What if you could pick a starting rotation for your favotite team from all the pitchers who have ever played for them? A Franchise All-Time Staff, if you will?
We decided to do just that, and rank them from first to worst. We weighed several factors: effectiveness, years with the team, honors, championships, and so on. We chose to pick pitchers who played primarily after 1900, so you won’t see the old-timey 1870s or 1890s pitchers.
For the most part, I think we got it right. Now, let’s see the five-man pitching staffs for each franchise.
1. Boston Red Sox
Pedro Martinez
1998-2004
Roger Clemens
1984-1996
Cy Young
1901-1908
Lefty Grove
1934-1941
Luis Tiant
1971-1978
2. Atlanta Braves*
Greg Maddux
1993-2003
Warren Spahn
1942, 1946-1964
Phil Niekro
1964-1983, 1987
*Includes Boston & Milwaukee
Tom Glavine
1987-2002, 2008
John Smoltz
1988-2008
3. Philadelphia Phillies
Robin Roberts
1948-1961
Pete Alexander
1911-1917, 1930
Steve Carlton
1972-1986
Curt Schilling
1992-2000
Cole Hamels
2006-2015
4. Los Angeles Dodgers*
Sany Koufax
1955-1966
Clayton Kershaw
2008-
Don Drysdale
1956-1969
*Includes Brooklyn
Dazzy Vance
1922-1932, 1935
Don Sutton
1966-1980, 1988
5. Cleveland Indians
Bob Feller
1936-1941, 1945-1956
Stan Coveleski
1916-1924
Bob Lemon
1946-1958
Sam McDowell
1961-1971
Mel Harder
1928-1947
6. Oakland Athletics*
Lefty Grove
1925-1933
Eddie Plank
1901-1914
Chief Bender
1903-1914
*Includes Philadelphia & Kansas City
Vida Blue
1969-1977
Tim Hudson
1999-2004
7. Minnesota Twins*
Walter Johnson
1907-1927
Bert Blyleven
1970-1976, 1985-1988
Johan Santana
2000-2007
*Includes Washington Senators
Frank Viola
1982-1989
Brad Radke
1995-2006
8. San Francisco Giants*
Christy Mathewson
1900-1916
Carl Hubbell
1928-1943
Juan Marichal
1960-1973
*Includes New York Giants
Gaylord Perry
1962-1971
Madison Bumgarner
2009-2019
9. Chicago Cubs
Ferguson Jenkins
1966-1973, 1982-1983
Mordecai Brown
1904-1912, 1916
Pete Alexander
1918-1926
Greg Maddux
1986-1992, 2004-2006
Rick Reuschel
1972-1981, 1983-1984
10. Chicago White Sox
Big Ed Walsh
1904-1916
Red Faber
1914-1933
Ted Lyons
1923-1942, 1946
Eddie Cicotte
1912-1920
Wilbur Wood
1967-1978
11. Detroit Tigers
Justin Verlander
2005-2017
Hal Newhouser
1939-1953
Mickey Lolich
1963-1975
Tommy Bridges
1930-1943, 1945-1946
Jack Morris
1977-1990
12. New York Yankees
Whitey Ford
1950, 1953-1967
Andy Pettitte
1995-2003, 2007-2013
Ron Guidry
1975-1988
Lefty Gomez
1930-1942
Red Ruffing
1930-1942, 1945-1946
13. New York Mets
Tom Seaver
1967-1977, 1983
Dwight Gooden
1984-1994
Jacob deGrom
2014-
Jerry Koosman
1967-1978
Sid Fernandez
1984-1993
14. Seattle Mariners
Randy Johnson
1989-1998
Félix Hernández
2005-2019
Jamie Moyer
1997-2006
Mark Langston
1984-1989
Freddy García
1999-2004
15. Baltimore Orioles*
Jim Palmer
1965-1984
Mike Mussina
1991-2000
Urban Shocker
1918-1924
*Includes St. Louis Browns
Dave McNally
1962-1974
Jack Powell
1902-1903, 1906-1912
16. St. Louis Cardinals
Bob Gibson
1959-1975
Dizzy Dean
1930, 1932-1937
Harry Brecheen
1940, 1943-1952
Adam Wainwright
2005-
Jesse Haines
1920-1937
17. Los Angeles Angels*
Nolan Ryan
1972-1979
Chuck Finley
1986-1999
Frank Tanana
1973-1980
*Includes California and Anaheim
Mark Langston
1990-1997
Jered Weaver
2006-2016
18. Houston Astros
Roy Oswalt
2001-2010
J.R. Richard
1971-1980
Nolan Ryan
1980-1988
Mike Scott
1983-1991
Larry Dierker
1964-1976
19. Washington Nationals*
Max Scherzer
2015-
Pedro Martinez
1994-1997
Steve Rogers
1973-1985
*Includes Montreal Expos
Dennis Martinez
1986-1993
Stephen Strasburg
2010-
20. Arizona Diamondbacks
Randy Johnson
1999-2004, 2007-2008
Curt Schilling
2000-2003
Zack Greinke
2016-2019
Brandon Webb
2003-2009
Dan Haren
2008-2010
21. Toronto Blue Jays
Roy Halladay
1998-2009
Roger Clemens
1997-1998
Dave Stieb
1979-1992, 1998
Jimmy Key
1984-1992
Pat Hentgen
1991-1999, 2004
22. Pittsburgh Pirates
Babe Adams
1907-1916, 1918-1926
Wilbur Cooper
1912-1924
Bob Friend
1951-1965
Sam Leever
1898-1910
John Candelaria
1975-1985, 1993
23. Cincinnati Reds
Bucky Walters
1938-1948
Eppa Rixey
1921-1933
Dolf Luque
1918-1929
José Rijo
1988-1995, 2001-2002
Noodles Hahn
1899-1905
24. Kansas City Royals
Bret Saberhagen
1984-1991
Zack Greinke
2004-2010
Kevin Appier
1989-1999, 2003-2004
Mark Gubicza
1984-1996
Dennis Leonard
1974-1986
25. San Diego Padres
Jake Peavy
2002-2009
Andy Ashby
1993-1999, 2004
Andy Benes
1989-1995
Randy Jones
1973-1980
Bruce Hurst
1989-1993
26. Texas Rangers*
Kevin Brown
1986, 1988-1994
Nolan Ryan
1989-1993
Fergie Jenkins
1974-1975, 1978-1981
*Includes Washington Senators expansion team from 1961