Every MLB Team's Best Pitcher of the 1990s
While we wait for the final few dominos to fall in free agency and the start of spring training, now is the perfect time for some MLB nostalgia.
Ahead, we've taken a walk down memory lane to name the best pitcher for each team during that magical decade that was the '90s.
Only stats compiled with a team were up for consideration, so someone like David Cone who suited up for the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees had a tougher road to earning a spot on this list despite a terrific overall decade.
Included along with the choice for each team is a list of honorable mentions, just to add a few more "I remember that guy!" opportunities to the mix.
Now sit back and let the nostalgia wash over you.
In case you missed it: Every MLB Team's Best Hitter of the 1990s
Arizona Diamondbacks: LHP Randy Johnson
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Hall of Famer Randy Johnson signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks ahead of the 1999 season, and they improved from 65-97 and the NL West cellar to 100-62 and division champs in his first year with the team.
He went 17-9 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 364 strikeouts in 271.2 innings, tallying 12 complete games while winning his first of four straight NL Cy Young Awards in a D-backs uniform.
Since fellow ace Curt Schilling was not acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies until the 2000 trade deadline, this was an extremely easy decision.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Andy Benes, RHP Omar Daal, RHP Matt Mantei, RHP Gregg Olson
Atlanta Braves: RHP Greg Maddux
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The Atlanta Braves had one of the best rotations in baseball history during the 90s, anchored by the future Hall of Fame trio of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.
Here's a look at how each pitcher fared in a Braves uniform during the decade:
- Maddux: 126-51, 2.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 1,223 K, 1,626.2 IP, 48.8 WAR, 3x Cy Young
- Glavine: 164-87, 3.21 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 1,465 K, 2,228.0 IP, 45.0 WAR, 2x Cy Young
- Smoltz: 143-95, 3.32 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 1,893 K, 2,142.1 IP, 39.8 WAR, 1x Cy Young
Despite spending the first three years of the decade with the Chicago Cubs, Maddux was still the best of the bunch, winning three straight NL CY Young Awards after joining the team in free agency.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Steve Avery, LHP Tom Glavine, RHP John Smoltz, RHP Mark Wohlers
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Mike Mussina
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The Baltimore Orioles selected Mike Mussina with the No. 20 overall pick in the 1990 draft, and a year later he made his MLB debut, posting a 2.87 ERA in 87.2 innings.
He made his first All-Star team the following year while going 18-5 with a 2.54 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 241.0 innings in his age-23 season, immediately establishing himself as the ace of the staff.
The Hall of Famer went 136-66 with a 3.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 1,325 strikeouts in 1,772 innings, finishing as one of only 10 pitchers with at least 40.0 WAR during the decade. He was a five-time All-Star and finished in the top 10 in AL Cy Young voting six times during his eight full seasons in the 90s.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Scott Erickson, RHP Ben McDonald, RHP Gregg Olson
Boston Red Sox: RHP Roger Clemens
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Roger Clemens was 27 years old and already a two-time Cy Young winner when the 1990s rolled around, and he kicked off the decade by winning the AL ERA title three years in a row, adding a third Cy Young to his trophy case in 1991.
All told, he went 97-66 with a 3.05 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 1,375 strikeouts in 1,491.1 innings over the first seven seasons of the decade before he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in free agency prior to the 1997 campaign.
Pedro Martínez finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting in 1998 and took home the award in 1999 when he finished 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 313 strikeouts in 213.1 innings, but it's tough to stack up his two years with the team against seven from Clemens.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Pedro Martínez, RHP Tim Wakefield
Chicago Cubs: RHP Greg Maddux
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Only Steve Trachsel (186) and Frank Castillo (161) tallied more starts for the Chicago Cubs during the 1990s than the 107 made by Greg Maddux during the first three years of the decade before he departed in free agency.
His 16.6 WAR during those three years puts him comfortably ahead of any other Cubs pitchers, and he capped off his time with the team by winning 1992 NL Cy Young honors, finishing 20-11 with a 2.18 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 199 strikeouts in 268 innings.
