Voting Open for BlueClaws 25th Anniversary Team: Starting Pitchers

JERSEY SHORE, NJ - Voting is now open for the BlueClaws 25th Anniversary Team. Every Monday, BlueClaws fans can vote on one position group. Position players have been voted on, and this week, we have starting pitchers! In March, the BlueClaws will then unveil the 25th Anniversary Team as part of the team's 25th Anniversary Celebration.

CLICK HERE to vote. Fans are asked to select seven starting pitchers from the following grouping:

Mick Abel (2022) - A first round pick in 2020, Abel joined the BlueClaws in 2022 and went 7-8 with a 4.01 ERA, adding 103 strikeouts in 85.1 innings over 18 starts. He moved up to Reading and eventually Lehigh Valley before debuting with the Phillies last year. He was traded to the Twins as part of the Jhoan Duran trade at the deadline.

Sam Aldegheri (2023-24) - The first Italian-born and raised pitcher to reach the big leagues in 75 years, Aldegheri spent part of 2023 and most of 2024 with the BlueClaws. In 2024, he had a 3.18 ERA in 13 starts with 95 strikeouts in 65 innings of work. Aldegheri was later promoted to Reading and traded to the Angels in the Carlos Estevez trade. He made his big league debut in August of 2024, just seven weeks after his last game with the BlueClaws in High-A. He will play for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic.

Ezequiel Astacio (2002) - He was with the BlueClaws in 2002, going 10-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 25 starts. Eventually traded to the Astros with Taylor Buchholz in the Billy Wagner trade, he became the first BlueClaw to appear in the World Series when he pitched for Houston in the 2005 Fall Classic against the White Sox.

Antonio Bastardo (2007) - In terms of a dominant stretch of baseball, few can match Bastardo's 15 starts in 2007 when he went 9-0 with a 1.87 ERA. He worked his way up to the big leagues and debuted in 2009. He was with the Phillies through 2014 and later pitched for the Mets and Pirates. He made 419 career big league appearances over nine major league seasons.

Jesse Biddle (2011) - A first round pick in 2010 from Germantown Friends in Philadelphia, Biddle spent 2011 with the BlueClaws (his debut was delayed when game one of the double-header took 3:51 and 16 innings with Biddle anxiously waiting to pitch game two). He had a 2.98 ERA that year in 133 innings (only two BlueClaws have pitched more innings in a season since then). Biddle reached Lehigh Valley with the Phillies and ended up debuting with the Braves in 2018. He pitched 103 innings in four big league seasons between Atlanta, Seattle, Texas, and Cincinnati.

Ben Brown (2022) - One of several Long Island Phillies draftees over the years, Brown debuted with the BlueClaws in 2019, struck out 20 batters in 13 innings, but got hurt. He was the Opening Day starter in 2021 and 2022, but it was 2022 when he had his best season, a 3.08 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 73 innings. He was promoted to Reading but traded to the Cubs for David Robertson before his Double-A debut. He made his big league debut with the Cubs in 2024 and has pitched for them each of the last two years.

David Buchanan (2011) - A 7th round pick in 2010, Buchanan spent 2011 with the BlueClaws and was 11-5 with a 3.38 ERA over 125 innings of work. He made his big league debut with the Phillies in 2014. He later pitched in Japan and Korea before returning to the US in 2024. He actually made another appearance with the BlueClaws and threw seven scoreless innings before being traded to the Reds.

Taylor Buchholz (2001) - Born in Lower Merion, Buccholz will always be a part of BlueClaws history - he was the starter in the first game in franchise history in 2001 at Kannapolis. He had a 3.36 ERA that year in 176.2 innings, the second most ever in a season by the BlueClaws. He was traded to the Astros in the Billy Wagner trade and later made 158 big league appearances between Houston, Colorado, Toronto, and the Mets.

