25 awesome starting pitchers MLB fans have forgotten about

The left-hander was tasked with leading a rotation on one of the worst teams in the league throughout his career. As such, he was often overlooked. Kazmir had electric stuff that played well, leading the American League with 239 Ks. The three-time All-Star finished with a 108-97 record in his career. A 2002 first-round pick, Kazmir appeared out of the big leagues in 2016 before making a surprising return with four stars (five games) in 2021 with San Francisco.

Admittedly, it's hard to ever forget this pitcher because of his distinct windup. Coming from Japan, Nomo made an immediate impact, leading the National League in strikeouts (236) as a rookie. He later did the same in 2001, this time in the American League. The Rookie of the Year and one-time All-Star enjoyed many quality seasons, but never was in serious Cy Young contention. That being said, he accomplished many highs over his career, including a pair of no-hitters, one of which was at the hitter's haven of Coors Field in 1996. 

Weaver was a workhorse over his 12-year career. He twice led the American League in both wins and games started and even topped the strikeout charts in 2010. He had a pair of seasons in which he finished inside the top three of Cy Young voting. His best shot was in 2011 when he went 18-8 with a career-best 2.41 ERA. He played all but one of his seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, winning double-digit games in all but one of his years with the Halos. 

The towering righty took a bit to get going in what was a shortened career. There was a three-year stretch between 2008 and 2010 where he went 33-12 and had three straight seasons with a sub-3.65 ERA, including a league-best 2.30 ERA in 2010. He earned All-Star bids twice and was top five in Cy Young voting in 2010. Injuries and bad luck cut short his career at 29. 

For nearly the first decade of his career, Schmidt was an average starting pitcher. He spent the bulk of that stretch with the lowly Pirates, consistently having an ERA in the 4s and even the 5s at one point. In 2001, he was traded midseason to San Francisco, going 7-1 after the move. He found success in the Bay, going 78-37 with a 3.36 ERA in six seasons with the Giants and even led the National League in ERA in 2003. That season saw him finish runner-up in Cy Young voting after Eric Gagne's historic season, closing out games. 

For someone most people have likely forgotten about, Lackey has quite a ring collection. He was a part of three World Series-winning clubs, doing so with three different organizations. His most memorable moment was winning Game 7 as a rookie with the Angels in 2002. He also played a key role in the Red Sox's title run in 2013. Over his 15 years, Lackey once led the American League in ERA (2007) and won 10 or more starts in every season after his midseason call-up as a rookie. His 19-9 record, which accompanied the aforementioned career-best ERA in 2007, almost led him to a Cy Young after finishing runner-up. 

Look no further than the 1999 season to see just how good Millwood could be. That was his third year in the league and one that saw him finish 18-7 with a career-low 2.68 ERA and his only 200-plus strikeout campaign. That All-Star season with Atlanta resulted in him finishing in third in the Cy Young race. That wasn't his only dominant stretch, either. He later led the American League in ERA in his first and only season in Cleveland in 2005. 

Garcia earned every bit of the "workhorse" label. The Venezuelan native also displayed his heroics in the postseason, with no moment being bigger than his seven scoreless innings in the World Series clinching Game 4 in 2005. He had 12 or more wins in five of his first six seasons, including an impressive 18-6 mark in his third year. That same season, he also touts the American League's lowest ERA. 

The right-hander was electric and flashed dominance at times, though he had shaky stretches throughout his career. All of that was epitomized in May 2001 when he hurled a no-hitter that featured nine walks. He was locked in for the 2008 season as he led the American League in strikeouts (231) and registered a career-high 18 wins. It took his entire career before he finally earned an All-Star bid as the long-overdue honor came in his final season with Pittsburgh, 

During the Toronto Blue Jays' World Series runs in the early 90s, Guzman was downright nasty. From 1991 to 1993, he went 5-1 in the postseason with a 2.44 ERA, playing a pivotal role in two separate World Series runs. He came close to a Cy Young in 1992 with a 16-5 record and 2.64 ERA. 

When Oakland had its three young guns, Mulder was often regarded as the third piece behind Tim Hudson and Barry Zito. Mulder would go on to have a successful career, including a whopping 21 wins that resulted in him being the Cy Young runner-up in 2001. He was as reliable as they come, twice leading the league in complete games. 

