First, the Near misses:
1988 Mets: David Cone (20-3, 2.22), Dwight Gooden (18-9, 3.19), Ron Darling (17-9, 3.25), Sid Fernandez (12-10, 3.03), Bob Ojeda (10-13, 2.88)
2003 A’s: Barry Zito (14-12, 3.30), Tim Hudson (16-7, 2.70), Ted Lilly (12-10, 4.34), Mark Mulder (15-9, 3.13)
2002 Braves: Tom Glavine (18-11, 2.96), Greg Maddux (16-6, 2.62), Kevin Millwood (18-8, 3.24), Damian Moss (12-6, 3.42)
1929 A’s: Lefty Grove (20-6, 2.82), George Earnshaw (24-8, 2.82), Rube Walberg (18-11, 3.59), Jack Quinn (11-9, 3.97)
1954 Braves: Warren Spahn (21-12, 3.14), Lew Burdette (15-14, 2.76), Gene Conley (14-9, 2.96), Chet Nichols (9-11, 4.41), Jim Wilson (8-2, 3.52)
1972 A’s: Ken Holtzman (19-11, 2.51), Catfish Hunter (21-7, 2.04), Blue Moon Odom (15-6, 2.50), Vida Blue (6-10, 2.80), Dave Hamilton (6-6, 2.93)

9. 1964 Chicago White Sox
Gary Peters (20-8, 2.50), Juan Pizarro (19-9, 2.56), Joe Horlen (13-9, 1.88), John Buzhardt (10-8, 2.98)
Peters, Pizarro and Horlen finished 2-3-5 in ERA, and all got votes for AL MVP. The ChiSox finished only a game behind the Yankees, in a tight pennant race, despite a weak offense. Peters was the only strikeout pitcher in the bunch (his 205 were fourth in the AL), this staff allowed few hits and walks despite the lack of strikeouts.
 
8. 1927 New York Yankees
Waite Hoyt (22-7, 2.63), Urban Shocker (18-6, 2.84), Herb Pennock (19-8, 3.00), Dutch Ruether (13-6, 3.38), George Pipgras (10-3, 4.11)
Hoyt and Shocker finished 2-3 in ERA, with Pennock 8th. The five starters had a combined 3.13 ERA, more than a run under the 1927 AL average. (Add in the 12 starts of closer Wilcy Moore, who was 19-7 with a 2.28 ERA and they get better) Hoyt and Pennock are Hall of Famers. The Yankees ran away with the AL pennant with 110 wins, and then swept the Pirates in four games in the World Series, surrendering only eight runs for the series!

