1970–1992 · P

Bert Blyleven

6' 3", 200 lbs·Lived to 75·Bats R / Throws R

Hall of Fame · 2011All-Star

The Almanac's Take

The curveball that fooled voters for years finally earned Bert Blyleven his rightful place in Cooperstown in 2011, his 14th year on the ballot. That legendary hook helped him strike out 3,701 batters across 22 seasons — a total that stood among the all-time leaders when he retired in 1992.

Blyleven's peak came in 1973 when he posted a 2.52 ERA with 258 strikeouts for Minnesota, numbers that translate to a dominant 148 ERA+. His career 113 ERA+ reflects consistent excellence rather than brief brilliance, the hallmark of a workhorse who threw nearly 5,000 innings while maintaining a 3.31 ERA.

Born in the Netherlands, Blyleven represents one of baseball's great international success stories from an era when foreign-born players were far less common. His 287 wins and strikeout totals tell the story of sustained excellence that voters eventually recognized as Hall of Fame worthy.

Career Highs

2.52

Best ERA · 1973

Most W · 1973

258

Most K · 1973

1.065

Best WHIP · 1977

Career Arc · OPS

6 seasons

Career Arc · ERA

22 seasons

Statistical Comps

Sandy Alcantara

99%

2022 season

K/9 8.2 · BB/9 2.0 · HR/9 0.63 · SP · FB 97.8 mph · Whiff% 23

Tyler Anderson

99%

2022 season

K/9 7.0 · BB/9 1.7 · HR/9 0.71 · SP · FB 90.5 mph · Whiff% 23

Logan Webb

98%

2023 season

K/9 8.1 · BB/9 1.3 · HR/9 0.83 · SP · FB 92.3 mph · Whiff% 19

Career · Hitting

22 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
1970	MIN	27	50	1	.140	.297	42
1971	MIN	38	91	2	.132	.293	43
1972	MIN	39	94	6	.160	.358	54
1973	MIN	40	0	0	—	—	—
1974	MIN	37	0	0	—	—	—
1975	MIN	35	0	0	—	—	—
1976	MIN	36	0	0	—	—	—
1977	TEX	30	0	0	—	—	—
1978	PIT	37	85	11	.129	.292	42
1979	PIT	38	70	3	.129	.271	37
1980	PIT	37	61	2	.082	.195	27
1981	CLE	20	0	0	—	—	—
1982	CLE	4	0	0	—	—	—
1983	CLE	24	0	0	—	—	—
1984	CLE	33	0	0	—	—	—
1985	CLE	37	0	0	—	—	—
1986	MIN	36	0	0	—	—	—
1987	MIN	37	0	0	—	—	—
1988	MIN	33	0	0	—	—	—
1989	CAL	33	0	0	—	—	—
1990	CAL	23	0	0	—	—	—
1992	CAL	25	0	0	—	—	—
Career		699	451	25	.131	—	—

Career · Pitching

22 seasons

Year	Team	G	IP	W	L	ERA	ERA+	SO	WHIP
1970	MIN	27	164.0	10	9	3.18	122	135	1.159
1971	MIN	38	278.3	16	15	2.81	123	224	1.171
1972	MIN	39	287.3	17	17	2.73	119	228	1.100
1973	MIN	40	325.0	20	17	2.52	148	258	1.117
1974	MIN	37	281.0	17	17	2.66	136	249	1.142
1975	MIN	35	275.7	15	10	3.00	123	233	1.099
1976	TEX	36	297.7	13	16	2.87	122	219	1.223
1977	TEX	30	234.7	14	12	2.72	147	182	1.065
1978	PIT	34	243.7	14	10	3.03	121	182	1.161
1979	PIT	37	237.3	12	5	3.60	111	172	1.390
1980	PIT	34	216.7	8	13	3.82	100	168	1.283
1981	CLE	20	159.3	11	7	2.88	124	107	1.161
1982	CLE	4	20.3	2	2	4.87	79	19	1.328
1983	CLE	24	156.3	7	10	3.91	99	123	1.305
1984	CLE	33	245.0	19	7	2.87	133	170	1.135
1985	CLE	37	293.7	17	16	3.16	123	206	1.154
1986	MIN	36	271.7	17	14	4.01	99	215	1.178
1987	MIN	37	267.0	15	12	4.01	107	196	1.311
1988	MIN	33	207.3	10	17	5.43	69	145	1.404
1989	CAL	33	241.0	17	5	2.73	136	131	1.116
1990	CAL	23	134.0	8	7	5.24	73	69	1.403
1992	CAL	25	133.0	8	12	4.74	79	70	1.346
Career		692	4970.0	287	250	—	—	3701	—

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