50 Best Pitching Windups of All Time

Pitching is not just scientific. There's an art to having success on the mound, and the windup is a big part of that.

Best Pitching Windups of All Time

Dennis Eckersley pitching windup — Dennis Eckersley delivered with style.

Pitching is not just scientific. There's an art to having success on the mound.

Pitchers want to hide the ball from hitters, to keep them from picking up their release point — or from where the pitch is delivered. There are various tools used to do so, whether it’s a high leg kick, a drop of the hands that removes the ball from sight or a unique delivery angle. Each can be effective.

Many pitchers have incorporated deceptive practices to reach the majors and in doing so made delivering the ball home an art form. These are the best pitching windups in Major League Baseball history.

Honorable Mention: Jose Valverde — El Bailarin (The Dancer)

Career: 12 seasons (2003-14)

Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets

Stats: 27-33, 3.27 ERA, 288 saves, 630.1 IP, 692 SO, 264 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Jose Valverde — El Bailarin (The Dancer)

Jose Valverde, like David Wells, was an everyman on the mound, which is to say he rarely looked in good enough shape to be a pro athlete.

But Valverde’s distinctive pitching stance came after his delivery, where he would often dance, shimmy or just celebrate after getting hitters out.

Papa Grande’s dancing became legendary off the field too in 2011 when he won a local "Dancing With the Stars” competition against teammate Ramon Santiago.

50. Billy Wagner — The Bullet

Career: 16 seasons (1995-2010)

Teams: Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves

Stats: 47-40, 2.31 ERA, 422 saves, 903 IP, 1,196 SO, 300 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Billy Wagner

Billy Wagner's exceptional mechanics and strong lower half are why he could throw so hard (96 mph fastball, 83 mph slider) despite his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame.

"When I was growing up, I didn’t have a coach who told me, 'This is how you do it,'" Wagner told The New York Times in 2006. "They just said, 'Get on the mound, throw it at the mitt and take it from there.'"

Mission accomplished.

49. Jack McDowell — The Black Jack

Career: 10 seasons (1987-98)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Anaheim Angels

Stats: 127-87, 3.85 ERA, 1,889 IP, 1,311 SO, 606 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Jack McDowell

Jack McDowell’s distinctive motion came in his leg kick, where he would kick his foot up and then out when delivering.

His motion was caused by an arthritic hip condition, and the windup helped alleviate the pain of pitching.

It worked. He started 275 games in 10 major league seasons and won a Cy Young in 1993.

48. Alex Wood — The Herky Jerky

Career: 8 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds

Stats: 53-44, 3.42 ERA, 842 IP, 772 SO, 241 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Alex Wood

Alex Wood’s motion is frenetic, and he maxes out his effort with each pitch. He swings each of his arms to the side while delivering then slingshots the ball home, creating a herky-jerky motion that is difficult for hitters to time.

It isn’t pretty, and coaches have been trying to tinker to keep him in line. Plus, it also has been hard on Wood’s body, but he has pitched in eight big league seasons and been effective almost everywhere he’s pitched.

47. Terry Mulholland — The Late Drop

Career: 20 seasons (1986-2006)

Teams: San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks

Stats: 124-142, 4.41 ERA, 2,575.2 IP, 1,325 SO, 681 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Terry Mulholland

Baseball fans of a certain age can see Terry Mulholland’s unique pitching motion in their head.

Mulholland’s mechanics started like a normal left-hander, but at the last second, he’d drop his hands to his left hip in an effort to deceive hitters.

His deceptive motion, good stuff and exceptional pickoff move helped Mulholland carve out a 20-year career in the bigs in which he beat every team.

46. Mike Mussina — The Dip

Career: 18 seasons (1991-2008)

Teams: Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees

Stats: 270-153, 3.68 ERA, 3,5622/3 IP, 2,813 SO, 785 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Mike Mussina

Mike Mussina’s motion from the windup was as pure as it can be, and it even left him in the perfect position to field the ball, which helped him win seven Gold Gloves.

"You try to give kids a Mike Mussina wind-up so they never get hurt, they throw the ball over the plate, everybody likes them and what they’re doing," Jim Palmer told The New York Times in 2008.

But Mussina’s pitching motion from the stretch was quirky, where he’d lean forward and check the runner before delivering, and closing with a signature hop toward home plate.

