The story of the 1935 New York Yankees usually starts and ends with Babe Ruth leaving. What gets lost is the thing that actually kept the team competitive after he walked out the door: a pitching staff that led the American League in both ERA (3.60) and strikeouts (594). In a season defined by what the Yankees lost, the arms were what they found. Red Ruffing posted a 16-11 record with a 3.12 ERA. Johnny Broaca went 15-7. Johnny Allen finished 13-6. Johnny Murphy and Vito Tamulis each contributed 10-5 marks from the back end. Five pitchers in double-digit wins -- on a team that didn't make the postseason. That staff didn't just keep the 1935 club afloat. It built the foundation for four consecutive World Series championships.
Ruffing Becomes the Ace
Ruffing had been with the Yankees since 1930, when they'd acquired him from the Red Sox (Boston's habit of sending their best players to the Bronx apparently didn't end with Ruth). He'd been good in the early 1930s -- capable, reliable, the kind of pitcher who won 14 games without anyone writing feature stories about him. In 1935, he became something more. His 3.12 ERA was the best on the staff, and his 16 wins were the most he'd recorded in a Yankees uniform to that point.
The man could hit, too. Ruffing batted .339 in limited at-bats during the 1935 season -- a number most position players would've been proud to claim. McCarthy occasionally used him as a pinch-hitter, which tells you everything about how much the skipper trusted Ruffing's bat. A pitcher who could contribute with the stick gave McCarthy options that other managers didn't have.
Ruffing would go on to win 20 or more games in each of the next four seasons (1936-1939), anchor the dynasty's rotation alongside Lefty Gomez, and deliver two complete-game victories in the 1938 World Series. All of it started here. The 1935 season was where Ruffing stopped being a good pitcher and started being a great one.
The Rotation Behind Him
Broaca's 15-7 record at age 25 suggested a pitcher with a long, productive career ahead of him. That didn't pan out -- personal issues derailed his trajectory, and he'd be gone from the majors within a few years. But in 1935, he was exactly what McCarthy needed: a young arm who could eat innings and win games without requiring constant management.
Allen was the steady third option. His 13-6 record didn't generate headlines, but it gave McCarthy a starter he could count on every fifth day (or fourth, depending on the era's rotation customs). Allen's consistency meant that McCarthy didn't have to scramble for a third starter, which freed him to manage the bullpen more aggressively.
Murphy and Tamulis worked the edges -- some starts, some relief appearances, the kind of flexible roles that modern baseball would recognize as "bulk innings." Both went 10-5. Murphy, in particular, was developing into something rare for the 1930s: a pitcher who specialized in relief. He'd go on to become one of baseball's first great closers, and the seeds of that role were planted in 1935.
| Team ERA | 3.60 (led AL) |
| Team Strikeouts | 594 (led AL) |
| Ruffing | 16-11, 3.12 ERA |
| Broaca | 15-7 |
| Allen | 13-6 |
| Murphy | 10-5 |
| Tamulis | 10-5 |
| Team Record | 89-60, 2nd place (3 GB Detroit) |
McCarthy's Pitching Mind
Joe McCarthy gets remembered primarily as a lineup guy -- the "push-button manager" who wrote out the most talented lineups in baseball and let the talent do the work. That reputation undersells what he did with the pitching staff in 1935. With Ruth gone and the offense thinner than it had been in years, McCarthy leaned on his arms in ways he hadn't needed to before. The result was the best pitching performance in the American League.
He valued depth over dominance. No single pitcher carried the staff the way some aces did on other clubs. Instead, McCarthy constructed a rotation where five pitchers could all win, where no one arm had to shoulder an unreasonable workload. It was a philosophical choice -- spread the innings, keep everyone fresh, trust the depth -- and it paid dividends immediately and for years afterward.
The Dynasty Blueprint
Here's the thing about the 1935 pitching staff that doesn't show up in the record books: it taught the organization how to win without overwhelming offense. The 1936, 1937, and 1938 clubs had both elite hitting and elite pitching. But the pitching came first. Ruffing's breakout, Murphy's development as a reliever, and McCarthy's staff management were all in place before Joe DiMaggio showed up and the lineup became historically stacked.
When Gehrig carried the 1935 offense almost single-handedly, the pitching staff kept the games close enough for his bat to matter. An 89-60 record on a team with one true power hitter -- that's a pitching achievement as much as a hitting one. The arms gave Gehrig a chance to win nearly every night, and he returned the favor.
The Yankees finished three games behind Detroit, and nobody won a ring. But the pitching staff that led the American League in 1935 didn't stop leading. It just got reinforcements. Within a year, the Yankees had Gomez back in form and DiMaggio in center field, and the combination of the 1935 rotation with the 1936 offense produced something close to unstoppable. Four straight championships. It started on the mound.
Staff Takes Shape
With Ruth gone and the offense uncertain, McCarthy builds his rotation around Ruffing, Broaca, Allen, Murphy, and Tamulis. Depth and consistency are the priorities.
Opening Day Loss
Wes Ferrell of the Red Sox beats the Yankees on Opening Day in below-40-degree weather -- an inauspicious start that masks the strength of the Yankees' own pitching.
Staff Leads AL
The pitching staff emerges as the team's greatest asset, posting the lowest ERA (3.60) and most strikeouts (594) in the American League while the offense adjusts to life without Ruth.
89-60 Despite Limited Offense
The Yankees finish with the AL's best pitching numbers but fall three games short of Detroit. The staff proves that championship-caliber arms are already in place.
The Payoff
Ruffing wins 20+ games four straight years. Murphy becomes one of baseball's first relief specialists. The rotation anchors four consecutive World Series titles.
We knew we didn't have Ruth's bat anymore. So we figured we'd better not give up so many runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the 1935 Yankees lead the American League in pitching?
Yes. The 1935 Yankees led the AL in both ERA (3.60) and strikeouts (594). Red Ruffing anchored the staff with a 16-11 record and 3.12 ERA, supported by Johnny Broaca (15-7), Johnny Allen (13-6), Johnny Murphy (10-5), and Vito Tamulis (10-5).
Who was the Yankees' best pitcher in 1935?
Red Ruffing was the staff ace, posting a 16-11 record and a 3.12 ERA -- both team bests. It was his first truly dominant season in pinstripes and the beginning of a run that would see him win 20 or more games in each of the next four seasons (1936-1939). Ruffing also contributed with his bat, hitting .339 in limited at-bats.
How did the 1935 pitching staff set up the Yankees dynasty?
The rotation that led the AL in 1935 became the foundation for four consecutive World Series titles (1936-1939). Ruffing developed into a perennial 20-game winner, Johnny Murphy evolved into one of baseball's first great relief pitchers, and Joe McCarthy's staff-management philosophy carried directly into the championship years. When the offense added Joe DiMaggio in 1936, the pitching was already championship-caliber.
Who were the pitchers on the 1935 Yankees?
The key members of the 1935 staff were Red Ruffing (16-11, 3.12 ERA), Johnny Broaca (15-7), Johnny Allen (13-6), Johnny Murphy (10-5), and Vito Tamulis (10-5). All five reached double-digit wins, giving manager Joe McCarthy a rotation depth that was unusual for the era.