PIITBlog by JD - Position Ranking Series - SP

Position rankings series 

 

    With spring training games just a month away let’s take a look at the top players in the game at their respective positions. Let’s start with one Mets fans will love. Starting pitching. With Max and JV at the helm, the Mets are set to have 2 top-10 pitchers again this season. Hopefully, they stay healthy, and the Mets can capitalize on this. 

 

Starting pitcher rankings 

1.    Sandy Alcantara - Sandy is the best pitcher in baseball, coming off the best season of his young career. 2.28 ERA, 228 IP, and a 5.7 fwar. Nobody tops his stuff and durability.

2.    Justin Verlander - He probably won’t repeat last year at age 39, then again, it’s Justin Verlander. He is coming off a CY young season where he pitched to a 1.75 ERA with 175 innings pitched and a 6.1 fwar. Can’t argue to have him any lower on this list. Until he shows his age, he’s the guy.

3.    Jacob Degrom- this one may be a little controversial. I still think when healthy, Degrom is the best pitcher on the planet. That is a big if! Degrom only pitched in 11 games last season and was on and off. His stuff and resume speak for themselves. If he remains healthy, I expect a 3rd Cy young for the brand-new Texas Ranger.

4.    Shohei Ohtani- the man himself. Ohtani is the most famous baseball player on the planet and for good reason. He clocks in at #4 on this list. Coming off a year where he pitched to a tune of 2.33 ERA, 166 IP, and a 5.6 fwar. He is only getting better. If he stays healthy, he can climb even higher on this list next year. 

5.    Gerrit Cole- the workhorse. This guy isn’t going to go out and post a sub 2 era (most likely). He will go out and throw 200 innings and dominate in the big spot. He thrives on energy. His numbers weren’t as eye-popping as the others on this list but man does he strike people out. 200 IP, 3.5 era, 257 SO (lead baseball). He is consistent but not the most talented on this list.

6.    Max Scherzer- come on, you didn’t think I could have a top 10 without including Mad Max. Even coming off a season where he was injured a decent amount, he was still dominant as usual. Pitching to a tune of 2.29 era, 145 IP, and a 4.4 fwar. A healthy max= another season of dominance.

7.    Zack Wheeler- I am a massive Zack wheeler fan. Ever since he came up for the Mets he always flashed that tantalizing stuff we are used to seeing. The last few years he has really put it together. I predict he will grab his first cy young within the next couple of seasons. Last years numbers include: 2.82 era, 153 IP, and 4.1 fwar. His stuff is electric and it’s not going anywhere.

8.    Corbin Burnes- Consistent dominance. Corbin Burnes has been one of the top pitchers in the game for some time now. He has been a bit under the radar recently for some reason. Last year his pitched to a 2.94 era with just over 200 IP and a 4.6 fwar. I don’t see any reason why this wouldn’t continue. Expect to see him on these lists for years to come.

9.    Carlos Rodon- The newest New York Yankee. Coming off his first fully healthy season in the last couple years, Rodon was dominant to say the least. His fastball is unbelievable and has the breaking ball to match. When healthy he’s one of the best there is. Last year he pitched to a 2.88 era, with 178 IP and a 6.2 fwar. Yes you read that right, 6.2.

10. Dylan Cease- this last spot is tough. There are a couple other deserving candidates (pains me to say Strider is one of them). Cease has some of the best stuff in baseball, dare I say potentially the BEST. His flaw his whole career has been walk rate. He has improved but it still needs work. Despite that, he posted a 2.2 era across 184 innings with a 4.4 fwar. I expect him to continue this dominance and take the next step this year. 

 

This concludes my first top 10 rankings. I’d love to hear feedback on anyone you think deserves a spot. State your case below! 

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