Jack McDowell
The White Sox ace who won the 1993 Cy Young Award was also the frontman for a grunge band called V-Shape Mind. McDowell's dual identity as baseball star and rock musician made him one of the game's most unique personalities in the early '90s.
His peak came during Chicago's competitive window from 1990-1993, when he posted a 222 ERA+ in his Cy Young season despite relatively modest strikeout numbers. McDowell relied on pinpoint control and a devastating slider to dominate hitters, finishing with a 111 career ERA+ that understates his value during those prime years.
The right-hander's 127 wins over 13 seasons included that brilliant 1992 campaign where he went 20-10 with a 3.18 ERA. McDowell represented the last generation of workhorses, throwing over 250 innings four times while maintaining effectiveness well into his 30s before retiring after the 1999 season.
Career · Pitching
12 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | CWS | 4 | 28.0 | 3 | 0 | 1.93 | 222 | 15 | 0.786 |
| 1988 | CWS | 26 | 158.7 | 5 | 10 | 3.97 | 94 | 84 | 1.355 |
| 1990 | CWS | 33 | 205.0 | 14 | 9 | 3.82 | 101 | 165 | 1.298 |
| 1991 | CWS | 35 | 253.7 | 17 | 10 | 3.41 | 115 | 191 | 1.159 |
| 1992 | CWS | 34 | 260.7 | 20 | 10 | 3.18 | 118 | 178 | 1.235 |
| 1993 | CWS | 34 | 256.7 | 22 | 10 | 3.37 | 124 | 158 | 1.286 |
| 1994 | CWS | 25 | 181.0 | 10 | 9 | 3.73 | 121 | 127 | 1.260 |
| 1995 | NYY | 30 | 217.7 | 15 | 10 | 3.93 | 113 | 157 | 1.328 |
| 1996 | CLE | 30 | 192.0 | 13 | 9 | 5.11 | 90 | 141 | 1.464 |
| 1997 | CLE | 8 | 40.7 | 3 | 3 | 5.09 | 86 | 38 | 1.525 |
| 1998 | LAA | 14 | 76.0 | 5 | 3 | 5.09 | 87 | 45 | 1.513 |
| 1999 | LAA | 4 | 19.0 | 0 | 4 | 8.05 | 58 | 12 | 1.895 |
| Career | 277 | 1889.2 | 127 | 87 | — | — | 1311 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.