MLB: The 25 most valuable pitchers of 2019
By Bill Felber
20. Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox, $12.407 million value; $573,000 salary
Giolito’s 176.2 innings of work rank only 37th among the 89 starters. His 20th overall rank is supported by his 228 strikeouts, which ranked 16th, and also by his 134 OPS+, which is the 20th best.
19. Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies, $12.419 million value; $4.50 million salary
Nola’s primary credential is his workload. He produced 202.1 innings, the majors’ 13th best total. His 229 strikeouts stand 14th. He would rank higher but for his 116 OPS+, only the MLB’s 35th best in that category.
18. Jacob Junis, Kansas City Royals, $12.434 million value; $578,000 salary
Largely overlooked due to the Royals’ consistently below average play, Junis had a 158 ERA+, MLB’s 7th best. He failed to make the top 15 due to his 175.1 inning workload, just 39th best, and also due to his 164 strikeouts, the 38th highest total.
17. Mike Soroka, Atlanta Braves, $12.532 million value; $569,000 salary
Soroka recorded a 169 ERA+, fourth-best in all of baseball. When he pitched, he was great. He ranks only 17th overall due to his run-of-the-mill workload, 174.2 innings. That’s just the 41st best total. As a result, he rang up just 142 strikeouts, ranking 61st in MLB.
16. Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians/Cincinnati Reds, $12.567 million value; $13 million salary
Bauer pitched 213 innings, the third largest number in all of baseball, and that total helped him accumulate 253 strikeouts, the fifth highest total. So how does he rank only 16th overall? The answer lies in his pedestrian 104 ERA+, only the 52nd best performance in that category.