MLB Top 5: Houston Astros Pitchers

This is the fifth and final article in a series that looks at the five best players at each position for the Houston Astros. In this installment are the right- and left-handed starters as well as the relief pitchers.

The Houston Astros have a wealth of power pitchers among their right-handed starters, and many played a large part in the team’s most successful season in the early 1980s, late 1990s and modern teams. There are just too many top-end pitchers here to limit to just a countdown of the top five, so maybe something different is order. The lefties show a bit more finesse and the closers include a dominant left-hander who is gaining traction on the Hall of Fame ballot.

The Best Pitchers in Houston Astros History

Right-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Tom Griffin went 45-60 in eight seasons with the Astros (1969-76), reaching double-digit victories twice and striking out 200 batters as a rookie. He went 14-10 with a 3.54 ERA, eight complete games and three shutouts in 1974.

Despite setting a team record with 20 losses in the 1962 expansion season, Richard “Turk” Farrell was a four-time All-Star who had 53-64 record in six seasons with the Astros. He reached double figures in victories four times and is tied for sixth in franchise history with 41 complete games, including two seasons with 10 or more.

Jose Lima went 46-42 in five seasons with Houston (1997-2001). “Lima Time” went 16-8 in 1999 and earned his only All-Star selection the following year after posting a 21-10 record (tied for the second most wins in team history) with a 3.58 earned run average and a career-high 187 strikeouts. He went 0-1 in two postseason appearances. He died after having a heart attack in 2010.

Darryl Kile earned two of his three All-Star selections during his seven-year run in Houston (1991-97). He pitched a no-hitter against the Mets in September 1993, posted double-digit win totals three times and had a career-best season in 1997, when he went 19-7 with a 2.58 earned run average and 205 strikeouts.

Kile went 71-65 with a 3.79 ERA, and he ranks tenth in franchise history with 973 strikeouts, including two seasons with 200 or more. He spent two seasons with Colorado and three with St. Louis but suffered a heart attack and died in his hotel room before a game in Chicago on June 22, 2002.

Gerrit Cole spent just two seasons in an Astros uniform (2018-19), but he certainly made his mark, He went 15-8 with a 2.88 earned run average and 276 strikeouts in 2018. The following year, he finished second in the Cy Young Award voting after posting a 20-5 record and leading the league both in ERA (2.50) and strikeouts, with his 326 setting a franchise record. Cole went 5-2 in seven postseason starts, striking out 64 batters in 49 2/3 innings. He has spent the past four years with the Yankees after signing a then-record deal in December 2019.

Shane Reynolds used a nasty splitter to post a 103-86 record over 11 seasons with the Astros (1992-2002), reaching double figures in victories five times. His best season was 1998, when he had a 19-8 record, a 3.51 earned run average and 209 strikeouts. He ranks sixth in franchise history in strikeouts (1,309), seventh in games started (248) and eighth in wins and innings (1,622 1/3) to go with a 3.95 ERA and 20 complete games. Reynolds spent one season each with the Braves and Diamondbacks before he retired in 2004.

Ken Forsch played 11 seasons with Houston (1970-80), posting a 78-81 record and reaching double-digit wins three times. He came out of the bullpen for five seasons in the middle of his stint, making his only All-Star team in 1976, when he had a 2.15 earned run average and 19 saves. Forsch ranks third in franchise history in games (421), tied for ninth in shutouts (nine) and tenth in ERA (3.18), innings (1,493 2/3) and complete games (36). He earned another All-Star selection in 1981 with California and played five seasons on the West Coast before retiring in 1986. He worked as the Angels’ director of player development from 1994 to 2011.

Throughout his spectacular 24-year career, Roger Clemens was the 1986 American League MVP and won three Cy Young awards with the Red Sox, won the highest pitching honor in both of his seasons with the Blue Jays and took home the award once again with the Yankees.

“The Rocket” enjoyed similar success in Houston, earning two All-Star selections despite being 41 when he joined the club for a three-year stint (2004-06). Clemens won the Cy Young Award for a record seventh time in his first year with the Astros after he went 18-4 with a 2.98 earned run average and 218 strikeouts.

