MLB Top 5: San Francisco Giants Pitchers

By Kevin Rakas

This is the fifth and final article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the San Francisco Giants. In this installment are right- and left-handed starters as well as relief pitchers.

Thanks to a wealth of pitching, the San Francisco Giants have been one of the most successful major league teams since their inception in 1883. Nine pitchers that will appear on these lists earned enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame, including three stars from the 19th century, a lefty who set a much-talked-about All-Star record and a dominant right-hander who is in the conversation for the best starter in major league history.

The Best Pitchers in San Francisco Giants History

Right-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Jeff Tesreau was born in a mining town in Missouri and struggled with control until signing with the Giants in late 1910. He developed a spitball to go with a plus fastball and reached the majors in 1912, going 17-7, leading the league with a 1.96 earned run average and throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies in early September in which a dropped infield fly in the first inning was originally ruled a hit before being changed after talking to the players involved after the game. Tesreau posted double-digit victories in his first six season, going 22-13 in 1913 and 26-10 with a league-leading eight shutouts the following year while earning MVP consideration. He pitched in three World Series with the Giants, going 1-3 in six appearances. Before the 1918 season, Tesreau was tasked by manager John McGraw to take the other pitchers and catchers for some early conditioning work. When the manager arrived and asked his pitcher about their evening activities, he refused, leading to a feud between them. After 12 games, Tesreau left the Giants to work with a steel company and pitching for their team before becoming the coach at Dartmouth College, where he stayed for the next 28 years. The tiff with McGraw ruined what had the potential to be a Hall of Fame career, as his .224 average against was better than some of the greats of the game. Tesreau finished his Giants career ranked fourth in ERA (2.43) and tied for sixth in shutouts (27) to go with a 119-72 record, 207 starts, 123 complete games and 880 strikeouts in 1,679 innings. He suffered a stroke while on a fishing trip in New Hampshire and passed away in 1946 at age 58.

Using a knuckleball and a whirling delivery, Freddie Fitzsimmons forged a 19-year big-league career. After five years in the minors throughout the Great Lakes region, the Indiana native joined the Giants in 1925. Over his 13 seasons with New York (1925-37), Fitzsmmons reached double figures in victories 10 times, including 15 or more seven times in an eight-year stretch. While he wasn’t a high strikeout pitcher, he was durable, posting nine straight seasons with at least 200 innings and double-digit complete games. “Fat Freddie” won a career-best 20 games in 1928 and 19 two years later, but he had his best season for the Giants in 1931, when he went 18-11 with a 3.05 earned run average and 19 complete games to earn MVP consideration. Despite his nickname (and stomach), he was a stellar fielder, leading the league in putouts four times, double plays on three occasions and winning two fielding titles. The Giants won a title in 1933 and another pennant three years later, but Fitzsimmons lost all three of his World Series starts. He began to wear down in between those years, thanks to surgery on his pitching arm and a staph infection. Fitzsimmons was traded to the Dodgers in 1937, finishing his Giants career ranked sixth in franchise history in innings (2,514 1/3), seventh in wins (170-114), eighth in starts (327) and tied for tenth in shutouts (22) to go with a 3.54 earned run average, 150 complete games and 693 strikeouts. He won just 47 games in seven years with Brooklyn, retired in 1943 to manage the Phillies and was a skipper in the minor leagues and coached in the majors with the Braves, Giants, Cubs and Athletics over the next 15 years. Fitzsimmons passed away due to a heart attack in 1979 at age 78.

Hal Schumacher was the son of a German immigrants who settled in Upstate New York and spent his entire 13-year career with the Giants (1931-42 and ’46), making his debut as a 20-year-old. Beginning with the 1933 pennant-winning season, he won 61 games in three seasons, including a 19-12 mark, a 2.16 earned run average, 21 complete games, seven shutouts and a spot in the first All-Star Game. Schumacher won Game 2 of the World Series (in which the Giants beat the Nationals), then posted records of 23-10 and 19-9 over the next two campaigns. He ran into arm issues beginning in 1936 and, despite posting seven more seasons with double-digit victories, he never won more than 13 games again. “Prince Hal” appeared in two more World Series, posting a 2-2 mark in five career postseason starts. He was a Navy lieutenant aboard an aircraft carrier during World War II and returned to go 4-4 in 1946 before retiring. Schumacher finished his career ranked seventh in franchise history in starts (329) and innings (2,482 1/3), eighth in wins (158-121) and tied for eighth in shutouts (26) along with a 3.36 ERA, 137 complete games and 906 strikeouts. He returned to his hometown and worked more than 20 years for the Adirondack Bat Company before moving to Pennsylvania and working with the Little League. Schumacher passed away in Cooperstown from stomach cancer in 1993 at age 82.

Gaylord Perry signed with the Giants at age 20 in 1959, and he joined the big club in San Francisco three years later. He split his first four seasons between relief and starting, but his performance took off after developing a slider and learning to throw the outlawed spitball. Perry won 21 games and earned his first All-Star selection in 1966, the first of six seasons in which he won at least 15 games. He led the league in innings twice and struck out more than 200 batters on four occasions during his decade with the Giants (1962-71). Despite a 16-15 record in 1968, Perry had a 2.45 earned run average and outdueled Bob Gibson by throwing a no-hitter against the Cardinals in mid-September. His ERA jumped to 3.20 in 1970, but he had his best season with San Francisco, leading the league with a 23-13 record and 328 2/3 inning and finishing second to Gibson in the Cy Young voting. Perry spent one more year with the Giants before being traded to the Indians, and he ranked eighth in franchise history in innings (2,294 1/3) and strikeouts (1,606), tenth in starts (283) and 11th in wins (134-109) to go with a 2.96 ERA, 125 complete games and 21 shutouts. He won the Cy Young Award in his first season in Cleveland (24-16 in 1972) and earned the honor a second time with San Diego in 1978 (21-6). Perry played for eight teams during his 22-year major league career with a 314-265 record and 3,534 strikeouts. Following his playing career, he ran a farm in North Carolina, created the baseball program at Limestone College and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Perry passed away in 2022 at age 84. He and his brother, Jim (215 wins), held the major league record for most wins by brothers (529) until they were passed by the Niekros in 1987.

