Top 10 Phillies Starting Pitchers of the Last 10 Years
So many starting pitchers have come through Philadelphia the last decade, but who were the 10 best Phillies starters in that span?
When looking back at the last 10 years of Phillies baseball, people might think that a list of the top 10 starting pitchers would be loaded with All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. While that may be true for the very top of this list, the bottom part of this list is not as impressive.
The Phillies have failed to make the playoffs in every season since that 102-win season back in 2011 (which seems like it happened last century). Much of that lack of success has to do with a lack of quality starting pitching.
Since the departure of Cole Hamels, the starting pitching has been a weakness for this team and part of the reason they have not contended for a playoff spot.
Nonetheless, with the tragic, sudden passing of Roy Halladay let’s take a look at the ten best starting pitchers the Phillies have had over the past 10 seasons.
Let’s get started with one starter you probably have already forgotten, but definitely haven’t forgotten his nickname.
No. 10: Vance Worley
Yes, that’s right. The man nicknamed the “Vanimal” starts off this list.
Although now he’s a journeyman starter who most recently pitched with the Miami Marlins in 2017, Worley had a solid 2011 campaign with the Phillies. He was best known as the fifth starter in the “Four Aces” rotation, but he was no slouch in that 2011 season.
Worley finished the 2011 season with an 11-3 record and an ERA just over three in his 21 starts. That 2011 pitching staff was outstanding all year long as Worley’s solid 3.01 ERA was good for just fourth on the team.
He went on to pitch just one more season with the Phillies after that, finishing with a subpar ERA that was over four in 23 starts during the team’s first season out of the playoffs since 2006.
The fact that Worley is on this list shows the lack of quantity of good pitchers the team has had over the last decade. While we obviously know there has been great quality, but there have not been many quality starters over the last four seasons.
Next up on our list is a pitcher Phillies fans are used to seeing over the past two seasons.
No. 9: Jeremy Hellickson
Jeremy Hellickson is one of the just two pitchers on this list from the past three seasons.
The Phillies took a low risk when acquiring Hellickson prior to the 2016 season. Matt Klentak took a chance on Hellickson hoping he would return to the form he was in when he won the AL Rookie of the Year Award with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hellickson was a solid starter for the Phillies throughout his time with the team in 2016 and into this past season when he was ultimately dealt to the Baltimore Orioles.
The Phillies tried what they did with Hellickson with several pitchers since Klentak’s arrival, including Charlie Morton and others, but none have been as successful with the Phils as Hellickson was.
Hellickson was arguably the team’s best starting pitcher in the 2016 season, finishing with a 12-10 record and with an ERA of 3.71 in 32 starts. He has never been a guy with overpowering stuff throughout his career, but consistently gave the Phillies quality starts.
The starting pitching has been less than impressive over the past few seasons, but Hellickson was one of the few bright spots.
He’s clearly a No. 3 starter at best on a contending team, but he was asked to fill a big role and a heavy workload for the Phillies, and he did a solid job, which is why he earns himself a spot on this list.
Next up is a starter that looked to have a promising future with the club, but was eventually traded for another player on this list.
No. 8: J.A. Happ
Similar to Worley, J.A. Happ had one solid season, but Happ also contributed throughout the 2009 playoffs and was part of the trade that fetched Roy Oswalt, which puts him higher up on the list at eighth.
Happ was one of the Phillies best and most consistent pitchers throughout the entirety of the 2009 campaign, despite making just one start in the playoffs.
In the regular season, Happ finished with a 12-4 record and an ERA just under three in 23 starts. He made just one start in the division series, but gave up three runs in just three innings and was relegated to relief duty the rest of the way.
Happ was very effective in his role as a reliever as he didn’t allow a single earned run in three appearances in the win over the Dodgers in the NLCS. He was also one of the rare players on this list to come up through the Phillies minor league system and to be rated as a high prospect.
After he was dealt to Houston, Happ was eventually traded to the Blue Jays, where he has found some success in recent years, after failing to make an impact in the Astros’ rotation.
