Honoring the Legends: The Top 10 Greatest Pitchers in Philadelphia Phillies History
The Philadelphia Phillies started playing in 1883, and the number of pitchers who have had better two-year periods than Roy Halladay’s from 2010-2011 can be counted on one hand. Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in December 2009, Halladay won the National League Cy Young Award in 2010, making him the fifth pitcher in MLB history to win it in both leagues.
Halladay’s time in Philadelphia was marked by significant achievements. On May 29, 2010, he pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins, only the second in the team’s history.
In his first postseason start on October 6, 2010, he threw a no-hitter against a strong Cincinnati Reds lineup, featuring future Hall of Famer Scott Rolen and that year’s NL MVP, Joey Votto. This was the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history, following Don Larsen’s in the 1956 World Series.
Halladay’s 2011 season, while not as historic, was arguably his best, with career-best stats in ERA (2.35), FIP (2.20), and fWAR (8.7). He finished second in the Cy Young voting to Clayton Kershaw, though a strong argument could be made that he deserved the award.
Despite his exceptional performance in his first two years, Halladay’s career declined after 2011 due to physical issues. He pitched for two more seasons at a subpar level and retired after the 2013 season. The 2010 and 2011 highlights remain a significant part of Phillies history, but he narrowly missed making the list of the top ten greatest Phillies pitchers.
Here are the 10 greatest pitchers in Phillies history:
**No. 10: Curt Simmons (1947-1950; 1952-1960)**
Best Season: 1952 – 14-8, 2.82 ERA, 130 ERA+, 2.76 FIP, 1.192 WHIP, 141 strikeouts, 15 complete games, 4.5 fWAR
Career Stats: 115-110, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.46 FIP, 1.332 WHIP, 1,052 strikeouts, 109 complete games, 33.5 fWAR
**No. 9: Cliff Lee (2009; 2011-2014)**
Best Season: 2011 – 17-8, 2.40 ERA, 160 ERA+, 2.60 FIP, 1.027 WHIP, 238 strikeouts, six complete games, 7.1 fWAR
Career Stats: 48-34, 2.94 ERA, 132 ERA+, 2.85 FIP, 1.089 WHIP, 813 strikeouts, 12 complete games, 21.9 fWAR
**No. 8: Zack Wheeler (2020-present)**
Best Season: 2021 – 14-10, 2.78 ERA, 150 ERA+, 2.59 FIP, 1.008 WHIP, 247 strikeouts, three complete games, 7.2 fWAR
Career Stats: 47-28, 2.96 ERA, 142 ERA+, 2.86 FIP, 1.043 WHIP, 738 strikeouts, three complete games, 21.1 fWAR (as of May 2024)
**No. 7: Jim Bunning (1964-1967; 1970-71)**
Best Season: 1967 – 17-15, 2.29 ERA, 149 ERA+, 2.49 FIP, 1.039 WHIP, 253 strikeouts, 16 complete games, 6.8 fWAR
Career Stats: 89-73, 2.93 ERA, 122 ERA+, 2.80 FIP, 1.111 WHIP, 1,197 strikeouts, 65 complete games, 31.2 fWAR
**No. 6: Aaron Nola (2015-present)**
Best Season: 2018 – 17-6, 2.37 ERA, 173 ERA+, 3.01 FIP, 0.975 WHIP, 224 strikeouts, zero complete games, 5.5 fWAR
Career Stats: 94-73, 3.72 ERA, 113 ERA+, 3.40 FIP, 1.131 WHIP, 1,629 strikeouts, five complete games, 34.6 fWAR (as of May 2024)
**No. 5: Curt Schilling (1992-2000)**
Best Season: 1997 – 17-11, 2.97 ERA, 143 ERA+, 2.62 FIP, 1.046 WHIP, 319 strikeouts, seven complete games, 8.2 fWAR
Career Stats: 101-78, 3.35 ERA, 126 ERA+, 3.27 FIP, 1.120 WHIP, 1,554 strikeouts, 61 complete games, 38.6 fWAR
**No. 4: Cole Hamels (2006-2015)**
Best Season: 2011 – 14-9, 2.79 ERA, 137 ERA+, 3.05 FIP, 0.986 WHIP, 194 strikeouts, three complete games, 5.1 fWAR
Career Stats: 114-90, 3.30 ERA, 124 ERA+, 3.47 FIP, 1.145 WHIP, 1,844 strikeouts, 14 complete games, 40.5 fWAR
**No. 3: Grover Cleveland Alexander (1911-1917; 1930)**
Best Season: 1915 – 31-10, 1.22 ERA, 225 ERA+, 1.82 FIP, 0.842 WHIP, 241 strikeouts, 36 complete games, 9.6 fWAR
Career Stats: 190-91, 2.18 ERA, 140 ERA+, 2.38 FIP, 1.075 WHIP, 1,409 strikeouts, 219 complete games, 50.8 fWAR
**No. 2: Robin Roberts (1948-1961)**
Best Season: 1953 – 23-16, 2.75 ERA, 153 ERA+, 3.12 FIP, 1.111 WHIP, 198 strikeouts, 33 complete games, 8.4 fWAR
Career Stats: 234-199, 3.46 ERA, 114 ERA+, 3.49 FIP, 1.171 WHIP, 1,871 strikeouts, 272 complete games, 62.6 fWAR
**No. 1: Steve Carlton (1972-1986)**
Best Season: 1972 – 27-10, 1.97 ERA, 182 ERA+, 2.01 FIP, 0.993 WHIP, 310 strikeouts, 30 complete games, 11.1 fWAR
Career Stats: 241-161, 3.09 ERA, 120 ERA+, 3.05 FIP, 1.211 WHIP, 3,031 strikeouts, 185 complete games, 75.5 fWAR
