5. Sterling Hitchcock, Starting Pitcher, San Diego Padres
With an 18-7 record, Kevin Brown was the undisputed ace of the San Diego Padres 1998 National League Champion pitching staff. However, it was Sterling Hitchcock, who had won just nine games during the regular season, that would propel the Padres to just their second World Series appearance in franchise history.
Although he only lasted five innings in both of his starts, Hitchcock pitched solidly enough to pick wins in Games 3 and 6, with the latter being the clincher for the Friars. Hitchcock was also part of the Padres five-run sixth inning which broke a scoreless tie, after reaching base on an error by Atlanta’s Danny Bautista which allowed two runs to score.
The Padres would go on to be swept by the Yankees in the World Series and Hitchcock would later undergo Tommy John Surgery. In 2001, Hitchcock reached the Fall Classic again as a member of the Yankees, picking up the W in Game 5 over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
