The best pitchers in the New York Yankees

William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962), nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for 4 different teams over his 23 year playing career. In each of his two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Clemens won the pitching triple crown (leading the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts) and a Cy Young Award.

Clemens was traded to the New York Yankees for the 1999 season, where he had his first World Series success. In 2003, he reached his 300th win and 4,000th strikeout in the same game. Clemens is one of only four pitchers to have more than 4,000 strikeouts in their career (the others are pitchers Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson, and Steve Carlton). Clemens played three seasons with the Houston Astros, where he won his seventh Cy Young Award. He rejoined the New York Yankees during the 2007 season.
Clemens was alleged by the Mitchell Report to have used anabolic steroids during his late career, mainly because of testimony given by his former trainer, Brian McNamee.^[1] Clemens firmly denied these allegations under oath before Congress, leading congressional leaders to refer his case to the Justice Department on suspicions of perjury.^[2] On May 12, 2009, he broke a long silence to speak out on ESPN against American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime, a book by four New York Daily News investigative reporters that claims Clemens used performance-enhancing drugs during his career.^[3]

Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has spent his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo",^[1] Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer. A 12-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Rivera ranks first in MLB history in games finished (857) and second in saves (580). His achievements include winning the American League (AL) Rolaids Relief Man Award five times, the 1999 World Series MVP Award, and the 2003 AL Championship Series MVP Award.
Rivera was signed by the Yankees organization in 1990 as an amateur free agent in Panama, and he debuted in the Major Leagues in 1995 as a starting pitcher. Upon converting to a relief pitcher, he found success, first as a setup man in 1996, and then as the Yankees' closer after assuming the role in 1997. In the years following, he established himself as one of the league's top relievers, leading the Major Leagues in saves in 1999, 2001, and 2004. His presence in the late innings of games to record the final outs has played an instrumental role in the Yankees' success, particularly the team's late-1990s dynasty. His pitching repertoire consists primarily of one pitch—a sharp-breaking, mid-90s mile per hour (mph) cut fastball that has been called an all-time great pitch.^[2]