McDaniel considered his top overall year as 1960 with the St. Louis Cardinals, when he logged a 12–2 mark in relief with 22 saves and an ERA of 1.29 while being named (for the only time in his career) to the National League All-Star team. He earned Fireman of the Year honors, while finishing third for the Cy Young Award and fifth in MVP voting, both his highest placings. He ranked his next-best year as 1970 with the Yankees, when he was 9–5 with a career high 29 saves and 2.01 ERA, followed by the 1963 season when he was 13–7 with 21 saves and a 2.86 ERA.