It takes time and consistent dominance, but 17 pitchers in baseball history have recorded victories against every major league franchise. Several pitchers are within one victory of this feat and can achieve this milestone this season.
On April 30, 2002 Al Leiter made baseball history by becoming the first pitcher to defeat all 30 major league franchises in his career. With 10 runs in support, he pitched seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks to ultimately come out with the victory.
Since then, only 16 others have followed after him in accomplishing this impressive feat.
With the new season nearing three-weeks-old, there are several pitchers who are one victory away from joining Leiter and Scherzer. For J.A. Happ, CC Sabathia, Francisco Liriano, Ubaldo Jimenez and Jake Arrieta, this accomplishment is unachievable this season.
However, Bartolo Colon, Zack Greinke, Ervin Santana and Scott Kazmir can all defeat their one remaining team before the end of the season. Check out what it will take for these pitchers to reach the history books in this slideshow.
Apr 3, 2017; New York City, NY, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Bartolo Colon (40) acknowledges the fans as he's introduced before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Bartolo Colon – Arizona Diamondbacks
Pitching in the major leagues since 1997, Bartolo Colon shows no signs of slowing down even at the major league-leading age of 43-years-old. In the midst of his 20th season, Colon leads active pitchers with 234 career wins.
Out of those victories, Colon has defeated all, but one team: the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The four-time All-Star broke into the major leagues with the Cleveland Indians in 1997. After posting at least 14 victories from 1998-2001, Colon pitched to a 20-win season in 2002. Three seasons later, he won 21 games in 2005 to take home the Cy Young Award.
The following four seasons saw Colon through several injuries, which climaxed to the point of missing all of 2010 due to elbow surgery. After rebounding in 2011, he served a 50-game suspension in 2012 for using steroids.
After three years with the New York Mets, Colon signed with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent following the 2016 season.
Over his career, he has four starts against the Diamondbacks, where he went 0-2 with a 3.42 ERA. The Braves meet the Diamondbacks for a home and away three-game series this season, giving Colon an opportunity to check them off his list of defeated teams.
Apr 2, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke against the San Francisco Giants during opening day at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Zack Greinke – Kansas City Royals
Prior to his glory days with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Greinke pitched seven years with the Royals. In his second to last season in Kansas City, he went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and won the Cy Young Award.
He spent 2011 with the Milwaukee Brewers and half a season with the Los Angeles Angels before signing with the Dodgers in 2012.
With the Dodgers, he paired with Clayton Kershaw as the most dominant one-two punch in baseball. He won no less than 15 games while finished in the top 10 for the Cy Young each season in Los Angeles. He posted a career-low 1.66 ERA while winning a career-high 19 games in 2015, his final season before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While many believed him to be the savior of the Diamondbacks, Greinke's start in Arizona came with unsuspected struggles. He began by losing his first two starts, but worked his way to a 13-7 record by the end of the season.
Since leaving Kansas City, Greinke made three starts against his former team and is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. The Diamondbacks head to Kauffman Stadium for three-game series in the last days of September to finish out the season.
Mar 4, 2017; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) throws a warm up pitch prior to the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at CenturyLink Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Ervin Santana – Milwaukee Brewers
In just 13 seasons, Ervin Santana is a victory against the Milwaukee Brewers away from defeating every major league team.
Since signing as an amateur free agent with the Los Angeles Angels in 2000, Santana has built a modest career. He went 28-16 in his first two seasons in the majors and after struggling in 2007, finished sixth for the Cy Young Award in 2008. That year, he went 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA and earned his only All-Star nomination.
However, following 2008, Santana ran into more struggles and only earned 10-plus wins in three seasons. Furthermore, he recorded a losing record in all but four seasons through 2016. After his final season with the Angels in 2012, he played with the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves before signing with the Minnesota Twins.
Yet, in his third season with the Twins, Santana is showing signs of life. Through three starts, he is 3-0 with a minuscule 0.41 ERA and one complete game.
Despite just 136 career wins, Santana managed to defeat nearly every major league team. In three starts against Milwaukee, he is 0-2 with a 7.41 ERA. The Twins are scheduled to face the Brewers four times this season, opening the door for Santana to achieve this feat by the end of the year.
June 16, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Scott Kazmir (29) reacts after giving up two runs in the third inning against Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Scott Kazmir – Milwaukee Brewers
In similar fashion as Ervin Santana, Scott Kazmir raced to victories against every team except the Milwaukee Brewers in just 12 seasons in the major leagues.
For the first six years in the major leagues, Kazmir enjoyed the most consistency of his career. Originally drafted by the New York Mets No. 15 overall in 2002, he began his career by spending six seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2004-2008. As a Ray, he was a two-time All-Star with four 10-plus win seasons.
In late 2008, he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels, where he played until they released him in 2011. From there, he jumped between the Cleveland Indians, Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers through 2018.
Following a tough Spring Training, Kazmir hit the disabled list with tightness in his hip to start 2017. Regardless, Kazmir is sure to rejoin the Dodgers rotation in time for their meetings against the Brewers in June and August.
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