Dazzy Vance
The majority of players on this list had their best years in their 20's, but that was not the case for Dazzy Vance, who only pitched 33 innings over 11 games before turning 30, then transformed into a superstar overnight when he turned 30.
Vance originally played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1915, then was sold to the Yankees after his first game, where he appeared in 8 games during his first season before being sent down to the minors. They discovered an arm injury the next year, and he spent years rehabbing, making 2 more appearances in 1918 for the Yankees before being sent to the minors again.
In 1921, while pitching in New Orleans in the minors, he said that he was suddenly able to pitch hard again, and the next year he joined the Brooklyn Robins (soon to be renamed the Dodgers), where he became an instant success.
In his first official Major League season, he led the league in strikeouts and shutouts as a 31-year-old rookie, and he ended up leading the league in strikeouts in each of his first 7 seasons. He put everything together in 1924, when he had one of the greatest pitching seasons ever, winning the Triple Crown with 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts, which was more than the next two pitchers in the league combined. He also led the league with 30 complete games, and was given the MVP award for his efforts.
He was never quite that good again, but very few ever have been, but he had another couple of years topping the league in ERA and shutouts, along with the 7 straight strikeout titles. Vance left Brooklyn for St. Louis in 1933, and the following season he got his only taste of the World Series, when he faced 7 batters and gave up one run at age 43, and he ended up with a championship ring, despite being a small contributor.
Even though Vance basically didn't even pitch in the Majors until his 30's, he still holds the record for consecutive seasons leading the league in strikeouts, and put up one of the greatest pitching seasons of all time. He was easily the best pitcher in the league for 5 seasons, and his absolute dominance more than makes up for the short overall career and lack of postseason success, and he deserves this spot on the all-time list.
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