A starting rotation can carry a team all the way to a World Series berth. Some of the rotations in the game today are stacked from top to bottom. Here are the top starting rotations in baseball today.
2018’s Top Starting Rotations in MLB
10 New York Yankees
Luis Severino, Sonny Gray, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Jordan Montgomery
The rotation is the main problem for the Yankees right now. I expect them to sign another starter at some point before Opening Day. However, as is right now their top three is solid. Severino broke out last year with Cy Young numbers, and the addition of Sonny Gray at the deadline was big. You know what you are going to get out of Tanaka, though he can be shaky at times. At the back end, CC is getting out there in age and Montgomery was shaky at time last year.
9 New York Mets
Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler
Of course everyone remembers the talks of the best starting rotations in MLB history, well look at the now. The “Big-5” is still yet to start all five of them in a row. The biggest factor for the Mets is going to be health this season. Mickey Callaway and Dave Eiland will certainly make a difference on this rotation, it is just a matter of if they can stay healthy. You know what you;re going to get from Thor and deGrom, Matt Harvey needs to show even 1/4 of the “Dark Knight” days, and Wheeler and Matz are out to prove they can stay healthy. The sky’s the limit if this group can stay healthy.
8 Toronto Blue Jays
Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Joe Biagini
Marcus Stroman is the smallest and the pitcher with the most swag in baseball. He also is a very solid top of the rotation starter. Mark my words, Stroman will win a Cy Young award one day. After a career 2016, Sanchez appeared in only eight games in 2017, and will certainly rise again in 2018. Marco Estrada and J.A. Happ are both veterans who continue to take the ball and just go out and do their job.
7 Los Angeles Angels
Garrett Richards, JC Ramirez, Matt Shoemaker, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Skaggs
Obviously the addition of Shohei Ohtani is going to significantly increase the strength of this rotation. However, even before Ohtani they were’t as bad as people think. Matt Shoemaker is very underrated, and Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs could be great, when healthy. J.C. Ramirez also had a pretty respectable 2017 season. This group is primed for a breakout year in 2018.
6 Boston Red Sox
Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Drew Pomeranz, Eduardo Rodriguez
Chris Sale is Chris Sale, he’s one of the best in the game. Drew Pomeranz is also one of the more underrated starters in the game. Although, aside from Sale and Pomeranz, this rotation is a giant question mark. David Price only pitched 74 innings last season, and you can’t guarantee anything from both Porcello and E-Rod. If Price could stay on the field, and Porcello could return to even half of his 2016 Cy Young form, the Sox will be fine.
5 Cleveland Indians
Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer, Josh Tomlin, Danny Salazar
The Indians rotation is easily one of the top units in the game. The “Klubot” has won 18 games in back-to-back seasons and won his second Cy Young in 2017. Carlos Carrasco has also had three straight very good years, with a career high 18 wins in 2017. Trevor Bauer has reinvented himself very nicely in Cleveland since being dumped and given up on by the Diamondbacks. And both Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin get the job done and eat innings. This rotation is a big reason why Cleveland has been a contender the past couple of seasons.
4 Washington Nationals
Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez, A.J. Cole
The Nationals rotation has been one of their strong suits for a couple of years now. Max Scherzer is one of the best pitchers and most fierce competitors in the game today. Strasburg has tons of upside, when healthy, though he hasn’t been able to stay on the field. Gio has the abilities of a top of the rotation starter, and both Cole and Roark serve as good innings eaters. There have also been talks that the Nats may try and add Jake Arrieta to this already strong rotation, which would push them even higher on this list.
3 Los Angeles Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Hyun-Jin Ryu
Clayton Kershaw is the best left handed pitcher in the game today. When Kershaw is on, it only takes one run to win. Both Alex Wood and Rich Hill are coming off career years, and you should expect much of the same in 2018. In his second year in the U.S. Maeda enjoyed another strong year, as he won 13 games. A bounce back year should be expected from Ryu, solidifying a very strong power five.
2 Chicago Cubs
Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, Yu Darvish, Tyler Chatwood
The subtraction of Jake Arrieta was washed away by the recent signing of Yu Darvish. Lester, Darvish, Hendricks, and Quintana is a very solid top four. Tyler Chatwood could serve as a fine innings eater, as he washable to put together a 4.18 ERA in five seasons at Coors Field. This rotation will certainly be able to hold things together for the Cubs this year.
1 Houston Astros
Dallas Keuchel, Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers, Gerrit Cole, Brad Peacock
The Astros starting rotation helped carry them to a World Series berth in 2017. The depth of Verlander, Keuchel, McCullers, Peacock, Charlie Morton, and Colin McHugh got even stronger with the addition of Gerrit Cole. Cole has the ability to be a top of the rotation starter, and is the third or fourth best starter in this rotation. Not to mention, I am expecting huge contributions form McCullers and Peacock this season.
Check out the top starting rotations of 2017 here!
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