I like doing rankings like these. It gives me the opportunity to research players’ stats in more depth and analyze which teams are looking good heading into the upcoming season. So without further ado, in my opinion, here are the top 5 rotations in baseball.

(1) Washington Nationals

It’s no secret why the Nationals as a Wild Card team were able to have so much success in the 2019 postseason and come out on top as World Series champs. Yeah their lineup was good, but their pitching was incredible.

  1. Max Scherzer
    1. In my opinion, Max Scherzer has become the most consistent and dominant starting pitcher since 2013. The past 7 seasons, he’s finished top 5 in Cy Young Voting, including winning the award 3 times. The numbers speak for themselves, Mad-Max is a future hall of famer who is still putting up great numbers each year.
  2. Stephen Straburg
    1. Stephen Strasburg has fought through many injuries and established himself among the game’s best. The reigning World Series MVP won a league-high 17 games last season and inked a luxurious contract that keeps him in D.C. until 2026, a great move for the Nats.
  3. Patrick Corbin
    1. The 30-year-old southpaw is arguably one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball. In his first season with the Nats, Corbin found success on the mound tallying a 14-7 record with a 3.25 ERA. He has a large contract, but so far it is paying off. This is the type of guy that could easily be a #1 on most teams.
  4. Anibal Sanchez
    1. I watched Anibal Sanchez pitch live at Comerica Park in 2017, and I thought his career was over. However, after reviving his career in Atlanta in 2018, Sanchez had another good year in 2019 with a 3.85 ERA. How much more can you ask from a 14-year veteran as a #4 starter?
  5. Joe Ross/Eric Fedde
    1. At just 26 years old, Joe Ross still has potential. 27-year-old Eric Fedde started more games than Ross last year, and had more success, so the two will compete for the #5 spot in the rotation.

(2) New York Mets

Each of the past few season, the Mets seems to always enter the season with one of the top rotations. Consistency is key, but this group of pitchers has a ton of talent. Even with the loss of Zach Wheeler, this is a top-2 rotation.

  1. Jacob deGrom
    1. Although his win and loss record might not show it, the back-to-back Cy Young winner has been dominant throughout his 6-year career. In 2018, he posted an incredible 1.70 ERA and last year had a 2.43 ERA. If he could just get some run support, deGrom would be among the top win-getters in baseball. This guy is the real deal and one of the best to pitch in our lifetime.
  2. Noah Syndergaard
    1. When you have a nickname like Thor, you’re doing something right. At 6’6 240 lbs, his mound presence is frightening for hitters. His 100+ MPH fastball is lethal. Although he had a down year in 2019, expect Syndergaard to bounce back this season.
  3. Marcus Stroman
    1. Stro-Show hasn’t been the most consistent of pitchers over his career, but he has a good season with both the Blue Jays and Mets. Kudos to New York for going out and getting a solid, young starting pitcher at the trade deadline. I’m excited to see how he continues to perform in the blue and orange.
  4. Steven Matz
    1. The left-hander posted an 11-10 record with a 4.21 ERA last season, not bad for a guy that was used a the #4 and #5. I still think there might be more in the 28-year-old. He still has potential.
  5. Rick Porcello/Michael Wacha
    1. Rick Porcello is the likely candidate for the #5 spot. He was 14-12 last year with Boston, but his ERA was 5.52. Former Cardinals starter Michael Wacha was 6-7 with a 4.76 ERA in 2019. Expect both to even compete with Matz for the #4 spot, you just never know.

(3) Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds are looking like the real deal this year, which is especially due to their pitching rotation. Did I rank them too high? I guess that’s your call. Again, these are all just opinions.

  1. Luis Castillo
    1. The Dominican born Castillo had a break-out year in 2019. His all-star season was backed by a 15-8 record and a 3.40 ERA. Another plus, Castillo is a strikeout pitcher with a plus-arm. 226 strikeouts over 190 2/3 innings is solid. The Reds have arguably found their first ace since fellow Dominican, Johnny Cueto.
  2. Sonny Gray
    1. When Sonny Gray joined the Reds last season, nobody knew what he would provide. However, Gray was a pleasant surprise. He delivered an all-star season with a 2.87 ERA and finished 7th in the N.L. Cy Young voting. Sonny may have struggled in the Bronx, but he’s found a new home in Cincy and returned to his Oakland form.
  3. Trevor Bauer
    1. Like him or not, Trevor Bauer is a very solid number 3 starter. Although he struggled in Cincinnati at the end of last season, Bauer has enjoyed a lot of success over the past few years. Expect a bounce back year, I have a good feeling about it.
  4. Wade Miley
    1. Miley had a pretty good year last year in Houston. He put up a 14-6 record and a sub-4 ERA. I think the move of acquiring Miley was big for the Reds. They lost Alex Wood, and they got a a reliable, cheaper option as a replacement.
  5. Anthony DeSclafani
    1. DeSclafani’s numbers last year surprised me, and they might surprise you. He threw 166 2/3 with a 3.89 ERA. Don’t forget, Great American Ballpark is a top-3 hitter’s ballpark in all of baseball. This would be a great #5 starting pitcher on any ball club.

