Ranking the Top 5 greatest starting pitchers in Phillies franchise history
Many great starting pitchers have played for Philadelphia since the franchise's inaugural season in 1883. Which starters are among the elite throughout Phillies history?
Throughout the Philadelphia Phillies' long history, the club has had several starters who have excelled on the mound. Only a few starters have won a World Series with Philadelphia, as the club won the Fall Classic in 1980 and 2008.
However, there have been many other starters who were a part of Phillies teams that were runner-ups to the World Series or who pitched excellently during seasons in which Philadelphia was not a good baseball club.
We've already ranked the five greatest catchers, first basemen, second basemen, shortstops, third basemen, and relievers in Phillies history.
It was difficult to leave some starters off of this list. Some pitchers who spent multiple seasons pitching in a Phillies uniform that serve as an honorable mention for this piece include Curt Schilling, Jim Bunning, and Tully Sparks.
Let's take a look at the top five Phillies starting pitchers in franchise history.
No. 5: Cole Hamels
Cole Hamels, the Phillies' 17th overall pick in the 2002 MLB Draft, excelled through the minor league system, which led to his call-up to the majors in 2006. It became apparent early on that the left-hander had the potential to be a special pitcher for the organization over the next several years. The club had been close to advancing to the playoffs for a few seasons before Hamels helped finally break the 14-year drought in 2007.
In his first full season in 2007, the San Diego native emerged as the ace in the Phillies starting rotation. Hamels posted a 15-5 record and a 3.39 ERA in 28 starts. He threw 177 strikeouts and had a 1.12 WHIP in 183 1/3 innings.
.@ColeHamels will make his first ever start vs the @Phillies tonight.
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) May 22, 2019
Last time he pitched for the Phils? He threw a no-hitter … at Wrigley Field! pic.twitter.com/vpOlsEPaay
Hamels built on his 2007 season by being an integral part of the Phillies winning their second World Series championship in franchise history in 2008. In 227 1/3 innings, he went 14-10 with a 3.09 ERA, finishing with 196 strikeouts and a 1.08 WHIP in 33 contests.
He won the 2008 World Series MVP, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts during the postseason. The left-hander finished with 30 strikeouts and a 0.91 WHIP in 35 innings. That was the most successful postseason of his career.
Hamels finished with a career-high 216 strikeouts with Philadelphia in 2012. He started in a game on Sept. 1, 2014, at Turner Field against the Atlanta Braves in what turned out to be the first Phillies combined no-hitter. He threw 108 pitches over six innings before manager Ryne Sandberg made a pitching change. Relievers Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, and Jonathan Papelbon each pitched an inning to complete the perfect game.
His final career highlight with Philadelphia was throwing a no-hitter at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs on July 25, 2015. It was quite a game for his last appearance in a Phillies uniform. He was traded, along with Diekman, to the Texas Rangers for starter Matt Harrison and several prospects on July 31.
Hamels had an incredible career with the Phillies. He's sixth all-time among Phillies pitchers with 114 wins and 1,930 innings and is third all-time with 1,844 strikeouts among Philadelphia pitchers. He retired on Aug. 4, 2023, and the Phillies have added a "Cole Hamels Retirement Night" to their 2024 promotions calendar. The pre-game ceremony is scheduled before the contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 21 at Citizens Bank Park.
No. 4: Curt Simmons
Curt Simmons was with the Phillies from 1947 to 1950 and again from 1952 to 1960. He was a member of the 1950 Phillies "Whiz Kids" team that went 91-63 and finished first in the National League but lost in four straight games to the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Simmons had an auspicious start to his MLB career when he debuted with the Phillies in 1947, he threw a nine-inning, nine-strikeout, one-run game, picking up the win in his only appearance of the season.
Simmons was a three-time All-Star with the Phillies and is sixth among Philadelphia pitchers with 109 complete games and a 3.66 ERA in 325 appearances, including 263 starts.
Simmons finished among the best Phillies pitchers in several categories. He is fifth all-time with 115 wins and 1,939 2/3 innings pitched. The left-hander is seventh with 109 complete games, ninth with 1,052 strikeouts, and tied with Sparks for sixth with 18 shutouts.
Measuring velocity, 1950.
— Matt Breen (@matt_breen) May 2, 2020
Phillies Whiz Kid Curt Simmons has his fastball clocked by the Blue Cross Pitchometer (Temple’s Urban Archives, Philadelphia Bulletin) pic.twitter.com/dUpP5IREQg
Simmons missed part of the 1950 season, including the World Series, and all of the 1951 league year while serving in the National Guard during the Korean War. The Egypt, Pennsylvania, native also played with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1960 to 1966, the Cubs from 1966 to 1967, and the California Angels in 1967. He won a World Series with St. Louis in 1964.
Simmons played in a much different era compared to the modern-day pitchers based on the number of complete games he threw, making him one of the best Phillies starting pitchers of all time. He was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1993.
No. 3: Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander
Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander played with the Phillies from 1911 to 1917 and again in 1930, and ranks among the top Phillies pitchers in several categories. The right-hander is third with 190 wins, 2,513 2/3 innings pitched, and an ERA of 2.18. He has the highest winning percentage of any Philadelphia pitcher at .676 and the most shutouts with 61.
