Jordan Zimmerman first made it to the majors in 2009 as the fifth starter in the bullpen of the Washington Nationals. However, his debut was short-lived as he underwent Tommy John Surgery after 16 starts and was unable to return until late 2010.
In 2011, Zimmerman was healthy and used his three-pitch arsenal to record a 3.18 ERA, but his record was losing (8-11). The following season, he improved his performance (12-8, 2.94 ERA), but it was in the next two seasons that he became one of the best players in the National League.
Zimmerman was an All-Star in both 2013 and 2014, leading the National League in Wins (19) in 2013, and BB/9 in 2014 (1.3). He finished seventh and fifth, respectively, for the Cy Young award.
After a decent 2015, Zimmerman signed with the Detroit Tigers. However, his performance deteriorated, and he had a 5.63 ERA over 99 games in Detroit. He attempted a comeback with Milwaukee in 2021, but he retired after only two games.
Although Zimmerman's career was not long, and he had less than 100 wins, he is currently in the top one hundred all-time in BB/9 (1.9) and SO/BB (3.67). Zimmerman will not make it to the Hall of Fame, but we appreciate pitchers who rarely allow free passes, especially in an era where walks are celebrated.