One of the most underrated Pitchers in Pirates history, John Candelaria, was on many good Pittsburgh teams, though most fans were focused on the offensive stars of the team.
Candelaria was in the Pirates organization for sixteen years, beginning as a Second Round Pick in 1972 until he was traded to the Angels during the 1985 Season. First making the Pirates in 1975, the "Candy Man" was a regular starter the following year, throwing a no-hitter as a sophomore. Statistically, his best season was 1977, where the southpaw led the NL in ERA (2.34) and BB/9 (2.0), won 20 Games, was fifth in Cy Young voting and was an All-Star.
Candelaria had a lot more good moments with Pittsburgh, helping them win the 1979 World Series, and having six more seasons where he had at least 11 Wins. After he was traded in 1985, he returned briefly to close out his career in the 1993 season.
With the Pirates, Candelaria had a 124-87 Record, a 3.17 ERA, and fanned 1,159 batters.
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