Milwaukee Brewers: Power Ranking the Top 10 Pitchers in Franchise History

The Milwaukee Brewers aren't a team well-known for their pitching, but they have produced a handful of terrific hurlers in their 40 years of existence.

This particular top 10 took into account a number of factors including statistics (traditional and advanced), accolades (MVP/Cy Young Voting) and overall impact (remember, this team has just three playoff appearances). 

#10: Pete Vuckovich (1981-1983, 1985-1986)

Vuckovich feels out of place on one of these lists.

In parts of five seasons with the Brewers, Vuckovich won just 40 games, had a roughly league-average 3.88 ERA, had barely more strikeouts than walks, and was valued at just 4.5 total WAR—less than fifteen pitchers put up during the 2010 season alone.

However, Vuckovich was the ace of the Brewers when they were at their best. The righty led the league with 14 victories in the strike-shortened 1981 season and won the Cy Young Award a year later with an 18-6 record, 3.34 ERA and an incredibly anomalous 1.502 WHIP 

#9: CC Sabathia (2008)

Carsten Charles Sabathia made exactly 17 regular season starts for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008. But he made his impact felt, going 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA.

Despite being traded into the National League halfway through the year, Sabathia led the junior circuit in shutouts (three) and complete games (seven), the last of which was a 3-1 Brewer victory over the Cubs, immortalized in the bobble head displayed in the picture.

That victory ended a 26-year playoff drought for the crew.   

#8: Jim Colborn (1972-1976)

Jim Colborn was a big winner when the Brewers had few; in 1972, he set a club record with 314 innings pitched and became the first 20-game winner in franchise history.

#7: Bill Wegman (1985-1995)

Bill Wegman enjoyed three quality seasons for the Milwaukee Brewers. He threw 225 IP with a 109 ERA-plus and 1.253 WHIP in the heavy-offensive 1987 season.

After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, Wegman combined to go 28-21 with a 3.05 ERA (129 ERA-plus), and 1.147 WHIP over 455 innings pitched. In all three of those seasons, he ranked top 10 in the league in BB/9. 

#6: Chris Bosio (1986-1992)

It may not have looked like Chris Bosio was going to make this list after his first three seasons, going just 18-27 with a 4.52 while the Brewers tried to figure out if he was a starter or reliever.

Over the next four seasons, Bosio reached at least 14 victories and 200 innings three times. The righty ranked sixth among AL pitchers in WAR in both 1989 and 1991, eclipsing 5.0 both seasons. 

#5: Jim Slaton (1971-1977, 1979-1983)

The all-time Brewers leader in wins, losses, and innings pitched, Jim Slaton had six 200 inning seasons for the Brewers in the 1970's before becoming a long relief and spot-starter.

It was fitting that the veteran came through as the winner of Game 4 of the 1982 World Series after a long time with the team. His most tangible contribution to the Brewers, however, was being used as trade bait to acquire power-hitting outfielder Ben Oglivie from the Tigers before the 1978 season.

Slaton would be back just one season later, and Oglivie would prove an integral part of Harvey's Wallbangers.   

#4: Mike Caldwell (1977-1984)

Mike Caldwell came over from the Reds in 1977, just in time to be part of the most successful period in franchise history.

The next year, Caldwell instantly took his post as the team ace, going 22-9 with a 2.36 ERA (160 ERA-plus) and 1.064 WHIP in just under 300 innings pitched.

Caldwell remained an integral part of the Brewers' rotation for years to come, even winning two games in the 1982 World Series. 

#3: Rollie Fingers (1981-1982, 1984-1985)

No. 3 might be a little high on the list for a reliever (note the absence of team saves king, Dan Plesac). But as far as accolades and impact go, it's hard to do better than Rollie Fingers.

The Hall-of-Famer won both the MVP and Cy Young award in 1981, leading the league with 28 saves and posting a minuscule 1.04 ERA. Fingers was also an important part of the 1982 American League pennant winning team.

Fingers is also one of just four numbers retired by the Brewers, cementing his place near the top of this list.  

#2: Ben Sheets (2001-2008)

After leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, Ben Sheets found himself pitching for the Brewers in the opening week of the 2001 season. By mid-season, he was in the all-star game, where he would represent the Brewers four times over the next eight seasons, including a start in the 2008 game at Yankee Stadium.

In 2004, Ben Sheets had one of the best performances in team history, going 237 innings with a 2.70 ERA (162 ERA-plus), 264 strikeouts, and an astounding 8.25 K/BB ratio—the seventh best mark in Major League History.

Sheets accumulated 23.8 WAR during his time in Milwaukee, leaving open the question of how great he could could have been if he had been able to remain healthy. 

#1: Teddy Higuera (1985-1991, 1993-1994)

Teddy Higuera hit the ground running in 1985, finishing second in the rookie-of-the-year balloting after going 15-8 and finishing eighth in the league in WHIP.

The next season was arguably the best in the history of the team; Higuera won 20 games for a team that finished sixth in their division while placing second in ERA, ninth in WHIP, seventh in innings pitched, and sixth in strikeouts.

Higuera led the American League with 8.5 WAR that season and would eclipse the 6.0 mark the next two seasons before injuries took their toll.