Matt Cain was an Alabama native who made his debut at age 20 and spent his entire 13-year career with the Giants (2005-17). He was plagued by poor run support and a faulty bullpen early in his career but was a three-time All-Star who reached double figures in wins five times. After winning 13 games in 2010, he led the Giants to a World Series title, going 2-0 and not allowing a single earned run (one unearned run) in three postseason starts. Two years later, Cain signed a six-year extension that made him the highest-paid righty in baseball history. He responded by going 16-5 in the regular season, helping San Francisco win another title and pitched the 22nd perfect game in major league history in mid-June against the Astros. Cain struggled with elbow issues over his final five seasons and, while the Giants won a third title in five years in 2014, Cain was out after having surgery on both his elbow and ankle. Using a stellar fastball and changeup, he finished his career ranked sixth in franchise history in starts (331) and strikeouts (1,694) and 11th in innings (2,085 2/3) to go with a 104-118 record, a 3.68 earned run average, 15 complete games and six shutouts. Since his retirement, Cain has supported Project Open Hand, an organization that provides meals to the sick, aging and isolated in the Bay Area.

Tim Lincecum joined with Cain to form a dominant top two starters for the Giants and helped lead the team to three championships in a five-year stretch. He used an arsenal of pitches, including two devastating fastballs to become a star, first at the University of Washington and then with the Giants after the team drafted him with the tenth pick in 2006. Lincecum went 7-5 the following year, then embarked on a four-year run that is among the best in the 21st century. He earned four straight All-Star selections and won two consecutive Cy Young Awards. In 2008, he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, then went 18-5 with a 2.61 earned run average and a league-leading 265 strikeouts. “The Freak” followed that with 15 wins, a 2.48 ERA, and league high totals of 261 strikeouts, four complete games and two shutouts to take home his second straight top pitching honor. He topped the N.L. in strikeouts for a third straight year and won 16 games in 2010, then went 4-1 in six postseason starts to help the Giants win their first title in more than half a century.

After a fourth straight season fanning at least 200 batters, Lincecum began to see a drop in his numbers over the remainder of his career thanks to a high-stress delivery. He came out of the bullpen during the 2012 playoffs and made only one relief appearance in the World Series two years later. He was still effective and threw no-hitters against the Padres in both 2013 and 2014. Lincecum fixed his mechanics and returned in 2015, but he was hit on the elbow by a line drive and then diagnosed with a degenerative hip condition that required surgery. He signed with the Angels the following year, finishing his Giants career with a 108-63 record, a 3.61 ERA, 10 complete games, seven shutouts and 1,704 strikeouts (fifth in franchise history) in 1,643 2/3 innings over 261 starts. Lincecum had one lost season with Los Angeles, was released from the Rangers’ minor league system and didn’t pitch professionally again. Following his career, he lost both his brother (personal issues in 2018) and wife (cancer in 2022). Lincecum is one of four pitchers in major league history (joining Koufax, Verlander and Scherzer) to have multiple Cy Young awards, no-hitters, All-Star selections and championship rings.

5B Joe McGinnity – He was the son of an Irish immigrant who died when a load of coal crushed him in an Illinois mine. After another mining disaster in Oklahoma, in which more than 100 of his co-workers perished, McGinnity turned to baseball winning more than 20 games with the National League Orioles in 1899 (the team folded at the end of the year), Superbas (later Dodgers) and the first American League incarnation of the Orioles in 1901. He followed manager John McGraw to the Giants the following year and won at least 18 games in his first five full seasons with the club, beginning in 1903, when he led the league with a 31-20 record, 434 innings and 44 complete games and posted a personal best with 171 strikeouts. For an encore, McGinnity threw a league-leading 408 innings, and he both topped the N.L. and set career highs with a 35-8 record, a 1.61 earned run average, nine shutouts and five saves.

McGinnity was a throwback to a bygone era, using an underhand delivery that allowed him to perfect a rising curveball and save wear on his arm. He could also throw overhand, confusing hitters with a sinker and spitball. He threw more than 300 innings in five straight seasons with the Giants and nine overall in his 10-year career, earning him the nickname “Iron Man.” Also playing into that name, he started and won both games of a doubleheader on a regular basis, including three times in August 1903. Paired with Christy Mathewson to form arguably to best top two starters in major league history, McGinninty. Won 21 games in the 1905 regular season and went 1-1 in the World Series, giving up three unearned runs to the Philadelphia Athletics in Game 2 and pitching a shutout two games later. He led the league with 27 wins the following year and finished his career in 1908, with his last start being in the replay of the “Merkle’s Boner” game against the Cubs. McGinnity ranks third in franchise history in ERA (2.38), seventh in complete games (256), tied for eighth in shutouts (26), ninth in wins (151-88) and tied for tenth in innings (2,151 1/3) to go with 237 starts and 787 strikeouts. After his release from the Giants, he continued to be an iron man as a pitcher while owning several minor league teams. One of those teams was in Decatur and owned by the A.E. Staley company, which also ran a football team that would become the Chicago Bears. McGinnity pitched in the minors well into his 50s. He passed away due to complications from bladder cancer surgery in 1929 at age 58 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Old Timers Committee in 1946.

