Phillies: Power ranking players in the Hall of Famers

PHILADELPHIA - AUGUST 10: (L-R) Phillies Alumni and Hall of Famers Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, and Mike Schmidt stand on the field during a pre game ceremony before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 10, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 7-6. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO – UNDATED 1981: Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during a MLB game at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Carlton played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972-1986. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Steve Carlton

Where do you start with one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history?

Steve Carlton broke into the big leagues as a 20-year-old for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1965. A three-time All-Star for the Cardinals, Carlton had a 2.17 ERA in 1969 and led the league with 19 losses the following season.

Philadelphia then took a chance on Carlton after the 1971 season, sending Rick Wise to the midwest for the lefty Carlton. It would end up being one of, if not the, greatest trades in Phillies history.

Philadelphia Phillies /

Philadelphia Phillies

Carlton was dominant from the getgo, winning the Cy Young and Triple Crown in his inaugural Phillies season with 27 wins, a 1.97 ERA, and 310 strikeouts. He completed 30 of his 41 starts, both a league-high, while being credited with nearly half of the Phillies wins that year.

In 1973 Carlton won 13 games and led the league with 18 complete games for a Phillies club that won just 71 games. For Carlton to have more complete games than wins is mindboggling.

Four years later Carlton won his second Cy Young after winning 23 games. During the 1980 championship season, Carlton won another Cy Young and nearly won the Triple Crown, finishing second to 35-year-old Don Sutton just .14 points behind.

In 1982 Carlton again won the Cy Young with a league-high 23 wins, 19 complete games, six shutouts, and 286 strikeouts.

Carlton’s Hall of Fame Phillies career ended with his midseason release in 1986. He’d finish up his career with the Indians, Giants, Twins, and White Sox before being enshrined into Cooperstown in 1994. Carlton was the first pitcher to win four Cy Youngs and is the Phillies all-time leader in wins, strikeouts, and starts.

With 329 career wins, Carlton sits 11th on the all-time wins list in baseball history and fourth with 4.136 strikeouts.