Last Updated: October 15th, 2026 by Matthew Brown
The 1970s were a dynamic time in baseball. We saw some of the greatest ever toe the rubber in marquee matchups. It's a pretty fun debate to talk about who the greatest from that decade was.
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They come in all shapes and sizes with different repertoires to showcase. Let's go through this list of the best of the decade and see who comes out on top.
10. Tom Seaver – The Perfect Pitching Machine
Tom Terrific was in his prime and absolutely dominated the 1970s. The flamethrower led the National League in strikeouts five times and won three ERA titles, all in this decade.
His three Cy Young Awards confirm the fact that he impressed every single time he went out to the mound. He even did this with both the Mets and the Reds in this decade.
9. Jim Palmer – The Orioles’ Elegant Ace
Ever-famous for his underwear modeling, Jim Palmer led one of the most successful pitching rotations of all time. Three straight 20-win seasons, eight in total for the decade, Seaver was no trouble finding W's left and right.
His 2.86 career ERA just makes him an even bigger legend, as he wasn't as big of a strikeout pitcher. He still got a ton of batters out, leading the league in batters faced twice in his career.
8. Gaylord Perry – The Controversial Master
I know perception dropped whenever a baseball fan saw the cover of Gaylord Perry's revealing book. That spitball was so effective for him throughout his career that he would go through entire seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA.
It's hard to deny what has already been admitted, but I have to give him credit for owning up to his tricks, even though they came after his career.
7. Phil Niekro – The Knuckleball King
The knuckleball has now become a thing of the past. I'm sure if Niekro were pitching in today's day and age, he would have a fit at the way a lot of pitchers are only focusing on velocity.
For Niekro, the knuckler was the pitch that was cashing his checks, and it allowed him to pitch well past this decade and face much younger competition later in his career.
6. Catfish Hunter – The Million Dollar Arm
Catfish Hunter was instrumental to the Athletics' success. Their 1970s dynasty saw him lead a dynamic rotation that refused to lose. That's basically what Hunter did best: Win.
And to think that he only got that Catfish nickname because the owner of the A's was trying to drum up support, creating fake backstories to go along with the creative nicknames he came up with.
5. Steve Carlton – Lefty’s Legacy
Southpaws are a little more prevalent in today's game than they were in the 1970s. That's what made Steve Carlton so special. He earned two Cy Youngs in this decade, becoming the premier left-handed pitcher in all of baseball.
His 2,097 strikeouts in this specific decade illustrate how dominant he was. In fact, he led the league in strikeouts twice in the '70s, making him must-watch TV every time he was on.
4. Bert Blyleven – The Curveball Artist
Bert Blyleven was just 19 when he debuted in 1970. He then completed a string of six consecutive seasons where he accumulated more than 200 strikeouts each. That came out to a total of 2,082 strikeouts over these 10 years.
That is very impressive for a guy who only made it to one All-Star team this decade.
3. Don Sutton – The Reliable Workhorse
Don Sutton peaked during the 1970s. The four All-Star selections he earned in his career all come from this decade. He also racked up 159 wins out of the 324 he totaled in his career.
He was just as reliable an arm as there was in baseball, and he showcased that to the greatest extent of his 23-year career in just these 10 seasons.
2. Fergie Jenkins – The Control Master
Fergie Jenkins enjoyed his best seasons in the '70s. His Cy Young in 1971 saw him lead the league with 24 wins on a 2.77 ERA and an impressive 10.1 WAR. He would finish top three in Cy Young voting in the two surrounding seasons as he seemed dominant in Wrigley.
Then a major change came in his career, and he found himself in Texas twice and Boston in between. He still delivered for those teams, as he always did throughout his illustrious career.
1. Nolan Ryan – The Strikeout King
I feel like the first question has to be, "How many strikeouts did Nolan Ryan have in the 1970s?" The answer is a lot. He totaled 2,678 strikeouts and led the league an incredible seven times in strikeouts this decade.
This is where he broke out in a big way, as Ryan actually started the '70s out in Queens as a promising young Mets pitcher. Once he found a home in Anaheim, he just completely took control. Yet still, he never won a Cy Young Award.