Despite winning only 13 games in 2005, Clemens was even more unhittable, posting a 1.87 ERA, which is the third best mark in team history, and finishing third in the Cy Young voting. He went 38-18 with Houston, striking out 505 batters in 539 innings and posting a 2.40 ERA, which ranks second in franchise history. Clemens went 4-2 in eight postseason appearances with the Astros but gave up three runs in two innings during his start against the White Sox in the 2005 World Series.

Although his career numbers (354 wins, 4,672 strikeouts and a 3.12 ERA) would put him on par with almost any Hall of Fame pitcher, Clemens’ ties to steroids have kept him out of Cooperstown. He will have to get voted in via the Contemporary Era Committee after the baseball writers failed to elect him in his 10 years on the ballot.

5D Justin Verlander came to the Astros at the 2017 trade deadline after a long and successful run with Detroit and went 5-0 down the stretch. He was just as unhittable in the postseason, going 4-1 in six appearances and winning the ALCS MVP Award after posting two victories and holding the Yankees to one run in 16 innings.

Verlander finished second in the Cy Young voting in 2018 (16-9, 2.52 ERA and a league-leading 290 strikeouts) and won the award the following year after leading the league with a 21-6 record to go with a 2.58 ERA and 300 strikeouts. He missed more than a year after undergoing Tommy John surgery late in 2020. He was his usual self upon his return, winning the Cy Young Award once again after leading the league with an 18-4 record and a 1.75 earned run average in 2022, with the ERA mark being the second best in team history.

Verlander has a 67-22 record, has 883 strikeouts in 715 innings and is the all-time franchise leader with a 2.38 ERA. He signed a big contract with the Mets for 2023, but the team floundered, and he was sent back to the Astros at the trade deadline.

5C Don Wilson – He was a talented but troubled pitcher who won at least 10 games in eight of his nine seasons with the Astros (1966-74). Labeled a troublemaker by managers Leo Durcher and t[ (who both had their own issues), Wilson went 16-12 with a career-high 235 strikeouts in 1969 and earned his only All-Star selection two years later when he posted a 16-10 record and a 2.45 earned run average.

Wilson ranks third in franchise history with 78 complete games (including a third-best mark of 18 in 1971), fourth in shutouts (20), fifth in innings (1,748 1/3), seventh in wins (104-92) and strikeouts (1,283), eighth in games started (245) and tied for eighth in ERA (3.15). He also pitched two no-hitters (one against the Braves in 1967 and another against the Reds two years later), and he was taken out of a third after eight innings in 1974 (although Cincinnati was leading 2-1).

Wilson passed away tragically due to carbon monoxide poisoning at his home on January 5, 1975. He was found in the passenger seat of his Ford Thunderbird with his car running and the garage door closed. His five-year-old son also died since he was sleeping in the bedroom above the garage and his nine-year-old daughter was in critical condition after the incident. Wilson’s wife, Bernice, also was treated for inhalation and had a jaw injury she could not explain, leading to thoughts that she might have had had a hand in what transpired. However, the medical examiner ruled the deaths accidental.

5B J. R. Richard – He was a stellar power pitcher when he was on his game, but he also had control issues. Richard made limited appearances in his first four years but showed tremendous potential striking out 15 batters in his first game in 1971, which tied a record by a pitcher in their debut. Richard joined Houston for good in 1975 and reached double figures in victories in each of the next six years. He went 20-15 with a 2.75 earned run average in 1976 and won 18 games in each of the next three years.

Richard led the league with 303 strikeouts in 1978 and had a career year the following season. He fanned a league-high 313 batters and threw 19 complete games (both marks ranking second in team history) while also topping the senior circuit with a 2.71 ERA.

In 1980, Richard earned his only All-Star selection with a 10-4 record and a 1.90 ERA at the break, but he was suffering from a “dead arm.” His detractors said he was lazy, but he was diagnosed with a blocked artery leading to his throwing arm.

Richard returned after a stint on the disabled list but collapsed while playing cattch before a game. Doctors found a blood clot in his brain that had caused a stroke and left the entire left side of his body paralyzed. He eventually regained use of his arm and leg, but he had impaired speech and a comeback attempt ended in the minor leagues.

He ranks third in franchise history in strikeouts (1,493), fourth in complete games (76), fifth in wins (107-71) and shutouts (19), tied for eighth in ERA (3.15) and ninth in games started (221) and innings (1,606) over his 10-year career (1971-80). Following his official retirement, Richard lost everything due to bad investments and was found living under a bridge in 1994. He was taken to a local church and turned his life around, becoming a -minister and starting several baseball programs for kids in the Houston area before passing away in 2021.

