- Published in Top 50 Los Angeles Dodgers
9. Don Sutton
Don Sutton might not have looked like an imposing figure on the mound, with his curly hair and friendly face, but he got a lot of players out, often vis three strikes.
Sutton debuted in 1966 for the Dodgers two years after he was signed, and he joined Los Angeles's Starting Rotation and proved immediately that he belonged. Playing 15 years with the Dodgers, Sutton never had less than 11 Wins in a season, at least 15 eight years in a row (1969-76), and a ninth one in 1978.
Sutton's best period was in the mid-70s, where from 1972 to 1976, he regularly finished in the top five in Cy Young voting and twice led the league in WHIP with one league lead in SO/BB. After his peak ended, Sutton was still among the better starters in the NL, and much of the success of Los Angeles in the late 70s stemmed from his work on the mound. A four-time All-Star, Sutton finally won the ERA Title in 1980, which would also be his last year with the Dodgers, as he signed with the Astros as a Free Agent.
Sutton entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 in his fifth year of eligibility. As per Dodgers tradition, they retired his number (20) that year. As of this writing, Sutton is still the franchise leader in Wins (233), Innings Pitched (3,816.1), Strikeouts (2,696), and Shutouts (52).
