Friday, July 09, 2021

 Everyone knows that Complete Games have gotten fewer and fewer in recent decades. Here are the starting pitchers most likely to complete games in the past 6 decades:

Highest CG % by decade (min. 60 gs)

decade

gs            

   cg        

 %

name

1960s

320

197

61.56

Marichal

 

302

164

54.3

Gibson

 

237

122

51.48

Koufax

 

90

46

51.11

P. Niekro

 

189

95

50.26

Spahn

 

132

65

49.24

Jenkins

 

104

50

48.08

Seaver

 

69

33

47.83

Koosman

 

205

93

45.37

McLain

 

1970s

368

197

53.53

G. Perry

 

171

89

52.05

Gibson

 

354

184

51.98

Jenkins

 

352

175

49.72

Palmer

 

333

164

49.25

Ryan

 

277

133

48.01

Lolich

 

245

115

46.94

Cuellar

 

90

42

46.67

Sorensen

 

366

165

45.08

Carlton

 

1980s

111

61

54.95

Langford

 

100

45

45

M. Norris

 

332

133

40.06

J. Morris

 

109

40

36.7

Keough

 

287

102

35.54

Valenzuela

 

156

55

35.26

Geoff Zahn

 

174

58

33.3

Clemens

 

120

40

33.3

K. Forsch

 

1990s

210

57

27.14

Schilling

 

245

61

24.9

J. McDowell

 

331

75

22.66

Maddux

 

290

65

22.41

R. Johnson

 

155

32

20.65

J. Morris

 

305

57

18.69

Clemens

 

314

58

18.47

K. Brown

 

109

20

18.35

B. Wegman

 

109

19

17.43

B. Hurst

 

2000s

267

47

17.6

Halladay

 

96

12

12.5

S. Sparks

 

203

25

12.32

M. Mulder

 

221

26

11.76

Schilling

 

61

7

11.48

Al. Lopez

 

281

32

11.39

R. Johnson

199

22

11.06

Carpenter

332

36

10.84

L. Hernandez

226

23

10.18

S. Ponson


2010s

103

18

17.48

Halladay

 

76

10

13.16

C. Pavano

 

134

16

11.94

Cliff Lee

 

293

25

8.53

Kershaw

 

203

17

8.37

C. Kluber

 

230

19

8.26

Wainwright

 

98

8

8.16

R. Romero

 

235

17

7.23

Cueto

 

232

16

6.9

C. Sale

 

Most are what you'd expect. Gibson, Marichal, Jenkins, Koufax--all top pitchers in 1960s and 1970s, and tops in finishing games, too. Clemens and Jack Morris in 1980s and 1990s; Roy Halladay head and shoulders above others in past two decades.

Those that make the list in 2 decades: Gibson and Jenins in '60s and '70s; Clemens and J. Morris in '80s and '90s; Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in '90s and '00s; and Roy Halladay in '00s and '10s.

Surprises: Sorensen in 1970s; Langford and those 1980s A's pitchers under Billy Martin (Mike Norris, Matt Keough), 2 of 4 or 5, all of whom's careers ended early with arm trouble; Black Jack McDowell 2nd highest in 1990s (and, in top 9, Wegman and Hurst); mediocre knuckleballer Steve Sparks, 2nd in 2000s (and Mulder, Al. Lopez and Ponson down a bit further), Pavano and Remero in the 2010s.


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