Many Phillies fans were discussing the idea of bringing back Happ as a free agent, but that’s unlikely as he’s now a veteran looking to catch on with a contender and contribute in the back end of a rotation.
Next up we’ll take a look at the elder statesman of this list and one of the fan favorites from the World Series championship team in 2008.
No. 7: Jaime Moyer
Moyer is easily one of the most beloved players from the world championship team from 2008 as he was well into his 40s and still coming up big in even bigger moments.
He joined the Phillies midway through the 2006 season and struggled in his first full season with the Phils in 2007, but bounced back in 2008.
Moyer finished with a 16-7 record and an ERA below four in the regular season, but Phillies fans remember Moyer more for his performance in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series against the Rays.
In that pivotal Game 3, Moyer went six and a third innings, allowing three runs and coming away with a no decision. However, fans will remember that the Phillies came away with the walk-off win to take a critical 2-1 advantage in the series.
After that 2008 season, Moyer would pitch two more seasons with the Phillies and became one of the symbols of the team’s run of dominance throughout the back half of that decade.
Next up we’ll look at another player that is synonymous with the 2008 World Series team.
No. 6: Joe Blanton
Blanton was acquired at the deadline during the 2008 season and became a key cog in the Phillies’ run toward a championship. He went 4-0 in his 13 regular season starts with the team, but like Moyer, he will forever be remembered for his performance in the playoffs.
Blanton got the start in Game 4 of the World Series against the Rays with the Phils up 2-1 and looking to take a commanding lead in the series.
Charlie Manuel turned to the right guy in Blanton as he delivered a solid outing, allowing just two runs in six innings while the Phillies offense exploded for 10 runs in the game. Blanton decided to get in on the act offensively and his most famous moment as a Phillie came at the plate.
After that 2008 season, Blanton went on to have a solid 2009 campaign as he finished with a record of 12-8 and an ERA just over four. He was always one of the most heavily criticized players while he was in Philly, but Blanton did his job and deserves his spot on this list.
Next we’ll look at the only current Phillie on the list and the player who is the future atop the rotation.
No. 5: Aaron Nola
Some might argue this is high on the list for Nola, but he is clearly the fifth-most talented pitcher the Phillies have had over the last 10 seasons.
After an injury derailed his 2016 campaign, many questioned whether or not Nola would have his same stuff that he did coming out of LSU, but he showed even better stuff upon returning in 2017. In the month of July, Nola was 3-1 with an ERA just over one in his five starts. He proved that he will be the ace of the Phillies staff going forward.
Nola developed a deadly changeup to go along with his wipeout curveball, and he also saw an uptick in velocity with his four-seam fastball reaching 95 mph and his excellent back-door two-seamer averaging around 92 mph.
Nola has shown ace stuff throughout his first two and a half seasons in the big leagues, and that’s why he is where he is on our list.
Next up we get into the first of the “Four Aces.”
No. 4: Roy Oswalt
Oswalt is always the least remembered member of the “Four Aces” but that doesn’t mean he was the worst. All four of those elite starters were elite for a reason and all four contributed in big ways during their time. Oswalt’s time was the shortest however, which is why he comes in at the fourth spot on our list.
When he was acquired midway through the 2010 season, Oswalt was fantastic upon arrival in Philly. In 12 regular season starts with the Phillies, Oswalt was as good as he was at any point in his career. He finished with a 7-1 record and a 1.74 ERA in 82 and 2/3 innings of work.
Oswalt struggled in his lone start in the NLDS despite the Phillies getting the win and completing the sweep of the Reds, but he was much better in the NLCS. Although the Phillies had a disappointing exit in the NLCS, Oswalt was 1-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 and 2/3 innings.
He did not return to the Phillies after the 2011 season, but he was still one of the team’s best starting pitchers of the dominant run of five-straight division titles.
Next up we’ll look at the team’s best player during the 2009 World Series and the player who had two separate stints with the team.