5A Mike Scott – After four years with the Mets, he spent his final nine with the Astros (1983-91), showing flashes of brilliance after developing a split-fingered fastball before the 1985 season. That year, he went 18-8 and followed that with a career year. Scott threw a no-hitter against the Giants and won the Cy Young Award after posting 18-10 record and leading the league with a 2.22 earned run average and 306 strikeouts (which ranks third in team history) in 1986.

During the NLCS against his former team, Scott was nearly unhittable, going 2-0 and allowing just one run in 18 innings. The Mets won the series with two extra-inning victories in Games 5 and 6 or else they would have had to face him again in a deciding game. Scott was so dominant that he won the series MVP award.

The three-time All-Star had another stellar season in 1989 when he posted a 3.10 ERA and led the league with a 20-10 record to finish second in the Cy Young voting. He retired in 1991 after arm troubles plagued his final two seasons.

Scott is tied for second in team history with 21 shutouts and his five in both 1985 and ’88 are tied for the second-best single season totals. He also ranks fourth in wins (110-81), fifth in strikeouts (1,318) and complete games (42), sixth in games started (259) and seventh in innings (1,704),

4. Roy Oswalt – He spent 10 seasons with the Astros (2001-10), reaching double-digit wins in the first eight. Oswalt was the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2001 after going 14-3 (for a league-leading .824 winning percentage) with a 2.73 earned run average.

Oswalt was a three-time All-Star who finished in the top five of Cy Young voting five times. He went over 20 wins twice, leading the league with a 20-10 mark in 2004. He also led the league with a 2.98 ERA in 2006 and struck out more than 200 batters twice.

He ended his Houston tenure ranked second in franchise history in wins (143-92) and strikeouts (1,593), third in games started (291) and innings (1,932 1/3) and tenth in games pitched (303) to go with a 3.24 ERA and 19 complete games. After his 20-win season in 2005, he went 3-0 in four postseason starts and was named MVP of the NLCS victory over the Cardinals.

He started a game on June 11, 2003, but left in the second inning with a groin injury. Five other Astros pitchers finished where he left off and combined for a no-hitter against the Yankees. The “Wizard of Os” was sent to the Phillies at the 2010 trade deadline, and he also pitched with the Rangers and Rockies, where he ended his career in 2013.

3. Joe Niekro – He had practically attained journey status, playing for four teams and shuffling between starter and reliever before joining Houston in 1975. Niekro learned the knuckleball from his brother, Phil, and used it to help him reach double-digit wins seven times in 11 seasons (1975-85).

In 1979, Niekro earned his only All-Star selection after leading the league with a 21-11 record and five shutouts, with both marks tied for second in team history. He went 20-12 the following year and helped the Astros win their first division title.

Niekro is the all-time franchise leader in wins (144-116), and he ranks second in games started (301), complete games (82) and innings (2,270), tied for second in shutouts (21), fourth in games pitched (397) and eighth in strikeouts (1,178).

He made two postseason starts and while he didn’t get a win despite not allowing a run in either game, they were both memorable. In Game 3 of the 1980 NLCS, he gave up just six hits to the Phillies in 10 innings, but the Astros didn’t score until the 11th. The following year, he pitched eight scoreless innings against the Dodgers, but again Houston couldn’t score for him, but they finally won 1-0 in 11 innings.

Niekro spent his final four years with the Yankees and Twins, winning a title in Minnesota in 1987 and retiring the following year. He and Phil have the record for most wins by brothers in Major League history with 538.

2. Nolan Ryan – He spent nine of his 27 big league seasons with the Astros (1980-88), earning two All-Star selections and finishing in the top 10 of the Cy Young voting three times (although he somehow never won the award in his storied career). He won at least 10 games eight times with Houston, topping out with a 16-12 mark in 1982.

Ryan twice led the league in ERA, including the 1981 strike-shortened season, when he went 11-5 and set a franchise record at 1.69. While he was not as prolific in terms of strikeouts as he was with the Angels, he topped 200 five times and led the league twice, including 1987, when he fanned 270 batters.

