All-time best Reds starting rotation based on WAR

2. Eppa Rixey, Reds left-handed pitcher (40.1 WAR)

Being a Hall of Famer, Eppa Rixey might be a bit more familiar to baseball fans. That said, the southpaw from Virginia pitched for the Cincinnati Reds over 100 years ago. Rixey suited up in Cincinnati from 1921 until 1933, at which time he was 42 years old.

According to SABR.org, Rixey was the longtime record holder of the most wins by a left-handed pitcher in major league history until Warren Spahn surpassed the lefty's 266 win total in 1959.

After an eight-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies, Rixey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the start of the 1921 season. The year prior, Rixey led the league in losses with a record of 11-21 despite a sparkling 2.27 ERA.

But after landing in Cincinnati, Rixey became a fixture in the Reds starting rotation. The left-hander finished a 13-year career in Cincinnati with a record of 179-148 and an ERA of 3.33. Rixey led the league in wins, starts, and innings pitched during the 1922 season in which he threw over 313 innings.

Eppa Rixey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 1963. Unfortunately, Rixey's death came a few months he was formally inducted into Cooperstown. Rixey's bWAR with the Reds stands at 40.1.