5 Greatest New York Yankees Pitchers of All Time

Pettitte didn’t quite have the same individual awards Guidry did, picking up three All-Star nods in his 18 seasons in the Majors. But the Yankees won five World Series with Pettitte over two separate stints with him on the roster.

He leads the franchise in postseason wins with 18, nearly double the second-place player. His 40 starts are 18 more than second place, as well. And during the regular season, Pettitte was rock solid, if never quite elite, finishing his 15 seasons in New York with a 3.94 ERA and 219 career wins.

From a "stuff" perspective, feel free to leave the lefty off the list. But his postseason heroics earn him a spot on this list.

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3. Red Ruffing

Like the greatest Yankees hitter of all time, Ruffing began his career in Boston before making the move to the Bronx. He joined the Yankees during Babe Ruth’s era and was the most accomplished pitcher of the time, throwing for the Yankees for 15 of his 22 seasons.

Ruffing trails just Pettite and No. 2 pitcher on this list in club history for starts and leads in complete games, though, granted, he did so in an era famous for its lack of relief pitching. Regardless, when he was on, he was great, earning six All-Star games and winning six World Series titles from 1924 to 1947.

2. Whitey Ford

Ford is the best starting pitcher in Yankees history. Certainly, Randy Johnson may rank higher, but he played just two seasons in New York. Roger Clemens played six. That leaves Ford.

Ford bridged the gap of the Joe DiMaggio days of the 1950s to the Mickey Mantle days of the 1960s, pitching for 16 years in the majors, all with the Yankees. He might have pitched for 18 had he not taken two years away from the sport for military service in 1951 and 1952.

When he returned to baseball, Ford went on to become an All-Star in 10 seasons, winning six World Series crowns, including one in which he was named Most Valuable Player, and a Cy Young Award. He remains the Yankees’ all-time leader in wins while ranking second in WAR and in the top-10 for ERA despite not playing in the dead-ball era like most of those ahead of him.

1. Mariano Rivera (RP)

The gold standard, the pitcher to which all other closers will be compared until the end of time, Mariano Rivera is the greatest pitcher in Yankees history. How else could you describe a relief pitcher who leads the franchise in WAR for pitchers despite having only about 40% of the innings pitched as Ford?

Rivera was a 13-time All-Star who won five World Series, five Reliever of the Year awards, an American League Championship Series MVP award, a World Series MVP award, and is the only player in history to be elected to the Hall of Fame by receiving 100% of the possible vote.