Tip of the cap to Kerry Wood, who took the baseball world by storm with his 20-strikeout performance in 1998 en route to NL Rookie of the Year honors.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Frank Castillo, LHP Randy Myers, RHP Steve Trachsel, RHP Kerry Wood
Chicago White Sox: RHP Jack McDowell
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It's easy to forget that Jack McDowell was one of the best pitchers in baseball for a brief three-year stretch during the 1990s.
- 1991: 35 GS, 17-10, 3.41 ERA, 191 K, 253.2 IP, 15 CG, 3 SHO
- 1992: 34 GS, 20-10, 3.18 ERA, 178 K, 260.2 IP, 13 CG, 1 SHO
- 1993: 34 GS, 22-10, 3.37 ERA, 158 K, 256.2 IP, 10 CG, 4 SHO
He finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting in 1992 and took home the hardware in 1993, but he ended up making just 24 starts after his age-30 season.
Closer Roberto Hernández also deserves a shoutout for his 1996 season. He tallied 38 saves while posting a 1.91 ERA in 72 appearances to finish sixth in AL Cy Young voting and earn his first career All-Star selection.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Wilson Álvarez, RHP Alex Fernandez, RHP Roberto Hernández
Cincinnati Reds: RHP José Rijo
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Jose Rijo was the ace of the staff for a Cincinnati Reds team that won the 1990 World Series, going 14-8 with a 2.70 ERA and 152 strikeouts in 197 innings during the regular season before allowing just nine hits and one earned run in 15.1 innings in the World Series to win MVP honors.
During the five-year stretch from 1990 through the 1994 season, he went 67-39 with a 2.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 893 strikeouts in 1,042 innings as one of baseball's best starting pitchers, logging a pair of top-five finishes in NL Cy Young voting.
Starting pitchers Jack Armstrong (1990), Tom Browning (1991) and John Smiley (1995) each earned All-Star selections during the 90s, but Rijo was the team's best pitcher during the decade by a landslide.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Jeff Brantley, LHP Norm Charlton, RHP Rob Dibble, LHP Randy Myers, RHP Jeff Shaw, RHP John Smiley
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Charles Nagy
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While it was the high-powered Cleveland offenses led by Albert Belle, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Carlos Baerga that grabbed headlines through the 1990s, they also had three-time All-Star Charles Nagy anchoring the starting rotation.
Nagy spent the entire decade in Cleveland, finishing 121-86 with a 4.20 ERA and 1,143 strikeouts in 1,766.1 innings, finishing in the top 10 in AL Cy Young voting three different times during the decade.
Closer José Mesa finished second in AL Cy Young voting and fourth in AL MVP balloting during the 1995 season when he converted 46 of 48 save chances with a 1.13 ERA in 62 appearances for a team that reached the World Series.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Dennis Martínez, RHP José Mesa
Colorado Rockies: RHP Pedro Astacio
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This was tough.
Zero pitchers for the Colorado Rockies were named to the All-Star team during the 1990s, and setup reliever Steve Reed (8.8 WAR) was the decade's WAR leader on the mound.
However, Pedro Astacio had the best single-season performance of any Rockies pitcher during the decade, logging a 5.9-WAR season in 1999 when he finished 17-11 with a 5.04 ERA (115 ERA+) and 210 strikeouts in 232.0 innings. That was enough to make him the pick.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Darren Holmes, RHP Steve Reed, RHP Armando Reynoso, RHP Kevin Ritz, LHP Bruce Ruffin
Detroit Tigers: LHP Justin Thompson
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The Detroit Tigers posted eight losing seasons and never won more than 85 games during the 1990s, so finding individual standouts can be a bit of a challenge.
Left-hander Justin Thompson looked like a potential building block in the starting rotation when he logged back-to-back strong seasons in 1997 and 1998 during his age-24 and age-25 seasons, but injuries quickly derailed his career from there.
