Rays Top Ten Best Starters in Franchise History

October 2, 2012; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher James Shields (33) is congratulated by third baseman Evan Longoria (3) against the Baltimore Orioles at Tropicana Field. Baltimore Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

#2 James Shields

Drafted: in the 16th round of the 2000 draft

Stats

Resume among starters:

• GS: 217, 1st
• IP: 1454.2, 1st
• Wins: 87, 1st
• ERA: 3.89, 9th
• SO: 1250, 1st
• AVG: .257, 14th
• Whip: 1.22, 5th

There are plenty of people who could consider Shields the best Rays starter of all time, and the argument would be valid. In terms of longevity, wins, strike outs, and innings, he leads the all-time Rays list. What held him back 1 spot on our list where the peripherals which matched more the performance of a #2 than those of an ace. We have nothing but respect for what he did as a Rays starter and will always remember him as one of the best of all-time.

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