MLB: Top Four Starting Pitcher Trios Heading into 2017

It’s hard for a team to win a championship without good starting pitchers. Here are four MLB teams with a trio of top starters.

Almost every MLB team has a defined ace to lead its staff. What makes a good team better, though? Having multiple good pitchers to rely on.

A great bullpen is also key to winning, but a strong staff can carry a team to the World Series alone. Look at the defending world champion Chicago Cubs last season. They had two of their starters battle for the NL Cy Young award.

When a team only has one or two good starters, it puts a burden on them. A team relies on those pitchers to succeed all season. And if they start to struggle, there are no other guys who can step up for them. Now with three or more good starters, a team and the individual pitchers can pitch without stress. If one struggles, other pitchers can carry the load for the team.

Sure, offense plays a big factor for a team. But without good starting pitchers, a team is constantly playing from behind. That puts a lot of pressure on the offense. A combination of good offense and a solid rotation usually turns in positive results.

Good starting pitching can carry a team without a great offense, but the opposite isn’t the case. A good offense can rarely carry a below-average pitching staff.

Let’s take a look at four teams with three solid pitchers at the top of their rotation.

Chicago Cubs

As mentioned in the previous slide, the Chicago Cubs had two pitchers compete for the NL Cy Young in 2016. Both Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks carried the rotation for the Cubs last season. They finished second and third in the Cy Young voting behind Nationals ace Max Scherzer.

The Cubs also have the 2015 NL Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta. In 2016, Arrieta wasn’t as dominant, but he is still one of the top pitchers in baseball right now.

In 2016, Arrieta owned a record of 18-8 with an ERA of 3.10 and 190 strikeouts. His FIP at 3.52 was a bit higher than his previous two seasons in Chicago. He earned his first All-Star Game selection in 2016. Not too shabby for Chicago’s third best pitcher, statistically, last season.

Lester, in his second season in Chicago, had one of the best seasons of his career. With a 19-5 record, Lester also posted a 2.44 ERA and 197 strikeouts. He too earned an All-Star Game selection in 2016. Cubs manager Joe Maddon tabbed Lester as the 2017 Opening Day starter.

In his third major league season, Hendricks exploded onto the scene and provided the Cubs with a third viable starter in 2016. He went 16-8 last season with an MLB-best 2.13 ERA (Lester’s was second lowest). He struck out 170 batters and owned the fourth-best FIP at 3.20.

Any of these three pitchers could be justified as the Cubs’ ace. As the Cubs look for back-to-back championships, the front portion of their rotation possesses the talent to carry them deep into the postseason again in 2017.

New York Mets

With some of the best young starters in the game, the New York Mets’ rotation when healthy has a big three of its own. Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey are three of the best pitchers in the NL.

In 2016, Harvey missed the second half of the season due to surgery on his shoulder for thoracic outlet syndrome. DeGrom missed a majority of September and underwent surgery on his elbow. Syndergaard was the only one of the three that remained healthy the whole season.

Syndergaard’s second season in the majors showcased his true talents. He went 14-9 with an ERA of 2.60 and 218 strikeouts. Syndergaard and his flowing gold locks held a league-best 2.29 FIP. In the 2016 NL Wild Card Game, he pitched seven shutout innings against the San Francisco Giants.

DeGrom in 2016 posted career highs in ERA (3.04), FIP (3.32) and WHIP (1.203). Perhaps the elbow issues played a factor in the rise. Nonetheless, deGrom has a career 2.74 ERA, 492 strikeouts and a 2.88 FIP.

After a successful return from Tommy John surgery in 2015, Harvey continued his dominance for the Mets. But in 2016, before his surgery, Harvey wasn’t the same. His ERA jumped from 2.71 to 4.86. Even with the 2016 struggles, Harvey has a 2.94 career ERA and 525 strikeouts.

When healthy and at their best, the Mets have three top pitchers at the front of their rotation. Syndergaard, deGrom and Harvey played a huge factor in the Mets’ 2015 World Series run. The trio of pitchers could easily lead the Mets back to the playoffs in 2017.

Cleveland Indians

Imagine if the Cleveland Indians had a healthy rotation in the 2016 World Series. The end result might have changed. Indians ace Corey Kluber carried the rotation throughout the 2016 postseason.

Other top Indians pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar suffered injuries in September. Salazar returned for the World Series but was only available out of the bullpen. Carrasco missed the entire 2016 postseason.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

When healthy, the Indians possess three top pitchers in the game. Kluber, a Cy Young winner in 2014, found himself in his first All-Star Game in 2016. He also finished third in the 2016 Cy Young voting. In his five seasons in the league, Kluber has a 3.33 ERA, a record of 58-44 and 936 strikeouts. In 2016, he had the best FIP (3.26) and ERA-plus (149) in the AL.

Salazar, like Kluber, earned his first All-Star Game trip in 2016. Last season, the 27-year-old pitcher posted a 3.87 ERA, 161 strikeouts and an 11-6 record.

Even though Carrasco didn’t make the All-Star team, he still pitched well in 2016. He posted a 3.32 ERA, an 11-8 record and 150 strikeouts.

Clearly, health is key for the Indians in 2017. They have an improved offense with the addition of slugger Edwin Encarnacion, but they need their trio of top starters throughout the season to make it back to the postseason. If they get positive results from those three, expect the Indians to make another run at the World Series in 2017.