- 1997: 32 GS, 15-11, 3.02 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 151 K, 223.1 IP, 7.7 WAR
- 1998: 34 GS, 11-15, 4.05 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 149 K, 222.0 IP, 2.9 WAR
Despite that short peak, his 13.1 WAR for the decade was still tops among Tigers pitchers for the decade, with David Wells (10.3) the only other pitcher to break the 10-WAR mark.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Bill Gullickson, RHP Mike Henneman, RHP Brian Moehler, LHP David Wells
Houston Astros: RHP Shane Reynolds
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Shane Reynolds ranks in the top 10 all-time among Houston Astros pitchers in WAR (19.1, ninth), wins (103, eighth), strikeouts (1,309, sixth) and innings pitched (1,622.1, eighth).
The bulk of that production came during the 1990s, as he made his MLB debut in 1992 and became a staple in the starting rotation in 1995, tallying at least 30 starts in each of the final five seasons of the decade.
He was the team's Opening Day starter in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999, and he had the best season of his career at the peak of the Steroid Era in 1998, finishing 19-8 with a 3.51 ERA and 209 strikeouts in 233.1 innings.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Mike Hampton, RHP Pete Harnisch, RHP Doug Jones, RHP Darryl Kile, RHP José Lima, LHP Billy Wagner
Kansas City Royals: RHP Kevin Appier
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Kevin Appier is one of the most underrated pitchers in MLB history.
His 47.6 WAR during the 1990s ranked sixth among all pitchers, behind only Roger Clemens (68.1), Greg Maddux (65.4), David Cone (52.9), Randy Johnson (52.1) and Kevin Brown (48.1), yet he received Cy Young votes just once in 1993 and was an All-Star just once in 1995.
He went 113-85 with a 3.39 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 1,441 strikeouts in 1,799 innings pitching for some bad Kansas City Royals teams during the 90s, and he had a 9.3-WAR season in 1993 when he finished 18-8 with a 2.56 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 186 strikeouts in 238.2 innings.
Honorable Mentions: RHP David Cone, RHP Tom Gordon, RHP Jeff Montgomery
Los Angeles Angels: LHP Chuck Finley
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The Angels rotation was anchored throughout the 1990s by two of the best left-handed starters of the decade.
Here's a look at every southpaw pitcher who tallied at least 25.0 WAR during the 90s:
- Randy Johnson (52.1)
- Tom Glavine (45.0)
- Chuck Finley (44.6)
- David Wells (31.5)
- Jimmy Key (29.1)
- Mark Langston (25.9)
- Kenny Rogers (25.4)
Finley spent the entire decade in an Angels uniform, going 135-108 with a 3.76 ERA and 1,784 strikeouts in 2,144 innings, making four Opening Day starts and earning three of his five career All-Star selections.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Jim Abbott, LHP Mark Langston, RHP Troy Percival
Los Angeles Dodgers: RHP Ramón Martínez
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He may not have had the same Hall of Fame numbers as his younger brother, but Ramón Martínez put together a terrific career in his own right, and he spent the first nine seasons of the 90s in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform.
He broke out during the 1990 season, going 20-6 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 223 strikeouts in 234.1 innings to finish runner-up to Doug Drabek in NL Cy Young voting.
The 6'4" right-hander went 116-70 with a 3.45 ERA and 1,202 strikeouts in 1,597.1 innings during the 90s while pitching for the Dodgers through his age-30 season. However, he made just 35 more appearances the remainder of his career.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Tom Candiotti, RHP Hideo Nomo, RHP Ismael Valdéz
Miami Marlins: RHP Kevin Brown
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The Florida Marlins signed Kevin Brown to a three-year, $12.6 million contract prior to the 1996 season, and he ended up serving as the ace of the staff for a team that won a World Series title the following year.
He was ultimately a casualty of the team's fire sale on the other end of that title run when he was shipped to the San Diego Padres ahead of the final year of his contract in exchange for a package of prospects built around a young Derrek Lee, but his two seasons in Miami were enough to make him an easy choice.
- 1996: 32 GS, 17-11, 1.89 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 159 K, 233.0 IP, 7.9 WAR
- 1997: 33 GS, 16-8, 2.69 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 205 K, 237.1 IP, 7.0 WAR
Shoutout to Cuban defector and then-rookie Liván Hernández for winning NLCS and World Series MVP during the 1997 playoff run.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Bryan Harvey, RHP Liván Hernández, LHP Al Leiter, RHP Robb Nen, RHP Pat Rapp
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Cal Eldred
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Right-hander Cal Eldred was the decade leader for the Milwaukee Brewers in pitching WAR (13.1), starts (169), wins (64), strikeouts (686) and inning pitched (1,078.2).