For all his talent, “The Express” had a tendency to be a bit wild. He led the league in walks and wild pitches twice each and hit batters once. He did, however, toss his fifth no-hitter, a 5-0 gem against the Dodgers in 1981.

Ryan is the all-time Astros leader with 1,866 strikeouts and he ranks fourth in games started (282) and innings (1,854 2/3), sixth in wins (106-94), seventh in ERA (3.13) and shutouts (13) and tied for eighth in complete games (38). He went 1-2 in six postseason starts, but he failed to register a victory in two NLCS appearances.

After a five-year stint in Texas, Ryan retired in 1993 with a Major League record seven no-hitters, 5,714 strikeouts and 2,795 walks. Overall, he has a 324-292 record with a 3.19 ERA, 222 complete games, 61 shutouts (tied for seventh all-time) and 5,386 innings (fifth). Ryan got 491 of 497 votes to earn election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999.

1. Larry Dierker – He started his career by striking out Willie Mays in the first inning of his debut game, which happened to be his 18th birthday. Dierker had more than just beginner’s luck, though, and he spent 13 seasons with the Astros (1964-76). He won 10 or more games nine times and made his first All-Star Game in 1969, when he went 20-13 (the first time a Houston pitcher reached that mark), posted a 2.33 earned run average, struck out 232 batters and set team records with 305 1/3 innings and 20 complete games.

Dierker earned his second All-Star selection in 1971 (12-6, 2.72) and threw a no-hitter against the Expos in 1976. He is the all-time franchise leader in games started (320), complete games (106), shutouts (25) and innings (2,294 1/3), and he ranks third in wins (137-117), fourth in strikeouts (1,487) and eighth in games pitched (345).

After one season with the Cardinals, Dierker retired in 1977. He joined the Astros front office for a year and then went to the broadcast booth, where he spent the next 18 seasons. In 1997, he became Houston’s manager and led the team to four playoff appearances in a five-year span. Citing differences in philosophy with the players, Dierker resigned and returned to the broadcast booth in 2001 after posting a 435-348 record and winning the Manager of the Year Award in 1998. He was a broadcaster for another decade before becoming a special assistant to the team president in 2013.

Left-Handed Starters

Honorable Mentions – Jim Deshaies went 61-59 in seven seasons with Houston (1985-91), reaching double figures in wins four times. His best season was 1989, when he went 15-10 with a 2.91 earned run average and a career-high 153 strikeouts. Deshaies won just 23 games for five other teams in his 12-year career, and he was not on the playoff roster when the Astros reached the NLCS in 1986.

Dave Roberts played for eight teams in his 13-year career and the four seasons he spent with the Astros (1972-75) were the most spent with any of them. He won at least 10 games three times, including 1973, when he went 17-11 with a 2.85 earned run average, 12 complete games and a team-record six shutouts. Roberts went 47-44 with a 3.69 ERA, 34 complete games and 11 shutouts, which ranks eighth in franchise history.

Mike Cuellar – He is best known for his time with the Orioles in which he was a three-time All-Star, was a part of two title teams and won the Cy Young Award in 1969. Before that, he spent four seasons with the Astros (1965-68), including 1967, when he was an All-Star after going 16-11 with a 3.03 earned run average.

Cuellar went 37-36, ranks sixth in franchise history with a 2.74 ERA and is tied for eighth with 38 complete games. He finished with a 185-130 record over his 15-year career.

5. Mike Hampton went 76 -50 in seven seasons with Houston (1994-99), reaching double figures in wins four times. In 1999, he was the Cy Young runner-up and an All-Star in 1999 when he led the league and set a team record with a 22-4 record to go with a 2.90 earned run average and a career-high 177 strikeouts. He also won a silver slugger after hitting .311 with 10 runs batted in.

Hampton went 0-1 in three postseason starts with the Astros. He played with the Mets in 2000, winning the NLCS MVP Award in his only season with New York. Hampton played with the Rockies, Braves, Astros and Diamondbacks before retiring in 2010.

4. Framber Valdez is in his sixth season with the Astros and has reached double-digit wins in each of the past three years. He has made the All-Star team in each of the past two years and finished fifth in the Cy Young voting in 2022 after going 17-6 with a 2.82 earned run average, 194 strikeouts and league highs with 201 1/3 innings and three complete games.

