5) Jon Matlack
Outside of being a part of the 1973 National League Championship team, Matlack was apart of many forgettable New York Mets teams in the 1970s. Though drafted in the first round in 1967, Matlack was somewhat overshadowed by the legendary Tom Seaver and reliable Jerry Koosman.
Matlack’s career in New York spanned from 1971-77 in which he compiled a cumulative 3.03 ERA, made three all star teams, and was awarded the 1971 Rookie of the Year.
Matlack won 82 games and recorded 26 shutouts. So, almost one third of his wins were complete game shutouts. That’s something you won’t see in the modern era.
The lefty posted a sub-3 ERA during three separate seasons and posted a league low FIP of 2.42 in 1974.
The Mets didn’t do much winning in the 70s while pitching behind Seaver and Koosman didn’t exactly garner the spotlight. Matlack was a rock solid third starter who could’ve pitched at the top of the rotation on a handful of other teams.
