Pitching wins in October. If you can run multiple starters out there who can control a game into the late innings, you have a real shot at a title. So who has the best rotation in baseball, and who rounds out the top 10?
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Blake Snell
Tyler Glasnow
Shohei Ohtani
Emmet Sheehan
Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers don’t win back-to-back World Series titles without elite pitching depth. They’ll roll out a six-man rotation loaded with high-end arms. The injury risk is real, as a full season from Tyler Glasnow is never a given and Shohei Ohtani has had his share of health issues. Others in this group have dealt with IL stints as well, so durability is a fair question, but the effectiveness isn’t. Yamamoto showed he’s among the best in the game, winning World Series MVP after a dominant regular season that included a 2.49 ERA and a 20.8 K-BB%. When this team inevitably gets back to October, nobody will want to face this staff.
2. Cincinnati Reds
Hunter Greene
Andrew Abbott
Brady Singer
Nick Lodolo
Chase Burns/Rhett Lowder
There might not be a rotation I’d rather have over the next five years than the Cincinnati Reds. Hunter Greene is the ace and a legitimate Game 1 weapon in any series. The group is loaded with young talent in Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Brady Singer, and it’s rounded out by two intriguing wild cards in Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, both first-round picks with very different skill sets. Burns brings elite velocity and a wipeout slider, while Lowder wins with command and craft.
3. Boston Red Sox
Garrett Crochet
Ranger Suarez
Sonny Gray
Brayan Bello
Johan Oviedo
The Red Sox have one of the top pitchers in baseball in Garrett Crochet, plus plenty of depth behind him. Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray slot in as the No. 2 and 3, both significant additions. Suarez was one of the top arms on the market, and while Gray is 35 and coming off uneven surface numbers, the underlying metrics suggest a bounce-back is coming. Even if injuries hit, Boston has young options like Connelly Early and Payton Tolle ready to step in. This is a rotation with real upside.
4. Detroit Tigers
Tarik Skubal
Framber Valdez
Jack Flaherty
Justin Verlander
Casey Mize
After adding Framber Valdez late in the offseason, the Tigers solidified themselves as one of the best rotations in baseball. The depth is a bit of a question, but the top half is loaded. Back-to-back Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is a 200-strikeout arm and gives them a chance every time he takes the mound. Valdez adds a durable innings-eater with ace upside. There are still some questions at the back end, but the top of this rotation is strong enough to put Detroit in the top five.
5. Seattle Mariners
Bryan Woo
Logan Gilbert
Luis Castillo
George Kirby
Bryce Miller
Seattle is loaded with pitching depth at both the major league and minor league levels. Recent regression from George Kirby and Bryce Miller keeps them just outside the top tier, and Luis Castillo is starting to get up there in age. Even with those concerns, bounce-back seasons from Kirby and Miller feel likely. And if something does go wrong, the Mariners have the depth to bring up another arm from Triple-A that can step right into a major role.
6. Pittsburgh Pirates
Paul Skenes
Mitch Keller
Braxton Aschcraft
Bubba Chandler
Jose Urquidy
Jared Jones (Currently on IL)
Even with the organization looking dysfunctional at times, the pitching has been a clear strength. They have the best pitcher in the NL in Paul Skenes, along with solid arms in Mitch Keller and Braxton Ashcraft, plus high-upside options like Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler.
7. Philadelphia Phillies
Christopher Sanchez
Jesus Luzardo
Aaron Nola
Taijuan Walker
Andrew Painter
A breakout year from Christopher Sánchez pushes the Phillies this high, but it’s a high-variance rotation. Aaron Nola struggled last year with an ERA north of 6, and if he doesn’t bounce back, things could get messy quickly and force Philadelphia to rely on unproven arms. If things break right, though, this group can compete with just about anyone.
8. Toronto Blue Jays
Kevin Gausman
Dylan Cease
Trey Yesavage
Jose Berrios
Cody Ponce
A couple of offseason moves really elevated the Blue Jays’ rotation, especially in terms of depth. They gave Dylan Cease a seven-year, $210 million deal, a surprise given his mid-4 ERA, but the underlying numbers suggest he can live up to it. Cody Ponce was another addition after a dominant MVP season in the KBO. It’s easy to look at this rotation and see a path back to the Fall Classic.
9. Kansas City Royals
Cole Ragans
Michael Wacha
Kris Bubic
Seth Lugo
Noah Cameron
The Royals might have the most underrated rotation in the sport. Cole Ragans had an uneven year when healthy, but his FIP was nearly two runs lower than his ERA and he still piled up strikeouts. The team also saw breakouts from Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, and Ryan Bergert. Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo should provide plenty of innings, even if Lugo regresses a bit.
10. Texas Rangers
Jacob de Gram
Nathan Eovaldi
Kumar Rocker
MacKenzie Gore
Jack Leiter
This is a potentially volatile pick as no team has a higher risk of looking completely different by July due to injuries or performance. Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, and Kumar Rocker all carry injury concerns, and Jack Leiter and MacKenzie Gore have been inconsistent. When everything clicks, though, the Rangers can match up with anyone. deGrom still leads the way, Eovaldi brings swing-and-miss stuff, and the younger arms have flashed real upside. If it comes together, this could be one of the best staffs in baseball.
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