45. Mariano Rivera — The Perfect Motion

Career: 18 seasons (1995-2013)

Teams: New York Yankees

Stats: 82-60, 2.21 ERA, 652 saves, 1,283.2 IP, 1,173 SO, 286 BB

World Series championships: 5 (1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)

Bottom Line: Mariano Rivera

Distinct pitching windups don’t always have to be unorthodox. They are sometimes absolutely perfect. Mariano Rivera’s windup, for example, was just that.

He always pitched from the stretch, dropped his hands to his belt, delivered a long and fluid motion while throwing his cut fastball. He always landed in a perfect position to field the ball and rarely had hard contact against him.

The only alteration was a slight dip he added later in his career, which Mike Mussina helped him with.

44. Greg Maddux — The Perfect Motion 2

Career: 23 seasons (1984-2008)

Teams: Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres

Stats: 355-227, 3.16 ERA, 5,008 1/3 IP, 3,371 SO, 999 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1995)

Bottom Line: Greg Maddux

The best pitchers have no trouble repeating their delivery, and like Mariano Rivera, Greg Maddux had perfect mechanics every time.

The only difference was that Maddux would at least start from a full windup without men on base, raising his hands to his hat and using a slight leg kick before delivering some of the most pinpoint accurate stuff baseball has ever seen.

Maddux always was ready to field the ball, as proven by his 18 Gold Glove Awards in 23 seasons, and he won four straight Cy Young Awards between 1992 and 1995.

43. David Wells — The Everyman

Career: 21 seasons (1987-2007)

Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 239-157, 4.13 ERA, 3,439 IP, 2,201 SO, 719 BB

World Series championships: 2 (1992, 1998)

Bottom Line: David Wells

David Wells was not a model of fitness during his 21-year career, but he had fundamentally sound mechanics and was very good for the bulk of his time pitching.

Wells would raise his hands over his head, kick his leg high — with his toes pointed skyward — then deal one of his pitches, including a devastating assortment of offspeed pitches.

Wells threw a perfect game in 1998, which he later said he was hungover for, and was one of the best characters in baseball during his day.

42. Ubaldo Jimenez — The Hand Drop

Career: 12 seasons (2006-17)

Teams: Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles

Stats: 114-117, 4.34 ERA, 1,870 IP, 1,720 SO, 848 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Ubaldo Jimenez

Ubaldo Jimenez’s delivery was unorthodox mostly because of his signature hand drop, where he exposed the ball briefly to hitters behind his back leg before firing the ball home.

His motion worked briefly in Colorado, where he went 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA and finished third in NL Cy Young voting while pitching for the Rockies in 2010.

But the rest of his career was largely uneven, particularly while pitching in the American League.

41. Tim Wakefield — The Knuckler

Career: 19 seasons (1992-2011)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox

Stats: 200-180, 4.41 ERA, 22 saves, 3,226.1 IP, 2,156 SO, 1,205 BB

World Series championships: 2 (2004, 2007)

Bottom Line: Tim Wakefield

Tim Wakefield delivered his pitches with a windup that looked like a guy warming up in the park. But when he delivered his distinctive knuckleball, and when the thing danced, he was nearly unhittable.

Wakefield became a knuckleball pitcher as a way to resurrect his career while batting sub-.200 in the minor leagues and turned it into a career.

"I had to [throw the knuckleball] or finish school and get a job," Wakefield told The New York Times in 2009. "I had to take it seriously."

40. Huston Street — The Slide

Career: 13 seasons (2005-17)

Teams: Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels

Stats: 42-34, 2.95 ERA, 324 saves, 680 IP, 665 SO, 183 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Hudson Street

Huston Street started in the middle of the mound but would step off the rubber to the first-base side, and take his eye off his target to peer at his feet, each time he’d deliver home.

Then he hid the ball behind an abnormally high leg kick and fired from a three-quarter arm angle.

Street never threw particularly hard, but that deception made him one of the best closers in baseball throughout his career.

39. Ben Weber — The Three Pump

Career: 6 seasons (2000-05)

Teams: San Francisco Giants, Anaheim Angels, Cincinnati Reds

Stats: 19-8, 3.77 ERA, 7 saves, 284 IP, 162 K, 105 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2002)

Bottom Line: Ben Weber

Ben Weber was an effective middle reliever for the Angels in the four seasons he played there.

His success was largely due to the deceptive windup that started with three windup pumps, a high leg kick and a three-quarters arm motion that was devastating on righties.

Weber has since become a chiropractor after leaving baseball in 2007.

