Phillies best pitchers in franchise history from A to Z

Who are the greatest Phillies pitchers from A-Z?

Although the Phillies improved by 14 games to 80 wins, there was certainly a level of disappointment with the collapse over the last quarter of the season. While the team looks to make improvements before the start of the 2019 season, we look back at the best pitchers to put on a Phillies’ uniform from A to Z.

Last week we picked the greatest position players from A-Z

A: Grover Alexander (1911 – 1917, 1930)

Alexander led the league in innings six times, wins and strikeouts five times and three times had an ERA under two in his time with the Phillies.  The Hall of Famer completed 219 games with 61 shutouts and a record of 190-91 with an ERA of 2.18 with the Phillies.

B: Jim Bunning (1964 – 1967, 1970 – 1971)

Bunning will forever be remembered for his perfect game on Father’s Day in 1964.  He was an All-Start twice with the Phillies and led the league in shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts in 1967.  Bunning was 89 games with a 2.93 ERA during his time in Philadelphia. A member of the Hall of Fame, Bunning was also a well-respected senator from the state of Kentucky for several years.

C: Steve Carlton (1972 – 1986)

Carlton had the best season of his career in his first in Philadelphia. On a team that won only 59 games, Carlton won 27 with 30 complete games, 310 strikeouts, an ERA of 1.97 and his first of four Cy Young awards.  A seven-time All-Star in the red pinstripes, Carlton led the league in wins four times, strikeouts five times and won 241 of his 329 games with the Phillies.

H: Roy Halladay (2010 – 2013), Cole Hamels (2006 – 2015)

While I normally would include only one name per letter, it’s difficult to leave either of these players off the list.

The late Halladay was tremendous much of his time in Philadelphia. No one will forget his perfect game against the Marlins and his no-hitter against the Reds, both in 2010.  On top of that, Halladay led the league in wins, complete games, shutouts and ERA, winning his second Cy Young Award. He won 19 the following season before injuries took their toll. Retiring following the 2013 season, Halladay compiled a 55-29 record with the Phillies.

Hamels was a three-time All-Star with the Phillies, eight times posting an ERA under four and twice, under three. He was dominant during the 2008 playoffs and World Series, winning MVP honors in the NLCS and World Series.  He pitched a no-hitter in his last start with the Phillies, ending his Phillies career with a record of 114-90 with a 3.30 ERA.

I: Ham Iburg (1902)

A 28-year old rookie, Iburg compiled an 11-18 record with a 3.89 ERA in 236 innings pitched. Although he pitched well in two minor league seasons in 1904 and 1905 with nearly 900 innings and 102 starts, Iburg never again pitched in the Major Leagues.

J: Larry Jackson (1966 – 1968)

Pitching the final three years of a fine career, Jackson won 15 with a 2.99 ERA in 1966. He followed with two solid seasons of 13 wins with ERA’s of 3.10 and 2.77, respectively. A winner of 194 career games, the four-time All-Star won 41 games with a 2.95 ERA for the Phillies.

K: Jim Konstanty (1948 – 1954)

Konstanty was a key member of the 1950 “Whiz Kids”, making his only All-Star appearance and claiming MVP honors. He won 16 games, led the league in games, games finished and saves.  While Konstanty never approached that level of success again in the Major Leagues, he won 14 games in 1953 and had two other season’s with an ERA under 4.  He finished his career in Philadelphia with 51 wins, 54 saves and an ERA of 3.64.

L: Cliff Lee (2009, 2011 – 2014)

Lee was an All-Star three times with the Phillies and twice had an ERA under three for the season. A strikeout pitcher, Lee fanned over 200 three consecutive seasons (2011 – 2013). His finest season with the Phillies was in 2011, winning 17 with an ERA of 2.40.  Much like Roy Halladay, Lee had injury problems his final season, pitching in just 13 games in 2014 with an ERA of 3.65.

M:  Tug McGraw (1975 – 1984)

McGraw as an All-Star in his first season with the Phillies and had three consecutive seasons with an ERA under three.  In 1980, he had his best season with the Phillies, saving 20 with a slim ERA of 1.46  McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to end the 1980 World Series, ending the nearly 100-year drought.  McGraw won 49 games and saved 94 with a 3.10 ERA in ten seasons with the Phillies.

