The Top 40 Pitchers in Baseball History, Ranked

#25: Warren Spahn

Warren Spahn won 363 games—the most by any left-hander ever—and did it with a mischievous smile and a mind like a chess master. He debuted in 1942, paused for combat service in World War II, then returned to pitch 21 remarkable seasons. Spahn won 20 or more games thirteen times and claimed a Cy Young at 36.

He wasn’t a flamethrower; he was a craftsman. He once dueled Marichal for 16 scoreless innings. Spahn’s delivery was deceptive, his strategy cerebral. He never tried to overpower hitters. He outlasted them. Spahn pitched forever—and he still does for all intents and purposes.