38. Bronson Arroyo — The Feller Lite

Career: 16 seasons (2000-17)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks

Stats: 148-137, 4.28 ERA, 2,435.2 IP, 1,571 SO, 661 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2004)

Bottom Line: Bronson Arroyo

Bronson Arroyo’s windup was simple in theory.

But his high leg kick, which he learned from watching Dwight Gooden with the New York Mets, capped with a literal kick of his foot was distinctive during his era.

"I really didn’t think it was such a different leg kick than anyone else’s until I started seeing it on film in rookie league," Arroyo told The New York Times in 2010. "Like in high school, I knew I had a decent high leg kick, but in my mind, my foot is not out there. In my mind, my leg is in the same place everyone else’s is."

37. Clayton Kershaw — The High Stretch

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 169-74, 2.44 ERA, 2,274.2 IP, 2,464 SO, 577 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is one of the best pitchers of his era, but his motion is anything but conventional. He starts with his hands high, then raises them higher and uses a high leg kick but delays slightly before putting his foot down.

From the stretch, his hand raise is even more pronounced, as he’ll start at his chest then lift them over his head before committing to his delivery. The motion is designed to keep hitters off balance.

"I think there is some deception involved," Kershaw told MLB.com. "I think some of the hitters that have told me before that it’s not always easy to pick up the baseball. That’s kind of the goal, to be deceptive out there."

36. Roger Clemens — The Rocket

Career: 24 seasons (1984-2007)

Teams: Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Houston Astros

Stats: 354-184, 3.12 ERA, 4,916.2 IP, 4,672 SO, 1,580 BB

World Series championships: 2 (1999, 2000)

Bottom Line: Roger Clemens

Roger Clemens' windup was fast and powerful.

Despite its simplicity, he was adept at hiding the ball, which certainly is what aided his incredible strikeout numbers.

Clemens' leg kick got higher as he aged, and he added a split-finger fastball — which he dubbed "Mr. Splitty" — that netted him four more Cy Young Awards after he left Boston in 1995.

35. Randy Johnson — The Runaway Train

Career: 22 seasons (1998-2009)

Teams: Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants

Stats: 303-166, 3.29 ERA, 2 Saves, 4,135 1/3 IP, 4,875 SO, 1,497 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2001)

Bottom Line: Randy Johnson

You would not like Randy Johnson when he was mad. And that seemed like every time he pitched.

The Big Unit's game was intimidation, and his motion was as violent as his 100-mph fastball. But his motion promoted deception too, with his arms and legs flailing.

He also delivered the ball from multiple release points to go along with his insane fastball and nasty slider, making an unhittable arsenal that netted Johnson five Cy Young Awards in his 22-season career.

34. Robb Nen — The Toe-Tapper

Career: 10 seasons (1993-2002)

Teams: Texas Rangers, Florida Marlins, San Francisco Giants

Stats: 45-42, 2.98 ERA, 314 saves, 715 IP, 793 SO, 260 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1997)

Bottom Line: Robb Nen

Robb Nen was one of the most dominant closers of his day and led the Marlins with 35 saves in 1997 when they won the World Series.

Nen featured a devastating three-pitch arsenal, nearly unheard of for closers, which featured a 100-plus-mph fastball, a splitter and unhittable slider.

But Nen’s distinct motion featured a toe tap right as he was about to deliver that threw off hitters' timing even more.

33. Sandy Koufax — The Rocker

Career: 12 seasons (1955-66)

Teams: Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 165-87, 2.76 ERA, 2,234.1 IP, 2,396 SO, 817 BB

World Series championships: 3 (1955, 1963, 1965)

Bottom Line: Sandy Koufax

Sandy Koufax is arguably the greatest pitcher in baseball history, with his signature high leg kick and rocking motion producing some of the nastiest pitches the game has ever seen.

Koufax’s career, and pitch arsenal, is mythical to baseball fans and former players alike, particularly since he quietly retired in 1966 after back-to-back Cy Young seasons.

"He had such a good release, a smooth point of delivery," Rick Dempsey, former Dodgers catcher told The Atlantic in 2016. "That pop of the wrist at the end projected the ball so strongly to home plate that the ball never went down as most fastballs do. It lost no velocity to gravity. That was different."

32. John Candelaria — The Train

Career: 19 seasons (1975-93)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 177-122, 3.33 ERA, 2,525.2 IP, 1,673 SO, 592 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1979)

Bottom Line: John Candelaria

John Candelaria had Randy Johnson’s motion before the Big Unit was even in high school, with a three-quarters arm slot and wild swings of his arms and legs.