(4) Los Angeles Dodgers

A rotation with 4 leftys? Yeah, it’s a little crazy. But it’s also crazy good. Even with the loss of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda, this is a great rotation.

  1. Clayton Kershaw
    1. The best left-hander of our generation is also a future hall of famer. 8 out of the last 9 seasons, he’s been an all-star. Last season, he was 16-5 with a 3.03 ERA, which was good enough for 8th in N.L. Cy Young voting. He may not put up sub-2 ERAs anymore, but he is clearly still among the game’s best.
  2. Walker Buehler
    1. Arguably the best young pitcher in baseball, the 25-year old had his first all-star season in 2019 with a 14-4 record with a 3.26 ERA. Buehler is a rare talent these days; he can pitch deep into ballgames. Some believe that he’s the #1 in LA.
  3. David Price
    1. Mookie Betts was a big acquisition for the Dodgers, but so is David Price. Although he had sort of a down year and only threw 107 1/3 innings, Price is moving over to the National League for the first time in his career which can only help. Price has been there and done that, and showed in 2017, that he can pitch at the highest stage in the postseason. Hopefully the Price is right, and he can stay healthy enough to help the Dodgers make their 3rd straight World Series run.
  4. Alex Wood
    1. Wood was injured for a majority of the 2019 campaign in Cincinnati. However, if he can return to his Dodger-caliber seasons, he is a great option at the back end of the rotation. Remember his 2017 all-star year? 16-3 and a 2.72 ERA. And Wood is already comfortable pitching in the Dodgers blue.
  5. Julio Urias
    1. The 23-year-old left-hander started 15 games as a rookie, was injured for most of 2017 and 2018, and pitched primarily out of relief last season. However, heading into this year, it looks like he’ll be the number 4 or 5. Last season, opponents hit just .201 against him and he struck out 85 batters in just over 80 innings. It’ll be interesting to see how he fairs against as a full-time starter.

(5) Cleveland Indians

Do I understand why the Indians got rid of Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer? Absolutely not. Do I still think the Indians have one of the best rotations in baseball, yeah. We’ll see if their offense is goof enough to back their starters.

  1. Shane Bieber
    1. 2019 was the first that I ever heard of Shane Beiber. Remember when he won the 2019 MLB All-Star Game MVP award as a replacement player in front of the hometown crowd? That was awesome. Anyway, Bieber was 4th in Cy Young voting in the A.L. with a 15-8 record, a 3.28 ERA, and 259 strikeouts. There’s a new ace in Cleveland everyone, and his name is not Corey Kluber.
  2. Mike Clevinger
    1. If I had to make a sleeper pick for the 2020 A.L. Cy Young, it would be this man. I saw him pitch in Detroit a few seasons ago, and this guy has swagger. It’s too bad he was injured at the start of the season, because Clevinger had a great year. He put up a 13-4 record with a 2.71 ERA and had 169 Ks in 126 innings. He has been so consistent these past 3 season, and it looks like he’s right in his prime at 29 years old.
  3. Carlos Carrasco
    1. Cookie Carrasco has been through a lot; he had leukemia last year and still returned to pitch at the end of the season. This was definitely the most incredible story line in 2019. From 2015 to 2018, his highest ERA in a season was 3.63. He pitched out of the pen and as a starter last season and struggled, but hopefully he’ll be able to bounce back and have a good year.
  4. Zach Plesac
    1. I had never heard of Zach until looking at the Indians roster, but he is actually the nephew of reliever legend Dan Plesac, who now works as a sportscaster. Plesac started 21 games last year and tallied an 8-6 record with a 3.81 ERA. I think the Indians can justify cutting their payroll by trading Bauer and Kluber because of guys like this.
  5. Aaron Civale
    1. Another guy I had never heard of is Aaron Civale. This guy started 10 games at the Major League level last season and posted a 2.34 ERA, not too shabby. It’s a small sample size, but it looks like the Tribe has some young talent at the back at of their rotation.

Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros

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