In 2023, Valdez has a 12-11 record, reached the 200-strikeout mark for the first time and leads the A. L. with two shutouts heading into the final week. Overall, he is 53-34 with a 3.40 ERA and 697 strikeouts in 712 1/3 innings. Valdez is even better in the playoffs, posting a 7-2 mark, a 3.41 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings in 13 appearances.

3. Wandy Rodriguez spent the first eight of his 11 seasons with the Astros (2005-12), reaching a double-digit win total four times. His best season was 2009, when he set career highs with a 14-12 record, a 3.02 earned run average and 193 strikeouts.

Rodriguez ranks ninth in franchise history in strikeouts (1,093) and tenth in wins (80-84) and games started (218). He went 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three appearances during the 2005 playoffs, helping Houston reach the World Series for the first tame.

2. Bob Knepper – He joined the Astros after spending his first seven seasons with the Giants. Knepper posted double-digit win totals four times in nine seasons (1981-89) and earned two All-Star selections. He was selected the first time in the 1981 strike-shortened season, when he went 9-5 with a 2.18 earned run average.

Knepper endured several ups and downs throughout his tenure as Houston climbed back to respectability. He won 15 games in three straight years, including 1986, when he went 17-12 with a 3.14 ERA, eight complete games and a league-leading five shutouts. After leading the N. L. with 17 losses the following season, Knepper rebounded, making the All-Star team in 1988 with a 14-5 record.

Knepper ranks fifth in games started (267), sixth in innings (1,738) and shutouts (18), tied for sixth in complete games (41) and ninth in wins (93-100). He went 0-1 in three postseason starts with the Astros. Knepper was released by Houston and signed by San Francisco, where he spent his final year and a half before retiring in 1990.

1. Dallas Keuchel won the Cy Young Award in 2015, when he led the league with a 20-8 record, 232 innings and two shutouts, as well as a 2.48 earned run average and 216 strikeouts. Two years later, he earned his second All-Star selection after going 14-5 with a 2.90 ERA.

In seven seasons with Houston (2012-18), Keuchel went 76-63 with a 3.66 ERA and 945 strikeouts in 1,189 1/3 innings. He went 4-2 in 12 postseason appearances, including an 0-1 record in two starts during the 2017 World Series. The five-time gold glove winner has played for five teams since leaving the Astros and he is currently with the Twins.

Relief Pitchers

Honorable Mentions – Jose Valverde spent just two seasons with the Astros (2008-09), but he ranks seventh in franchise history with 69 saves, including 44 in 2008, which is tied for team record. “Papa Grande” went 10-5 with a 2.93 earned run average and 139 strikeouts in 126 innings.

Chad Qualls played his first four seasons with the Astros and returned for a two-year stint near the end of his career (2004-07 and 14-15). He was mostly a middle reliever, pitching in 380 games, which ranks fifth on the franchise list. However, began his second run with the team as a closer and saved 19 games in 2004. Qualls went 1-1 in 15 postseason games with Houston and appeared in three contests during the 2005 World Series.

Fred Gladding was traded (as a player to be named) to the Astros by the hitting-desperate Tigers for aging future Hall of Famer Eddie Mathews in 1967. The following year, Gladding made just seven appearances before bone chips in his right elbow ended his season early. The following year, he posted a 4.21 earned run average but led the league with 29 saves.

The bespectacled Gladding played his final six seasons with the Astros (1968- 73), going 22-23 with a 3.68 ERA and 76 saves, which ranks fifth in franchise history. He was released in the middle of 1973, returned to Detroit, where he was an instructor and pitching coach for five seasons. Gladding passed away in 2015 at age 75.

5. Joe Sambito – He was an integral part of a bullpen that helped the Astros rise to prominence in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Sambito used a nasty slider to fool hitters, and he earned an All-Star selection in 1979, when he went 8-7 with a 1.77 earned run average, a career-high 22 saves and 83 strikeouts in 91 1/3 innings.

Sambito continued his near dominance of opposing hitters over the next three seasons before an elbow injury derailed his progress. He had Tommy John surgery and then needed a second procedure to clear out scar tissue, which cost him nearly two full seasons. Sambito returned to post a solid season in middle relief in 1984.

