3 Hall of Fame Pitchers Who Aren't as Good as Andy Pettitte

When it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame, there are many complicated candidates that are up to debate each and every ballot. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are the obvious choices, but one forgotten name is Andy Pettitte. Plenty of it has to do with his previous PED use, but it's hard to look over the fact that Pettitte is actually better than certain Hall of Fame pitchers.

Here are three who aren't in Pettitte's league.

3. Catfish Hunter

Catfish Hunter peaked early in his career. / Herb Scharfman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

During his first 11 seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Catfish Hunter was one of the league's best. From 1971-76, Hunter never had an ERA higher than 3.50 and he was the AL wins leader twice (1974-75). But, it all went downhill for Hunter in 1978, where he had countless battles with arm injuries, mostly due to complications from diabetes. His final season came in 1979, where he posted a dismal 2-9 record and 5.31 ERA. Meanwhile, Pettitte was consistent throughout his 18-year career. Shouldn't that count for something?

2. Burleigh Grimes

Burleigh Grimes Pittsburgh Pirates / Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images

Burleigh Grimes pitched himself into the Hall of Fame, thanks to his patented spitball. Even though Grimes is a World Series champion (1931) and a two-time wins leader in the National League (1921,1928), his statistics are brutal. Grimes' ERA fluctuated like a roller coaster throughout his career, he was far from consistent, and he carries a 43.4 winning percentage! Not to mention, Grimes had 36 teammates that made it into the Hall of Fame, the most of any player in MLB history! That's staggering, and even they couldn't help Grimes put up better numbers.

1. Jack Morris

Jack Morris is probably the most controversial Hall of Famer. / Focus On Sport/Getty Images

No pitcher's Hall of Fame credentials have been debated more than Jack Morris. The former Detroit Tiger was on the ballot for 15 years, and never cracked the 75% threshold to receive induction into Cooperstown. But, the Modern Era Committee opted to put him in the Hall of Fame in 2018. Once that happened, everyone thought Pettitte should be a shoe-in inductee. When comparing the two, Morris has a 3.90 ERA, which is higher than Pettitte's 3.85 mark. Additionally, Morris carried a 43.5 WAR, while Pettitte has a 34.1 WAR. You simply can't deny that Pettitte was more pivotal to the New York Yankees' and Houston Astros' success. Don't get us wrong, Morris earned his spot in the Hall of Fame, but you have to admit that Pettitte was the better pitcher.