Hall of Stats

Wes Ferrell

Position

Pitcher

Years

1927-1941

Hall Rating

109

Hall of Stats

Inductee

Peak

63%

Longevity

37%

Wes Ferrell didn’t win 200 games and had an ERA over 4.00. How is he even in a Hall of Fame discussion? He just might be the most unique pitcher in history. Ferrell’s 8-year peak took place when the league ERA was 4.50. Ferrell’s ERA during those years was 3.72. Add the fact that he played in two hitters parks (in Cleveland and Boston) and his ERA+ during that run was 128. For his entire career, his ERA+ was still an impressive 116—better than Hall of Famers Steve Carlton, Fergie Jenkins, and Nolan Ryan (among several others).

Ferrell’s peak was tremendous, as he won 20 games six times and compiled 46.0 (Baseball-Reference) WAR on the mound (the rest of his career was below replacement level). Then there’s his bat. Ferrell was the best hitting (exclusive) pitcher of all time. His 100 wRC+ led to 12.1 WAR at the plate. Ten wins came during his peak, meaning he was worth 56.0 WAR, or 7.0 WAR per season. That is a Hall of Fame-level, Koufaxian peak. It just isn’t a traditional one.

Articles Mentioning Wes Ferrell

• Personal Hall of Fame, Part 2: Spending Time on the Borderline • Feb 16, 2013
• 50 Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame—and the 8 Best Not in the Hall of Stats • Jan 14, 2013
• Vote: 50 Best Players Not in the Hall of Fame • Dec 2, 2012

Rankings by Hall Rating

• 194th All Time (Top 1.1%)
• 60th among Pitchers
• 167th among Hall of Stats

Franchise Contributions by Hall Rating

• CLE 65 (19th)
• BOS 42 (44th)
• MIN 2 (369th)
• LAD 0 (962nd)
• ATL 0 (1,038th)
• NYY -1 (1,484th)

Career Statistics