Chicago Cubs: The Best Cubs Starting Pitcher of Each Decade

Home runs put fans in the seats, but pitching wins championships. It's a simple fact in baseball when it comes to building a team that you will only go as far as your starting rotation will carry you when October rolls around.

For the Cubs, trips to October have been few and far between in the last 100+ years, but that does not mean that the team has been without its fair share of great pitchers.

So here is a decade by decade look at some of the best pitchers ever to don Cubbie Blue and take the mound at Wrigley Field.

1880s: Larry Corcoran

Seasons With Team
1880-1885

Stats During Decade
Wins: 170
Losses: 85
ERA: 2.26
ERA+: 111
WHIP: 1.089
Ks: 1,086

Corcoran was the first real ace of the Cubs, or the White Stockings as they were known back then, and he was just 20-years-old when he made his debut in 1880, winning 43 games and leading the league with 268 strikeouts while making a whopping 60 starts.

He went on to win 31, 27, 34, and 35 games over the next four seasons, as he was among the best pitchers of his time. His three career no-hitters remained a record until Sandy Koufax came along, and although his career was a short one, he was the best the Cubs had in the 1880s.

Honorable Mention
John Clarkson (1884-1887)
137-57, 2.39 ERA, 151 ERA+, 1.053 WHIP, 960 Ks

1890s: Clark Griffith

Seasons With Cubs
1893-1899

Stats During Decade
Wins: 138
Losses: 83
ERA: 3.44
ERA+: 131
WHIP: 1.374
Ks: 512

Griffith may be best known for his time as the owner of the Washington Senators, but he was also one of the better pitchers of the 1800s before his time in the front office.

From 1894-1899, Griffith had at least 21 wins each season, and he enjoyed such great success thanks in part to his ability to doctor the baseball. He is also credited as the first pitcher to throw a screwball, as he brought innovation to the mound.

Honorable Mention
Bill Hutchinson (1890-1895)
164-141, 3.56 ERA, 112 ERA+, 1.383 WHIP, 512 Ks

1900s: Mordecai "Three Fingers" Brown

Seasons With Cubs
1904-1909

Stats During Decade
Wins: 135
Losses: 52
ERA: 1.51
ERA+: 172
WHIP: 0.928
Ks: 716

Brown was the ace of the Cubs championship team's of 1907 and 1908, and he is the best pitcher in franchise history and one of the best pitchers to ever play the game.

He won 20 games four times during the decade, and his 1906 season was one of the best ever, as he went 26-6 and posted a minuscule 1.04 ERA. He also held a 4-2 postseason record during the decade in six starts, including three shutouts, as his success carried over into October.

Honorable Mention
Ed Reulbach (1905-1909)
97-39, 1.72 ERA, 151 ERA+, 1.048 WHIP, 580 Ks

1910s: Hippo Vaughn

Seasons With Team
1913-1919

Stats During Decade
Wins: 129
Losses: 78
ERA: 2.08
ERA+: 137
WHIP: 1.122
Ks: 977

The 1910s were a decade of transition for the Cubs, as most of the holdovers from their World Series teams of the previous decade were either retired or had moved on, and picking up where Mordecai Brown left off was Vaughn.

Arguably the best lefty in Cubs history, Vaughn won at least 17 games for six straight seasons from 1914-1919, and he won the pitching Triple Crown in 1918 with a line of 22-10, 1.74 ERA, 148 Ks as he was a bright spot for some sub par Cubs teams.

Honorable Mention
Larry Cheney (1911-1915)
76-51, 2.74 ERA, 111 ERA+, 1.232 WHIP, 512 Ks

1920s: Grover Cleveland Alexander

Seasons With Team
1920-1926

Stats During Decade
Wins: 110
Losses: 71
ERA: 3.02
ERA+: 128
WHIP: 1.193
Ks: 478

While he is in the Hall of Fame as a Philadelphia Phillie, and rightfully so. Alexander was great with the Cubs during the 1920s, pitching effectively into his late 30s, and cementing his place as one of the best pitchers of all-time, finishing his career with 373 wins.

