Mussina at 39, went on to take the title of oldest pitcher to record 20 wins in a season from Jamie Moyer who was 3, at the time of his first 20-win season in 2001. Apart from this, Mussina ranks sixth amongst active pitchers with 2,813 career strikeouts and is 19th on the all-time list. Also, his .638 career winning percentage places him in the sixth position amongst all-time pitchers who made at least 500 career starts. He ties with Burleigh Grimes for the 32nd place, in the all-time list, with his 270 victories. First-pick of the Orioles in 1990, Mussina completed his career with a 3.68 ERA and a 270-153 record.
Having pitched in the American League East his entire career, Mussina spent his last eight seasons with the Yankees, and began his career with the Baltimore Orioles, with whom he remained for 10 seasons. He was signed as a free agent for the 2001 season by the Yankees, Mussina accumulated a record of 123-72, coupled with a 3.88 ERA with the team, over eight seasons. His 1,278 strikeouts with the Yankees, places him in the sixth position on the club’s all-time list, and no American League pitcher has recorded more wins during this time period.
Mussina has been placed in the top five for Cy Young Award six times, and has 15 wins in a season, 11 times in his career. Hoping to win a World Series, Mussina’s switch to the Yankees was a move in that direction, though he could never attain it. The two World Series appearances, ended in losses with the team, 2001 to Arizona and 2003 to Florida. Mussina finished his career with a 7-8 playoff record and a 3.42 postseason ERA.
A native of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, Mussina is known for his control, and has a ratio of 1.98 walks per nine innings pitched, with 785 batters walking away in 3,562 2/3 career innings. Mussina is also one of only three pitchers, the other two being Jack Quinn and Cy Young, in the history of MLB to throw at least 3,000 innings, and hold opponents to fewer than two walks per nine innings pitched, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