5A Tim Keefe – Born in Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents, he worked as a carpenter while playing for local amateur teams. Keefe began his major league career in Upstate New York with the Troy Trojans in 1880. The team would be disbanded in favor of an entry in New York City three years later, but “Smiling Tim” instead joined the Metropolitans of the American Association, winning 78 games in two seasons. He joined manager Jim Mutrie in a move to the Giants in 1885 and put together a five-year run that is unheard of in today’s game. Keefe won 32 games, struck out 227 batters, completed 45 of 46 starts with seven shutouts while posting a league-best 1.58 earned run average in his first season with the newly named Giants. The following year, he led the league with 42 wins, an astounding 535 innings (which is somehow only fourth in team history), 64 starts (second), 62 complete games (tied for the team record) to go with 297 strikeouts and a 2.56 ERA.

Thanks to a stellar changeup and a curveball he could throw from different arm angles, “Sir Timothy” won 35 games in 1887, despite a new rule eliminating pitchers being allowed to take steps before releasing the ball, a strategy he had used liberally in the past. However, the following year was finest. In 1888, Keefe won the Pitching Triple Crown, matching the previous year’s win total while also leading the National League with a 1.74 ERA, 335 strikeouts (fourth in team history) and eight shutouts. His record included a 19-game winning streak which lasted from late June to early August and has still never been eclipsed. Keefe won 28 more games in 1889 but, as with many players on the team, he had several salary disputes with management. Several years before, he had joined the early version of the players’ union called the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players after getting stiffed on his pay as a carpenter. This association would lead to him joining many of his teammates in the new Players League in 1890.

Keefe won 17 games with the upstart circuit’s Giants, but the league folded after the season, with the hurler returning to his previous team. He went just 2-5 in eight games and was released midway through the year, finishing his six seasons with the National League’s New York club ranked fifth in complete games (252, including 40 or more four times), sixth in wins (174-82), seventh in ERA (2.54) ninth in innings (2,265, including 400 or more on four occasions), tenth in strikeouts (1,303, with 200 or more four times) and tied for tenth in shutouts (22). Keefe wont two World’s Series titles with the Giants, going 4-1 in six appearances in 1887-88. He spent his final three years with the Phillies while working with Harvard’s pitchers during the offseason, finishing his 14-year career with a 342-225 record, 554 complete games and 2,564 strikeouts. After retiring, he worked as an umpire for five years but stayed away from the game after he was replaced as a college coach. Unfortunately, many of Keefe’s playing exploits were largely forgotten, even after his death in 1933 at age 76. He was more famous for being the pitcher in an 1887 game that was later immortalized in the poem “Casey at the Bat”. Keefe was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964.

4. Amos Rusie – He was discovered while pitching for an amateur team as a converted outfielder and shutting out two major league teams. Rusie was signed to the National League’s Indianapolis squad in 1889 and was assigned to the Giants when the team folded after the season. Although he had a losing record (29 wins and a league-high 34 losses), he had a respectable 2.56 earned run average and struck out an N.L. high 341 batters (second in team history) in 548 2/3 innings (second). In his first month with New York, Rusie engaged future Hall of Famer Charles “Kid” Nichols in a pitcher’s duel that is considered one of the all-time great games in major league history. The pair gave up just three hits each through 12 innings when the Giants broke through with a home run in the 13th. Rusie shut down the Boston Beaneaters (later Braves) in order in the bottom half of the inning, preserving the victory.

Nicknamed “The Hoosier Thunderbolt” for his overpowering fastball, Rusie went on to win more than 30 games in each of the next four seasons. In 1891, he went 33-20, led the league with 337 strikeouts (third in team history) and six shutouts and threw the first Giants no-hitter (a 6-0 blanking of the Bridegrooms in July), and he fanned 304 batters the following year. Rusie led the league in strikeouts and shutouts in each of the next three years (although the moving back of the mound caused the former to drop by nearly 100) and posted N.L.-best numbers with a 36-15 record and a 2.78 ERA in 1894. He was fined $200 for the type of petty offenses penny-pinching owners of the time were known for (“not trying hard enough”), sat out the entire 1896 season and only returned after the National League gave him $5,000 to drop his lawsuit against the team. Rusie had two more solid seasons with at least 20 wins but suffered a shoulder injury on a pickoff attempt that effectively ended his career.

Rusie was traded to the Reds for the top pitcher on this list and pitched just three games with Cincinnati in 1901 before retiring at age 30. He finished his Giants career ranked third in franchise history in complete games (372, including 40 or more six times) and strikeouts (1,835), fourth in innings (3,531 2/3, including 320 or more seven times) and shutouts (29), fifth in wins (234-163) and starts (403) and tied for ninth in appearances (427) to go with a 2.89 ERA. Following his baseball career, Rusie held a variety of jobs including at a paper mill in Indiana, a bottle factory in Illinois, a lighting company and shipyard in Seattle and as a watchman and grounds superintendent with the Giants. He purchased a chicken farm in Washington State in 1934 but was involved in a car accident and was in declining health until passing away due to chronic myocarditis (inflamed heart muscle) in 1942 at age 71. Rusie was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1977.

3. Michael “Mickey” Welch – Like many of the players on this list, he was born to Irish immigrants originally named Walsh but changed their names when they came to the U.S. Welch grew up in the baseball hotbed of Brooklyn but got his start in the major leagues more than 150 miles to the north with the Troy Trojans in 1880. He joined with Keefe to create a formidable pair of starting pitchers that would continue in New York (although Keefe would take a two-year detour with the Metropolitans of the American Association). Meanwhile, Welch would go on to win 20 or more games in his first seven seasons with the franchise, starting with the team’s first in 1883 as the Gothams. The following year, he went 39-21, set team records with 345 strikeouts, 557 1/3 innings, 65 games started and 62 complete games to go with a 2.50 earned run average. Among his biggest career accomplishments was when he struck out the first nine Cleveland batters he faced in an August start, a record that stood for more than 135 years until it was tied by the Marlins’ Pablo Lopez in 2021.

