Where does Patrick Wisdom rank all-time among Chicago Cubs rookies?

Chicago Cubs Greatest Rookie Seasons of All-Time – #7: Mike Harkey (1990)

Mike Harkey is just one of two pitchers on this list; I really wanted to include Dick Drott and his solid 1957 rookie campaign in which he won 15 games, but in the end I decided that the Cubs had too many good offensive seasons to leave off the list. That being said, I still felt that I had to include Mike Harkey, as his 1990 season often gets overlooked in Cubs history.

Harkey debuted with the Cubs in 1988 and made five starts, pitching well, giving up just ten earned runs in 34 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch with the big league club during their division-winning 1989 season, but he returned for his official rookie season in 1990. That year, he made 27 starts, going 173 2/3 innings in the process. He wasn’t overpowering, striking out only 94, but he posted a solid 3.26 ERA over those starts. That was good for fifth place in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Like some of the other players on this list, Harkey didn’t do a whole lot after that. Over the next couple of years, he dealt with injuries and didn’t pitch much, and then in 1993 he made 28 starts and posted a 5.26 ERA. He then bounced around to a few different teams before last appearing in the majors in 1997.

Harkey became a coach after his playing career and is currently serving as a bullpen coach for the New York Yankees.