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Baseball behemoths: rolling three-year WAR leaders (pitchers edition)

Posted by Andy
Here are the pitchers with the highest total Wins Above Replacement for each 3-year period dating back to 1900. There are lots of surprising names on here.


2009-2011: Roy Halladay   21.2     J Verlander    18.3
2008-2010: Roy Halladay   20.3     Tim Lincecum   16.8
2007-2009: CC Sabathia    18.2     Roy Halladay   16.8
2006-2008: CC Sabathia    18.6     Johan Santana  18.1
2005-2007: Johan Santana  18       Brandon Webb   16.4
2004-2006: Johan Santana  20.7     Roger Clemens  15.4
2003-2005: Pedro Martinez 17.7     Johan Santana  17.7
2002-2004: Pedro Martinez 17.9     Curt Schilling 17.8
2001-2003: Curt Schilling 18.7     Randy Johnson  18.2
2000-2002: Randy Johnson  24.8     Pedro Martinez 20.4
1999-2001: Randy Johnson  24.2     Pedro Martinez 23.1
1998-2000: Pedro Martinez 25.1     Randy Johnson  21.3
1997-1999: Pedro Martinez 23.2     Randy Johnson  21.4
1996-1998: Roger Clemens  25.5     Kevin Brown    22.3
1995-1997: Greg Maddux    22.4     Roger Clemens  19.8
1994-1996: Greg Maddux    22.9     Roger Clemens  15.4
1993-1995: Greg Maddux    22.8     Randy Johnson  19
1992-1994: Greg Maddux    22.4     Kevin Appier   20.4
1991-1993: Kevin Appier   19.3     Jose Rijo      18.5
1990-1992: Roger Clemens  24.9     Greg Maddux    15.7
1989-1991: Roger Clemens  22.3     B Saberhagen   16.9
1988-1990: Roger Clemens  21.5     Frank Viola    16.9
1987-1989: Orel Hershiser 20.9     Roger Clemens  20.4
1986-1988: Roger Clemens  23       Teddy Higuera  21.5
1985-1987: Dwight Gooden  19.9     Roger Clemens  18.7
1984-1986: Dwight Gooden  21.5     Bert Blyleven  16
1983-1985: Dave Stieb     20.6     Dwight Gooden  17.1
1982-1984: Dave Stieb     20.9     Mario Soto     18.3
1981-1983: Dave Stieb     17.4     Steve Carlton  16.6
1980-1982: Steve Carlton  20.5     Dave Stieb     15.9
1979-1981: Steve Carlton  17.4     Rick  Reuschel 13.6
1978-1980: Phil Niekro    19.1     Ron  Guidry    17.9
1977-1979: Phil Niekro    24.3     Rick Reuschel  19.3
1976-1978: Phil Niekro    24       Jim Palmer     20.4
1975-1977: Frank Tanana   22.7     Jim Palmer     21.9
1974-1976: Phil Niekro    20.7     Frank Tanana   19.9
1973-1975: Tom Seaver     22.9     Bert Blyleven  22.2
1972-1974: Gaylord Perry  26.1     Wilbur Wood    21.8
1971-1973: Wilbur Wood    27.4     Tom Seaver     24.5
1970-1972: Fergie Jenkins 22.5     Wilbur Wood    22.4
1969-1971: Bob Gibson     24.4     Fergie Jenkins 23.8
1968-1970: Bob Gibson     31.6     Gaylord Perry  22.1
1967-1969: Bob Gibson     25.9     Tom Seaver     21.5
1966-1968: Bob Gibson     21.3     Gaylord Perry  18.3
1965-1967: Jim Bunning    25.4     Juan Marichal  20.5
1964-1966: Sandy Koufax   26.8     Juan Marichal  24.8
1963-1965: Sandy Koufax   26.8     Juan Marichal  23.9
1962-1964: Sandy Koufax   23       Don Drysdale   18.9
1961-1963: Sandy Koufax   20.8     Don Drysdale   15.8
1960-1962: Don Drysdale   17.8     Jim Bunning    14.2
1959-1961: Don Drysdale   18.8     Larry Jackson  16.1
1958-1960: Don Drysdale   16.6     Larry Jackson  15.7
1957-1959: Sam Jones      15.6     Don Drysdale   15.4
1956-1958: Frank Lary     15.3     Billy Pierce   14.9
1955-1957: Billy Pierce   16.6     Bob Friend     15.9
1954-1956: Early Wynn     19.4     J Antonelli    18.1
1953-1955: Robin Roberts  22.5     Warren Spahn   19.3
1952-1954: Robin Roberts  26.3     Warren Spahn   21
