Top 10 MLB Starting Rotations

Ranking the top starting rotations throughout the MLB.

10. Arizona Diamondbacks

Zack Greinke

1. Zack Greinke
2. Robby Ray
3. Shelby Miller
4. Patrick Corbin
5. Taijuan Walker

The Arizona Diamondback cracked the top ten purely out of potential. The Diamondbacks entered last season with a ton of hype because of their new and improved rotation that included: Zack Grenkie, Robby Ray, Shelby Miller, Patrick Corbin, and Archie Bradley. Boy were they a huge disappointment. Miller was a HUGE bust (2–12, 6.15 ERA), Grenkie pitched like a back-end starter (4.37 ERA), Corbin came off Tommy John Surgery, Ray gave up way too many runs, and Bradley never lived up to his expectations. The rotation (including Braden Shipley) posted a disgraceful 5.13 ERA. This past offseason, they traded Jean Segura for Taijuan Walker, and that could be the next step for this rotation. If Grenkie and Miller pitch like they did in 2015 (both were All Stars), Walker and Ray finally get over their hump, and Corbin pitches like he did before he tore his UCL (in 2013 he went 14–8 and was an All Star), then this will be a very scary pitching rotation.

9. Detroit Tigers

Justin Verlander

1. Justin Verlander
2. Jordan Zimmerman
3. Michael Fulmer
4. Anibal Sanchez
5. Daniel Norris

The Detroit Tigers are another example of a team who entered 2016 with a lot of hype. They signed Jordan Zimmerman and Justin Upton, but neither of those players lived up to their contracts or expectations. Despite their great 86–75 record, they failed to make the playoffs. With last year’s American League Rookie of the Year, Michael Fulmer, and AL Cy Young runner up, Justin Verlander, this rotation can be great. But it all depends on the other three. Zimmerman was an amazing pitcher with the Washington Nationals but his talents did not carry over to the American League. Daniel Norris was a former top prospect, but his constant battle with injuries have prevented him from living up to his potential. Anibal Sanchez has not been good since 2013 when he posted a 2.57 ERA. If these guys pick up their game and be consistent, this team can possibly make a run at the playoffs.

8. Toronto Blue Jays

Aaron Sanchez

1. Marco Estrada
2. J.A. Happ
3. Aaron Sanchez
4. Marcus Stroman
5. Francisco Liriano

Critics believed that trading away David Price to divisional rival, Boston Red Sox, would be the beginning of the Toronto Blue Jays’ downfall. The emergence of Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ, and Marco Estrada proved those doubters wrong. Sanchez lead the AL in ERA (3.00), Happ was second in the AL in wins (20), and Estrada was a consistent threat. The main question entering the 2017 season is: will Marcus Stroman become the ace they have been hoping for? After coming off his ACL injury in 2015, he went 4–0 and had an ERA of 1.67. After his performance in 2015 many thought he could be a top pitcher in the league in 2016 but that didn’t happen. He posted an ERA of 4.37 and went 9–10. With Happ and Estrada not likely to keep up what they did last year, Stroman is going to have to hit his peak if the Blue Jays want to continue their pitching dominance.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers

Clayton Kershaw

1. Clayton Kershaw
2. Rich Hill
3. Kenta Maeda
4. Hyun-jin Ryu/Scott Kazmir
5. Julio Urías

Any rotation led by one of the best pitchers of all time (YES ALL TIME!) will have to be on this list. Clayton Kershaw has been dominant for the past 7 years in which he has won 3 Cy Young awards and been to 6 All-Star games. This rotation is filled with solid starters in Hill, Maeda, Ryu, and Kazmir. Hill was very dominant last season but is old and was limited due to injury. Ryu is coming off an injury which has kept him out for the past 2 seasons and Kazmir wasn’t able to replicate the success he had with the Oakland Athletics. The bright side of this unstable rotation is the 20 year old Julio Urías. On May 27th he was called up to the majors (at the age of 19!) and had a tough transition. Once he hit his stride he was unstoppable, even the Chicago Cubs had problems with him in the Division Round. If Urías gets to pitch the whole season and everyone stays healthy (especially Kershaw), this rotation will easily lead them to the playoffs.

6. Washington Nationals

Max Scherzer

1. Max Scherzer
2. Stephen Strasburg
3. Gio Gonzalez
4. Tannar Roark
5. Joe Ross

The only reason this rotation is this high up is because of the two time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. He has been one of the most effective pitchers in the past 5 seasons with both the Tigers and the Nationals. Stephen Strasburg is a very talented pitcher who has the stuff to be one of the top in the game, but his consistent injury problems keep derailing him from reaching his peak. Last season we saw how good he could be when he started off the season 12–0 (first since 1912) but a right elbow injury ruined his season and was put on the DL in late August. Tannar Roark and Gio Gonzalez are solid middle rotation men but they aren’t the most consistent pitchers out there. Joe Ross has a ton of potential but was hit with the injury plague. As long as Scherzer is leading this rotation, don’t expect them to be anywhere out of the top pitching staffs in the league.

