublesome situations and close out games for years now. Don't expect that to change anytime soon.
6. Bob Lemon
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Career Statistics:
207 wins
3.23 career ERA
Averaged 4 strikeouts per nine innings
Bob Lemon relied strickly on the slider and the sinker to carry himself to the Hall of Fame. While Lemon was not a strikeout pitcher, he knew how to win games and his slider was essential to that success.
Lemon didn't scare anyone with his speed on the mound but he was a very efficient pitcher and won games. In baseball that's all that matters.
5. John Smoltz
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Career Statistics:
213 carer wins
3.33 career ERA
Averaged 7.99 strikeouts per nine innings
Smoltz used his slider as his go-to strikeout pitch throughout his MLB career. His slider was nearly impossible to hit for right-handed batters, holding opposing right-handers to a low .200 batting average against it.
Smoltz may have fell off a bit later in his career, but his slider was still his most effective pitch and he will surely go down as one of the elite slider pitchers of all-time.
4. Sparky Lyle
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Career Statistics:
99 wins and 239 saves
2.88 career ERA
Averaged 5.65 strikeouts per nine innings
What is most impressive about Sparky Lyle's slider is that he had no idea what a slider was when he first started his MLB career. It was rumored that Lyle picked up his slider because Ted Williams said it was an impossible pitch to hit if it was thrown correctly.
From then on, Lyle threw one of the most devastating sliders the game has ever seen, putting Lyle on the road to the Hall of Fame.
3. Bob Gibson
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Career Statistics:
251 wins
2.91 career ERA
Averaged 7.2 ins per nine innings
Gibson was considered one of the most intimidating, and threatening pitchers of all time. He wasn't afraid of attacking any batter and attacked inside on batters often.
Gibson's slider was regarded as one of the best in the game and led him to a Hall of Fame career.
2. Steve Carlton
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Career Statistics:
329 wins
3.22 career ERA
Averaged 7.13 strikeouts per nine innings
Many people will be shocked that I do not have Steve Carlton as my top slider pitcher, but when I say he is the second best, it is a "1a vs. 1b" situation.
Players around the league said that Carlton's slider was impossible to hit and for some players, that was a pretty good possibility.
If not for Calton's slider, he would not be a member of the Hall of Fame.
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1. Randy Johnson
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Career Statistics:
303 wins
3.29 career ERA
Averaged 10.61 strikeouts per nine innings
Considered by many to be the best pitcher of the 90s, the "Big Unit" had a devastating slider and to go along with a 100 mph fastball.
While many people would have Steve Carlton in this spot, they are nearly impossible to compare due to the way the game has changed over time, but Randy Johnson’s ability to dominate in a hitters game earns him the top spot.
Randy's slider-fastball combination took him to five Cy Young awards and will likely be a first ballot Hall of Famer.
