MLB Preview: Ranking the top five pitching rotations for 2016
With opening Day just a couple days away there are many teams that have strong pitching staffs. But what rotation is the cream of the crop? Our 2016 MLB Preview, looking at the pitching rotations, hopes to answer that question.
That is the question, incidentally, that a lot of experts have been asking during the offseason. In theory, having a strong pitching staff, especially in the rotation, will help a team’s postseason chances. Just look at teams like the Dodgers, Giants and Cardinals over the past few years – they have been able to reach the postseason, in large part, due to the strength of those starters.
So, which teams have the best starting rotations heading into the 2016 season? That is the answer we hope to determine. As such, our 2016 previews continue as we rank the top starting pitching rotations heading into the 2016 season. Click here to check out which teams have the best lineups going into the 2016 season.
Next: Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mentions
10. Seattle Mariners
There are a lot of teams that were clumped together when looking at who could crack the top ten on the list. Seattle jumped ahead of teams like the Dodgers, White Sox and Rangers because of the depth of their rotation and not just having the presence of a bonafide ace, which they still do have in Felix Hernandez. The Mariners’ rotation has upside as well behind Hernandez with second year guys like Taijuan Walker and Nathan Karns coming off of promising rookie seasons. Both pitchers should be expected ti improve. Veteran pitchers like Wade Miley and Hisashi Iwakuma aren’t great, but will be good inning eaters for the club.
9. New York Yankees
The Yankees have the makings of an intriguing pitching staff with guys that are volatile because of injury and inconsistency. The Yanks are led by Masahiro Tanaka, who over the past two years in the league has impressed on a lot of occasions, but also has dealt with injury problems. C.C. Sabathia is not what he was anymore and Michael Pineda, while talented, has had problems with the league for putting tar on the ball. On the bright side, the Yankees possible two best pitchers next season are young and talented. Nathan Eovaldi was arguably the most consistent pitcher on the staff last season and Luis Severino showed why he was a top prospect for New York in his limited starts.
8. San Francisco Giants
The Giants made a couple of big moves this offseason in order to improve their rotation by signing both Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to large contracts. But will these additions improve the club’s rotation as much as they think it will? Madison Bumgarner remains one of the top pitchers in the game and is still firmly in his prime. The Giants do have Jake Peavy and Matt Cain, who were once upper-tier pitchers, but seem to be on the decline as of now as their stuff worsens. Looking at Jeff Samardzija, he has never been a consistent starter despite having overpowering stuff and Johnny Cueto was showing some signs of decline coming down the stretch with the Royals. Both of these pitchers should be solid next season, but they won’t push the Giants into being a top five starting rotation.
7. Arizona Diamondbacks
The D-Backs came out of nowhere to sign one of the top players on the market in Zack Greinke. Then Arizona followed up that move by trading away the number one overall pick from the 2015 draft in Dansby Swanson to the Braves for Shelby Miller, who was coming off a career-best season. These two pitchers will be one of the best 1-2 combinations in the league. There is some concern over Shelby Miller not producing at the level he did last season because of his high walk rate, but Miller is a talented pitcher with a quality pitching arsenal. Behind these two the D-Backs have a solid pitcher in Patrick Corbin, who pitched to a 3.60 ERA in 2015. The team does have question marks in the four and five spots on the staff, but the quality of the top three pitchers puts their rotation here on the list.
6. Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have always relied on their quality starting rotation to help offset the lack of having a real productive lineup and this year is no exception. The team is lead by one of the most talented pitchers in the game in Chris Archer, who had a breakout season in 2015. With Archer set to improve even more, the club also can rely on Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi. Both of these pitchers were real good last year, with Cobb pitching to an under 3.00 ERA and Odorizzi fishing with a 3.35 ERA. Drew Smyly is a solid back of the rotation option and the team hopes that Matt Moore can rebound from a disappointing year last season, which he has the stuff to do so.
Next: 5. Washington Nationals
5. Washington Nationals
The combination of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg has the chance to be as good as any in the entire major leagues, and while Max Scherzer has held up his end of the bargain if being elite, Strasburg has fallen a little short of that honor.
