The following is my starting pitcher tier list. Each tier could vary on how many pitchers are included in each separate tier. I have decided on seven tiers:
Tier One: The deGoat Tier
Tier Two: All Elite
Tier Three: Great, But Not Elite
Tier Four: The Young Guns
Tier Five: Consistency is Key
Tier Six: On the Rise
Tier Seven: Underrated As It Gets
Not every starting pitcher will be listed, that would take forever! The ones listed stick out to me the most and deserve to be included in their respective tiers.
All stats are through June 9th regular season games.
Note: I did not intend on such a long post but I guess I got carried away, so consider this a fair warning! I completely understand if you may lose interest halfway through or however far you want to read. Words cannot express how much I appreciate you all who click on my post to take time out of your day and read what some kid has to say about baseball, it honestly blows my mind! My main goal on my blog is to share what I know about baseball so that it can motivate others to watch, read, or research baseball to some extent. If I have somehow done this through my blog for just one person I have done my job! I hope I have given people more love for what this game truly means through my writing. I appreciate all the support I get from doing what I love, you all are awesome!
Tier One- The deGoat Tier: Jacob deGrom
I have decided to dedicate a tier to the best pitcher in the game. When you think of all-time greats, deGrom should be at the top of the list, he truly is the GOAT!
Jacob deGrom- Mets: deGrom needs no introduction at this point if you have read my previous posts. Jake deserves to have a tier all to himself. Writing about deGrom is so much different than any other player I have written about because he is so advanced and so much better than any other player I have ever seen throw a baseball. Hardly ever do I speak so highly of a player over and over again but deGrom is the one exception. The day before he pitches I have decided to call "deGrom Eve", because it almost needs to be treated as a holiday the day before he pitches. Unlike Christmas Eve which only comes once a year, the so called holiday of deGrom Eve comes every fourth or fifth day depending on off days. The day he pitches is then called "deGrom Day." The future Hall of Famer is a sight to see, striking out batters left and right with primarily just a 4-seam fastball and slider. No one in baseball history has gone nine starts with an ERA lower than deGrom's which is currently 0.62. No one is like him and there will never be another one like Jacob deGrom.
Tier Two- All Elite: Gerrit Cole, Shane Bieber, Trevor Bauer, Max Scherzer
This is a fun bunch of elite pitchers all worthy of this tier. Some of these pitchers are just entering the prime of their career such as Bieber, while others are as reliable as they come such as Scherzer.
Gerrit Cole- Yankees: Cole, is the second best pitcher in the league aside from deGrom in my opinion. The only upside Cole has over deGrom is the probability of getting more wins and maybe getting a few more strikeouts. Cole's current ERA is 2.26, not bad considering he has had a few bad outings in a row. Cole has a knuckle curve that he combines with a fastball and slider to keep hitters off balance. Coming over from Houston following the 2019 season, Cole is a frontrunner to win the AL Cy Young Award and rightly so.
Shane Bieber- Cleveland: The 2020 AL Cy Young winner is having another solid season with Cleveland. Like Cole, Bieber features a knuckle curve which is arguably his best pitch. Bieber's velocity is not quite as impressive as deGrom's or Cole's clocking in at an average of 93 MPH, but he does lead the league in double-digit strikeout games since the 2020 season.
Trevor Bauer- Dodgers: One player who is always keeping the league on fire is Trevor Bauer. Whether it be running his mouth on his YouTube channel, creating his own clothing line, or doing a sword celebration when getting hitters to check swing on a strikeout, Bauer is a character to say the least. Of the previous pitcher's mentioned so far, Bauer by far shows the most emotion on the mound, basically screaming at hitters after he escapes a jam or makes a clutch strikeout or pitch. He honestly puts in more energy off the field than he does on it which I find bizarre. The home run ball has hurt him the most this season, giving up 13 as a result. Pitching in a juiced Dodgers rotation, Bauer is bound to get a win every fifth day. Seriously though, the 2020 NL Cy Young winner is an ace type pitcher with an elite skill set.
