Founded in 1903 as the Highlanders, the New York Yankees are among the most successful professional sports franchises in North America. The team won its first World Series in 1923 and has since won an additional 26 championships, most recently in 2009.
New York's Major League Baseball (MLB) dominance has been supported by the performances of all-time great pitchers like Mariano Rivera, Whitey Ford, Andy Pettitte, Rich Gossage, and Mel Stottlemyre. In fact, 17 different pitchers have won at least 100 games for the Yankees. Below are the top five in that category:
Whitey Ford (236 wins)
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Born October 21, 1928 in New York, Whitey Ford made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 1950, but he missed the following two seasons due to military service. In his first year back with the Yankees in 1953, Ford posted a win-loss record of 18-6 to go along with a 2.82 earned run average (ERA) and 110 strikeouts. He spent his entire 16-year career with the Yankees and won at least 11 games in 13 of those seasons. He retired following the 1967 season with a record of 236-106 and a 2.75 ERA.
Ford led the American League (AL) in wins in 1955 (18), 1961 (25), and 1963 (24), and ERA in 1956 (2.47) and 1958 (2.01). He was a 10-time All-Star, won the AL Cy Young Award in 1961, and won six World Series with the Yankees. He was named MVP of the 1961 World Series as he won both of his starts and only allowed six hits in 14 innings. Ford was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
Red Ruffing (231 wins)
Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967, Red Ruffing played 22 seasons in MLB between the Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. He debuted with the Red Sox as a 19-year-old in 1924 and was traded to the Yankees in 1930 for Cedric Durst and $50,000. The Ohio native led the AL in losses in each of the two seasons prior to the trade. However, he developed into a consistent performer in New York, where he compiled a record of 231-124 and a 3.47 ERA through 15 seasons. In contrast, Ruffing had a 39-96 record and 4.61 ERA through seven seasons in Boston.
Ruffing was an All-Star in six of his last 11 seasons with the Yankees and finished top-five in AL MVP voting in 1939 and 1939. He won six World Series with the team and compiled a playoff record of 7-2 to go along with a 2.63 ERA and 61 strikeouts. He ranks 32nd all-time in MLB with 273 career victories.
Andy Pettitte (219 wins)
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A 47-year-old native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Andy Pettitte was selected by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 1990 MLB Amateur Draft. He made his Big League debut with the club in 1995 and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting after producing a 12-9 record, 4.17 ERA, and 114 strikeouts.
Pettitte finished first in the AL in wins the following season with 21 and finished second in AL Cy Young voting. Although he never won the Cy Young Award in his 18-year career, he finished top-five in voting in four seasons.
Pettitte won 149 games in his first nine seasons with the Yankees, but signed as a free agent with the Houston Astros in 2003. He spent three seasons with the National League team before returning to the Yankees prior to the start of the 2007 season.
Pettitte retired as a member of the Yankees in 2013 after compiling a combined 219-127 record with the team. He also had a 3.94 ERA and 2,020 strikeouts. He won 37 games with Houston and ranks 42nd all-time in career MLB wins with 256.
Lefty Gomez (189 wins)
Born as Vernon Louis Gomez but affectionately known as "Lefty," this Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher spent 13 seasons with the Yankees from 1930 to 1942. During that time, he compiled a record of 189-101 in addition to a 3.34 ERA and 1,468 strikeouts.
He would have spent his entire career with New York had he not pitched one game with the Washington Senators in 1943. A seven-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Gomez was at his best in 1934 and 1937. He led the AL in ERA and strikeouts in both of those seasons. He also led the AL in strikeouts in 1933.
Ron Guidry (170 wins)
University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumnus Ron Guidry was selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 1971 MLB Amateur Draft. He made his Big League debut with the team in 1975.
The four-time All-Star spent his entire 14-year career in New York and posted a record of 170-91, a 3.29 ERA, and 1,778 strikeouts. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 1978 after posting a league-best 25 wins and 1.74 ERA,