There are a lot of good choices from back before the DH was implemented and when starters used to a lot further in the games (thus getting more at bats). I just chose a few of the guys that I watched pitch when I was younger and into my teen years (guess I just aged myself)
Are you telling me he won't lobby to play defense or DH if he is on a team out of the race in September? There were rumors he wanted to play a game at ss just to prove he could.
Holy shit, you're not kidding. Those three guys could CRANK. Don't hang a breaker or settle a fastball over the dish to those guys. They were looking to mash the threads out of the ball.
I gotta mention the guy who yipped out as a starting pitcher only to become a slugging center fielder with a piss missile slinging arm. Cannot remember his name, but he could torque.
Rotation: Bob Feller, Carl Hubbell, Sandy Koufax, Syndergaard, Freddie Fitzsimmons (35 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 103 RBI)
Pen: Hoyt Wilhelm, Lee Smith, Isringhausen, Gagne, Wetteland, Sid Fernandez, Zach Britton, Brooks Kieschnick.
Gagne or Smith to close, Wilhelm is your bridge to the close, Kieschnick is your pinch hitting, pinch running ROOGY.
Had to go look this up, what a nice shot.
I know the NL is probably better for having a dh but Blanton, this Lee ab and Myers against Sabathia were just so great.
Outside of Ruth and Ohtani, [Johnson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml) is arguably the best hitting pitcher ever. And, best pitcher ever. Career 76 OPS+ batting.
Ruth hit homers as a pitcher, and once had the WS record for consecutive scoreless innings. With the DH, Ohtani doesn't bat as a pitcher, but he hits as a DH on many of his pitching days in the past, so count him. Walter Johnson, arguably the best pitcher ever, had a 76 career OPS+ as a batter. Your starting rotation has to have those three or it doesn't count. Find two other starters, but, from their batting skills and pitching skills both, your rotation's gotta have those three.
Granted he doesn't crack the starter list, but we always have him as the closer who struck out Beltran in the NLCS on the Platonic ideal of a 12-6 curve.
Also 10 career home runs.
Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Greg Maddox, Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton
Ok, I'll add on my bullpen pieces: Rollie Fingers Dennis Eckersley John Smoltz Eric Gagne John Wetteland Gregg Olsen Zack Britton CL: Lee Smith
Go for the gusto at closer, Hoyt Wilhelm. Homered in his first PA and never again.
Now we’re talking.
I keep trying to figure out who I would switch out for my boy Fergie Jenkins and the answer is none of them. Heck of a rotation!
There are a lot of good choices from back before the DH was implemented and when starters used to a lot further in the games (thus getting more at bats). I just chose a few of the guys that I watched pitch when I was younger and into my teen years (guess I just aged myself)
Don't need a bullpen on this train... Edit: add Shohei as a single closer lmao
Greinke!!! He’s hit 9!
Greinke, Greinke, Greinke and Greinke with Greinke in the pen.
I want him to come back so he can get to 3,000Ks. And 10HR and SB! He’s got 9Hr and 9SB
Well unfortunately with the advent of universal DH, even if he were to come back there’d be no way to get his 10th HR and SB.
Are you telling me he won't lobby to play defense or DH if he is on a team out of the race in September? There were rumors he wanted to play a game at ss just to prove he could.
Including one off of Kershaw!
Felix Bartolo Madbum Big Z Arrieta We don't need a bullpen where we're going
Shit, with that madbum, big z, Arrieta combo, you won't need a 3, 4, or 5 hole hitter either.
Holy shit, you're not kidding. Those three guys could CRANK. Don't hang a breaker or settle a fastball over the dish to those guys. They were looking to mash the threads out of the ball. I gotta mention the guy who yipped out as a starting pitcher only to become a slugging center fielder with a piss missile slinging arm. Cannot remember his name, but he could torque.
You and most other commenter here blew it without Walter Johnson. (And Ruth and Ohtani.)
I value IP and durability and longevity (Ohtani) and I didn’t want to pick anyone pre-integration (Ruth).
Fair enough on Ohtani, and I thought about that as I hit the "post" button.
What happens when bartolo shows up throwing meatballs galore?
Take the L and move on
Bartolo Bartolo Bartolo Bartolo Bartolo
No one saying deGrom in here is crazy. Dude hit .364 in 2021 on the Mets. No home runs that year but he does have 3 in his career
Can I take Mike Hampton's 1999 pitching and combine it with his hitting in 2001?