Carlos Carrasco (2005-06) - Part of a three-headed monster of 2006 BlueClaws starter (with Matt Maloney and Josh Outman who are both on this list), Carrasco debuted with the BlueClaws in 2005 before thriving in 2006. That year, he had a 2.26 ERA and went 12-6 in 26 starts. He reached Triple-A with the Phillies before being a part of the Cliff Lee trade. After 12 years with the Indians, he later pitched for the Mets, Yankees, and Braves over 335 career big league appearances.

Seranthony Dominguez (2016) - While a reliver in the big leagues, Dominguez was a starter with the BlueClaws, going 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 2016 across 10 games and helped the BlueClaws reach the 2016 SAL Championship Series. He worked his way to the Phillies by 2018 and was in their bullpen through 2024. He was in the World Series with Toronto this past season and recently signed with the White Sox.

Nick Fanti (2017) - How many pitchers can say they were a part of two no-hitters in one season? In 2017, Fanti came within one out of throwing two nine inning no-hitters by himself. On May 6th, he got 26 of the 27 outs before a reliver got the last one. Then on July 17th, he went the whole way himself, walking just one batter. He was 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA that season in one of the best-ever by a BlueClaw.

Gavin Floyd (2002) - A first round pick in 2001, Floyd was the first huge prospect to play for the BlueClaws. He had a 2.77 ERA in 27 games in 2002, across 166 innings (not many pitchers throw 166 innings as a 19 year old anymore!). Floyd also threw a no-hitter, in a loss to Lexington, and was the first BlueClaw to grace the cover of Baseball America. He debuted with the Phillies in 2004, was traded to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia, and pitched in the big leagues through 2016.

Cole Hamels (2003) - Nobody had a better run with the BlueClaws than Hamels. He had a 6-1 record and 0.83 ERA in 2003 in his first full season as a pro with 115 strikeouts in 74 innings in which he gave up just 32 hits. He threw six perfect innings in one start too and was promoted to Clearwater. After the BlueClaws, Hamels of course would be a key part of a Phillies run that included the 2008 World Series title, in which he was the MVP. He later threw a no-hitter with the Phillies in 2015. A true Phillies and BlueClaws legend. His number 19 was retired by the BlueClaws in 2014 and is one of two BlueClaws to have their number retired, along with Ryan Howard.

Spencer Howard (2018) - Howard, a second round pick, went 9-8 with a 3.78 ERA with the BlueClaws in 2018, but was of course most remembered for his postseason no-hitter in the second game of the 2018 Northern Division Championship Series against Kannapolis. He struck out 147 batters in 112 innings with the BlueClaws that season. He debuted with the Phillies in 2020 and made 47 big league appearances.

Kyle Kendrick (2004-06) - He pitched parts of three seasons with the BlueClaws from 2004-06 and was a part of the 2006 championship team, promoted that year after seven starts and a 2.15 ERA. He debuted with the Phillies in 2007 with a 10 win season and made 255 career big league appearances.

Mark Leiter, Jr. (2013-14) - Leiter went to high school at Toms River North, just 6.1 miles from ShoreTown Ballpark. After a career at NJIT, Leither was a 2013 Phillies draft pick that debuted with the BlueClaws that year. He returned in 2014 before a mid-season promotion to Clearwater. He debuted with the Phillies in 2017 and has pitched for the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Yankees before signing with the Athletics for the 2026 season.

Matt Maloney (2006) - Maloney, drafted in 2005 from Ole Miss, he spent 2006 with the BlueClaws, going 16-9 with a 2.03 ERA. Of every BlueClaw with 20 starts in a season, he had the best ERA and nobody won more games in a season than he did. Maloney also threw a complete game shutout in the 2006 championship clincher. He made 31 career appearances in the big leagues between Cincinnati and Minnesota.

Trevor May (2009-10) - A 2008 draft pick, May joined the BlueClaws for the second half of 2009 and had a 2.56 ERA in 15 starts. After opening the next year in Clearwater, he returned in 2010 and went 7-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 11 starts and is one of just a handful of players with two BlueClaws championship rings. He was traded to Minnesota and debuted with the Twins in 2014. He retired after 10 big league seasons between the Twins, Mets, and Athletics.