Max Scherzer- Nationals: Aside from deGrom, Scherzer is my second favorite pitcher of all-time and a true gamer, Mad Max is as professional as it gets. A strikeout artist, Max has so much intensity on the mound. After a strikeout he will usually stalk the mound with his right arm dangling at his side. When Scherzer starts dangling his right arm after a few strikeouts that is when I know he is in a rhythm. A first ballot Hall of Famer if he retired today, he has nothing left to prove.
Tier Three- Great, But Not Elite: Yu Darvish, Lance Lynn, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Clayton Kershaw
This tier is just below the elite pitchers, all who are great. Some might argue that some of these guys could be in the elite tier.
Yu Darvish- Padres: Darvish has hundreds of pitches he uses it seems to get batters out. The ace in San Diego, Yu is a veteran by this point in his career, already 34 years of age. His average velocity on his 4-seam fastball is 94 MPH while his other pitches are in the mid to high 80's. All of his pitches have insane movement and he always keeping hitters guessing.
Lance Lynn- White Sox: Coming over from Texas in the offseason, Lynn has further improved his craft. Pitching to an absurd 1.23 ERA, while also going 7-1 over this current stretch. Usually after an inning Lynn will talk to himself and use a few "choice words" while walking back to the dugout. Lance brings it every fifth day he takes the hill, already having pitched a complete game shutout in his second start of the season against the Royals.
Brandon Woodruff- Brewers: Woodruff is like that kid in the class who everyone overlooks and never gets enough attention, but in the end the kid gets the job done every time. A case could be made that Corbin Burnes is the Brewers ace, but based off of Burnes maybe not being able to get through the whole season because of durability, Woodruff is the ace in my opinion. With his ERA currently sitting at 1.42 over 12 starts Woodruff is a dark horse to win the NL Cy Young Award, except there is one problem... Jacob deGrom exists.
Corbin Burnes- Brewers: Woodruff's partner in crime, Burnes is having a career season. His breakout season was in 2020 pitching to a 2.11 ERA. Corbin's cutter is what sets him apart from other's, using it more than half the time. Setting the record for recording the most innings without allowing a walk until Gerrit Cole broke it days later, Burnes is as good as it gets. The only concern I have for him is how long can he go at this type of level? Will he continue to keep this up or fall apart in the second half? Only time will tell.
Clayton Kershaw- Dodgers: The veteran of this tier, Kershaw is ever so slowly starting to go somewhat downhill. Another future Hall of Famer, Kershaw has his iconic curveball that drops what seems like10 feet. One of the best pitchers of this generation, you could make an argument that Kershaw is better than Koufax given that he now has a championship and has pitched longer as well.
Tier Four- The Young Guns: Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito, Tyler Glasnow
Given that all of these pitchers are around the same age including a pair of former high school teammates, I have decided to create a tier just for them.
Walker Buehler- Dodgers: The best young pitcher in the game in my opinion, Buehler is a flame thrower. Personally I love Buehler's windup and the way he releases the baseball. With his familiar blue glove on his left hand, the Vanderbilt product features pitches that all easily reach mid to high 90's aside from his knuckle curve and slider. Currently 5-0 through 12 starts with a WHIP of 0.91, Buehler is bound to stay consistent all season long and should have no innings limit, at least in my opinion.
Jack Flaherty- Cardinals: Currently on the IL because of an oblique strain, the Cardinals ace was having a great start to the season, having recorded more strikeouts than innings pitched. The Cardinals need him more than ever right now as they are currently going through a slump. When healthy Jack is a force on the mound. Pitching in the low to mid 90's with his four-seam fastball and mid 80's with his slider he will be an ace in St. Louis for years to come.
Lucas Giolito- White Sox: Originally I was going to place Giolito in the fifth tier, but I thought he would fit better in this one. Giolito and Flaherty were teammates in high school at Harvard-Westlake in California, Max Fried of the Braves was also apart of the high school team. As far as this season goes, Giolito has been off and on. Currently, Lucas has an ERA of 3.88 and is 5-5 through 12 starts. His whiff rate is in the 81st percentile and his K rate is in the 80th percentile. Giolito should be doing better than what his current numbers indicate and I expect him to improve.
