5 most legendary Phillies starting pitchers of all time

Who are the greatest starting pitchers in Philadelphia Phillies franchise history?

In the long and storied history of the Philadelphia Phillies, there have been many legendary players.

Since MLB is currently in lockout and teams can’t sign anyone new, we’re looking back at the most legendary players to ever wear a Phillies uniform, starting with the starting pitchers.

Ranking starting pitchers is perhaps the most difficult endeavor because it’s arguably the role in baseball that has changed the most over the years, as evidenced by the different stats that made each of these Phillies pitchers great. For example, in 2021, Zack Wheeler led MLB in complete games, by pitching three of them; the legendary Grover Cleveland Alexander threw 219 complete games over his eight seasons with the Phillies, with a grand total of 436 in his 20-year career.

That said, here are the five greatest Phillies starting pitchers of all time…

5.  George McQuillan, Phillies 1907-10, 1915-16

Starting off on an obscure note, George McQuillan was 22 years old when he debuted with the Phillies in 1907. Over his first stint with the Phillies, he compiled a 1.69 ERA over 119 games, including 92 starts and 22 games closed. Among those appearances were 66 complete games, 17 shutouts, and five saves.

McQuillan returned to the Phillies in 1915, adding another 30 games to his Philadelphia resumé over his final season and a half with the club.

To this day, his 1.79 ERA and 146 ERA+ are the best in franchise history, as are his 1.020 WHIP and 6.927 H9. His 2.42 FIP is second, 0.107 HR/9 is fourth, and he’s tied for eighth in shutouts.

4. Jim Bunning, Phillies 1964-67, 70-71

Being the first Phillies pitcher to throw a perfect game would immediately cement you as a franchise legend, but Jim Bunning was so much more than that.

After spending the first nine seasons of his career as a Detroit Tiger, Bunning joined the Phillies as a 32-year-old in 1964. Over two stints totaling six years, Bunning compiled a 2.93 ERA over 226 games, including 208 starts, 12 games finished, and four saves. He threw 65 complete games and 23 shutouts.

In 1966 and 1967, he led MLB by starting 40+ games each season. In ’67, he also led all pitchers by throwing 302 1/3 innings; the year before, he’d pitched a career-high 314 innings and somehow not led the NL or MLB.

On the franchise pitching leaderboards, his 31.3 WAR and 1,197 strikeouts are both seventh, his 1.111 WHIP and 23 shutouts are both fourth, to name a few of the many categories in which he’s top-10. His 2.80 FIP is eighth all-time in Phillies history, but better than two of the three pitchers ranked higher than him on this list.

3. Robin Roberts, Phillies 1948-1961

An absolute workhorse, Robin Roberts carried the Phillies pitching staff for a long time, through some serious muck. For example, in his rookie season in 1948, the Phillies had three different managers.

Over 529 games and 3,739 1/3 innings in a Phillies uniform, Roberts compiled a 3.46 ERA. Between 1950-55, he led MLB in starts, from 1952-56, he led in complete games, and from 1951-55, he led in innings pitched. He also led in wins, then a relevant stat, each season between 1952-55.

Among Phillies pitchers, Roberts is the all-time leader with 69.8 WAR, 529 games played, 3,739 1/3 innings pitched, 15,294 batters faced, and 272 complete games.

Roberts was the all-time wins (234) and strikeouts (1,871) leader until Steve Carlton bested him by tacking on seven more dubs.