#OTD in 1917 at Ebbets Field, Phillies ace Pete Alexander (seen here at Polo Grounds same year) started, completed and won both games (5-0, 9-3) in a doubleheader against Brooklyn Robins. On the day Old Pete pitched 18 innings, gave up 13 hits struck out seven and walked just one pic.twitter.com/x8qsEGmSMx
— Old-Time Baseball Photos (@OTBaseballPhoto) September 3, 2019
The right-hander is simply among the elite of all starting pitchers based on where he finished in several key pitching categories throughout the history of the organization. He's second among Phillies pitchers with 219 complete games and 10th in games with 338 appearances in a Phillies uniform. He finished seventh with 1,409 strikeouts throughout his eight seasons with Philadelphia.
During his first seven-year stint in Philadelphia, Alexander led the NL in innings pitched four times, and the majors twice. He also led the NL in strikeouts three times and the majors twice. He received MVP votes in three seasons with the Phillies, including finishing third in his rookie year.
The only thing missing from his remarkable career with the organization is a World Series championship, which he won with the Cardinals in 1926. Alexander was a member of the 1915 Phillies team that made the Fall Classic but lost to the Boston Red Sox in five games. The five-time ERA leader was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1938 and the Phillies Wall of Fame in 1981.
No. 2: Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts played for the Phillies from 1948 to 1961. The native of Springfield, Illinois, was a teammate of Simmons during the illustrious "Whiz Kids" club of 1950 and for several more years following. From 1950 to 1955, Roberts won 20 or more games in six consecutive seasons.
Roberts was tremendous in terms of the 272 complete games he pitched with Philadelphia during the prime of his career, including a 28 consecutive games streak. He had a winning record in several seasons in which the Phillies team struggled.
Hall of Famer Robin Roberts pitching in one his 28 consecutive complete games, which included a 17 inning complete game. #MLB #HOF pic.twitter.com/cJwLK9ahpP
— Baseball In Pics (@baseballinpix) February 5, 2019
From 1954 to 1961, Philly finished with a .500 record or worse. There were some years when Roberts' numbers were affected by the franchise's either average or poor win-loss record. Most notably, he finished with a 10-22 record in 1957 when the Phillies finished 77-77. He went 1-10 in 26 contests in which the team had an awful record of 47-107 during 1961.
The right-hander was a seven-time All-Star with the Phillies and leads all pitchers with 529 appearances, 3,739 1/3 innings, and in complete games. He is second with 231 wins and 1,871 strikeouts, and third in franchise history with 35 shutouts. His career-high was six shutouts in 1951, while he finished with five in the 1950 and 1953 seasons.
Roberts became a Hall of Famer in 1976 and had his number retired by the Phillies in 1962. He was the first player to join the club's Wall of Fame in 1978. At Citizens Bank Park, a statue of the pitcher is located outside of the first base gate.
No. 1: Steve Carlton
Steve Carlton had a remarkable pitching career, particularly with the Phillies from 1972 to 1986. He is one of the first starting pitchers who comes to mind when thinking about who is the best in the team's history.
After spending his first seven years in the majors with the Cardinals, St. Louis traded the left-hander to Philadelphia for pitcher Rick Wise on Feb. 26, 1972.
During his first year with the Phillies, he won the Cy Young Award, going 27-10 in 41 starts, with 30 complete games and a 1.97 ERA. Carlton, nicknamed "Lefty," also finished with a career-high 310 strikeouts, a 0.99 WHIP, 346 1/3 innings pitched, and eight shutouts! Incredibly, his phenomenal year coincided with Philadelphia's struggles during the 1972 season when the club finished sixth in the NL East with a 59-97 record.
64 seconds of Steve Carlton's Legendary Sliders. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/3z5yIgARyS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 17, 2024
Carlton won his second Cy Young Award following the 1977 season. In 36 starts, he went 23-10, with a 2.64 ERA in 283 innings. He finished with 198 strikeouts, a 1.12 WHIP, and 17 complete games. In 1980, the Miami native contributed to the Phillies 91-win regular season that included another division championship. Philadelphia also won its first World Series, defeating the Kansas City Royals in six games.
"Lefty" also earned his third Cy Young in 1980, finishing with a 24-9 record in 38 starts, a 2.34 ERA, and 13 complete games in 304 innings. He also had 286 strikeouts and a 1.10 WHIP. Carlton had the best postseason of his career that year, going 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. He had 23 strikeouts along with a 1.54 WHIP.
Carlton earned his fourth and final Cy Young during the 1982 season. He went 23-11 and had 19 complete games with six shutouts in 38 starts. He finished with 286 strikeouts and a 1.15 WHIP in 295 2/3 innings.
Among Phillies pitchers, the left-hander is the leader with 241 wins and by a large margin with 3,031 strikeouts. Carlton is second with 39 shutouts, 499 appearances, and 3,697 1/3 innings. He is third with 185 complete games and tied with Red Donahue and Ron Reed for eighth with a .600 winning percentage.
The 10-time All-Star, seven of which came with the Phillies, became a Hall of Famer in 1994. He is one of seven players, which includes three other pitchers, to have his number retired by the Phillies, and the organization placed a statue of him at the left field gate of Citizens Bank Park.
Carlton excelled during his time with the team, whether Philadelphia had a good or bad season. He is unquestionably a Phillies icon and the greatest starting pitcher in franchise history.
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