Keefe joined the Giants in 1885, but “Smiling Mickey” was the star, using his new in-swinging pitch (later called a screwball) to post a franchise record 44 wins along with a 1.66 ERA, seven shutouts and 258 strikeouts. His win total included a then-record 17 in a row, which would stand until Keefe broke it three years later. After Welch won 33 games the following year, he and Keefe switched pitching spots, with Keefe becoming the ace and Welch the more-than-capable second starter. Welch made just three starts in two World’s Series, going 1-2 for the victorious Giants. He faced back and thumb injuries and the team felt the growing unrest of labor disputes, especially concerning player salaries. While most of the Giants’ stars (including Keefe) joined the Players League in 1890, Welch stayed, playing second fiddle to Rusie and winning 17 games. However, he was ineffective over the next two seasons and, after getting shelled in his only start in 1892, he was released and retired, finishing his decade in New York (1883-92) ranked second in franchise history in complete games (391), third in innings (3,579), tied for third in wins (238-146), fourth in starts (412), fifth in shutouts (28), ninth in strikeouts (1,570) and tied for ninth in appearances (427) along with a 2.69 ERA.

Counting his statistics with Troy, Welch finished his career with 307 wins, becoming just the third pitcher in major league history to reach the 300-win mark. He played two more seasons of minor league baseball (one with Troy), then ran a saloon and cigar shop, as well as a milk production business. Welch eventually became a gatekeeper and press box attendant for both the Giants and the Yankees in the early 1920s. The final living member of the original 1883 squad passed away due to congestive heart failure in 1941 at age 82. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1973.

2. Juan Marichal – He is a true rags-to-riches story, growing up in a shack without electricity in the Dominican Republic to the pinnacle of his sport. Like many of the island’s poor, Marichal worked a variety of jobs from cutting sugar cane to driving a truck, then honed his pitching skills while serving with the country’s Air Force team. After signing with the Giants in 1957, he quickly moved through the minors thanks to an iconic leg kick delivery and five-pitch repertoire that he could throw from multiple arm angles. Marichal made his debut in July 1960, striking out 12 batters and pitching a one-hit shutout against the Phillies. While dealing with the governmental turmoil of his homeland, he had a down year the following season before bouncing back with 18 wins and two All-Star selections in 1962, the final year baseball used that format. Marichal pitched in his only World Series, throwing four shutout innings in Game 4 against the Yankees before injuring his hand on a bunt attempt and missing the rest of the postseason. New York went on to win the title in seven games.

The “Dominican Dandy” took a step forward in 1963, leading the league with 25 wins, and 321 1/3 innings, setting a career high with 248 strikeouts and pitching a no-hitter against the Astros in June. Three weeks later, he engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the ages with future Hall of Fame lefty Warren Spahn, who was nearing the end of his illustrious career. The pair traded zeroes on the scoreboard and each threw more than 200 pitches when another legend, Willie Mays, gave the Giants a 1-0 win with a home run in the 16th inning. While those were two great moments, he was also a part of one of baseball’s ugliest incidents. In August 1965, the Giants and Dodgers renewed their rivalry. Hitters were being brushed back and knocked down when, in the third inning, Los Angeles catcher Johnny Rosesboro threw the ball back to his pitcher, Sandy Koufax, with the ball catching Marichal (who was batting) in the ear. Words were exchanged and Marichal responded by hitting Roseboro in the head with the bat, leaving a gash that would need 14 stitches to close. The incident dubbed the “Battle of Candlestick” resulted in the pitcher receiving an eight-day (10-game) suspension.

Marichal won 20 or more games four straight times and six overall, and he went on to play in nine straight All-Star games and 10 in total. He led the league in wins twice (a career-high 26 in 1968, when he finished fifth in the MVP voting) and complete games, shutouts and innings twice each and earned run average once (with a personal-best 2.10 in 1969). Despite being overshadowed by Koufax and Bob Gibson, Marichal was arguably the best pitcher in the decade, leading the league in wins, complete games and shutouts and ranking second in ERA (to Koufax), third in innings and fifth in strikeouts. His numbers dropped a bit as the decade changed, but he continued to keep opposing hitters off balance, winning his 200th game in 1970 and posting 18 wins to earn his final All-Star selection the following year. Marichal underwent back surgery in 1972 and spent one more season with the Giants, ending his 14-year run (1960-73) ranked second in franchise history in starts (446), strikeouts (2,281, including six seasons with 200 or more) and shutouts (42), tied for third in wins (238-140), fifth in innings (3,443 2/3), sixth in complete games (244) and seventh in appearances (458) to go with a 2.84 ERA. The 1965 All-Star Game MVP finished his career by pitching one season each with the Red Sox and Dodgers. He ran Oakland’s scouting program in his home nation for nearly two decades, analyzed games for ESPN Deportes and runs a farm. Marichal was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his third attempt in 1983 (thanks to support from Roseboro), becoming the first Dominican-born player to earn that honor.

