Making the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a pitcher is something that is extremely difficult to do.
Statistically, according to Baseball Reference, there are just 89 pitchers who are inducted into Cooperstown. With there being 351 Hall of Famers in total, that means just 25% have thrown the ball off the mound and over the plate.
As pitchers are named to the Hall Of Fame, that does not mean that they did not struggle against certain teams, as every player has their kryptonite.
With that being said, we have constructed a list of five Hall of Fame pitchers who struggled against the Orioles during their playing days.
Let’s break this down.
PHIL NIEKRO
We start with a player who is deemed as one of, if not, the best knuckleball pitcher in baseball history.
Phil Niekro pitched from 1964-1987 for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays, as he shared a division with the Orioles throughout his career.
The five-time All-Star made six starts against the Orioles in four different seasons. He posted a 5.08 ERA in 39 innings pitched, gave up 49 hits and 22 earned runs, walked 20 batters and struck out 23. His 5.08 ERA was his fifth worse against a team.
Niekro’s worst statistical season not counting his final campaign in 1987 when he was 48 years old was in 1984. He had an 8.38 ERA in two starts against Baltimore, pitching just 9.2 innings and giving up nine earned runs.
MIKE MUSSINA
A former Oriole who struggled against the Orioles, Mike Mussina pitched from 1991-2000 with the Orioles and then signed with the Yankees in 2001 until he retired in 2008.
Mussina made a total of 26 starts against the Orioles and posted his fifth worst ERA against a team at 4.83. It would end up being the worst ERA against a team in which he made 10+ starts.
Against the O’s, Mussina tossed 145.1 innings, gave up 78 earned runs, walked 25 batters and struck out 118. His toughest season facing the Birds was his 2004 campaign, when he had a 5.40 ERA in four starts. He gave up 14 earned runs (second most in his career vs. the O’s) while striking out 14 batters.
PEDRO MARTÍNEZ
Pedro Martínez is the final pitcher listed who played a majority of his career in the same division as the Orioles.
Martínez pitched from 1992-2009 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies and is the first Cy Young winner to appear on this list. When it came to the Orioles, he did not put up award-winning numbers.
In his 18 games against Baltimore, Martínez carried a flat 4.00 ERA in 114.2 innings. He gave up 51 earned runs and 95 hits, walked 25 batters and struck out 116.
Martínez’s worst season facing the O’s was the same as Mussina’s, the 2004 season. That year, he posted an 8.25 ERA, which is his only season with an ERA over five against the Orioles. He made four starts, tossing 24 innings, giving up 22 earned runs and striking out 20 batters.
RANDY JOHNSON
Arguably the best left-handed pitcher in baseball history, Randy Johnson had a truly amazing career.
The Big Unit played 22 seasons from 1988-2009 with the Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants. Johnson has the second most Cy Young Awards in baseball history, hoisting the trophy a total of five times. However, like Martínez, when it came to the Orioles, he was not the Johnson we know and love.
Johnson pitched a total of 30 games against the Orioles and posted a 4.09 ERA in 180.1 innings, the seventh highest ERA against a team in his career. He gave up 145 hits and 74 earned runs, walked 91 and struck out 184 Birds.
His worst season against the Orioles was in 1992, when, in two starts, he tossed a total of 6.1 innings, giving up 11 earned runs and walking 13 batters. We do want to mention that in 1997, the Orioles were responsible for two of Johnson’s four losses for the entire season.
NOLAN RYAN
Nolan Ryan was a household name during his 27-year career from 1966-1993. He played for the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers and is most notably recognized for having the most strikeouts in history (5,714) and for throwing the most no hitters in history with seven, including one against the Orioles in 1975.
Ryan pitched a total of 33 times against the Orioles, posting a 4.21 ERA, which would end up being his second highest ERA against a team behind the Astros (5.62). Ryan pitched 209.1 innings against the O’s, gave up 165 hits and 98 earned runs and struck out 238 batters. Ryan also collected 17 losses against the Birds, which is the third most against any team in his career.
Outside of 1993 when Ryan was 46 years old and on the last leg of his career, his worst year against the Orioles was in 1979. In a season where Ryan averaged 6.2 innings per start, he pitched just six innings in total over two games versus the O’s, good for an ERA of 7.50.
Which pitcher were you surprised to see on this list? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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