MLB: The Three Best Number-Five Starting Pitchers in Baseball

3. Robert Gsellman

Robert Gsellman is a name not many fans outside of New York may know, but he is a name that many people will know in the future. Gsellman joins an already young Mets rotation at the back end at only 23 years old. He was drafted in the 13th round in 2011 by the New York Mets and has pitched his way up through the organization. Gsellman has put together fairly impressive numbers in the minor leagues, and put up great numbers in his short time in the big leagues last year.

Of course it is hard to justify a pitcher’s worth on such a small sample size, but his time in the big leagues had to have been a very promising sign. In eight games, seven of which were starts, Gsellman threw 44.2 innings with a 2.42 ERA. His strikeout rate was great, averaging 8.5 every nine innings, accounting for 42 strikeouts. His walk rate was a bit high at 3.0 per nine, and his 8.5 hits per nine could be a concern. However, Gsellman showed the ability to get batters out, an extremely good sign at such a young age.

Backing up his short dominance at the big league level are his solid numbers throughout his minor league career. In six seasons in the minors, starting at 17 years old, Gsellman racked up a 3.11 ERA. His hits per nine rate was about the same, his strikeout rate slightly lower and his walk rate also lower. Gsellman is a young talented arm who seems to only get better and has a massive ceiling, potentially as high as a #2 starter for the future.