21. Jim Bunning

To truly determine the official geographic home of an elite pitcher's legacy, one must look beyond the win-loss record and examine the physical artifacts left behind. According to standard box-score logic, James Paul David Bunning might appear to be tied to Michigan, where he secured more regular-season wins and earned five of his seven All-Star selections with the Detroit Tigers. However, when considering the pinnacle of his historical significance, there is no debate: Bunning is fundamentally tied to the City of Brotherly Love. It is the city where his most legendary achievements were made, the city that permanently elevated his jersey into the rafters, and, most notably, the city whose iconic red script is forever engraved on the cap of his Cooperstown plaque.

Bunning officially joined the team through a blockbuster trade before the 1964 season, quickly becoming the Phillies' dominant, high-speed pitcher. With a deceptive sidearm delivery and a relentless, highly competitive attitude, he made the mound a showcase of athletic control.

Although he had previously pitched a no-hitter in Detroit, Bunning created a legendary moment on Father’s Day in 1964 by defeating the New York Mets at Shea Stadium and throwing the first regular-season perfect game in the National League in 84 years.

Far from being just a fleeting success, his core efficiency stats during his four-year prime on Broad Street were outstanding. He achieved an exceptional individual peak, highlighted by a historic 1967 season where he posted a 17-15 record, an impressive 2.29 ERA, and led the league with six shutouts and 302.1 innings pitched. He narrowly missed winning the National League Cy Young Award, finishing as a highly regarded runner-up.

Advanced metric purists often point out that, despite pitching fewer innings in Philadelphia than in Detroit, his exceptional dominance was so intense that he ended up with a higher career bWAR during his time with the Phillies. After an extended period in Pittsburgh and Los Angeles, Bunning returned to Broad Street for a two-year farewell, providing experience and stability to a rebuilding team before retiring after the 1971 season.

Bunning entered the Baseball Hall of Fame through the Veterans Committee in 1996, though he never should have had to wait so long to enter Cooperstown.  As for the Phillies, his name was added to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame in 1982, and his number 14 was retired in 2001.