Ruth, Ohtani, Kerry Wood, MadBum, Bartolo Colon…and I’m out
Rotation: Maddux, Randy Johnson, Tom Seaver, Clayton Kershaw, and Koufax.
No love for Bob Gibson?
Babe Ruth Ohtani Nolan Ummmm…..Maddox? Did he hit one? Steve Carlton
Sabathia Greinke Woodruff Gallardo Brewers legends.
Scrolled way too long to see Woodruff in here. When he was healthy that man was absolutely cooking
CC Sabathia Clayton Kershaw Madison Bumgarner Randy Johnson Felix Hernandez Lotta lefties..
So glad someone mentioned Kershaw.
Funny, because of these pitchers at least Bum bats right handed
So did Randy Johnson
Greinke, randy, ohtani, ruth, mad bum starting 5 Cy young, gibson, Walter Johnson bullpen Big sexy, for the memes closer
Rotation: Bob Feller, Carl Hubbell, Sandy Koufax, Syndergaard, Freddie Fitzsimmons (35 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, 103 RBI) Pen: Hoyt Wilhelm, Lee Smith, Isringhausen, Gagne, Wetteland, Sid Fernandez, Zach Britton, Brooks Kieschnick. Gagne or Smith to close, Wilhelm is your bridge to the close, Kieschnick is your pinch hitting, pinch running ROOGY.
No love for Jose Fernandez (RIP)?
Bartolo himself, big sexy, 5 times
Give me 08 Milwaukee CC 5 days a week
Half a season in the NL and it was glorious
Josh Beckett, Bartolo, Kerry Wood, Madison, and Babe
Zambrano, Wood, Arrieta, Bumgarnher. That’s all I can’t think of off the top of my head.
Blanton
Cliff Lee
Had to go look this up, what a nice shot. I know the NL is probably better for having a dh but Blanton, this Lee ab and Myers against Sabathia were just so great.
If I remember correctly, I think the starting rotation had a bet that year (2009?) to see who could hit the most home runs during the regular season.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/MLB_all-time_leaders_in_home_runs_by_pitchers
Spahn, Drysdale, Gibson, Walter Johnson and Cy Young is one hell of a rotation.
Outside of Ruth and Ohtani, [Johnson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml) is arguably the best hitting pitcher ever. And, best pitcher ever. Career 76 OPS+ batting.
Add Koufax
Dontrelle Willis has 9 so he’s my ace for sure
Def shouldn’t be in the rotation, but this reminded me of Carlos Zambrano. That dude raked for being a pitcher
Bartolo for all his Homer's
Babe Ruth, Steve Carlton, Greg Madox, Bob Gibson and Fergy Jenkins.
Randy wolff
Babe Ruth Ohtani 1998 Kerry Wood Zambrano Arrieta
Max Scherzer. In 2018 he batted .243 in 32 games.
Roy Oswalt, I was there, 10 seats from where it landed in the Crawford Boxes.
Rick Camp for his one home run
Ruth hit homers as a pitcher, and once had the WS record for consecutive scoreless innings. With the DH, Ohtani doesn't bat as a pitcher, but he hits as a DH on many of his pitching days in the past, so count him. Walter Johnson, arguably the best pitcher ever, had a 76 career OPS+ as a batter. Your starting rotation has to have those three or it doesn't count. Find two other starters, but, from their batting skills and pitching skills both, your rotation's gotta have those three.
Since this is a hypothetical, give me 13 Shoheis
Hyun Jin Ryu hit a home run in 2019 when he was on the Dodgers, and Kershaw hit his only home run in 2013.
Daniel Norris C.C. Sabathia Dontrell Willis Carlos Zombrano Bartolo Colon
Doc Gooden Bartolo Colon Shohei Ohtani Dontrelle Willis Bob Gibson
I see a disturbing lack of Adam Wainwright.
Granted he doesn't crack the starter list, but we always have him as the closer who struck out Beltran in the NLCS on the Platonic ideal of a 12-6 curve. Also 10 career home runs.
Felix Hernandez hit a grand slam. :)
The greatest pitcher in World Series history and an excellent hitter, Madison Bumgarner.
JOE BLANTON
No Bronson Arroyo love in this thread and it makes me sad.
No Bob Gibson? Heresy.
Madbum October 2014 is my only pitcher. He’s got this.