1. Christy Mathewson – The Pennsylvania native and son of a Civil War soldier was arguably the greatest pitcher of the Deadball Era and one of the greatest of all time. Mathewson, with his gentlemanly nature, was the opposite of typical ballplayers of the time, with their rowdy nature that included fighting, arguing, gambling and heavy drinking. The Bucknell football star began his major league career with the Giants, going 0-3 in 1900 before being claimed by Cincinnati after the season and traded back to New York for Rusie. Mathewson developed a screwball and used it to help him win 20 games and strike out 221 batters, the first of five times he would fan more than 200 in a season. He threw a no-hitter in 1901 but began the following season by playing first base and the outfield when he was not pitching to take advantage of his good hitting (seven career home runs). However, the practice was abandoned when John McGraw took over as manager in July. Mathewson broke out beginning in 1903, winning 30 games for the first of three straight times (and four overall) and topping 20 for the first of 12 consecutive seasons. He also set a career high with 267 strikeouts, which stood as a modern league record for more than half a century until it was broken by Koufax in 1961. The following year, he went 30-12 with a 2.03 earned run average and a league-best 212 strikeouts.

“Big Six” (nicknamed after New York’s Big Six Fire Company) had a season for the ages in 1905, winning the Pitching Triple Crown with a 31-9 record, a 1.28 ERA (second in team history) and 206 strikeouts, pitched his second career no-hitter in a mid-June game against the Cubs and put together an all-time World Series performance. The Giants had refused to play the Boston Americans (later Red Sox) the year before as the strife between owners and executives led to a rivalry between the two leagues. New York agreed to face Philadelphia in this Fall Classic, with Mathewson setting a record that may never be equaled by shutting out the Athletics three times in six days, including the clinching Game 5, to give the Giants their first modern championship. “Matty” won 22 games the following year despite a battle with diphtheria, then rebounded for a league-leading 24 victories. He won his second Triple Crown in 1908, posting a career-best 37 wins with a 1.43 ERA and 259 strikeouts while also leading the league with 390 2/3 innings, 34 complete games, a team record 11 shutouts and five saves.

Mathewson “dropped” to 25 wins the following season but led the league and set a franchise record with a 1.14 ERA. He topped the N.L. with 27 wins in 1910 and finished second in the MVP voting after winning another ERA title the following year before his mark jumped by a run per game in 1914. Mathewson was a member of three straight pennant-winning clubs from 1911-13, and he was his regular dominant self in the postseason, but his team lost each time. His numbers declined further in 1915, and he wanted to try managing, so McGraw traded him to Cincinnati. Mathewson finished his 17-year run with the Giants (1900-16) as the all-time franchise leader in wins (372-188), ERA (2.12, including five seasons below 2.00), starts (551), complete games (434), shutouts (79), innings (4,779 2/3) and strikeouts (2,504), and he ranks second in appearances (635). On the all-time list, he ranks third in shutouts, tied for third in wins, tied for eighth in ERA and 14th in complete games. In the playoffs, Mathewson went 5-5 with a 0.97 ERA and completed 10 of 11 starts with four shutouts.

“Matty” managed the Reds for three years but lost his post while he was serving in World War I in the Army’s Chemical Warfare Division, facing a bout of influenza and being exposed to mustard gas during a training exercise. He returned to be an assistant manager with the Giants (watching his previous club beat the “Black Sox” in the 1919 World Series) but contracted tuberculosis in 1921 and was given weeks to live. Mathewson wis hired as the president of the Boston Braves in 1923 and ran the team for a little more than two years before his cough returned. He passed away in October 1925 at age 45 and is buried in a cemetery near the Bucknell campus. Mathewson was one of five original inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame when he was elected in 1936. His name adorns both the football stadium and baseball field at his alma mater, as well as a park in his hometown and a battleship commissioned during World War II.

Left-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Harry “Slim” Sallee was an Ohio-born hurler who perfected his curveball by throwing rocks at cans and bottles on fence posts, earning him the nickname “Scatter.” Using a unique delivery in which he threw across his body, he won 106 games in nine years with the Cardinals but a history of holdouts, threats to jump leagues and a retirement following a suspension led to him being sold to the Giants in 1916. Sallee was dominant after the move, going 9-4 with a 1.37 earned run average, and he completed seven of his 11 starts. He went 18-7 with a 2.17 ERA and 18 complete game the following year but lost both of his starts against the White Sox in the World Series. Although Sallee was solid in 1918, he was hampered by back issues and was waived by the Giants after the season. He spent two seasons with the Reds, winning a World Series against the infamous “Black Sox” before returning to the Giants for his final two years as a relief pitcher. In five seasons with New York (1916-18 and 20-21), Sallee went 42-23 with 38 complete games and a 2.26 ERA, which ranks second in franchise history. He returned to his home state and ran several businesses before passing away from a heart attack in 1950 at age 65.

5. Leon “Red” Ames – He is another player from Ohio who possessed a devastating curveball, although it was difficult for him to control early in his career. Ames won his first two starts in 1903 and worked as a spot starter the following year before putting up his best season. He had a 2.74 earned run average and set personal bests in 1905 with a 22-8 record, 21 complete games and 198 strikeouts in 262 2/3 innings. However, he threw only one inning in the World Series thanks to the presence of Mathewson and McGinnity went on to post six more seasons with double-digit victories, and he would have had another if a kidney issue hadn’t cost him half of the 1908 campaign. His next-best season was the following year, when he won 15 games and completed 20 of 27 starts. Ames won 11 games in each of the Giants’ pennant-winning seasons in 1911-12 but was traded to the Reds the following year, ending his 11-year tenure in New York (1903-13) ranked fifth in franchise history in ERA (2.45) and 11th in strikeouts (1,169) to go with a 108-77 record, 1,802 2/3 innings and 128 complete games out of 212 starts. In addition to Cincinnati, he played for St. Louis and Philadelphia, finishing his career in 1919. Ames pitched four more years in the minor leagues before for a dairy company. While he was there, he damaged his lungs after inhaling ammonia fumes and passed away in 1936 at age 54.