He went 11-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 100.1 innings over 14 starts to finish fourth in 1992 AL Rookie of the Year voting, then made 36 starts while tossing an AL-leading 258 innings the following season.
Injuries limited him to 108.1 innings during the 1995 and 1996 seasons combined—otherwise, his counting numbers would look even better.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Chris Bosio, RHP Mike Fetters, RHP Bill Wegman, RHP Bob Wickman
Minnesota Twins: RHP Brad Radke
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The trio of Jack Morris (35 GS, 18-12, 3.43 ERA, 246.2 IP), Kevin Tapani (34 GS, 16-9, 2.99 ERA, 244.0 IP) and Scott Erickson (32 GS, 20-8, 3.18 ERA, 204.0 IP) helped the Minnesota Twins win the 1991 World Series.
However, the title of best pitcher of the 90s goes to Brad Radke.
The workhorse right-hander made his MLB debut in 1995, and the following season he kicked off a run of six straight seasons with at least 200 innings pitched. He finished 20-10 with a 3.87 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 239.2 innings to finish third in AL Cy Young voting in 1997, and he made his only career All-Star appearance the following year.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Rick Aguilera, RHP Scott Erickson, RHP Jack Morris, RHP Kevin Tapani
New York Mets: RHP David Cone
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David Cone played just three seasons with the New York Mets during the 90s, but his 91 starts trailed only Bobby Jones (163 GS) and Dwight Gooden (128 GS) among all Mets pitchers for the decade.
The right-hander led the NL in strikeouts in 1990 (14-10, 3.23 ERA, 233 K, 211.2 IP) and 1991 (14-14, 3.29 ERA, 241 K, 232.2 IP) and earned his second career All-Star selection in 1992 before he was traded to the World Series-bound Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline.
Closer John Franco spent the entire decade with the Mets, and his 268 saves ranked sixth during the 90s.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Sid Fernandez, LHP John Franco, RHP Dwight Gooden, RHP Bobby Jones, RHP Rick Reed, RHP Bret Saberhagen
New York Yankees: LHP Andy Pettitte
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Andy Pettitte made his MLB debut in 1995, and the following year he was the ace of the staff for a New York Yankees team that won a World Series title and helped kick off a dynasty. He finished 21-8 with a 3.87 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 221 innings to finish runner-up in AL Cy Young voting.
He went on to lead the team in starts (158), wins (81), innings pitched (1,044.1) and pitching WAR (21.7) during the 90s, and he also had six quality starts in 14 outings during the postseason.
Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera did not become a big-league regular until 1995 and didn't move into the ninth-inning role until 1997, though he would be a lay-up choice as the team's representative in the 2000s version of this article.
Honorable Mentions: RHP David Cone, RHP Orlando Hernández, LHP Jimmy Key, RHP Mariano Rivera, LHP David Wells, RHP John Wetteland
Oakland Athletics: RHP Dennis Eckersley
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Bob Welch (27-6, 2.95 ERA, 238.0 IP) and Dave Stewart (22-11, 2.56 ERA, 267.0 IP) both had huge seasons on the mound in 1990, finishing first and third in AL Cy Young voting, respectively.
However, both pitchers also fell off dramatically from there, with their prime coming during the 1980s, and that left Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley as the best choice for the Oakland Athletics.
From 1990 through his final season with the team in 1995, he racked up 226 saves while posting a 2.90 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 9.7 K/9 in 360 appearances. He won AL Cy Young and AL MVP in 1992 when he converted 51 of 54 save chances with a 1.91 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 in 69 appearances.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Mike Moore, RHP Dave Stewart, RHP Bob Welch
Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Curt Schilling
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The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Curt Schilling from the Houston Astros prior to the 1992 season in exchange for Jason Grimsley, and after he pitched primarily out of the bullpen during his first four seasons in the majors, he moved into the rotation and found immediate success.
