With Interleague play around the corner I thought it might be worthwhile to take a look at who the best hitting pitchers in baseball are. It is pretty much a given that every pitcher is one of the best if not the best player on their respective high school and college teams so it is not uncommon for them to pitch one day and be a position player the next. So let’s check some of the numbers and see who comes out on top.

The Rockies Jason Jennings is the first player in history to throw a shut out and hit a home run in his first major league start, so he has to make our list. It is pretty high praise when an opposing coach has such nice things to say about your bat when you are a pitcher - “He’s phenomenal,” said Brewers third base coach Rich Donnelly, who was a coach for the Rockies in Jennings’ first two years in the majors (2001 and ‘02). “I threw BP to him the day after we signed him. I threw about 10 minutes, and he hit four balls into the upper deck at Coors Field. I said to myself ‘what are we doing signing this kid as a pitcher? Why are we giving him all this money to pitch? Let’s put him at first base and let him hit.’

Jason Jennings Career Numbers
.207 AVG - .252 OBP - 2 HR - 26 RBI

At six foot five - two hundred fifty-five pounds, Carlos Zambrano is a powerhouse on the mound and at the plate. Zambrano hit his 13th career home run just a few weeks ago to tie Ferguson Jenkins’ record for a Cubs pitcher. He won a National League Silver Slugger Award two years ago with six long balls, the most by a pitcher since Mike Hampton belted seven for Colorado in 2001.

Phillies broadcaster Gary Matthews, the Cubs’ hitting coach in 2003 and 2004, recalls how Zambrano loved to sit on the breaking ball, find one that suited him, then tee off. Zambrano’s personal motto was, “If they hang ‘em, somebody’s gotta bang ‘em.”

“He always wanted to come out for extra hitting,” Matthews said. “He thinks he’s a regular player.”

Carlos Zambrano Career Numbers
.224 AVG - .231 OBP - 13 HR - 35 RBI

You might not normally consider Adam Wainwright as a guy who would have pop in his bat, but he’ll surprise you at the plate no doubt. Wainwright has not had a huge amount of experience at the plate but in his little time in the bigs he has shown he can handle a stick.

Bernie Miklasz and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently combed through the records and found that Wainwright’s career slugging percentage (now .471) was easily the highest by a Cardinals pitcher with 50 at-bats or more.

How good is Wainwright? St. Louis manager Tony La Russa called on him five times as a pinch hitter last season, and Wainwright delivered three singles for a .600 average.

Adam Wainwright Career Numbers
.290 AVG - .309 OBP - 3 HR - 10 RBI

Jason Marquis is both a great pitcher and one of those guys who usually helps his own cause when his team needs it the most. He is not only a good hitter, he is a clutch hitter. Marquis had 27 hits and won a Silver Slugger Award with St. Louis in 2005

Marquis can run the bases as well as hit, and both Tony La Russa and Lou Piniella have employed him as a pinch runner. He counts 24 doubles, two triples and three homers among his 81 career hits.

“He uses the whole field, and he understands what hitting is about,” said a National League scout. “He takes a pretty good hack.”

Jason Marquis Career Numbers
.206 AVG - .223 OBP - 3 HR - 33 RBI

This article would not be complete if I did not throw Greg Maddux into the list. The guy has been such a staple in the National League that he has more hits than most second year every day players. Only a .172 lifetime average, but 267 career hits and 81 RBI’s ain’t too shabby. So while I won’t really consider him as one of the best hitting pitchers, he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer and you just put him on a list like this, you just do.

Greg Maddux Career Numbers
.172 AVG - .192 OBP - 5 HR - 81 RBI

In the end I have to go with Adam Wainwright because of his youth and the fact that he has an over .300 On Base Percentage. Though I have to say facing Carlos Zambrano at the plate would certainly qualify him as most intimidating.