The Greatest Hitting Pitchers in Baseball History
Going down as one of the greatest hitting pitchers in baseball history is a difficult feat, especially when you consider a majority of these star pitchers are only batting every 5 games—at most. Now known as "pitchers who rake", these aces aren't just winning games for their teams with strikeouts and dominant pitching in general; they're stepping up to the plate, getting on base, and scoring runs. Of all the MLB's top hitting pitchers, both old and new, who do you think is the best of all time?
Now, there have been some great hitting pitchers since the early days of professional baseball, but it wasn't until 1980 when the Silver Slugger started being awarded and they really started to get recognized for such an uncommon skill. From early winners like Bob Forsch and Rick Rhoden to modern-day baseball's Madison Bumgarner and Carlos Zambrano, these are certainly pitchers who rake. Of course, we can't forget some of the earliest sluggers of the mound, such as Sloppy Thurston, Jack Scott, and Don Larsen, among many others. Another thing to consider here is these aren't just your average pitchers who can swing the bat—many of them are even the MLB's greatest pitchers.
Take a look at the list of greatest hitting pitchers below and vote up your choices for the best of all time—whether you think that comes down to batting average, home runs, or OPS. Feel free to add others to the list as well.
- Boston Red Sox, Boston Braves, New York Yankees
- Position: Right fielder, Outfielder, Left fielder, Pitcher
- Birthplace: Pigtown, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
Career batting stats: .342 avg., 714 HRs, 2,214 RBIs
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. ...more - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
- Position: Pitcher, Designated hitter
- Birthplace: Mizusawa, Iwate
- Bats: Left-handed
Career batting stats: .292 avg., 36 HRs, 101 RBIs
Shohei Ohtani (born July 5, 1994) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Hokkaido ...more - Boston Red Sox, Boston Braves, Brooklyn Dodgers
- Position: Pitcher
- Birthplace: Greensboro, North Carolina
Career batting stats: .280 avg., 38 HRs, 208 RBIs
Wesley Cheek "Wes" Ferrell (February 2, 1908 – December 9, 1976) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball from 1927 through 1941. Primarily a starting pitcher, ...more - Houston Astros
- Position: Pitcher
- Birthplace: Orlando, Florida
- Bats: Right-handed
Career batting stats: .222 avg., 9 HRs, 32 RBIs
Donald Zackary Greinke (born October 21, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Kansas City Royals, ...more - Atlanta Braves, Colorado Rockies, Seattle Mariners
- Position: Starting pitcher, Pitcher
- Birthplace: Brooksville, Florida, USA
- Bats: Right-handed
Career batting stats: .246 avg., 16 HRs, 79 RBIs
Michael William Hampton (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for ...more - Chicago Cubs
- Position: Starting pitcher, Pitcher
- Birthplace: Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
- Bats: Ambidexterity
Career batting stats: .238 avg., 24 HRs, 71 RBIs
Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Dogs of the American Association of Independent ...more