7. 1954 Cleveland Indians
Early Wynn (23-11, 2.73), Mike Garcia (19-8, 2.64), Bob Lemon (23-7, 2.72), Art Houtteman (15-7, 3.35), Bob Feller (13-3, 3.09)
When your team piles up 111 wins, it’s inevitable that the starters are going to pile up impressive W-L records. Garcia, Lemon, and Wynn finished 1-3-4 in the league ERA standings, and 1-3-4 in adjusted ERA+. Lemon was first and Wynn third in complete games, and Garcia tied for the AL lead with five shutouts. Their combined ERA was 2.86, compared to a league average of 3.72.
This was an old staff, with an average age of 32. They boast three Hall of Famers (Wynn, Lemon and Feller). The starters got hammered when the Giants swept them in the World Series, but with the offense scoring only nine runs, they needed to throw shut outs or they were doomed.
6. 1954 New York Giants
Johnny Antonelli (21-7, 2.30), Ruben Gomez (17-9, 2.88), Sal Maglie (14-6, 3.26), Don Liddle (9-4, 3.06), Jim Hearn (8-8, 4.15)
The 1954 Giants, Willie Mays made “the Catch” and the giants Sweep! However it was the staff that only gave up nine runs in the series, Antonelli, Gomez and Maglie finished 1-4-8 in ERA, and Liddle and Hearn combined to make a solid fourth starter. Add in the World Series performance, and you’ve got one of the best.
5. 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers
Sandy Koufax (27-9, 1.73), Don Drysdale (13-16, 3.42), Claude Osteen (17-14, 2.85), Don Sutton (12-12, 2.99)
Not overly impressive W/L numbers here. However 2.68 team ERA - WOW. Three Hall of Famers and a rotation with 840 strikeouts…amazing! When you look at the facts, this Dodger team did win a series in other years but this was their best year numbers wise. Think about their offense only scoring two runs in the Series in 1966, it makes those wins more impressive.
4. 1993 Atlanta Braves
Greg Maddux (20-10, 2.36), Tom Glavine (22-6, 3.20), Steve Avery (18-6, 2.94), John Smoltz (15-11, 3.62)
Three members of this rotation—Glavine, Avery and Smoltz—were named to the 1993 All-Star team; Maddux wasn’t an All-Star, but surely the Cy Young Award he received after the season was a consolation. The Braves’ entire staff combined for a league-leading 3.14 ERA, bettering the next club by a 56 earned run difference.  The four combined to throw 972 innings, while Maddux led the league in ERA, Glavine tied for the league lead in wins, Smoltz was second in victories, and Maddux polled third in K’s. The four were among the six NL pitchers who started 35+ games. Maddux led in complete games. Best of all—this was one of the youngest staffs in baseball. How this team won only one World Series is beyond rational thought.
 
3. 1986 New York Mets
Ron Darling (15-6, 2.81), Dwight Gooden (17-6, 2.84), Sid Fernandez (16-6, 3.52), Bob Ojeda (18-5, 2.57), Rick Aguilera (10-7, 3.88)
1985,1986 and 1988. All great seasons for the Mets, simply put like the Braves a team with so much talent only one World Series title seems odd . . . .onto 1986 the year they won it! Each of the top four starters pitched 200+ innings. Gooden and Fernandez struck out 200 batters apiece. Ojeda, Darling and Gooden had the 2nd-, 3rd- and 5th-lowest ERAs in the NL. Fernandez, Gooden and Darling were among the top seven in NL strikeouts. Ojeda, Darling and Gooden were all among the league leaders in adjusted ERA+, which accounts for, among other things, ballpark effects. And all four received votes for the Cy Young. Aguilera was a slightly below average pitcher in 1986. However, as time wore on he became a great pitcher himself. Lots of talent of this staff. Hard to believe no HOF players, in 1986 you would have assumed Gooden was well on his way.

2. 1971 Baltimore Orioles
Mike Cueller (20-9, 3.08), Pat Dobson (20-8, 2.90), Jim Palmer (20-9, 2.68), Dave McNally (21-5, 2.68)
The only rotation since the 1920 White Sox to have four 20-game winners, and the wins were clearly deserved—the four combined for a 2.89 ERA, almost a full run less than the 1971 AL average of 3.87. Palmer, McNally and Dobson finished 3-7-8 in ERA, and all four cracked the top 10 in wins (with McNally taking the winning percentage crown). Not a bad accomplishment, considering the consensus opinion, voiced by McNally: “The only thing [Earl] Weaver knows about pitching is that he couldn’t hit it.“

1. 1998 Atlanta Braves
Greg Maddux (18-9, 2.22), Tom Glavine (20-6, 2.47), Denny Neagle (16-11, 3.55), Kevin Millwood (17-8, 4.08), John Smoltz (17-3, 2.90)
1996? 1997? 1998? Pretty much they were the same season replayed three times. Why 1998? The Braves’ starting five combined for an ERA of 2.97—a stunning 1.27 runs lower than the NL average. They were stingy with hits, walks and homers. Maddux and Glavine had two of the top 10 pitching seasons in the history of the Braves franchise. Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz finished 1-3-6 in ERA. Glavine, the NL’s only 20-game winner, captured the NL Cy Young Award, and Maddux and Smoltz tied for fourth in the voting. All five starters were among the top 10 in wins.