He won the pitching Triple Crown in 1920, the third time in his career he achieved that feat, as he had a line of 27-14, 1.91 ERA, 173 Ks. He would finish out his career with the Cardinals, winning an impressive 21 games in 1927 at the age of 40.

Honorable Mention
Charlie Root (1926-1929)
77-56, 3.41 ERA, 119 ERA+, 1.283 WHIP, 518 Ks

1930s: Lon Warneke

Seasons With Team
1930-1936

Stats During Decade
Wins: 100
Losses: 59
ERA: 2.85
ERA+: 133
WHIP: 1.213
Ks: 642

Warneke burst onto the scene in 1932, going 22-6 with a 2.37 ERA as he led the NL in wins and ERA and finished second in NL MVP voting in his first full season in the rotation.

He only played four more seasons with the Cubs after that, but he won 18, 22, 20, and 16 games in those four seasons before moving onto the rival St. Louis Cardinals in what turned out to be a foolish move by the North Siders, as Warneke won another 83 games in six seasons in St. Louis.

Honorable Mention
Bill Lee (1934-1939)
106-70, 3.21 ERA, 122 ERA+, 1.302 WHIP, 640 Ks

1940s: Claude Passeau

Seasons With Team
1940-1947

Stats During Decade
Wins: 118
Losses: 85
ERA: 2.94
ERA+: 118
WHIP: 1.258
Ks: 646

Passeau is among the most overlooked and underrated Cubs of all-time, and he was a model of consistency during his time with the team, winning at least 14 games each season from 1940-1945.

He went on to win a total of 124 games during his time with the Cubs, despite not joining the team until he was already 30-years old. He was a three-time All-Star and is easily the Cubs best pitcher of the 1940s.

Honorable Mention
Hank Wyse (1942-1947)
69-54, 3.03 ERA, 117 ERA+, 1.292 WHIP, 321 Ks

1950s: Bob Rush

Seasons With Team
1950-1957

Stats During Decade
Wins: 95
Losses: 111
ERA: 3.65
ERA+: 112
WHIP: 1.280
Ks: 924

The 1950s were a trying decade, even for Cubs fans, as the team posted a losing record in all but one season, which was 1952 when they went 77-77. Not only that but they went through four different manager during the decade, as the team was in a constant state of turnover.

That said, if Rush had pitched in any other decade, he would have had a far more favorable record. He still managed to post six seasons with double digit wins and a winning record three times. That may not sound like much, but when you are on a 90-loss team it is saying something to have a winning record.

Honorable Mention
Paul Minner (1950-1956)
62-79, 4.02 ERA, 103 ERA+, 1.386 WHIP, 438 Ks

1960s: Dick Ellsworth

Seasons With Team
1960-1966

Stats During Decade
Wins: 84
Losses: 109
ERA: 3.68
ERA+: 103
WHIP: 1.312
Ks: 905

Much like the 1950s, the early part of the 1960s was struggle for the North Siders, as they began to develop the makings of a solid lineup, but were still greatly lacking in pitching.

Ellsworth was another in the Bob Rush mold, a good pitcher on a bad team who was certainly capable of winning more games on a better team. He still managed three seasons of 14 or more wins, including a 22-10 season in 1963 to a go along with a 2.11 ERA, as he garnered some MVP votes that season.

Honorable Mention
Fergie Jenkins (1966-1969)
67-51, 2.96 ERA,122 ERA+, 1.089 WHIP, 917 Ks

1970s: Fergie Jenkins

Seasons With Team
1970-1973

Stats During Decade
Wins: 80
Losses: 57
ERA: 3.29
ERA+: 123
WHIP: 1.089
Ks: 891

Jenkins is the best Cubs pitcher of the modern era, and despite pitching for some less than stellar Cubs teams in the 1970s, he was among the MLB leaders in nearly every pitching category year in and year out.