He went 14-11 with a 2.35 ERA and NL-best 0.99 WHIP in 226.1 innings spanning 26 starts and 16 relief appearances in 1992, and the following year he helped the Phillies reach the World Series, winning NLCS MVP honors.
His peak in Philadelphia came during the 1997 (17-11, 2.95 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 319 K, 254.1 IP) and 1998 (15-14, 3.25 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 300 K, 268.2 IP) seasons, and he was eventually traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks at the 2000 deadline.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Ricky Bottalico, RHP Tommy Greene, LHP Terry Mulholland, LHP Mitch Williams
Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP Doug Drabek
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Right-hander Doug Drabek is one of only two pitchers in Pittsburgh Pirates history to win NL Cy Young honors along with Vern Law (1960), taking home the hardware in 1990 when he finished 22-6 with a 2.76 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 131 strikeouts in 231.1 innings.
He only spent the first three seasons of the decade in Pittsburgh before signing with the Houston Astros in free agency, but he made his mark as one of the greatest pitchers in franchise history during that short time.
In that three-year stretch, he went 52-31 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 450 strikeouts in 722.2 innings, tallying 13.1 WAR as one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Francisco Córdova, LHP Denny Neagle, RHP Jason Schmidt, LHP Zane Smith
San Diego Padres: RHP Trevor Hoffman
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Workhorse starters Andy Ashby and Andy Benes both had strong decades with the San Diego Padres, while ace Kevin Brown was brilliant in his one year with the team during their run to the 1998 World Series.
- Ashby: 185 GS, 18 CG, 70-62, 3.60 ERA, 1,210.0 IP, 22.7 WAR
- Benes: 176 GS, 15 CG, 63-72, 3.57 ERA, 1,168.1 IP, 19.8 WAR
- Brown: 35 GS, 7 CG, 18-7, 2.38 ERA, 257 K, 257.0 IP, 8.6 WAR
However, it's Hall of Fame closer Trevor Hoffman who gets the nod after coming over in a 1993 deadline deal with the Florida Marlins that sent slugger Gary Sheffield the other way. During the 90s, he tallied 226 saves with a 2.64 ERA and 10.5 K/9 in 411 appearances.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Andy Ashby, RHP Andy Benes, RHP Kevin Brown, RHP Greg Harris, LHP Bruce Hurst
San Francisco Giants: RHP Rod Beck
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With a burly frame and epic facial hair, Rod Beck was a fan favorite throughout his time in the big leagues, and during the 90s he was one of baseball's elite closers.
He made his MLB debut in 1991 and went on to record 199 saves with a 2.97 ERA in 416 appearances before signing with the Chicago Cubs in free agency prior to the 1998 season. He was an All-Star in 1993, 1994 and 1997.
Bill Swift (34 GS, 21-8, 2.84 ERA, 232.2 IP) and John Burkett (34 GS, 22-7, 3.65 ERA, 231.2 IP) both had fantastic seasons in 1993 when the Giants won 103 games but missed the playoffs in the final season before the wild-card era began.
Honorable Mentions: RHP John Burkett, LHP Shawn Estes, LHP Kirk Rueter, RHP Bill Swift
Seattle Mariners: LHP Randy Johnson
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The Seattle Mariners acquired a young left-hander named Randy Johnson from the Montreal Expos midway through the 1989 season in exchange for fellow standout southpaw Mark Langston.
The "Big Unit" went on to lead the AL in walks in each of his first three full seasons in Seattle before everything finally clicked in 1993 when he finished 19-8 with a 3.24 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 308 strikeouts in 255.1 innings.
That kicked off a five-year stretch in which he went 75-20 with a 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 1,182 strikeouts in 916 innings, winning AL Cy Young in 1995 and finishing runner-up in the balloting two other times. He was traded to the Houston Astros as a rental at the 1998 deadline in exchange for a three-player package that included Freddy García.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Jeff Fassero, RHP Erik Hanson, LHP Jamie Moyer
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Bob Tewksbury
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The St. Louis Cardinals have spent much of the past 20 years as perennial contenders, but they made the playoffs just once during the 1990s, and a lack of frontline pitching was a big reason why they were largely an afterthought.
