Joe Niekro

The Astros all-time franchise leader in career wins with 144, Joe Niekro pitched in 11 seasons with the Astros as part of a 22-year career in the Majors. While the knuckleballer found moderate success prior to joining the Astros, he blossomed into a true ace with Houston. Over a seven-year stretch from 1977-83, Niekro was one of the game's elite pitchers, leading the National League in innings pitched (1,857) while ranking second in strikeouts (1,228) in that span. Niekro set a single-season franchise record for wins in 1979, going 21-11 with a 3.00 ERA while being named to the NL All-Star team. Niekro ultimately made 301 career starts for Houston, the second-most in franchise history, while his career 3.22 ERA with the club ranks fourth all-time.