Who are some of the Scariest Pitchers to ever throw?

JR Richard pitching for the Houston Astros, CCed by Liscense 2.0

The pitching mound is the loneliest place on earth. The middle of the diamond is where kings are born or where dreams are shattered. Throughout the decades, there have been some fierce pitchers to step on the rudder, but who were the best to intimidate?

Obviously, some honorable mentions include prime Max Scherzer and Tim Lincecum.  You can even add the bird killer himself of Randy Johnson and his menacing height or Sandy Koufax who was one of the best to ever do it. There is no unanimous top five or even top three of the scariest pitchers in history, but this list highlights some of the best that have stood out from the rest – at least in my opinion. This list is based on longevity, K numbers, pitching speed and HBP.  Why hit by pitches you ask? Well, if a guy is throwing 100mph+ at you and has dinged a lot of the other batters, would you really want to step inside the box against him?

#3 - J.R. Richard

The two-time NL leader in strikeouts had his career end in the midst of a Cy Young contending season. Richard, who was the winner of 18 games from 1977-79, suffered a stroke while warming up before his start on July 30th, 1980. Richard had a season ERA of 1.90 at the time through 113 innings. Two-time NL MVPs Johnny Bench and Dale Murphy would later name Richard as the toughest pitcher they ever faced. Overall, if Richard’s career wasn’t cut short, he likely would have contended for the 2000 and even 2500 strikeout club. Richard’s fastball was a frequent triple digit visitor, reaching speeds as high as 103, which was unheard of during that era of baseball. Throw in his 6’8 towering stature and you have a giant who was throwing past the I-45 speed limit on the regular. He would be known as one of the hardest throwing and most intimidating pitchers of the 1970s.

#2 - Nolan Ryan

Nolan Ryan being on this list is self explanatory, as he is still to this day considered one of the best to ever do it. Opposing hitters hit just .204 against Ryan in his career and overall, his novel of countless MLB records is something that kids dream of achieving one day. It is estimated that Ryan threw as hard as 108mph, but overall it is universally agreed that he was a regular thrower of 100mph+. Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts and 277 wild pitches that saw 158 hit by pitches, meant that you were as likely to strikeout on three looks as you were to get drilled. 

#1 - Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman is on this list for three things: 1) His reputation as one of the most consistent 100mph+ throwers since his debut over a decade ago, 2) His ‘killer’ mindset on the mound with a lack of control that makes him do a Joker-esque smile, 3) His nickname literally being ‘The Cuban Missile’, a testament to his speed and the fear that his pitches strike into the hearts of any batter. The closer has only hit 33 batters in 856 games, but every time he does it is a sound of pain heard around the stadium. Chapman has 1,327 strikeouts at the time of this article for a 14.7 K/9 and a WHIP just above 1.000, so facing him likely means game over for your team. The flamethrower is in his age 37 season and is only getting better. Frankly, that alone is scary as it seems like Chapman and his menacing fastball could be pitching into the late 2020s and possibly early 2030s. What really makes Aroldis Chapman scary that pairs up perfectly with his speed is his lack of control with nearly 100 wild pitches and over 400 walks. 

So, with all that said, think to yourself and who you would put as your scariest pitcher rankings.