Mike Marshall
Marshall threw more innings out of the bullpen than anyone thought humanly possible, then rewrote the entire concept of relief pitching. His 1974 season remains untouchable: 106 appearances in 208 innings, both still records for a reliever. He won the Cy Young that year, becoming the first reliever ever to claim the award.
The man was a literal iron arm, appearing in 90-plus games four different seasons when most closers today max out around 65. His submarine delivery and screwball made him nearly unhittable during his peak Montreal years, posting a 1.78 ERA in 1972. Marshall understood leverage before the term existed, often pitching multiple innings to get through the heart of opposing lineups.
What made Marshall truly unique wasn't just his durability — it was his intellectual approach to the craft. He held a PhD in kinesiology and applied biomechanics to pitching in ways that were decades ahead of his time.
Career · Hitting
14 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | DET | 37 | 9 | 0 | 1 | .222 | .444 | — |
| 1969 | SE1 | 21 | 27 | 1 | 4 | .259 | .725 | — |
| 1970 | MON | 28 | 11 | 0 | 1 | .091 | .358 | 50 |
| 1971 | MON | 66 | 16 | 0 | 1 | .188 | .465 | 68 |
| 1972 | MON | 65 | 22 | 0 | 2 | .136 | .390 | 59 |
| 1973 | MON | 92 | 33 | 0 | 3 | .242 | .528 | 75 |
| 1974 | LAD | 106 | 34 | 0 | 2 | .235 | .471 | 68 |
| 1975 | LAD | 58 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .067 | .133 | 19 |
| 1976 | ATL | 54 | 11 | 0 | 1 | .091 | .403 | 59 |
| 1977 | ATL | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 274 |
| 1978 | MIN | 54 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | MIN | 90 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | MIN | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | NYM | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 725 | 179 | 1 | 16 | .196 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
14 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | DET | 37 | 59.0 | 1 | 3 | 1.98 | 167 | 41 | 1.203 |
| 1969 | SE1 | 20 | 87.7 | 3 | 10 | 5.13 | 70 | 47 | 1.529 |
| 1970 | MON | 28 | 70.0 | 3 | 8 | 3.86 | 101 | 43 | 1.386 |
| 1971 | MON | 66 | 111.3 | 5 | 8 | 4.28 | 81 | 85 | 1.347 |
| 1972 | MON | 65 | 116.0 | 14 | 8 | 1.78 | 183 | 95 | 1.112 |
| 1973 | MON | 92 | 179.0 | 14 | 11 | 2.66 | 141 | 124 | 1.330 |
| 1974 | LAD | 106 | 208.3 | 15 | 12 | 2.42 | 150 | 143 | 1.186 |
| 1975 | LAD | 58 | 109.3 | 9 | 14 | 3.29 | 112 | 64 | 1.253 |
| 1976 | LAD | 54 | 99.3 | 6 | 4 | 3.99 | 88 | 56 | 1.389 |
| 1977 | TEX | 16 | 41.7 | 3 | 2 | 4.75 | 84 | 24 | 1.656 |
| 1978 | MIN | 54 | 99.0 | 10 | 12 | 2.45 | 150 | 56 | 1.182 |
| 1979 | MIN | 90 | 142.7 | 10 | 15 | 2.65 | 151 | 81 | 1.262 |
| 1980 | MIN | 18 | 32.3 | 1 | 3 | 6.12 | 63 | 13 | 1.670 |
| 1981 | NYM | 20 | 31.0 | 3 | 2 | 2.61 | 137 | 8 | 1.097 |
| Career | 724 | 1386.6 | 97 | 112 | — | — | 880 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.