When Mike Mussina arrived in the Bronx prior to the 2001 season, he had already established himself as one of the premier starting pitchers in baseball, regularly silencing AL East lineups while playing for Baltimore in many hitter-friendly ballparks. In Mussina, the Yankees hoped they were getting a co-ace to pair with Roger Clemens at the top of the rotation as they looked to keep their championship window wide open and match the feats of the legendary Yankees squads of yesteryear.
The Moose provided that and more, accruing the fifth-most value of any pitcher in baseball across his first three seasons in pinstripes.