1. Jake Arrieta – CHC
5-0, 36 IP, 1.00 ERA, 2.85 FIP, 10 BB, 32 K, 0.9 fWAR
When legendary Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis once said “Just win, baby” he must have been speaking directly to Jake Arrieta. The Chicago right-hander and reigning Cy Young winner seems to be channeling those words, as he went 5-0 through April and pushed his streak to 18 starts without a loss. He’s 17-0 over that stretch, with two no-hitters.
It is those no-hitters that push Arrieta back to No. 1 on this list, as every time the 30-year old takes the hill he seems capable of doing something magical. His first start to the year was seven shut out innings of two hit ball, and he matched that in his third when he went eight allowing just five hits.
Next: Top 5 NL ROY candidates thru April
His dominance has led to people questioning whether he will be part of the rumored upcoming PED suspensions, to which there doesn’t seem to be any substance. If anything comes out confirming these allegations, Arrieta would surely drop from the list. But as long as he’s never failed a drug test, we’re going to keep him on top.