The Dodgers have had some of the greatest starting pitchers in the history of baseball. One can go back as far as Brooklyn and point to the likes of Dazzy Vance and Nap Rucker, or the latter days in Los Angeles and think of the more familiar names of Orel Hershiser and Clayton Kershaw. The organization places a priority on quality arms. Someone always seems to step up when the entire starting rotation goes down. This leads to the inevitable question: Who are the greatest starting pitchers in the history of the Dodger franchise? Here are four names to consider.
All-Time Top Pitchers of the Los Angeles Dodgers
300-Game Winner
Don Sutton made his Major League debut with the Dodgers in 1966. In his 23-year career, 16 were in a Los Angeles uniform. In 21 of those seasons, he made 30 or more starts. The four-time All-Star leads the Dodgers in games pitched (550). He struck out a franchise-leading 2,696 batters and blanked opponents 52 times. In addition, he is one of only 24 pitchers to garner 300 wins (324) in Major League History. Sutton finished in the top 5 finalists for the Cy Young Award for five straight years. In 15 seasons with the Dodgers, he won at least 10 games yearly.
“Big D”
Don Drysdale, nicknamed the “Big D” was one of the most intimidating pitchers to ever set foot on a mound. He spent his entire career in a Dodger uniform and wasn’t opposed to using a “brushback pitch” on occasion. The nine-time All-Star won the Cy Young Award in 1962. The three-time World Series Champion (1959, 1963, 1965) also led the National League in strikeouts three times. One of the most significant accomplishments of Drysdale’s career was his 58-scoreless-inning streak in 1968. Drysdale’s feat illustrates the right-hander’s dominance, surpassing the great Walter Johnson‘s streak of 55 2/3 innings.
Almost Ended Early
This impressive accomplishment almost ended at 44 innings when San Francisco Giant Dick Dietz was grazed with a pitch with the bases loaded. However, the umpire determined that Dietz did not make an effort to get out of the way, and the at-bat continued. Eventually, Drysdale got out of the jam unscathed, and the scoreless streak continued until Orel Hershiser surpassed it with 59 1/3 innings.
“Kersh”
Clayton Kershaw‘s pitching prowess was spotted early. He spent only one year in the minor leagues before he made his Major League debut in 2008. By age thirty, the left-hander had three Cy Young Awards (2011, 2013, 2014). He also garnered the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2014, the first pitcher to accomplish that in 46 years. Kershaw is also the first pitcher in baseball history to have four consecutive Earned Run Average titles (2011-14),
The ten-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion is the active pitcher with the lowest ERA. The one blemish on his career is his mediocre postman record. One has to wonder if the results would have been better had it not been for managerial mismanagement and the infamous cheating scandal that marred the 2017 season. Despite recent injuries, Kershaw is 32 strikeouts away from 3000 in his career, and his lifetime ERA of 2.50 speaks well of the future Hall of Famer.
“The Left Arm of God”
The only thing that distinguished Sandy Koufax early in his career was his lack of control. At his first tryout for the New York Giants, the young left-hander was so nervous that he uncorked a fastball high over the catcher’s head. His parents weren’t sure of his success either. They made the Dodgers promise to pay for Koufax’x college if baseball didn’t become a career. It took a little while for “The Left Arm of God” to harness his mechanics, but the three-time Cy Young Award winner did, and four no-hitters and four World Series Wins later, Koufax was the youngest pitcher inducted into the Hall of Fame. As a result, many say that Koufax is not only the greatest Dodgers pitcher of all time. He is the greatest left-hander in the history of baseball.
Some may argue about where these players rank in Dodger history, but there is no argument about whether or not they should reside in Cooperstown.
Main Photo Credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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