Candeleria, like Johnson, had a large frame — Candeleria was 6-foot-7 — but unlike the Unit, Candeleria relied on control to beat hitters instead of overpowering heat.

He spent 12 seasons with the Pirates, where he won his lone championship, then bounced around with good success for the rest of his lengthy career.

31. Francisco Rodriguez — The Flailer

Career: 15 seasons (2002-17)

Teams: Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers

Stats: 52-53, 2.86 ERA, 437 saves, 976 IP, 1,142 SO, 389 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2002)

Bottom Line: Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez’s delivery was all arms and legs, to borrow an insider term from baseball circles, meaning that he flailed around to distract hitters from focusing on picking up the ball from his hand.

Nicknamed "K-Rod" for his penchant for striking out hitters, Rodriguez burst on the scene in 2002 when he became the X-factor for the Angels’ run to the World Series that year.

As he progressed as a closer — locking down a major league-record 62 saves in 2008 — his leg kick got higher and motion became wilder to deceive hitters with his windup, 100-mph fastball and devastating overhand curve.

30. Sid Fernandez — The Slingshot

Career: 15 seasons (1983-97)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros

Stats: 114-96, 3.36 ERA, 1,866.2 IP, 1,743 SO, 715 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1986)

Bottom Line: Sid Fernandez

Before Billy Wagner, there was El Sid, a slingshot-style pitcher and the rare starter who threw exclusively sidearm.

Fernandez deceived hitters by pausing just before he delivered the ball and releasing it from behind his ear, instead of three-quarters or over the top.

His fastball was never dominant, but Fernandez was an integral piece to the Mets’ 1986 championship — he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 7.

29. Craig Kimbrel — The Pterodactyl

Career: 11 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs

Stats: 31-23, 2.18 ERA, 346 saves, 558 IP, 904 SO, 223 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2018)

Bottom Line: Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel’s motion is pretty basic, but his starting point is where the distinction lies. Kimbrel starts crouched down with his two arms spread out like wings before he comes set, which he started as a way to ease his aching elbow early in his career.

"Some [opponents] say I’m flexing. Some guys say the better I pitched, the cockier I got, the further and further out my arm got," Kimbrel told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2015. "I don’t know what it is. To me, it’s just in a comfortable position, and it’s how I pick up my signs. I don’t even think about it."

He was mocked by Philadelphia Phillies fans in 2014, but Kimbrel has gotten the last laugh more often than not

28. Jim Abbott — The All-In-One

Career: 10 seasons (1989-99)

Teams: California Angels, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers

Stats: 87-108, 4.25 ERA, 1,674 IP, 888 SO, 620 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Jim Abbott

Jim Abbott was an absolute marvel, considering that he reached the majors and even threw a no-hitter despite the fact he was born with only his left hand.

Abbott would start with his right "hand" in the mitt of his glove while delivering, then would put his left hand into his glove to prepare for fielding. What looked strange to many was just a day at the park for Abbott.

"I’ve been doing this since I was 5 years old," he told reporters, according to SABR. "Now it’s as natural as tying my shoes."

27. Oliver Perez — The Multitasker

Career: 18 seasons (2002-present)

Teams: San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians

Stats: 73-91, 4.36 ERA, 5 saves, 1,449 IP, 1,535 SO, 755 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Oliver Perez

Those who remember Oliver Perez early in his career might be astonished to see him still pitching in 2020, but he has been resourceful and good in his redefined role as a middle reliever.

Perez delivers the ball from different arm angles and can fire home from at least three different deliveries. He can sidearm, throw overhand, spin away from hitters, hold his leg in the air for an indeterminate amount of time and has even added a kick throughout his nearly two-decade MLB career.

It’s all about deceiving hitters. "[I like] keeping the hitter off-balance," Perez told The Athletic in 2018. "If they’re balanced, they’re comfortable. That’s why I do different kinds of deliveries, so maybe the hitter won’t be comfortable. That’s my goal. I don’t want the hitter to be comfortable."

26. Daisuke Matsuzaka — The Gyro

Career: 8 seasons (2007-14)

Teams: Boston Red Sox, New York Mets

Stats: 56-43, 4.45 ERA, 790.1 IP, 720 SO, 387 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2007)

Bottom Line: Daisuke Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka was a highly touted prospect when he came over from Japan, largely due to his gyroball, and he was one of the aces of the Red Sox championship team his rookie season in 2007.

Matsuzaka paused at the top of his windup, then would fire home, potentially with the mythic pitch that put him on the map. Matsuzaka was 33-15 in his first two seasons in the majors but struggled with control and pitching pace later in his career.

