Catfish Hunter
Hunter threw a perfect game in 1968, but his real genius was durability wrapped in postseason magic. From 1971-75, he averaged 23 wins and 318 innings while anchoring Oakland's three-straight championship teams. The mustachioed right-hander went 9-6 with a 3.26 ERA across five World Series — numbers that underscore his clutch gene.
His 1974 free agency made him baseball's first modern millionaire, but the Yankees got their money's worth. Hunter posted a 2.58 ERA over his first two Bronx seasons, helping deliver another title in 1977. The Hall of Famer won 20 games five times despite playing half his career in the pitcher-unfriendly 1970s.
Hunter's 224 wins came through old-school completeness — he finished what he started 181 times. His 3.26 career ERA and 108 ERA+ reflect consistent excellence rather than peak dominance, the calling card of a competitor who saved his best for October.
Career · Hitting
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | KC1 | 32 | 40 | 0 | 1 | .150 | .325 | — |
| 1966 | KC1 | 30 | 59 | 0 | 4 | .153 | .397 | — |
| 1967 | KC1 | 37 | 92 | 2 | 6 | .196 | .500 | — |
| 1968 | ATH | 39 | 82 | 1 | 8 | .232 | .537 | — |
| 1969 | ATH | 42 | 85 | 1 | 9 | .224 | .510 | — |
| 1970 | ATH | 43 | 90 | 1 | 6 | .200 | .515 | 72 |
| 1971 | ATH | 38 | 103 | 1 | 12 | .350 | .770 | 113 |
| 1972 | ATH | 39 | 105 | 0 | 5 | .219 | .434 | 65 |
| 1973 | ATH | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 284 |
| 1974 | ATH | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | NYY | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | NYY | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | 0 |
| 1977 | NYY | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | NYY | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | NYY | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 515 | 658 | 6 | 51 | .226 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
15 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | KC1 | 32 | 133.0 | 8 | 8 | 4.26 | 82 | 82 | 1.278 |
| 1966 | KC1 | 30 | 176.7 | 9 | 11 | 4.02 | 88 | 103 | 1.257 |
| 1967 | KC1 | 35 | 259.7 | 13 | 17 | 2.81 | 117 | 196 | 1.128 |
| 1968 | ATH | 36 | 234.0 | 13 | 13 | 3.35 | 89 | 172 | 1.192 |
| 1969 | ATH | 38 | 247.0 | 12 | 15 | 3.35 | 108 | 150 | 1.194 |
| 1970 | ATH | 40 | 262.3 | 18 | 14 | 3.81 | 102 | 178 | 1.247 |
| 1971 | ATH | 37 | 273.7 | 21 | 11 | 2.96 | 117 | 181 | 1.114 |
| 1972 | ATH | 38 | 295.3 | 21 | 7 | 2.04 | 160 | 191 | 0.914 |
| 1973 | ATH | 36 | 256.3 | 21 | 5 | 3.34 | 112 | 124 | 1.135 |
| 1974 | ATH | 41 | 318.3 | 25 | 12 | 2.49 | 145 | 143 | 0.986 |
| 1975 | NYY | 39 | 328.0 | 23 | 14 | 2.58 | 143 | 177 | 1.009 |
| 1976 | NYY | 36 | 298.7 | 17 | 15 | 3.53 | 99 | 173 | 1.125 |
| 1977 | NYY | 22 | 143.3 | 9 | 9 | 4.71 | 85 | 52 | 1.284 |
| 1978 | NYY | 21 | 118.0 | 12 | 6 | 3.58 | 103 | 56 | 1.127 |
| 1979 | NYY | 19 | 105.0 | 2 | 9 | 5.31 | 75 | 34 | 1.543 |
| Career | 500 | 3449.3 | 224 | 166 | — | — | 2012 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.