4. Richard “Rube” Marquard – Made his mark pitching for the minor league Indianapolis squad and ignited a bidding war for his services which the Giants won in 1908. After three less-than-stellar seasons, Marquard changed from a sidearm to an overhand delivery to fantastic results, he won at least 20 games in each of the next three seasons, leading New York to the pennant each time. He started in 1911 with a 24-7 mark and career-high totals of 22 complete games, five shutouts and 237 strikeouts, which also led the National League. The following year, he set a personal best with 26 wins and tied Keefe’s single-season major league record by winning 19 straight games, which started at the beginning of the season and lasted until a loss against the Cubs early July. Marquard finished off his run with a 23-10 mark in 1913 and went 2-2 in seven World Series appearances, although the Giants failed to win the championship. He fell to 12-22 the following year and faced several issues later in his career.

First, he like many ballplayers of the Deadball Era, tried their hand at vaudeville in the offseason. Marquard was paired with a young, married starlet named Blossom Seeley. The two developed a real-life romance and married after Seeley and her husband divorced (they were together until 1920). Also, Marquard was enticed to join the upstart Federal League in 1914, even signing a contract with the Brooklyn team despite still being under contract with New York. The Giants won out and the pitcher was traded to the Robins (later Dodgers) during the 1915 season after going 9-8 and throwing a no-hitter against the Brooklyn club in April. Marquard finished his eight-year Giants tenure (1908-15) with a 103-76 record, a 2.85 earned run average, 99 complete games, 16 shutouts and 897 strikeouts in 1,546 innings. He won 98 games over the next decade with Brooklyn, Cincinnati and Boston, but was best known outside of New York for being arrested for ticket scalping during the 1920 World Series. After his 1925 retirement, Marquard was a minor league player and manager and worked as a clerk at a racetrack. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1971 and passed away due to cancer in 1980 at age 90.

3. George “Hooks” Wiltse – A stalwart on the stellar Giants teams of the early 1900s, the origin of his nickname is in question (he threw an exceptional curveball, had a hooked nose and was a good fielder, both on the mound and at his original position of first base). The Upstate New York native followed his older brother, Lewis, to the majors, joining the Giants in 1904 and winning his first 12 starts on the way to a 13-3 record, his first of eight straight seasons with double digit victory totals. Wiltse continued to improve, posting his best season in 1908 with a 2.24 earned run average, 118 strikeouts and career bests with a 23-14 record, 30 complete games, seven shutouts and 330 innings. Included in the stellar campaign was a 1-0, 10-inning no-hitter against the Phillies in the first game of a July 4 doubleheader, in which he had a perfect game ruined by an egregious missed third strike call in the ninth inning, then hit the batter on the next pitch. He won 20 games and posted a career-best 2.00 ERA the next year.

Wiltse saw his numbers decline over the next two years, and his workload was lessened later in his career. He was hit hard during the final game of the 1911 season and filled in as a defensive replacement at first base two years later against the Athletics. Wiltse was released by the Giants late in the 1914 season, finishing his 11-year tenure in New York (1904-14) ranked sixth in franchise history in ERA (2.48), tied for sixth in shutouts (27), tenth in wins (136-85) and complete games (151) to go with 948 strikeouts in 2,053 innings. He pitched one season in the Federal League, played and managed in college and the minors for nearly a decade and spent one year as pitching coach of the Yankees. Wiltse sold real estate and got involved in politics in Syracuse, New York, and passed away due to emphysema in 1959 at age 79.

2. Madison Bumgarner – The North Carolina native was drafted by the Giants with tenth pick in the 2007 draft and made his major league debut two years later with four appearances for San Francisco. In 2010, Bumgarmer became a regular in the rotation, but began his other life as a playoff star. He was the youngest pitcher in team history to start and win a playoff game and pitched eight shutout innings against the Rangers to get the win in Game 4 of the World Series. Bumgarner started a run of six straight seasons with both double-digit victories and 200 or more innings the following year, going 13-13 with 191 strikeouts. He won 16 games, and the Giants won the pennant again in 2012, and he threw seven more scoreless frames against the Tigers in Game 2 to help his team win a second title.

After earning his first of four straight All-Star selections thanks to a 13-9 record and 199 strikeouts the following year, “MadBum” improved to win 18 games with 219 strikeouts and finish fourth in the Cy Young Award voting. However, he took his game to another level in the postseason. After a shutout against the Pirates in the Wild Card round, he suffered a hard-luck loss to the Nationals in the Division Series. From there, Bumgarner increased his road shutout record in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Cardinals. He gave up three runs to St. Louis in Game 5, but he got the win and extended the scoreless streak to 32 2/3 innings. Bumgarner shut out the Royals in Games 1 and 5 of the World Series, then gutted out the final five innings of Game 7 to get the save and preserve a 3-2 Giants victory, giving San Francisco its third championship in five years. His performance earned him MVP awards in both the NLCS and the World Series.

Bumgarner had two more stellar seasons (including 2016, when he struck out a career-high 251 batters) before missing parts of the next two years because of shoulder and rib injuries suffered in a dirt bike accident in 2017 and a broken finger in spring training the following year. He was back at full strength in 2019, going 9-9 and reaching the 200-strikeout mark for the fourth time in his career. Bumgarner signed with the Diamondbacks the following year, finishing his 11-year run in San Francisco (2009-19) ranked fourth in franchise history in strikeouts (1,794) and ninth in starts (286) to go with a 119-92 record, a 3.13 earned run average, 15 complete games, six shutouts and 1,846 innings as a pitcher and totaled 19 home runs and 65 RBIs as a batter. In the playoffs, he went 8-3 with a 2.11 ERA, three shutouts and 87 strikeouts in 102 1/3 innings in 16 appearances. Bumgarner struggled with Arizona, going 15-32 in four years, and he hasn’t pitched in the major leagues after being released in April 2023. Outside of baseball, he has competed in rodeo events under the alias Mason Saunders.