And he never became the ace many thought he’d be in North America.

25. Randy Choate — The Southsub

Career: 16 seasons (2000-15)

Teams: New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida/Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: 16-14, 3.90 ERA, 7 Saves, 408 IP, 348 SO, 175 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2000)

Bottom Line: Randy Choate

Randy Choate tried to pass as a crafty left-handed starter, but it didn’t go well. So he changed to a sidearm (and nearly underhand) thrower as a minor leaguer with the Yankees and carved out a decade-plus major league career.

"When I started throwing from the side, the first advantage for me was comfort, " Choate told Sidearm Nation. "My arm felt really good in that slot, and I was fortunate enough to have the same velocity from the side as I did from up top, which doesn't always happen for guys.

"Another advantage, probably the biggest one, was deception. ... [T]he deception toward left-handed hitters gave me a distinct advantage. I also think that dropping down really prolonged my career by helping me stay healthy by not putting as much strain on my arm."

24. Chad Bradford — The Knuckle Scraper

Career: 12 seasons (1998-09)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays

Stats: 36-28, 3.26 ERA, 11 saves, 515.2 IP, 313 SO, 137 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Chad Bradford

Chad Bradford took submarining and made it even more crazy by actually delivering the ball underhand. Bradford’s pitches never topped 90 mph, but it was near impossible to pick up the ball from his release point, which sometimes was the ground.

"You always hear that when hitters are in a groove, they say that they're seeing the ball well," Bradford’s longtime pitching coach Rick Peterson told The New York Times in 2006. "But Chad makes it so they can't."

23. Joe Smith — The Adapter

Career: 13 seasons (2007-19)

Teams: New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros

Stats: 50-29, 2.98 ERA, 30 saves, 695.1 IP, 615 SO, 237 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Joe Smith

Joe Smith has been one of the game's best right-handed specialists in the 21st century, with a career .225 batting average against.

Smith stopped pitching due to a torn labrum in high school but took the opportunity to throw sidearm while at Wright State University.

"I just jumped up there and started throwing, and [the assistant coach] went and got the head coach. Then they tried to convince me to stay [sidearm]," Smith told Tribe Vibe in 2012. "It took a while, but I ended staying that way. My arm ended up coming back, and I could throw a little bit harder."

22. Johnny Cueto — The Shimmy

Career: 13 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants

Stats: 127-87, 3.36 ERA, 1,881.2 IP, 1,575 SO, 541 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2015)

Bottom Line: Johnny Cueto

Johnny Cueto effectively hides the ball by turning his body almost perpendicular to home plate, and even will periodically throw in a shimmy shake while winding up to throw off a hitter’s timing.

Cueto’s stuff has been nasty throughout his MLB career, but his deception started as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in 2010.

"I was just messing around throwing the ball," Cueto told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2016. "My teammates were like, 'Man, you’re really nasty like that.' I liked it, stayed with it and kept inventing."

21. Jesse Orosco — The Southpaw Sidewinder

Career: 24 seasons (1979-2003)

Teams: New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins

Stats: 87-80, 3.16 ERA, 144 saves, 1,295.1 IP, 1,179 SO, 581 BB

World Series championships: 2 (1986, 1988)

Bottom Line: Jesse Orosco

No pitcher has made more appearances than Jesse Orosco (1,252 games), who kept his hands hidden behind a high leg kick and used a sidewinding motion to devastate left-handers.

Orosco is one of the few major leaguers to play in four decades and was the original lefty specialist.

"I don’t want to take credit or anything like that, but I could see the change when it was starting to happen and I thought it was good for baseball as far as how to utilize your staff toward the end of the game," Orosco told the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2012.

20. Pat Venditte — The Switch-pitcher

Career: 5 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins

Stats: 2-2, 4.73 ERA, 72.1 IP, 58 SO, 28 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Pat Venditte

Some have switched hands while pitching, but Pat Venditte is believed to be the only ambidextrous pitcher in major league history.

He has used both hands throughout his big league career with various success, but much like a switch-hitter, he has a completely distinct motion for each side he is throwing.

"I don’t think twice about it," Venditte told The New York Times in 2007. "You grew up, you love it, you want to keep playing as long as you can."

19. Byung-Hyun Kim — The Rising Sub

Career: 9 seasons (1999-2007)

Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins

Stats: 54-60, 4.42 ERA, 86 saves, 841 IP, 806 SO, 376 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2001)

Bottom Line: Byung-Hyun Kim

The Diamondbacks initially had plans to make Byung-Hyun Kim a starter, but his submarining capabilities and hard-throwing ability made him the perfect weapon out of relief.