5. San Francisco Giants

Madison Bumgarner

1. Madison Bumgarner
2. Johnny Cueto
3. Jeff Samardzija
4. Matt Moore
5. Matt Cain

Last season was the first time in 6 years that the Giants didn’t win the World Series in an even year (2010, 2012, 2014). A pitching staff led by one of the best playoff pitchers in history in Madison Bumgarner should be scary enough but when you add an All-Star in Johnny Cueto it makes for a terrifying rotation. After winning the World Series with the Kansas City Royals, Cueto signed a 6 year, $130 million contract with the Giants in the hopes to have a dominant trio with Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija. This rotation was amazing but competing in the NL West with the Dodgers made matters tough for them. When they traded for the former top prospect Matt Moore, the Giants felt they had a top rotation (which they did). They finished with the first Wild Card spot and were eliminated the next round by the soon to be champion Chicago Cubs. With Samardzija and Cueto having their first season overwith, all the worries should be done. The rotation showed they can compete with the best. Like always this staff, led by Bumgarner, will lead the Giants to another playoff run and like always maybe a World Series.

4. Chicago Cubs

Jake Arrieta

1. Jon Lester
2. Jake Arrieta
3. Kyle Hendricks
4. John Lackey
5. Mike Montgomery

You know you have an amazing rotation when it consists of a pitcher that won the Cy Young award two years ago (Jake Arrieta) and two others who finished top 3 in votes for the Cy Young award last year (Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks). This pitching staff was one the most unstoppable forces in baseball last season. Hendricks and Lester were 1 and 2 in ERA with 2.13 and 2.44, respectively, and Arrieta was 5th in wins. To put the cherry on top, they won the World Series. There isn’t much more to say except that this has been one of the most dominant rotations in the MLB. Just expect them to continue their success from last year, especially with the best batting in the league.

3. Cleveland Indians

Corey Kluber

1. Corey Kluber
2. Carlos Carrasco
3. Danny Salazar
4. Josh Tomlin
5. Trevor Bauer

Somehow the Cleveland Indians made it to the World Series without their best player in Michael Brantley and without their number 2 and 3 pitchers. Before Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar got injured, they formed one of the most effective trios in the league with Corey Kluber. But even once they got injured that didn’t stop the Indians from making a run. With a subpar rotation led by Kluber they did the impossible and went to the World Series. Even though they took a play out of the Golden State Warriors playbook and blew a 3–1 lead, they showed they can easily win it all. With the additions of Edwin Encarnación and Michael Brantley in the lineup, these 5 pitchers will have a ton of run support to make another World Series run.

2. New York Mets

Noah Syndergaard

1. Noah Syndergaard
2. Jacob deGrom
3. Matt Harvey
4. Steven Matz
5. Zack Wheeler

In 2013 the ace was Matt Harvey. In 2014 the ace was Jacob deGrom. In 2015 people couldn’t choose between Harvey and deGrom. Then 2016 came, the emergence of “Thor” Noah Syndergaard and now he’s the ace. It’s now 2017 and supposedly everyone is healthy and everyone’s back to asking “who the hell is really the alpha dog?” Syndergaard is coming off a strong season in which he had an ERA of 2.60 but that wasn’t good enough for him so he put on an extra 17 pounds of MUSCLE! The man already pitches 100+ MPH, what else can he do? deGrom, Harvey, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler are all coming off injuries. The main question for the Mets is: can they all stay healthy? There is so much talent among these guys but they just can’t stay on the field. If they manage to stay healthy, then everyone better watch out because they are UNSTOPPABLE.

1. Boston Red Sox

Chris Sale

1. Chris Sale
2. David Price
3. Rick Porcello
4. Steven Wright
5. Eduardo Rodríguez/Drew Pomeranz

Well this was an obvious choice for the best rotation in the MLB. Once the Red Sox traded for Chris Sale everyone knew they have the best duo in the league. David Price and Sale have combined for one Cy Young award and 10 All-Star appearances. After those two you have last season’s Cy Young winner Rick Porcello as their number 3 pitcher! Yes, 3. It doesn’t end there, when you have last season’s All-Star starter Steven Wright as the number 4. Their rotation is so stacked that I don’t even know who the number 5 pitcher will be. Drew Pomeranz was a great pitcher with the San Diego Padres but couldn’t continue his first half success with the Red Sox. Eduardo Rodríguez is a young pitcher with a ton of potential but had a very rough 2016 campaign. Though Price will start the season on the DL, this rotation is so stacked that it won’t have a problem winning games. Even with David Ortiz retiring, this team should be the favorite to come out of the AL following a battle with the Indians and compete with the Chicago Cubs for the title.