Last Updated: October 15th, 2026 by Matthew Brown
Pedro Martinez has a case to be called the greatest pitcher of all time. Part of that case is the era that he pitched in. It is considered the toughest era for pitchers because of all the steroid-using hitters who grew in size and clobbered baseballs.
Don't lose this article. Enter your email below, and I'll send it to you right now. Plus, we'll send you other unbelievable stories from baseball's past.
Through all of that, Martinez performed like any other great who ever toed the rubber. Let's take a look at a list of his best and talk about what made him special.
16. Clemens vs. Pedro: Holding Up His End of the Match-Up (October 16, 1999)
We start with a marquee matchup that always brought interest and intrigue when it happened. Roger Clemens may have more Cy Young awards than Pedro, but it was Pedro's night in this one.
It was a playoff game in Fenway, which always brings a special energy, and the Red Sox took advantage of it to dominate Game 3 of the ALCS.
15. The 17K Yankee Demolition (September 10, 1999)
We're sticking with 1999 as that was one of Pedro's greatest seasons. This ended up being one of his greatest single performances as he stepped his game up once again against the hated Yankees, striking out 17 in a complete-game victory.
What's even more impressive is that it was in the middle of a string of eight consecutive games where he struck out more than 10 batters.
14. Montreal’s Gift: The 1.90 ERA Season (1997)
Pedro was a big part of the Montreal Expos in the 1990s, as they pretty much picked him up for free from the Dodgers. He became a superstar in 1997 with a 1.90 ERA and an MLB-leading 13 complete games.
It wasn't like he was going five innings per game. He was a workhorse, which only builds upon his legacy that really started with this season.
13. Fenway’s All-Star Masterpiece: 5 Ks in 2 Perfect Innings (1999)
You have to love pitchers who are willing to wow the crowd in an otherwise meaningless game in the middle of the season. That's part of what makes the MLB All-Star Game special.
We've been treated to performances like this, where Pedro struck out five All-Stars across two innings, asserting his dominance in the National League.
12. Game 5 ALDS Gutcheck: 6 No-Hit Innings (1999)
This is a little closer to what we'd see today, as Martinez was a long reliever in this game. He came in to throw six no-hit innings to send the Red Sox to the ALCS.
Unfortunately, that took him out of the next round until Game 3, which we already covered, since he had to rest and hope his teammates could come up big.
11. Turning Jose Canseco Into Jose Mistake-O: 17K Complete Game (May 6, 2000)
Let's start in the 2000s now with an outstanding performance that somehow ended up in a loss. Pedro struck out 17 in a complete-game effort, but gave up one run, which was all Tampa Bay needed behind Steve Trachsel.
Imagine pitching as well as anyone in the league only to lose to an even better performance on the other side.
10. Breaking Records: 1.74 ERA Season (2000)
In my opinion, there is no more impressive pitching season than Pedro Martinez's 2000 Cy Young season. A 1.74 ERA is just ridiculous in an era where hitters were physically bigger than ever and hitting more home runs than ever. Martinez made them look like Bob Gibson in 1968.
9. Putting Holes in the Pale Hose: 15K Against the White Sox (July 23, 2000)
Let's talk about Pedro going against a White Sox team that contained the Big Hurt, Frank Thomas. He mowed through the batting order, striking out 15 in a complete-game shutout.
Thomas went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Even during a season when he was hitting .336, Pedro made him look like he was in a slump.
8. Opening Slay: 11K Safeco Field Domination (April 4, 2000)
Opening day is always exciting, and having a big matchup can make it more intriguing. Pedro chose to take it easy in this complete-game shutout. He held the Mariners to just two hits and two walks, with both of those free passes wisely going to Alex Rodriguez.
Pedro finished with a measly 11 strikeouts. I'm just kidding. That's a total any opening day pitcher would like.
7. Halo Crusher: 15K vs. Angels (May 7,1999)
The Anaheim Angels were a few years away from becoming World Series champions. Pedro might have made them feel like they were further away with the performance he put on them in 1999.
He didn't even pitch the ninth inning, which might have given him a few more opportunities to raise that K count.
6. World Series Glory: Game 3 vs. Cardinals (2004)
This one is more about the championship than the game itself. Pedro was so instrumental in the Red Sox completing their legendary comeback in the ALCS that the World Series seemed more like an afterthought. Pedro took care of business against the Cardinals as his teammates took care of the rest to break the Curse of the Bambino after 86 years.
5. The Detroit Clinic: Taming The Tigers (June 14, 1997)
Pedro was feeling it in this one. His 14 strikeouts were a season-high for this breakout year in Montreal. He held the Tigers to just three hits and three walks in a complete-game shutout.
The Expos needed all nine innings of shutout ball from him as they mustered one run to secure the win.
4. Cleveland Crusher: 10K Game (June 8, 2000)
Cleveland was as dynamic an offense as any during this era, as Pedro was faced with a tough task. It was made slightly easier as Manny Ramirez had to sit out to nurse an injury.
But Pedro still had to strike out Jim Thome twice and hold guys like Roberto Alomar, Kenny Lofton, and David Justice hitless in this shutout.
3. The Montreal Shutdown: Expos-ing Old Wounds in 12K Victory (July 18, 2000)
Facing a former team can be tough. Pedro Martinez did a great job here as he dominated the Expos in a 12-strikeout complete game. A lineup that featured Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr. Was held to one run, which was all the Red Sox as they scored three to win this midseason battle.
2. When Blue Jays Whiff: 11K Win (1998)
1998 is a down year for Pedro. I feel crazy for saying that a 2.89 ERA that brought about a 19-7 record with 251 strikeouts is a down year. That's just how good Pedro was.
He was still second in Cy Young voting, and it was helped by this performance against the Blue Jays. He struck out 11 and added to his resume of great performances.
1. The Atlanta Statement: 16K Masterpiece (June 4, 1999)
The Atlanta Braves were a regular-season juggernaut in the 1990s. That's what makes this performance even better. Pedro held a lineup that consisted of Hall of Famers Chipper and Andruw Jones to just one run in a complete-game effort.
He also outdueled Hall of Famer Tom Glavine in this game, which displayed his true greatness.