No. 3: Cliff Lee
Lee was easily a fan favorite during his two separate tenures with the team, and with the way he performed, he would be No. 1 on this list for just about any other team.
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He was originally acquired at the deadline in 2009 after a failed attempt by the Phillies to acquire Roy Halladay. Nonetheless, Lee was outstanding during the 2009 season. In 12 regular season starts, Lee was 7-4 with an ERA of 3.39, but he made a name for himself with his performance in the playoffs that year.
In a crucial Game 3 of the NLCS, Lee pitched eight scoreless innings, striking out 10 on the way to the Phils’ 11-0 victory that gave them a 2-1 advantage in the series. Lee, however, is better known for his performances in the team’s only two victories during the ’09 World Series against the Yankees.
On the road in Game 1, Lee tossed a complete game allowing one earned run and striking out 10. He did not have nearly as good of a performance in Game 5, but he got the job done and extended the series for another day.
After he was traded to Seattle in the three-team deal that netted the Phillies Roy Halladay in the ensuing offseason, Lee spent the 2010 season with Seattle and then Texas where he helped them to a victory in the ALCS.
Lee wound up re-signing with the Phillies prior to the 2011 season, and went on to pitch four more seasons with the team and was consistently the best starter on the team. Two of those four seasons Lee was an All-Star and he finished third in the Cy Young voting in 2011.
Next up we’ll take a look at one of the heroes of the unforgettable 2008 season.
No. 2: Cole Hamels
The only reason Hamels finds himself ahead of Lee on this list is because of his longevity with the team and his performance in the ’08 postseason.
Despite being an All-Star in his first full season in 2007, Hamels was nowhere near the status of an ace when the 2008 playoffs began, but somebody forgot to tell him that.
Hamels went 2-0 with an ERA under two in his two starts in the NLCS, which earned him NLCS MVP honors after the Phillies made quick work of the Dodgers in five games.
The California kid saved his best performance for the biggest stage. Hamels went 1-0 in two brilliant starts, one of which came in the opening game in the series, and the other which game in the clinching Game 5 that was split into two days.
After that postseason in which Hamels won both NLCS and World Series MVP, he had his share of struggles, but was still the team’s ace up until he was traded at the deadline in 2015.
His best season came in 2011 when he finished with a record of 14-9 and a 2.79 ERA with three complete games.
You couldn’t have scripted a better ending to Hamels’ time as a Phillie as in his last ever start with the team, he pitched his first no-hitter on a July afternoon in Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
Hamels will certainly find himself on the team’s Wall of Fame shortly after he retires, but for now fans are hoping for the day when he returns to the team as a free agent.
Last, but not least, let’s take a look at the man who’s responsible for this list.
No. 1: Roy Halladay
There’s nothing one can say about Roy Halladay that hasn’t already been said in the past week.
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The tragic, sudden passing of Halladay has saddened us all, but has also made us reminisce and appreciate his greatness. Halladay truly was a class act, but he was also one of the best pitchers of his generation.
Halladay wanted so desperately to pitch for a contending team and he finally got that wish when he was traded to the Phillies prior to the 2010 season.
The Phillies got exactly what they paid for in Halladay –– an ace.
Halladay finished that 2010 season wth a record of 21-10 and an ERA of 2.44 with nine complete games, four of which were shutouts. Those impressive stats earned him his second Cy Young Award, and his first in the NL.
But, everyone will always remember those two nights of excellence, one in May and one in October. Halladay tossed the 20th perfect game in league history against the Marlins on May 29, and later that season tossed just the second no-hitter in postseason history in his first ever postseason start..
It was unfortunate the Phillies weren’t able to get Halladay a ring during that magnificent 2010 season, but that doesn’t make it any less memorable. He deserved and earned all of his accomplishments in life.
Next: Rhys Hoskins finishes fourth in Rookie of the Year
Halladay’s tireless work ethic and desire to be perfect made him as close to that as you can get, and that is why he tops our list.