Tyler Glasnow- Rays: Glasnow has the build and stuff of an ace and is finally living up to that standard this season. He had the makings of an ace in the 2019 season but a forearm strain ended his season. Through 13 starts this season, the Tampa pitcher has an ERA of 2.57 with a ridiculous 117 strikeouts in 84 innings pitched. Personally, I knew it was only a matter of time for Glasnow to find his stride in his young career, he is just too talented. One of the best strikeout pitchers in the game, currently his K rate is in the 94th percentile.
Tier Five- Consistency Is Key: Jose Berrios, Kyle Hendricks, Zack Greinke, Aaron Nola, Hyun Jin Ryu
All of these pitchers listed above I feel like have one thing in common and that would be their consistency. They may have a few rough outings here and there, but for the most part they are very good and rock solid
Jose Berrios- Twins: Berrios I feel like, is on the verge of being even better than how he is currently performing. Four out of his 12 starts this season he has allowed 4 runs, but his overall ERA of 3.58 is very solid. Among pitching percentiles, Berrios is pretty average in everything but not awful in any particular one. Look for Jose to further improve this season with the Minnesota bats giving him offense every fifth day.
Kyle Hendricks- Cubs: Hendricks, or "The Professor" as he is called because of his precise control has been better as of late for the Cubs. Starting out on a rough patch to begin the season, Hendricks has seemed to have somewhat regained his form. Hendricks's walk rate is in the 94th percentile, meaning he is very good at keeping his walks down, although, I do find this a bit interesting since his WHIP is 1.41. Kyle hardly reaches the mid 90's but he has so much spin and control on his pitches he is hard to hit. The Professor will look to continue his consistent ways as the season progresses.
Zack Greinke- Astros: Another pitcher who is somewhat similar to Hendricks in terms of pitch speeds, Greinke's ERA season after season always seems to be in the low to mid three's. Sometimes you really cannot go wrong with these types of pitchers, basically knowing what types of numbers they are going to put up season after season. A Hall of Famer in my mind, Greinke has his unique Eephus pitch which clocks in at a blazing 52 MPH! He ranks in the 91st percentile in Hard Hit Percentage, in simpler terms his pitches will rarely get hit hard which is a good thing. His most recent achievement came in his last start against Toronto when he pitched a complete game. Currently his ERA is 3.38 with a record of 6-2 across 13 starts. The former Cy Young winner is as consistent as they come.
Aaron Nola- Phillies: Having Nola in this tier seems wrong to me on so many levels knowing he could be ranked as high as Tier Three. Currently, his ERA sits at a pedestrian 4.04 through 13 starts. Looking at his stats, I am a bit disappointed with what I see, although his WHIP is where it normally would be in the 1.2 range. When Nola is on, he can be a Cy Young level type pitcher. The Philadelphia ace will soon figure it out and will turn it around sooner rather than later... at least I hope.
Hyun Jin Ryu- Blue Jays: Ryu seems to always be consistent on some level year after year. Coming over from the Dodgers entering the 2020 season, Ryu seems to feel comfortable in a Toronto uniform. His walk rate this season is in the 96th percentile which translates to a WHIP of 1.11. Ryu may every once in a while have a bad start, but you can count on Ryu to be solid every fifth day.
Tier Six- On the Rise: Carlos Rodon, Kevin Gausman, Zack Wheeler, John Means, Joe Musgrove
All of these pitchers are steadily on the rise by having great seasons and are taking the league by storm!
Carlos Rodon- White Sox: Surprising the baseball universe this season has been White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon. Prior to this season he has only had one season where his ERA was not four or above which was way back in 2015 with an ERA of 3.75. Whatever he fixed in the offseason or Spring Training has certainly helped and in turn has probably turned his career around. Currently, his ERA is below two at 1.96. His K rate is in the 96th percentile which is outstanding, not to mention he has thrown a no-hitter against Cleveland earlier this season. Now that we are in June, I may have to board the Rodon train and hang on until the wheels fall off.
