Thanks to offseason transactions, Justin Verlander is now the only active 100-game winner who is still with his original team. Verlander is signed with Detroit for another three years.
As you see in the table below, there were two such pitchers at the end of 2011, both toiling in the Windy City:
Rk | Player | Franch. | W ▾ | L | WAR | From | To | Age | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | BB | SO | HR | Tm | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mark Buehrle | 1 | 161 | 119 | 3.83 | 120 | 46.6 | 2000 | 2011 | 21-32 | 390 | 365 | 27 | 8 | 2476.2 | 564 | 1396 | 274 | CHW |
2 | Carlos Zambrano | 1 | 125 | 81 | 3.60 | 122 | 31.8 | 2001 | 2011 | 20-30 | 319 | 282 | 9 | 4 | 1826.2 | 823 | 1542 | 152 | CHC |
3 | Justin Verlander | 1 | 107 | 57 | 3.54 | 124 | 27.2 | 2005 | 2011 | 22-28 | 199 | 199 | 14 | 5 | 1315.1 | 410 | 1215 | 118 | DET |
4 | Ervin Santana | 1 | 87 | 67 | 4.22 | 101 | 15.8 | 2005 | 2011 | 22-28 | 206 | 203 | 13 | 6 | 1297.2 | 414 | 1034 | 164 | LAA |
5 | Brandon Webb | 1 | 87 | 62 | 3.27 | 142 | 29.2 | 2003 | 2009 | 24-30 | 199 | 198 | 15 | 8 | 1319.2 | 435 | 1065 | 92 | ARI |
6 | Felix Hernandez | 1 | 85 | 67 | 3.24 | 129 | 29.1 | 2005 | 2011 | 19-25 | 205 | 205 | 18 | 4 | 1388.1 | 424 | 1264 | 116 | SEA |
7 | Jered Weaver | 1 | 82 | 47 | 3.31 | 128 | 26.8 | 2006 | 2011 | 23-28 | 177 | 177 | 8 | 4 | 1131.2 | 308 | 977 | 121 | LAA |
But those 2011 leaders are now both with Miami: Mark Buehrle went free agent after 161 wins in the pale hose (#6 on the franchise list, 2 shy of Wilbur Wood), while Carlos Zambrano was mercy-traded to the Marlins after wearing out his welcome both on and off the Wrigley playing field. Big Z is #11 on the Cubs’ career list with 125 wins, 3 short of Pete Alexander.
Only three other active one-team pitchers have 80+ wins: Ervin Santana (87) and Jered Weaver (82) of the Angels, and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (85), who is the active SP leader in WAR for his original team (29.1 to Verlander’s 27.2). All three are under contract for at least the next two years, though there is much trade speculation about King Felix.
Buehrle’s departure from the South Side means that Ron Guidry remains the one-franchise leader in the free-agent era with 170 wins:
Rk | Player | Franch. | W ▾ | L | WAR | From | To | Age | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | BB | SO | HR | Tm | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ron Guidry | 1 | 170 | 91 | 3.29 | 119 | 44.4 | 1975 | 1988 | 24-37 | 368 | 323 | 95 | 26 | 4 | 2392.0 | 633 | 1778 | 226 | NYY |
2 | Mark Buehrle | 1 | 161 | 119 | 3.83 | 120 | 46.6 | 2000 | 2011 | 21-32 | 390 | 365 | 27 | 8 | 0 | 2476.2 | 564 | 1396 | 274 | CHW |
3 | Brad Radke | 1 | 148 | 139 | 4.22 | 113 | 41.4 | 1995 | 2006 | 22-33 | 378 | 377 | 37 | 10 | 0 | 2451.0 | 445 | 1467 | 326 | MIN |
4 | Dennis Leonard | 1 | 144 | 102 | 3.68 | 107 | 24.2 | 1975 | 1986 | 24-35 | 307 | 298 | 103 | 23 | 1 | 2165.0 | 610 | 1315 | 202 | KCR |
5 | Jim Palmer | 1 | 139 | 83 | 2.98 | 124 | 35.8 | 1975 | 1984 | 29-38 | 290 | 278 | 113 | 27 | 2 | 2081.1 | 622 | 1035 | 170 | BAL |
6 | Scott McGregor | 1 | 138 | 108 | 3.99 | 99 | 17.5 | 1976 | 1988 | 22-34 | 356 | 309 | 83 | 23 | 5 | 2140.2 | 518 | 904 | 235 | BAL |
7 | Steve Rogers | 1 | 133 | 125 | 3.13 | 117 | 40.3 | 1975 | 1985 | 25-35 | 344 | 338 | 111 | 33 | 2 | 2450.0 | 747 | 1403 | 127 | MON |
8 | Carlos Zambrano | 1 | 125 | 81 | 3.60 | 122 | 31.8 | 2001 | 2011 | 20-30 | 319 | 282 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1826.2 | 823 | 1542 | 152 | CHC |
9 | Bob Stanley | 1 | 115 | 97 | 3.64 | 119 | 21.5 | 1977 | 1989 | 22-34 | 637 | 85 | 21 | 7 | 132 | 1707.0 | 471 | 693 | 113 | BOS |
10 | Paul Splittorff | 1 | 113 | 91 | 3.91 | 102 | 11.5 | 1975 | 1984 | 28-37 | 296 | 262 | 50 | 8 | 1 | 1697.2 | 520 | 627 | 134 | KCR |
11 | Justin Verlander | 1 | 107 | 57 | 3.54 | 124 | 27.2 | 2005 | 2011 | 22-28 | 199 | 199 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 1315.1 | 410 | 1215 | 118 | DET |
12 | Mario Soto | 1 | 100 | 92 | 3.47 | 108 | 26.9 | 1977 | 1988 | 20-31 | 297 | 224 | 72 | 13 | 4 | 1730.1 | 657 | 1449 | 172 | CIN |
From 1920 through 1974 — comprising 958 team-seasons — there were 30 pitchers with at least 200 wins, of which 15 won 200+ on behalf of one team (whether or not they also pitched elsewhere). But since the dawn of free agency in 1975 (comprising 1,024 team-seasons), only 3 out of 23 pitchers with 200 wins did so for one team: teammates Tom Glavine (244) and John Smoltz (210) with Atlanta, and Andy Pettitte (203) with the Yankees. Three more came close: Jack Morris won 198 with Detroit, Greg Maddux 194 with Atlanta and Roger Clemens 192 with Boston.
Sidebar: Verlander and Weaver have been linked ever since they were drafted in 2004:
- Verlander went #2 over all that year, while Weaver (the collegiate player of the year) slipped to #12 due to “signability concerns” (Latin name: Borasthesia).
- Both were MLB fixtures within 2 years; Verlander broke camp with the 2006 Tigers and wound up as Rookie of the Year, while Weaver was called up in late May and placed 5th on that ballot.
- Each has at least 11 wins every year since 2006; they rank #1 and #4 in AL wins in that span.
- Verlander led the majors in strikeouts last year, Weaver the year before.
- Verlander edged Weaver for the AL ERA crown last year, 2.40 to 2.41.
- Verlander also holds a slim edge in their 5 career face-offs, with a 3-2 record and 3.89 ERA, compared to 2-3, 4.50 for Weaver.
- Their career bWAR values are virtually the same — 27.2 for Verlander, 26.8 for Weaver.