He spent most of the following season with the Mets in the minor leagues, then faced them in the World Series with the Red Sox in 1986. Sambito spent one more year with Boston and retuned to Houston in 1988. However, he did not receive a call-up and retired at the end of July to become a sports agent with Hendricks Sports Management, the company that represented him throughout his career.

Sambito went 33-32 with 421 strikeouts in 536 innings in eight seasons with the Astros (1976-82 and ’84). He ranks third in franchise history in ERA (2.42), sixth in saves (72) and seventh in games pitched (353).

4. Ryan Pressly – He is finishing up his 11th season in the Major Leagues and his sixth since coming to the Astros from the Twins in a 2018 trade. He spent his first two seasons as a solid setup man, even making the All-Star team in that role in 2019.

Pressly became the closer during the COVID-shortened 2020 season and has kept the role ever since, posting at least 25 saves in the past three seasons, including 30 in 2023. He earned his second All-Star selection in 2021, when he had 26 saves and a 2.25 earned run average.

Overall, Pressly is 16-17 with a 2.68 ERA, 352 strikeouts in 275 1/3 innings and 106 saves, which ranks fourth in franchise history. He has a 2-0 record with 11 saves in 41 playoff games, including six during the 2022 postseason, helping the Astros win their second championship.

3. Brad Lidge – He was the closer when the Astros made their first trip to the World Series in 2005. Lidge earned Rookie of the Year votes as a setup man in 2003 and had at least 29 saves in each of the next three seasons. His best year was 2005, when he earned an All-Star selection after posting a 2.29 earned run average and 42 saves, which ranks third in team history.

In six seasons with Houston (2002-07), Lidge went 23-20 with a 3.30 ERA and 561 strikeouts in 401 innings for an incredible 12.6 per nine innings. He sits third on the all-time franchise list with 129 saves and he is sixth with 378 games pitched. Lidge went 1-3 with six saves in 17 playoff games with the Astros, but he was hit hard in the NLCS and World Series in 2005.

Although he appeared in 66 games for the Astros in 2007, Lidge faced oblique and right knee injuries. He was traded to the Phillies the following year and won the Comeback Player of the Year and Rolaids Relief awards. He had seven saves in the postseason as Philadelphia won the title in 2008.

2. Dave Smith – He spent the first 11 seasons of a 13-year big league career with the Astros (1980-90). After starting as a setup man, Smith became the closer in 1985 and saved 20 or more games in each of the next six seasons.

Smith earned his first All-Star selection in 1986, when he had a 2.73 earned run average and a career-high 33 saves. He was consistently good over the rest of his Astros tenure, amassing a 53-47 record and striking out 529 batters in 762 innings.

Smith is the all-time franchise leader with 563 games pitched, appearing in at least 50 games seven times. He ranks second with 199 saves and is tied for fourth with a 2.53 ERA. Despite his regular season success, Smith will be best known for his two blown saves in the 1986 NLCS, getting the loss in Game 3 and failing to protect a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning of Game 6, which the Mets eventually won in 16 innings to win the series.

1. Billy Wagner – He was selected to three All-Star Games and had 30 or more saves five times in his nine seasons with the Astros (1995-2003). Wagner was an All-Star and won the Rolaids Relief Award in 1999 when he had a 1.57 earned run average and 39 saves. A partially torn flexor tendon in his left elbow cost him most of the 2000 season and limited his effectiveness when he was able to pitch.

“Billy the Kid” matched his pre-injury save total with 39 in his All-Star year in 2001. After another solid season with 35 saves, he set the team record with 44 in 2003 (which Valverde tied five years later). He went 26-29 with Houston with 694 strikeouts in 594 1/3 innings.

Wagner used an overpowering fastball to set the franchise record with 225 saves. He ranks second with 464 games pitched and is tied for fourth with a 2.53 ERA. Wagner did not have much postseason success with the Astros. He went 1-0 in five appearances but gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings. Like Lidge, he was traded to the Phillies, and he spent two years with them, three-plus with the Mets and stints with the Rd Sox and Braves before he retired in 2010.

After his playing career, Wagner worked on the family farm (complete with alpacas), coached his son’s school teams and continued to give back to the community through his Second Chance Learning Center charity. He is entering his ninth year on the Hall of Fame ballot, with his support growing from 10.5 percent in his first year (2016) to 68.1 percent in 2023.

The next franchise series will be the Kansas City Royals.