1. Carl Hubbell – The Missouri-born lefty found success after developing a screwball while pitching with minor league teams in Oklahoma. Hubbell originally signed with the Tigers but struggled in three seasons in the organization after player-manager Ty Cobb told him not to use his top pitch because of the arm issues it could create. He returned to the minors and perfected with the pitch then went 10-6 after signing with the Giants in 1928. Hubbell continued to improve over his first five seasons, tossing a no-hitter against the Pirates in his second season and winning 18 games in 1932 when McGraw handed his manager post over to first baseman Bill Terry.

Hubbell had arguably his best season the following year, winning the MVP Award and earning a selection to the first All-Star Game after leading the league with a 23-12 record (the first of five straight seasons with 20 wins), a 1.66 earned run average, 10 shutouts (tied for second in team history) and 308 2/3 innings, while also throwing an 18-inning shutout against the Cardinals in early July. The “Meal Ticket” led the Giants to their first title in more than a decade, going 2-0 and not allowing an earned run while striking out 15 batters in 20 innings. In 1934, he led the league in ERA, complete games and saves, but he is best known for his exploits in the All-Star Game. After allowing the first two batters to reach base, Hubbell struck out five straight Hall of Famers, beginning with Ruth, Gehrig and Foxx to finish out the first inning and Simmons and Cronin to begin the second, setting a record for the Midsummer Classic.

“King Carl” won 23 games the following year, then led the league in victories the next two years, helping the Giants win consecutive pennants. He took home his second MVP Award in 1936 after leading the league with 26 wins and a 2.31 ERA, then followed that with a third-place finish thanks to a 22-win season and a career-best and N.L.-high 159 strikeouts. Despite Hubbell’s success, the liberal use of his money pitch led to elbow issues for the rest of his career. He ran his streak of consecutive seasons with double-digit victories to 15 but also had surgery to remove a bone chip in 1938. Hubbell finished his career in 1943, spending all 16 of his major league seasons with the Giants (1928-43) and ranking second in franchise history in wins (253-154) and innings (3,590 1/3), third in starts (433), fourth in appearances (535) and complete games (260) and seventh in strikeouts (1,677) to go with a 2.98 ERA. After his playing career, the nine-time All-Star served as the Giants’ far director for more than 30 years until suffering a stroke in 1977, then worked as a part-time scout for the team for another decade. Hubbell was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 and passed away due to an automobile accident in 1988 at age 85.

Relief Pitchers

Honorable Mentions – Santiago Casilla was a native of the Dominican Republic who signed with the Athletics in 2000 and made his big-league debut four years later. Following a six-year run as a short reliever in Oakland, he crossed to the other Bay Area team and signed with the Giants in 2010. Casilla had two solid seasons as a late-inning specialist and spent 2012 as a closer before returning to his previous role. He spent the final three years with the Giants in a ninth inning role, posting back-to-back 30 save seasons. Casilla returned to the Athletics for his final two seasons, ending his seven-year Giants run (2010-16) with a 32-22 record, a 2.42 earned run average and 123 saves (sixth in franchise history) with 366 strikeouts in 394 2/3 innings over 414 games. He was stellar in 25 postseason outings for San Francisco, going 1-0 with a 0.92 ERA, four saves, 20 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. The three-time champion retired after a minor league season with the Rockies in 2018.

Sergio Romo was the grandson of a professional ballplayer in Mexico and became a major league star despite playing for a pair of Division II colleges. He bounced between middle relief and a setup role over his first four seasons, posting a 10.8 strikeout rate in that span. When other Giants relievers faced injuries or were ineffective, Romo took over the closer role in August 2012, posting 14 saves and a 1.79 earned run average during the regular season and went 1-0 with four saves in 10 playoff appearances, including three in the World Series victory over the Rangers. The man known for his top-notch beard earned his only All-Star appearance the following year thanks to a career-high 38 saves but struggled and returned to a setup role in 2014, a spot he stayed in during the final two years of his tenure with San Francisco. Romo signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 2017 but was inconsistent and played for seven teams in the next six years. He finished his nine-year run with the Giants (2008-16) ranked fifth in franchise history in appearances (515) and seventh in saves (84) to go with a 32-26 record, a 2.58 ERA and 498 strikeouts in 439 2/3 innings in the regular season and went 3-1 with four saves and 22 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings in 27 postseason appearances. After one final stint in Mexico, he retired after signing a one-day contract with the Giants in 2023.

5. Greg Minton – The Texas native was drafted by the Royals in 1970, traded to the Giants three years later and was inconsistent over his first four seasons, pitching in just 27 games. Minton suffered torn cartilage in his knee, but he rested, changed his delivery and came back with a hard sinker that fooled hitters and propelled him to the closer role the following year. He went more than three years without giving up a home run, with his record 269 1/3-inning streak broken in early May 1982. “Moon Man” (nicknamed for his starry-eyed look, especially in the minors) reached double figures in saves five straight years. His best campaign came in 1982 when, despite losing his homerless streak, he earned his only All-Star selection and received Cy Young consideration for the only time in his career after going 10-4 with a 1.83 earned run average and a career-high 30 saves. Minton was released in 1987 and signed with the Angels, finishing his 13-year Giants career (1975-87) ranked third in appearances (552) and fifth in saves (125) to go with a 45-52 record and a 3.23 ERA. He spent his final four years with California, then was a pitching coach for the team before managing an independent team in his home state.