Kim is a black belt in karate, which is how he was able to muster such power from his 5-foot-11, 176-pound frame.

He also could move the ball up and down at various speeds.

18. Bob Gibson — The Deceptor

Career: 17 seasons (1959-75)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: 251-174, 2.91 ERA, 6 Saves, 3,884 1/3 IP, 3,117 SO, 1,336 BB

World Series championships: 2 (1964, 1968)

Bottom Line: Bob Gibson

Bob Gibson was one of the meanest pitchers on the mound and used that mentality and a deceptive windup — where he’d spin his hips away from hitters to hide the ball — to become one of the most dominant starters in baseball history.

"It was the way I learned to pitch," Gibson told NPR in 2009. "I think back in the day, guys would wind up and they’d go through all types of gyrations and the hitter pretty much had to look for the ball. Where’s it going to come from? I think the more he has to look for, the better off you are."

Gibson’s now-legendary motion helped him to two Cy Young Awards and get into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

17. Nolan Ryan — The Ryan Express

Career: 27 seasons (1966-93)

Teams: New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers

Stats: 324-292, 3.19 ERA, 5,386 IP, 5,714 SO, 2,795 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1969)

Bottom Line: Nolan Ryan

Bottom, line: Ryan’s career spanned four decades, and it varied depending on his age.

In New York, with the Mets, he had a traditional windup. In California, with the Angels, he began to hide the ball more by developing a higher leg kick, and by the time he landed with the Texas Rangers as a 42-year-old, his knee nearly reached the bill of his cap during his windup.

Ryan brought the heat. No player has more strikeouts (5,714), and he was the first pitcher to top 100 mph in a game. For his efforts, he was inducted in Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

16. Pat Neshek — The Throwback

Career: 13 seasons (2006-19)

Teams: Minnesota Twins, San Diego Padres, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies

Stats: 36-25, 2.82 ERA, 16 saves, 488 IP, 471 SO, 133 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Pat Neshek

Pat Neshek burst on the scene with the Twins in 2007 with a throwback delivery that is one of the funkiest in recent memory. Neshek just steps back and fires home from a low to three-quarters arm angle that deceives right-handed hitters.

According to For The Win, Neshek started throwing that way in high school when he was hit by a pitch and could no longer throw overhand without pain.

"When I threw the ball with my normal motion, it felt like it was just ripping through my fingertips," Neshek told FTW in 2014. "But when I dropped to the side, I didn’t put as much pressure on it, and I could just kind of whip it right through it."

15. Fernando Valenzuela — The Bull

Career: 17 seasons (1980-97)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: 173-153, 3.54 ERA, 2,930 IP, 2,074 SO, 1,151 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1981)

Bottom Line: Fernando Valenzuela

Fernando Valenzuela burst on the scene in 1981 with a distinct pitching motion, where he kicked his leg high and looked to the sky as he brought the ball home.

Fernandomania took over Los Angeles and Major League Baseball in that season, when Valenzuela won the NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year and led the Dodgers to the World Series over the Yankees.

Valenzuela spent 11 seasons in Los Angeles, helping the Dodgers reach the playoffs two other seasons, and his impact is still felt there.

14. Bob Feller — The High Kick

Career: 18 seasons (1936-56)

Teams: Cleveland Indians

Stats: 266-162, 3.25 ERA, 3,827 IP, 2,581 SO, 1,764 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1948)

Bottom Line: Bob Feller

Every pitcher’s leg kick pales in comparison to Bob Feller’s, since the Hall of Fame pitcher could actually lift his leg over his head while delivering home. Aside from his legendary leg kick, Feller also would swing his arms back near his head while starting his delivery, and he’d strive to break his wrist while winding up.

Feller was the original hard-thrower (until Nolan Ryan came along), topping out at 98.6 mph, to earn him the nickname "Bullet Bob." But Feller also had a bulldog mentality — proven by the fact he missed three seasons fighting in World War II, then returned to pitch the Indians a World Series title in 1948.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

13. Mitch Williams — The Wild Thing

Career: 11 seasons (1986-97)

Teams: Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, California Angels, Kansas City Royals

Stats: 45-58, 3.65 ERA, 192 saves, 691.1 IP, 660 SO, 544 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Mitch Williams

Mitch Williams at times looked like he didn’t know where the ball was going, earning him the nickname "Wild Thing."