1951-1953: Robin Roberts  24.4     Warren Spahn   22.3
1950-1952: Robin Roberts  21.8     Warren Spahn   18.1
1949-1951: Mel Parnell    17.8     Warren Spahn   17.5
1948-1950: Mel Parnell    17.8     Preacher Roe   15.6
1947-1949: Hal Newhouser  18.1     Warren Spahn   16.7
1946-1948: Hal Newhouser  21.2     Bob Feller     18.7
1945-1947: Hal Newhouser  23.8     Bob Feller     17
1944-1946: Hal Newhouser  25       Dizzy Trout    17
1943-1945: Hal Newhouser  17.2     Dizzy Trout    14.4
1942-1944: Mort Cooper    16.9     Dizzy Trout    15.8
1941-1943: Mort Cooper    13.1     Whit Wyatt     12.3
1940-1942: Bob Feller     16.9     Bucky Walters  13.7
1939-1941: Bob Feller     25.5     Bucky Walters  19.7
1938-1940: Bob Feller     23.3     Bobo Newsom    19
1937-1939: Lefty Grove    19.3     Lefty Gomez    17.3
1936-1938: Lefty Grove    21.7     Red Ruffing    16.5
1935-1937: Lefty Grove    24.6     Dizzy Dean     17.9
1934-1936: Dizzy Dean     21.5     Carl Hubbell   21.3
1933-1935: Carl Hubbell   20.5     Dizzy Dean     19.8
1932-1934: Carl Hubbell   22.4     Lon Warneke    18.3
1931-1933: Lefty Grove    24.8     Carl Hubbell   19.7
1930-1932: Lefty Grove    27       Wes Ferrell    18.2
1929-1931: Lefty Grove    25.3     Wes Ferrell    17.4
1928-1930: Lefty Grove    22.2     Dazzy Vance    21
1927-1929: Dazzy Vance    20       Lefty Grove    18.1
1926-1928: Lefty Grove    17.4     Dazzy Vance    17.4
1925-1927: Ted Lyons      16.6     Ray Kremer     14.9
1924-1926: Dazzy Vance    16.9     Herb Pennock   15.2
1923-1925: Dazzy Vance    19.1     Dolf Luque     18.2
1922-1924: Dazzy Vance    16.7     Urban Shocker  15.3
1921-1923: Red Faber      20.2     Urban Shocker  18.1
1920-1922: Red Faber      23       Stan Coveleski 18.8
1919-1921: Pete Alexander 19.9     Stan Coveleski 19.8
1918-1920: Stan Coveleski 20.8     Walter Johnson 19.9
1917-1919: Walter Johnson 23.1     Eddie Cicotte  21.1
1916-1918: Walter Johnson 21.7     Pete Alexander 18.8
1915-1917: Pete Alexander 28       Walter Johnson 22.5
1914-1916: Walter Johnson 27.2     Pete Alexander 26.6
1913-1915: Walter Johnson 31.8     Pete Alexander 23.3
1912-1914: Walter Johnson 34.1     Pete Alexander 19.2
1911-1913: Walter Johnson 31.4     C Mathewson    21.3
1910-1912: Walter Johnson 28.1     Ed Walsh       26.8
1909-1911: C Mathewson    23       Ed Walsh       22
1908-1910: C Mathewson    25.8     Ed Walsh       23.3
1907-1909: C Mathewson    25.2     Mordecai Brown 21.7
1906-1908: Ed Walsh       20.7     Mordecai Brown 20.2
1905-1907: C Mathewson    18       Ed Reulbach    16.1
1904-1906: Rube Waddell   21.3     C Mathewson    17.5
1903-1905: C Mathewson    24.1     Joe McGinnity  23.6
1902-1904: Joe McGinnity  27.3     Rube Waddell   23.9
1901-1903: Cy Young       26.6     Joe McGinnity  23
1900-1902: Cy Young       26.5     Noodles Hahn   19.6

Notes:
  • The overall WAR totals are a lot less than for batters. This might reflect differences in how WAR is determined, or might reflect that pitching is just a lot harder in terms of staying consistently dominating.
  • Dave Stieb had a 4-year run in first or second place
  • Frank Tanana!
  • Roger Clemens appears in 1985 and 2006!
  • Mort Cooper fills the World War II gap.
  • Kevin Appier!
Here's a random piece of trivia I learned while writing this. If you put "The Urban" in the B-R.com search box, you don't get Urban Shocker, but you get another guy whose name appears in this post.

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