He was rewarded in 1971, winning the NL Cy Young despite pitching for a third place Cubs team that was just above .500. He finished that season with a line of 24-13, 2.77 ERA, 263 Ks, leading the NL in wins and taking home the award over Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, and Juan Marichal among others.

Honorable Mention
Rick Reuschel (1972-1979)
114-101, 3.43 ERA, 116 ERA+, 1.289 WHIP, 1,122 Ks

1980s: Rick Sutcliffe

Seasons With Team
1984-1989

Stats During Decade
Wins: 76
Losses: 58
ERA: 3.67
ERA+: 108
WHIP: 1.296
Ks: 850

Sutcliffe will forever have a place in Cubs and in baseball history as perhaps the best mid season trade of all-time. With the Cubs scuffling in 1984, the team dealt promising young outfielder Joe Carter along with Mel Hall to the Indians for Sutcliffe, who was coming off of a 17-win season but was struggling at the time.

The change of scenery was apparently all he needed, as he rattled off a 16-1 record in 20 starts with the Cubs the rest of the way, propelling the team into the playoffs and earning him the NL Cy Young. He also led the league with 18 wins in 1987, but he was never able to match his performance in '84.

Honorable Mention
Scott Sanderson (1984-1989)
42-42, 3.81 ERA, 105 ERA+, 1.221 WHIP, 478 Ks

1990s: Greg Maddux

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - 1992: Pitcher Greg Maddux #31 of the Chicago Cubs winds up for a pitch during his 20th season win at Wrigley Field on September 1, 1992 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Seasons With Team
1990-1992

Stats During Decade
Wins: 50
Losses: 37
ERA: 2.98
ERA+: 130
WHIP: 1.148
Ks: 541

Maddux will forever be the one that got away to Cubs fans, as he won 87 games in five seasons after joining the rotation full time in 1988, and the Cubs were unable to re-sign him once he hit free agency and he left for Atlanta.

The fact that he only pitched three seasons for the team in the 90s and is the best pitcher of the decade says something about Cubs pitching in the 1990s. Still, Maddux was phenomenal in 1992, going 20-11, 2.18 ERA, 199 Ks to win his first of what would be four straight Cy Young Awards.

Honorable Mention
Steve Trachsel (1993-1999)
60-69, 4.35 ERA, 99 ERA+, 1.370 WHIP, 829 Ks

2000s: Carlos Zambrano

Mark Lyons/Getty Images

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 28: Carlos Zambrano #38 of the Chicago Cubs delivers the pitch during the game against the Cincinnati Reds on September 28, 2007 at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cubs defeated the Reds 6-0. (Photo by Mark L

Seasons With Team
2001-2009

Stats During Decade
Wins: 105
Losses: 68
ERA: 3.51
ERA+: 127
WHIP: 1.296
Ks: 1,324

Sure he wears his emotions on his sleeve, and he can be a headache sometimes, but Zambrano is the best pitcher the Cubs have had since Greg Maddux, and when he is focused and can keep his anger in check he is one of the best pitchers in baseball.

After breaking into the league at the age of 20 as a reliever, Zambrano was a full time member of the rotation two years later in 2003 when the Cubs made a playoff run. With the departures of Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Zambrano has been the ace of the Cubs staff since 2005, and he is looking for a bounce back season in 2011.

Honorable Mention
Kerry Wood (2000-2008)
64-55, 3.68 ERA, 117 ERA+, 1.256 WHIP, 1,174 Ks

2010s: ?

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

CHICAGO - JUNE 20: Andrew Cashner #48 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Wrigley Field on June 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cubs defeated the Angels 12-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

The future looks good for the Cubs, as they boast a strong minor league system, even after trading some of their top prospects for front line starter Matt Garza.

So who will lead the team in the 2010s? Will it be Garza, or perhaps recently named fifth starter and former first round pick Andrew Cashner. Time will tell if pitching can carry the Cubs back into October in the years to come.