4. Gary Lavelle – A Northern Pennsylvania native, he was drafted by the Giants and spent the next seven years in the minors before making his major league debut in 1974. The lefty came from a bygone era in which late-inning relievers pitched more than one frame, and Lavelle was one of the better “closers” in the league during his time, posting double-digit saves on six occasions and earning two All-Star selections. His first came in 1977, when he went 7-7 with career-best totals of a 2.05 earned run average and 20 saves, the first of three times he finished with exactly that many in his career. Lavelle went 13-10 the following year, 10-7 in 1982 and made the All-Star team again the next season when he once again amassed 20 saves. He was traded to the Blue Jays in 1985, finishing as the Giants’ all-time leader with 647 appearances and ranking fourth in saves (127) to go with a 73-67 record, a 2.82 ERA and 696 strikeouts in 980 1/3 innings. Lavelle missed the 1986 season with a torn elbow ligament and struggled the following year before retiring.

3. Brian Wilson – While Romo may have some awesome facial hair, Wilson is the Giants player who started the trend, growing his thick beard during the latter part of the 2010 season. The Massachusetts-born hurler went to LSU, but his college career ended sadly with Tommy John surgery. Wilson was drafted by the Giants in 2003 and joined the team three years later, overcoming injury to earn four callups in a short relief role. At the end of the following year, he took over the closer role, a position he held for the next four seasons and earned three All-Star selections. Using a slider and a cut fastball, Wilson ran off 24 straight saves during the 2008 season, finishing with 41 and making his first All-Star team. He registered 38 saves the following year, including one for Randy Johnson‘s 300th career win.

“The Beard” tied the team record and led the league with 48 saves in 2010 and posted a 1.81 earned run average and a 11.2 strikeout rate, both the best of his career. In the playoffs, he was 1-0 with six saves in 10 appearances, allowing just one unearned run and five hits while striking out 16 batters in 11 2/3 innings. The outspoken Wilson put together another All-Star season the following year with 36 saves but reinjured his elbow in his second appearance of the 2012 season and needed a second Tommy John surgery. He signed with the Dodgers after recovering, finishing his seven-year Giants career (2006-12) with a 20-20 record, a 3.21 ERA 171 saves (third in franchise history) and 340 strikeouts in 320 innings. Wilson was stellar in 2013 but inconsistent the following year and never pitched in the majors again.

2. Rod Beck – The Southern California native was drafted as a starter by the Athletics in 1986 but was converted to the bullpen after a trade to the Giants. Beck made his major league debut in 1991 and was named closer the following year, earning 17 saves while posting a career-best 1.76 earned run average. In 1993, he set a club record (later tied by Wilson) with 48 saves to earn his first of three All-Star selections, and he won the Rolaids Relief Award the following year. Beck ran off five straight seasons with at least 25 saves, finishing off with 37 in 1997. He was inconsistent that year but played a key role in his team clinching a playoff spot for the first time in nearly a decade.

Beck entered in the 10th inning of a tied mid-September game against the Dodgers and promptly gave up three straight singles to load the bases. After a conversation with manager Dusty Baker, he struck out the next batter, then used his stellar split-fingered fastball to end the inning with a double play. Beck added on two perfect innings and got the victory after the Giants won the game on a home run in the 12th to earn a postseason berth. “Shooter” ended his seven-year San Francisco career (1991-97) with a 21-28 record, a 2.97 ERA, 199 saves (second in franchise history) and 393 strikeouts in 463 innings over 416 games. He registered a career-best 51 saves in his first season with the Cubs, struggled in a setup role with the Red Sox in the postseason, missed the entire 2002 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and had a resurgence with the Padres the following year with 20 saves. Beck was released by San Diego the following year and passed away in 2007 at age 38, unable to beat the drug addiction that had plagued him over the final few years of his life.

1. Robb Nen – He is the son of Dick Nen, a first baseman who had a six-year major league career mostly with the “new” Washington Senators (later Rangers) during the 1960s. Robb was drafted by the Rangers in 1987 and made his debut six years later, appearing in 24 games before he was traded to the expansion Marlins. He became Florida’s closer the following year, amassing 108 saves over five seasons. After Nen had four saves in the 1997 postseason, culminating with a World Series victory over the Indians, he was traded to the Giants as part of the Marlins’ “fire sale.” Nen immediately took over as closer in San Francisco, replacing Beck after he had signed with the Cubs. He earned his first of three All-Star selections in 1998, amassing 50 saves and, a 1.52 earned run average and 110 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings (an 11.2 rate). Nen registered at least 35 saves in every season with the Giants and reached 40 on four occasions. He finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2000 after amassing 41 saves and posting career bests with a 1.50 ERA and a 12.5 strikeout rate (fanning 92 batters in 66 innings).

Using a devastating slider known as “The Terminator,” Nen followed that with a league-leading and personal-best 45 saves and 43 in 2002, including the 300th of his career. He added seven saves in the postseason, including two in the World Series, but he allowed a go-ahead two-run double to Troy Glaus in Game 6, with the Giants losing the game and the series to the Angels. Despite his success, it turns out Nen was pitching during the second half of the season with a torn rotator cuff. He missed the next two seasons recovering from three surgeries to try and fix the issues, but he suffered a setback and officially retired early in 2015 after no team was willing to take a chance on him. Nen finished his five-year tenure with the Giants (1998-2002) as the team’s all-time leader with 206 saves to go with a 24-25 record, a 2.43 ERA and 453 strikeouts in 378 1/3 innings (a 10.8 rate) over 365 appearances. He spent time in San Francisco’s front office as a special assistant to the general manager.

The next team to be featured will be the Seattle Mariners.