The trio of Andy Benes, Todd Stottlemyre and Donovan Osborne anchored the rotation during the team's only playoff trip in 1996 when they reached the NLCS, but the best overall hurler for the decade was right-hander Bob Tewksbury.
He spent the first five seasons of the 90s in a Cardinals uniform, going 66-46 with a 3.49 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 938.2 innings. He made his lone All-Star appearance in 1992 when he also finished third in NL Cy Young voting, going 16-5 with a 2.16 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 233 innings.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Andy Benes, RHP Matt Morris, RHP Donovan Osborne, RHP Lee Smith, RHP Todd Stottlemyre
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Rolando Arrojo
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The first two All-Stars in Tampa Bay Devil Rays franchise history were starting pitcher Rolando Arrojo in 1998 and closer Roberto Hernández in 1999, while slugger Jose Canseco also earned a nod in 1999.
- Arrojo (1998): 32 GS, 14-12, 3.56 ERA, 152 K, 202.0 IP, 4.1 WAR
- Hernández (1999): 72 G, 43 SV, 3.07 ERA, 8.5 K/9, 2.7 WAR
Arrojo also finished runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting during his All-Star season, and his 6.6 WAR during his two short seasons in Tampa Bay still ranks 12th all-time among Rays pitchers.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Wilson Álvarez, RHP Roberto Hernández
Texas Rangers: RHP Kevin Brown
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Kevin Brown was the choice for the Florida Marlins, and he also earned a shoutout for his terrific 1998 season with the San Diego Padres, but his career started as a member of the Texas Rangers.
He spent the first five seasons of the decade in Texas, and did just enough to edge out the final four years of Nolan Ryan's career for top honors among Rangers pitchers.
- Brown: 153 GS, 64-54, 3.88 ERA, 622 K, 1059.1 IP, 14.1 WAR
- Ryan: 97 GS, 35-29, 3.52 ERA, 638 K, 600.2 IP, 10.1 WAR
Hot take: Brown deserves a place alongside Ryan in the Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Roger Pavlik, LHP Kenny Rogers, RHP Nolan Ryan, RHP John Wetteland, RHP Bobby Witt
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Roger Clemens
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The Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and 1993 with guys like Juan Guzmán, Jack Morris, Jimmy Key, Todd Stottlemyre, Pat Hentgen, Dave Stewart and a two-month rental of David Cone all helping to shoulder the load on the pitching side of things.
However, it's hard to argue anyone from that group deserves the top spot over Roger Clemens, despite the fact that he spent just two seasons with the club.
- 1997: 34 GS, 21-7, 2.05 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 292 K, 264.0 IP, 11.9 WAR
- 1998: 33 GS, 20-6, 2.65 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 271 K, 234.2 IP, 8.1 WAR
After winning the AL Cy Young both years, he was traded to the New York Yankees two seasons into his four-year, $40 million deal.
Honorable Mentions: RHP Juan Guzmán, RHP Tom Henke, RHP Pat Hentgen, RHP Todd Stottlemyre, RHP Duane Ward, LHP David Wells
Washington Nationals: RHP Pedro Martínez
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The Washington Nationals didn't come into existence until 2005, so technically we're talking exclusively about the Montreal Expos for the sake of this discussion.
The Expos acquired Pedro Martínez in a one-for-one swap with the Los Angeles Dodgers that sent speedy second baseman Delino DeShields to L.A. prior to the 1994 season, and it ended up being one of the most lopsided deals in MLB history.
In his four seasons with the Expos before he was flipped again to the Boston Red Sox, Martínez went 55-33 with a 3.06 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 843 strikeouts in 797.1 innings. He won NL Cy Young in his final season with the team in 1997, going 17-8 with a 1.90 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 305 strikeouts in 241.1 innings in a 9.0-WAR season.
Honorable Mentions: LHP Jeff Fassero, RHP Ken Hill, RHP Dennis Martínez, RHP Mel Rojas, RHP John Wetteland
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