Baseball Shutout Leaders

When it comes to the fine art of pitching on the Major League level, the bar clearly has been set a bit lower over the past decade or two.

Yes, hitters are bigger, stronger, and better conditioned than before. Some even have turned to the dark side to get a little extra “help.” Strike zones have shrunk a bit, too, further aiding the fellows waiting at the plate with the wooden bat.

Still, it’s a little disconcerting to see that a “quality start” is now defined as six innings pitched, with three or fewer earned runs allowed. Back in the day — or, in this case, way back in the day — the game’s top pitchers would have regarded that as a bad outing, and dissatisfied owners might have wanted their money back.

With the complete game all but a lost art, it’s no wonder the shutout has become a casualty as well. Here, then, is a list of the all-timers who didn’t consider the job done until 27 (or more) had been retired, with a big fat goose egg still beaming down from “Runs” column on that scoreboard.

The shutout leaders:

1. Walter Johnson (1907-27)  – 110

2. Grover Cleveland Alexander (1911-30) – 90

3. Christy Mathewson (1900-16) – 79

4. Cy Young (1890-1911) – 76

5. Eddie Plank (1901-17)– 69

6. Warren Spahn (1942-65) — 63

7. Nolan Ryan (1966-93) — 61

T7. Tom Seaver (1967-86) — 61

9. Bert Blyleven (1970-92) — 60

10. Don Sutton (1966-88) — 58

Note: Among active players, Arizona’s Randy Johnson started the 2008 season with 37.

Source: MLB.com