While Strasburg has produced good numbers, he has the potential to do so much better. His weakness comes from him giving up a lot of home runs, one per start, which is surprising because of the stuff that he possesses. This could be the year that he breaks out and if that happens, the Nationals will be higher on this list, there is just some uncertainty there after pitching three years in the MLB and not seeing that kind of production.
In his second year, Joe Ross should improve on his campaign from last season as he has the pitching arsenal to do so, he just has to become a little more consistent with his pitch location. Gio Gonzalez is not the ace that he once was, but is a solid middle of the rotation guy and Tanner Roark will get a chance to be a starter again after struggling and being relegated to the bullpen in 2015.
Next: 3. Chicago Cubs?
4. Chicago Cubs
Boy, has this rotation changed for the better over the past couple seasons.
A few years ago, Jake Arrieta was wasted potential, and now he is coming off of season where he earned a Cy Young Award and was truly the most dominant pitcher in the league for the last couple months of 2015. Jon Lester was with Theo Epstein and the Red Sox a few years ago, now he is the number two starter with Epstein in Chicago.
Chicago also went out and acquired Jason Hammel and John Lackey who have found new life in the careers. Kyle Hendricks seems to be the only weak spot on this staff. There is both upper-end talent in this rotation and depth, another solid starter and they could jump a couple of teams on this list.
Next: 3. St. Louis Cardinals
3. St. Louis Cardinals
Placing the Cardinals on this list was a little tricky, mainly because of the presence of Adam Wainwright at the top of the team’s rotation. Wainwright is coming off of a torn Achilles that ended his 2015 season. The good news is that Wainwright is fully recovered and throwing well, but it’s tough to be extremely confident in him regaining his form quickly.
St. Louis doe shave some other very good starting pitchers to help bring pressure off of the 34 year-old Wainwright. Pitchers like Michael Wacha, Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia are all approaching or are in their primes and have proven themselves at the major league level. Wacha and Martinez, in particular, are both capable of being top of the rotation starters. The club also signed Mike Leake, who while probably overpaid, will be able to give consistent starts.
Overall, the quality of pitchers throughout this rotation is what ranks them this highly.
Next: 2. Cleveland Indians
2. Cleveland Indians
The Indians are led by their three stud pitchers in former AL Cy Young winner in Corey Kluber and two guys that could challenge for that award one day in Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.
While Kluber is the most well-known because of his Cy Young, it could be argued that Carrasco and Salazar could be better next season. Both pitchers have just as quality stuff as Kluber and have produced at a high level the past couple of years as well. Besides the three pitchers on the team in front of them, this is the most talented 1-2-3 pitching combo in the MLB.
Trevor Bauer also has potential to be produce even better than what he has so far in his career because of the talent that got him selected in the top five of the 2011 amateur draft. Some may think that this may be a little high for Cleveland, but their top three starters are all in their prime and it is not inconceivable that they could have career best years this upcoming season.
Next: 1. New York Mets
1. New York Mets
This should not be surprise to anyone. Youth,stuff,power and production, the New York Mets staff has it all. The list they should be focused on is where they may rank on the list of top starting rotation of all-time if they pitch the way many expect them to in 2016. The Mets have five young starters that have the stuff and mentality to all be top of the rotation pitchers on day and most of them already would be aces for many other teams.
Jacob DeGrom is the ace of the stuff as he came out of nowhere in 2014 and continued his outstanding production by leading the team in ERA last season. Noah Syndergaard throws the hardest of any pitcher on their staff and just got better as the season wore on. He should continue to improve as he becomes more of a pitcher than a thrower. Matt Harvey had a successful season coming off of Tommy John surgery and Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler are the more unproven pitchers, but have the stuff to be really good in this league. Heck, the Mets even have Bartolo Colon to help limit the innings these guys have to pitch so they can remain fresh for most of the season. This rotation is far and away the best in the major leagues and could go down in history as one of the best off all-time for years to come.
Next: MLB Preview: 5 spring training players to watch
How would you rank the starting rotations for 2016. Share your thoughts in the comments below.