Harang's career had its ups and downs. There was a three-year stretch that saw him lead the National League in wins (16), and two years later sit atop in losses (17). Ironically, in between those two stretches was the closest he ever came to a Cy Young, finishing fourth in voting. He went 16-6 with a 3.73 ERA and 218 strikeouts across 231.2 innings. 

In 2003, it appeared that Loaiza was finally putting it all together. His 207 strikeouts led the league, while it was hard to ignore his 21 wins and 2.90 ERA. He was runner-up in the Cy Young race, earning his first of what would be two consecutive All-Star nominations. Following that 2004 midseason trade to the New York Yankees, Loaiza would never regain that dominant form he found later in his career. 

Often overshadowed in a rotation with Mark Buehrle, Garland was pivotal in Chicago's 2005 World Series title win. In 221 innings that year, he went 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA, even earning Cy Young votes. Highlighting his durability, Garland made 32 or more starts for several straight seasons. 

Any pitcher that can hang around for 17 seasons is doing something right. He was the 2006 NLCS MVP after pitching 15 innings with a measly 0.60 ERA. Oh, and he even hammered a home run in that round to give himself some run support. He also went seven strong innings in Game 7 of the World Series, which his St. Louis teammates eventually wrapped up for the win. 

He came into the big leagues as a closer before transitioning to being a starter. It was a move that proved beneficial to him (and his teams) as he led the league in games started four times. Perhaps his most memorable highlight, though, is the fact that he won the clinching game in all three rounds of the Boston Red Sox World Series run in 2004. 

Take a look at his 1999 campaign: 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA. That's how good Hampton could be in any given season. That Cy Young runner-up season would be his most dominant season, but he had plenty of other worthwhile stretches that were filled with a pair of All-Star games, five Silver Slugger awards, and even a Gold Glove. 

After stepping away for two seasons, Santana made one final return for a season in Kansas City in 2021 that saw him go 2-2 with a 4.68 ERA. Before that, though, he had a handful of memorable seasons. Twice, he placed in Cy Young voting, and in half of his seasons, he recorded a sub-4 ERA. 

The 2007 All-Star Game starter, Haren long starred atop his team's rotation. When his career wrapped up, he left with the seventh-best strikeout-to-walk ratio. He eclipsed 200 Ks three times in his career and routinely won 12 to 16 games every season. His career 3.75 ERA is also something to hang his hat on.

Injuries ultimately marred an otherwise brilliant career. He tossed a no-hitter in just his second career start in front of the Fenway faithful. When he was healthy and right, Buchholz was in control on the mound, going 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA in his only All-Star season in 2010. He wound up finishing with a career 3.98 ERA, but he had four seasons with an ERA of 2.33 or lower. 

For 12 years, Radke gave everything he had to Minnesota. He consistently won between 11 and 15 games, peaking with a 20-win season in 1997 after starting a league-leading 35 games. When it was all said and done, Radke compiled a respectable 4.22 ERA with a 148-139 record. He made six postseason starts and rose to the challenge in 2002 with a 2-1 record and an impressive 1.96 ERA during the playoffs. 

Morris didn't let injury in his third season derail his hype. Two years after missing the 1999 season, the 26th round pick found his rhythm to the tune of a league-best 22-8 record that was accompanied by a 3.16 ERA and a career-high 185 strikeouts. He was twice named an All-Star, winning 10 or more games in eight of his 11 seasons. 

Zambrano was imposing both on the mound and especially at the dish. Back when pitchers used to put the bat in their hands, not many did it as well as Zambrano. He picked up three Silver Sluggers over his 12-year career, belting 24 homers in the big leagues and finishing as a .243 career hitter. As a pitcher, the right-hander was a fixture in the top five of Cy Young voting between 2004 and 2007 and made three All-Star teams. He won 14 or more games for five straight seasons in his prime and led the NL in wins in 2006. 

For a two-year span, it appeared like the New York Yankees had stumbled into finding the next best ace. Wang won 19 games in back-to-back seasons and hovered around a 3.65 ERA over that timeframe. The 2006 Cy Young runner-up ended up having an impressive first four years to his career, going 54-20.

Was Penny a stalwart at any point in his career atop a rotation? No, but he was always reliable. The righty finished 121-101 with a sub-4.30 ERA across the six franchises he spent his 14 years with. He twice won 16 in a season, with his 2006 total with the Los Angeles Dodgers leading the National League. The two-time All-Star went 2-0 (3 starts) during the Florida World Series run in 2003.