But the left-hander was deceptive with a high leg kick and motion, where he'd literally fall off the mound.

He became a fan favorite in Philadelphia and led the Phillies with 43 saves in their National League pennant-winning season in 1993.

12. Satchel Paige — The Windmill

Career: 6 seasons (1948-49, 1951-53, 1965)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Kansas City Athletics

Stats: 28-31, 3.29 ERA, 476 IP, 288 SO, 180 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1948)

Bottom Line: Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige’s motion was as distinct as his career.

After starting his windup, he would swing his arm in a windmill fashion before raising his hands, kicking his leg high and delivering the ball home.

Paige used that motion to carve up the Negro Leagues, then made 126 major league appearances, including three innings as a 58-year-old in 1965.

11. Mark Fidrych — The Bird

Career: 4 seasons (1976-80)

Teams: Detroit Tigers

Stats: 29-19, 3.10 ERA, 412.1 IP, 170 SO, 99 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Mark Fidrych

Mark Fidrych is one of the greatest comets in sports history since he lasted just four seasons in the majors. But his rookie season in 1976 — when he went 19-9, won the AL Rookie of the Year and was the Cy Young Award runner-up — was unlike any other.

His antics on the mound were more quirky than his delivery. He’d talk to himself, to the ball or just to the air to get himself in the proper mindset while pitching. And his enthusiasm is still celebrated, particularly in Detroit.

"He was so great for baseball, the biggest draw there was, and the amazing thing is he filled the stadiums when we were on the road," Mickey Stanley told the Detroit Free Press in 2016. "He challenged the hitters, even though he didn’t know who they were. It was 'Either I beat him or he beats me.'"

Arm troubles cut his career short, and Fidrych died of a farm accident in 2009.

10. Dennis Eckersley — The Sidewinder

Career: 24 seasons (1975-98)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals

Stats: 197-171, 3.50 ERA, 390 saves, 3,285.2 IP, 2,401 SO, 738 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1989)

Bottom Line: Dennis Eckersley

Eck, as he was known, was a great starter before he became one of the most dominant relief pitchers in major league history.

He incorporated all elements to get batters out. He used a uniquely high leg kick, which he learned from seeing pictures of Juan Marichal, delivered from a pure sidearm motion and had impeccable control.

"I’d emulate the leg kick, and that’s how I got my velocity," Eckerlsey told Forbes in 2017. "That leg kick was everything to me."

9. Dontrelle Willis — The D Train

Career: 9 seasons (2003-11)

Teams: Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds

Stats: 72-69, 4.17 ERA, 1,221.2 IP, 896 SO, 500 BB

World Series championships: 1 (2003)

Bottom Line: Dontrelle Willis

Dontrelle Willis burst on the scene for the 2003 Marlins with a funky delivery that hid the ball exceptionally well.

He told Alan Schwarz, for his 2007 book "Once Upon A Game," that he came up with it while playing a baseball game in his Northern California neighborhood.

"We’d take turns pitching and hitting against each other," Willis said. "The best part was trying to get each other out. We tried everything. We’d come up with all sorts of funky deliveries."

8. Juan Marichal — The Rockette

Career: 16 seasons (1960-75)

Teams: San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers

Stats: 243-142, 2.89 ERA, 3,507 IP, 2,303 SO, 709 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Juan Marichal

Juan Marichal was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era despite not winning a single individual pitching award — thanks mostly to Sandy Koufax and only one Cy Young Award winner for the whole league.

Still, Marichal’s motion is legendary, with his high leg kick, overhand motion and ability to hide the ball that he learned while pitching in the minors.

"In 1959, my coach Andy Gilbert asked if I wanted to pitch overhand," Marichal told The New York Times in 2011. "I asked what the benefit would be, and he said I’d be much better against left-handers. He took me to the bullpen and had me try it. The only way I could do it was with that high leg kick. I had the same control but a little more speed."

7. Tim Lincecum — The Freak

Career: 9 seasons (2007-15)

Teams: San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels

Stats: 110-89, 3.74 ERA, 1,682 IP, 1,736 SO, 669 BB

World Series championships: 3 (2010, 2012, 2014)

Bottom Line: Tim Lincecum

Tim Lincecum stood only 5-foot-11, but he could top 95 mph, thanks largely to an abnormally long stride that enabled him to put full force behind his pitches.

Lincecum reached that stride with an extremely high leg kick while also hiding the ball before dropping either his incredible fastball, dominant curve or any of his other plus pitches.

