MLB: Ranking the Top Five Starting Rotations
By Jason Reed
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
According to Fangraphs 2017 predictions, the Los Angeles Dodgers will lead the league in WAR for starting pitchers. It’s not hard to see why that prediction is justifiable. First, the Dodgers have the best pitcher on the planet in Clayton Kershaw. Forget about what people say about his postseason performance, Kershaw is the best pitcher in the world. If it wasn’t for his back injury Kershaw likely would have taken home yet another Cy Young and would have yet again been in the running for MVP. Leading all pitchers in WAR, despite not being qualified, only shows Kershaw’s true dominance.
Another reason the prediction is so high is because the Dodgers have so many arms listed for starting pitching. Eleven players are listed to contribute for the Dodgers starting rotation in 2017. This isn’t surprising considering the amount of pitchers who pitched for the boys in blue last season. The opening day rotation, as of now, will likely consist of: Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda, Julio Urias, and Alex Wood.
With so many more arms outside of those five it’s easy to see why the Dodgers may have the most valuable staff in baseball. Scott Kazmir can still produce along with the often forgot about Hyun-Jin Ryu and the young prospect Jose De Leon. Trading away some of these arms, especially De Leon, is likely on the radar for the Dodgers. With a need for a second baseman, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of these arms be dealt.
If Urias can have an exponential growth into his potential, the Dodgers may be number one. However, with Hill’s injury history, Urias’ inexperience, and Maeda’s late season melt down, the Dodgers as of now seem to be the third best rotation in baseball – despite the predictions.