Kevin Gausman- Giants: Gausman has probably been even better than Rodon at this point in the season which is crazy to think about. Getting drafted by the Orioles in 2012, his career did not get off to the best of starts. He was then traded to Atlanta, Cincinnati, and back to Atlanta again. Coming to San Francisco last season, I think it is safe to say he has found a home with the Giants. Pitching to a 1.27 ERA and going 7-0 in 12 starts just speaks volumes to how Gausman has transformed himself so far this season.
Zack Wheeler- Phillies: The changing of the aces may be taking place in Philadelphia with Aaron Nola currently trying to find his footing. Wheeler has been outstanding so far this season, striking out exactly 100 batters while walking only 18. This has resulted in a WHIP under 1.00, at 0.91. The only problem Wheeler has had this season is run support, he is only 4-3 this season. Look for Wheeler to continue this great start though.
John Means- Orioles: This is one of the first times I have written about a current Orioles starting pitcher. Anyone who said Means would have a good of a season as he currently is having would be making millions of dollars at this point. He threw a no-hitter against Seattle earlier this season and has given up two runs or less in every start except one where he gave up three runs to the White Sox on May 29th. He is 4-2 across 71 innings pitched which would translate to 12 starts. Man, it will be interesting to see if John can keep this up. What a season so far!
Joe Musgrove- Padres: Where on Earth did Musgrove come from? Man alive he has come out of the gates roaring to begin this season. Pitching a no-hitter in his second start of the season against Texas must have gotten his juices flowing, I do not know what else could have done it. His K rate, walk rate, and chase rate that he gets on his pitches are all in the 90th percentile or higher. Granted, Joe has somewhat slowed down, but still his ERA sits at 2.33 with 89 punch outs across 65.2 innings pitched. Look for Musgrove to regress just a bit, no one stays this good all season, unless if your name is Jacob deGrom.
Tier Seven- Underrated As It Gets: Pablo Lopez, Aaron Civale, Sandy Alcantara, Tyler Mahle
This tier is all about pitchers who are putting up great numbers but are somehow not getting the respect they deserve.
Pablo Lopez- Marlins: My personal favorite out of this tier, Lopez has been a wonderful pitcher on my fantasy staff and in real life for the Marlins. His ERA is at an excellent 2.76, but he only has two wins all year. Getting no run support has driven me crazy probably as much as it has Lopez. Seriously, Lopez is amazing for the level of attention he gets.
Sandy Alcantara- Marlins: Yet another Marlins pitcher. Alcantara was originally in the Cardinals system and was traded away. Alcantara's main pitch is his changeup which I find to be unique. His fastball velocity is in the 98th percentile, I find that very odd that he does not use his fastball as his main pitch. Alcantara's barrel percentage is in the 90th percentile, not a lot of hard contact right on the sweet spot will make a pitcher happy. His ERA is 3.30 through 79 innings pitched. Look for Sandy to continue his good performance in Miami.
Aaron Civale- Cleveland: Writing about Civale is something I treasure every time I think of a post to include him in. Currently 8-2 with a 3.49 ERA, Civale is pure gold in the fantasy baseball world and rightly so, although the previous two starts he has given up four runs in each game. Fantasy baseball aside, Civale has provided great depth for the Cleveland rotation. Without Zach Plesac for the foreseeable future because of a fractured right thumb, Civale has stepped up even more. Look for Civale to continue his solid ways this season.
Tyler Mahle- Reds: Mahle I feel gets lost in the Reds rotation and I have no idea why. Whether it be Sonny Gray always getting hurt, Luis Castillo always blowing up or whatever the case may be, Mahle deserves more attention. Mahle does not blow away anything in the percentile department, but his more standard stats is what stick out to me the most. Through 62 innings he has 72 strikeouts with an ERA of 3.32, pretty impressive.
Final Thoughts: Congratulations! If you have managed to reach the end you are the Real MVP. I look forward to posting again sometime early next week!
See you at the Ballpark!!!
Adam
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