Lincecum was the ace of the Giants that won three World Series titles in five seasons.

6. Carter Capps — The Capps Tap

Career: 5 seasons (2012-17)

Teams: Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres

Stats: 4-3, 4.21 ERA, 147.2 IP, 184 SO, 48 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Carter Capps

Carter Capps’ career may not be all that memorable, but he changed the game with his unique pitching motion.

He would commit to an ordinary windup, and when it was time to deliver he would crow hop before firing home.

In 2018, Major League Baseball changed its rules so Capps could no longer take his extra bounce off the mound, since he was leaving contact with it.

5. Kent Tekulve — The Sub

Career: 16 seasons (1974-89)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds

Stats: 94-90, 2.85 ERA, 184 saves, 1,436.2 IP, 779 SO, 491 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1979)

Bottom Line: Kent Tekulve

Kent Tekulve had a natural sidearm motion but became a full-blown submarine pitcher out of comfort.

"I think in most cases, it’s much easier to get a guy to throw submarine if he naturally is a sidearm thrower," Tekulve told Collegiate Baseball Newspaper in 2011. "If you throw a ball naturally sidearm, your shoulder, hip and body mechanics naturally go down and under. … [F]or that reason, it’s much easier for natural sidearmers to convert to submarine because their body is used to working in that direction."

It certainly worked for Tekulve, who pitched in 1,050 games and had 184 saves in his 16-year career.

4. Dan Quisenberry — The Sub Clone

Career: 12 seasons (1979-90)

Teams: Kansas City Royals, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants

Stats: 56-46, 2.76 ERA, 244 saves, 1,043.1 IP, 379 SO, 162 BB

World Series championships: 1 (1985)

Bottom Line: Dan Quisenberry

Dan Quisenberry took a circuitous route to the majors, through an NAIA school, and actually pitched one season throwing overhand. But when Jim Frey took over as Royals manager in 1980, he convinced Quisenberry to work with Kent Tekulve and throw submarine.

"I didn’t think I needed to change, but I felt I had to submit," Quisenberry told Sports Illustrated in 1983. "Frey wanted me to copy everything Tekulve did. At first, it felt foreign, off-balance, but the coaches said there was better movement on the ball."

Quisenberry didn’t strike many out but was highly effective, helping the Royals to an unprecedented run of success and a World Series championship.

3. Luis Tiant — The Backspin

Career: 19 seasons (1964-82)

Teams: Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels

Stats: 229-172, 3.30 ERA, 3,486.1 IP, 2,416 SO, 1,104 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Luis Tiant

Luis Tiant is renowned for his funky delivery, where he would spin and show his numbers to the hitter before delivering one of his six pitches from three different arm slots. But he only came about it in the back half of his career.

"One day, I just came out with the idea, 1972 when I was in Boston," Tiant said in an ESPN chat in 2009. "When I was in Cleveland, I threw 98-99 [mph], but I got hurt and I couldn’t throw that hard anymore. I tried to work out something. I started using my body better. That’s when I started throwing that [way]."

2. Hideo Nomo — The Tornado

Career: 12 seasons (1995-2008)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Kansas City Royals

Stats: 123-109, 4.24 ERA, 1,976.1 IP, 1,918 SO, 908 BB

World Series championships: 0

Bottom Line: Hideo Nomo

Hideo Nomo’s arrival to the U.S. sent a shockwave across the baseball world, and he had a wild windup, where he'd lift his hands high over his head, spin nearly perpendicular to his stiff right leg and deliver the ball violently home.

This motion was mimicked by kids of a certain age across the planet and flummoxed hitters around the league. "I don’t want to see that guy again in my life," Yankees outfielder Luis Polonia told the Los Angeles Times after facing him in 1995. "He got me all confused."

After batters started to figure Nomo out, he didn't have as much success, but he still won 123 games in his career.

1. Orlando Hernandez — The El Duque

Career: 9 seasons (1998-2007)

Teams: New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets

Stats: 90-65, 4.13 ERA, 2 saves, 1,314.2 IP, 1,086 SO, 479 BB

World Series championships: 4 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2005)

Bottom Line: Orlando Hernandez

Like Dontrelle Willis, Orlando Hernandez was insanely deceptive due to his high leg kick.

He also had several release points — overhand, sidearm and even three-quarter -- that made it near impossible for right-handed hitters.

Hernandez’s motion was so legendary that it spawned a dance, The El Duque, created by adidas in a New York-based ad in 1999.