N: Kid Nichols (1905 – 1906)

At the very end of a Hall of Fame career, Nichols appeared in 21 games with the Phillies. He went 10-6 with a 2.27 ERA in 17 starts in 1905.  Nichols won 361 games over 15 seasons with an ERA of 2.96.

O: Roy Oswalt (2010 – 2011)

Oswalt was dominating after coming over from the Astros in 2010. He went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA, allowing only 53 hits in 82 2/3 innings. The following season, Oswalt had injury problems and his performance suffered. While still posting a decent 3.69 ERA, he went just 9-10 and allowed more hits than innings pitched. In his two seasons in Philadelphia, Oswalt went 16-11 with a 2.96 ERA.

P: Vicente Padilla (2000 – 2005)

Padilla pitched out of relief in his first two seasons with the team. The next two seasons were Padilla’s best in Philadelphia, winning 28 games combined, surpassing 200 innings pitched both years, earning an All-Star appearance in 2002.  Padilla posted a 49-49 record with a 3.98 ERA in 162 games with the Phillies.

Q: Paul Quantrill (1994 – 1995)

In his only full season with the Phillies in 1995, Quantrill tied his career best with 11 wins and set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts.  He went 13-14 with a 4.86 ERA in 51 games with the Phillies.  Quantrill pitched in 841 games for seven teams over a 14-year career.

R: Robin Roberts (1948 – 1961)

Roberts was a seven-time All-Star during his 14 years in Philadelphia.  He led the league in innings pitched five times, surpassing 300 innings six straight years. Roberts also won 20 or more games six consecutive years, leading the league five times.  Another key member of the 1950 NL Championship team, Roberts posted a 234-199 record for the Phillies in his Hall of Fame career.

S: Curt Schilling (1992 – 2000)

Schilling won 16 games for the 1993 NL Championship team and was an All-Star from 1997 through 1999. He led the league in strikeouts in 1997 and 1998, fanning at least 300 both seasons. A workhorse, Schilling led the league in complete games three times and finished his career with the Phillies with 101 wins and a 3.35 ERA.

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T:  Kent Tekulve (1985 – 1988)

Near the end of a successful career out of the bullpen, Tekulve was still productive. He pitched to an ERA under three in 1985 and 1986 and under four the following two seasons. Still, with a rubber arm, Tekulve surpassed 100 innings twice and led the league in games in 1986 with 90. In 291 games in Philadelphia, Tekulve won 24 and saved 25 with a 3.01 ERA.

U: Tom Underwood (1974 – 1977)

Underwood won a career-high 14 games in his first full season in 1975. His solid pitching continued in 1976 when he posted a record of 10-5 with a 3.53 ERA. Underwood won 28 games with the Phillies and 86 games over 11 seasons with six different teams.

V: Bill Vinton (1884 – 1885)

Another player on this list from the very early stages of the team’s existence, Vinton won 10 with an ERA of 2.23 as a 19-year-old rookie.  He appeared in only nine more games with the Phillies and finished with a 13-16 record and a 2.47 ERA.

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W: Billy Wagner (2004 – 2005)

Although he spent only two years with the Phillies, Wagner was one of the most dominant closers in the league both seasons.  He was an All-Star in 2005, saving 38 with an ERA of 1.51.  Wagner saved 422 over a 16 year career with 47 wins and a 2.31 ERA.

Y: Floyd Youmans (1989)

Youmans had the early makings of becoming a star, winning 13 games with a 3.53 ERA as a 22-year-old with the Expos in 1986. By the time the Phillies got Youmans, injuries had derailed that path. He appeared in only 10 games with the Phillies, going just 1-5 with a 5.70 ERA.

Youmans makes this list because there is only one other player qualified for this category, Rusty Yarnall who went 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA in 1926.

Z: Pat Zachry (1985)

In his final season of a solid 10 year MLB career, Zachry appeared in 10 games with the Phillies. In 12 2/3 innings, he went allowed 14 hits, walked 11 and struck out 8, posting an ERA of 4.26.