Adonis Medina (2017) - He had a 3.09 ERA with the BlueClaws as part of a dynamite staff in 2017, striking out 133 batters in 119 innings pitched. He reached the Phillies in 2020 and also pitched for the Mets in 2022. He returned to the Phillies in 2025 and made two appearances with Lehigh Valley.

Josh Outman (2006) - The third of 2006's Big Three, Outman went 14-6 with a 2.95 ERA with the BlueClaws that season, adding 161 strikeouts in 155 innings pitched. He was later traded to Oakland in the Joe Blanton deal, debuted with the As in 2008 and made 161 career big league appearances.

Andrew Painter (2022) - Few have ever come to Lakewood with as much hype as Painter, and he certainly lived up to it. He made eight starts and had a 0.98 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 36 innings of work. He finished that year in Reading and while he missed two years with injury, he returned last year with Lehigh Valley and is poised to make his big league debut in 2026 with the Phillies.

Jonathan Pettibone (2010) - A key part of the 2010 championship team, Pettibone had a 3.49 ERA in 23 starts that season. He also has one of the best postseason starts in BlueClaws history, throwing seven scoreless, one hit innings with nine strikeouts in an elimination game against Hickory in the first round of the playoffs that season. He also won his lone start in the Championship Series that year, in the clincher against Greenville. He later made 18 starts with the Phillies in 2013.

JoJo Romero (2017) - Another member of the outstanding 2017 rotation, he went 5-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 13 starts that year before a promotion to Clearwater. He made his big league debut with the Phillies in 2020 and was later traded to the Cardinals for Edmundo Sosa. Last year, he had a 2.07 ERA with the Cardinals over 65 relief appearances.

Sixto Sanchez (2017) - The 2017 BlueClaws staff has several members of this list, including Sixto Sanchez, one of the biggest pitching prospects to come through Lakewood. He had a 2.41 ERA over 13 starts. He struck out 64 and walked just nine batters in his 67 innings before his promotion to Clearwater. Eventually a part of the JT Realmuto trade, he debuted with the Marlins in 2020 and started a playoff game for them that season. He returned to the big leagues in 2024.

Will Stewart (2018) - He had a tremendous year as part of the 2018 playoff-bound BlueClaws. In 20 starts, he was 8-1 with a 2.06 ERA over 113 innings pitched. He also threw a nine-inning complete game shutout on May 30th that year, allowing just three hits and fanning 10. No BlueClaw has thrown nine innings in a game since. He was traded to the Marlins with Sixto Sanchez in the JT Realmuto trade and pitched as high as Triple-A.

Ranger Suarez (2017) - Another member of the 2017 rotation, Ranger went 6-2 with a 1.59 ERA in 14 starts. He threw 7.2 perfect innings in one game before allowing a hit to the 24th batter he faced, and then threw seven scoreless in his next start, which was his last before his promotion to Clearwater. Suarez, of course, debuted with the Phillies the next year and was a part of many special Phillies moments. He has a 1.48 career postseason ERA as well, and was on the mound for the NLCS clinching out in 2022. He recently signed with the Red Sox.

Jose Taveras (2016) - Taveras had a great year with the BlueClaws in 2016, moving into the rotation and pitching to a 3.28 ERA over 137.1 innings of work. His 15 strikeouts recorded in the June 25th win at Greenville that year are the most in a game by a BlueClaws pitcher. He also threw seven innings of two run ball to get a win in the first round clincher against Hagerstown and was lined up for the decider against Rome in the SAL Championship Series, but the BlueClaws lost in game four to end the season. He pitched as high as Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Robinson Tejeda (2001) - Tejeda had a 3.40 ERA over 150.2 innings for the 2001 BlueClaws in their inaugural season. He reached the Phillies in 2005 and made 186 career big league appearances. He is one of four members of the first BlueClaws pitching staff to reach the big leagues.

The BlueClaws are celebrating 25 Years at the Jersey Shore all summer long, beginning with their 25th Anniversary Opening Night on Tuesday, April 7th. Tickets for Opening Night and other games are currently on sale online by clicking here.

-Jersey Shore BlueClaws-