Power Ranking Each MLB Team’s Starting Rotation

by | Jun 27, 2014

The era just prior to the 1920s was known as the “Dead Ball Era.” And using that logic, we can classify these times as the “Sleepy Ball Era.” Run scoring has been down and, conversely, pitching prowess has been up. With that said, the need for a strong rotation is as crucial as ever if teams want to make a World Series run.

The teams that feature stout starting pitchers tend to be the ones that thrive in the regular season—and also go deep into the postseason. Let’s take a look at how each squad stacks up.

30. Colorado Rockies
A quality hitting team can only go as far as its pitching staff—and the Rockies are going nowhere fast. Colorado is an easy choice to round out the bottom of this list. After all, it has the worst rotation earned run average (ERA) in baseball at 5.10, as well as having allowed the most home runs and most walks per nine innings.

In fact, three starters posses ERAs that are north of 4.70, including expected ace Jorge de la Rosa. That won’t lead to many victories—no matter how well the hitters perform.

29. Minnesota Twins
The team with the worst ERA in 2013 is maintaining that level of futility in 2014. Even though Phil Hughes has been more than serviceable (8-3 record, 10 quality starts), it’s a severe drop-off from there.

Ricky Nolasco has been a great disappointment since coming over from Los Angeles. In his 15 starts this season, the right-hander has allowed 55 earned runs and 15 homers (just two short of last year’s total). His last month has shown some signs that he may be turning the corner, but that will not be enough to carry this group out of it misery.

28. Arizona Diamondbacks
While depth in a rotation is important, the first step is to have a reliable ace. The Diamondbacks are lacking in both areas. Bronson Arroyo had a nice go of it in April and May, but his time has passed.

Wade Miley has nearly reached the century mark in terms of strikeouts this season. His walk total, though, is also far too high. The top starter at this point in the year is Josh Collmenter, who has five wins since May 18.

But when you allow nearly four runs a game on a staff that has a rotation ERA of 4.81, the term “ace” doesn’t hold much water in the desert.

27. Cleveland Indians
Terry Francona has had to shuffle around his staff, from changing closers to getting work out of spot starters.

He thought he could count on Justin Masterson. And, after seeing a 14-win campaign in 2013 that resulted in an All Star appearance, there was no reason to question him. Now, there are questions all abound—especially about his control. In 17 starts, Masterson has a 5.03 ERA, 50 walks and has hit 10 batters.

Only Corey Kluber has maintained his edge. The unquestioned ace of this year’s rotation, Kluber leads the Tribe with seven victories, a 3.09 ERA and an impressive 122 strikeouts.

26. Pittsburgh Pirates
The magic of last season’s playoff run was aided by contributions from many players—starting pitchers included. One of those key pieces was A.J. Burnett, who has since departed Pittsburgh and has proven to be a tough void to fill.

Add in the struggles of Francisco Liriano (1-6, 4.35 ERA) both to stay healthy and to maintain a formerly high level, and you have a recipe for a club that is more scuffling than thriving.

Charlie Morton was living a nightmare to start this season. He opened 2014 by going 0-6. Although he managed to get rid of the goose egg on May 23, he is just 4-9 and an epitome of a Pirates staff that had a 4.16 rotation ERA (13th in the NL) heading into play on Thursday.

A rare bright spot has been Gerrit Cole, who continues to show why he’s an ace in the making.

25. Chicago White Sox
With all the talk of Jose Abreu’s outstanding rookie season, not enough focus has been given to those on the mound. And, quite frankly, it needs some help.

That’s especially the case when it comes to No. 3-5 in the rotation. John Danks, Erik Johnson, Felipe Paulino and Scott Carroll have all took turns at being the solution. None have really worked out that well.

Thus, there is a disparity between two fine lefties—Chris Sale and Jose Quintana—and the rest of the staff. Sale, who has been injured for part of the year, has not missed a beat. In 11 starts, he’s 6-1 with an ERA of 2.27 and has fanned 78 batters. Quintana’s ERA is at 3.68, but tough luck has his record at 4-7.

24. Texas Rangers
Imagine if Yu Darvish wasn’t part of this rotation. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Even with the mastery of his seven wins and a 2.62 ERA, the Rangers have the second-worst starting rotation ERAs in the AL (4.69) and allow 3.57 walks per nine innings—the most in all of baseball.

Where does Ron Washington turn to when it’s not Darvish’s turn to take the mound? Whoever he’s gone to has not worked, whether it’s Colby Lewis and his whopping 5.94 ERA and 1.82 WHIP, Joe Saunders (0-4 in seven starts), or Nick Martinez (1-5).

23. Boston Red Sox
The backbone of Boston’s 2013 World Series title has ruptured in 2014. With a 4.18 rotation ERA, the Sox rank 24th in the league.

Clay Buchholz and Felix Doubront have yet to be reliable. Buchholz is having great difficulty with his command. His failure in locating his pitches has resulted in poor showings against Baltimore on April 21, Texas on May 9 and Atlanta on May 26. Doubront will have to fix his shortcomings via the bullpen, as manager John Ferrell reassigned him last week.

Jon Lester and John Lackey can still be counted on. Each has eight wins and a fair number of strikeouts. That said, this rotation is not at the quality level it showed last season. Too bad they haven’t received much in the way of run support, either.

22. Baltimore Orioles
These past two seasons have seen the Orioles become playoff contenders in the AL East due to power bats and slick fielding. Their pitching has always seemed to be the deterrent in their progress.

The off-season signing of Nelson Cruz was phenomenal. Not so much for Ubaldo Jimenez. The former Rockie and Indian (winner of 13 games in 2013) has just two so far this year—and last garnered a ‘W’ on May 8 versus Tampa Bay.

Bud Norris, Wei-Yin Chen, and Chris Tillman all have been serviceable, though collectively not yet strong enough to merit threats for the pennant.

21. Philadelphia Phillies
The search for Cole Hamels’ vintage form was discovered in June. After flailing through the month of May, Hamels has gone on to surrender just three earned runs in 37 innings in June. Yet somehow, his record is just 2-4.

Fellow lefty Cliff Lee and A.J. Burnett have been serviceable—with Lee having just nine walks over 68 frames. Kyle Kendrick and Roberto Hernandez aren’t enjoying tremendous success, combining for a 6-13 record this year. Beyond this group of four is a complete unknown, meaning the demand to stay healthy is vital.

20. Tampa Bay Rays
For a team expected to at least contend for another playoff berth, the Rays are the biggest disappointment in 2014. Contributing its share of the frustration among Tampa fans is the rotation. Not just due to a drop in production, but due to the myriad amount of injuries that have struck down several key arms.

Those that have been healthy enough to perform haven’t done it to their maximum potential. None of the regular starters have a winning mark, as ace David Price is tops with six victories (and seven losses). Collectively, the Rays’ starters have the least amount of wins in the majors (18).

19. Miami Marlins
The absence of Jose Fernandez can’t be overstated. Still, the Marlins have held on better than many could have expected and have shown depth in young talent on the mound.

Miami remains in the NL East race thanks to three pitchers, all of whom are under the age of 28. Henderson Alvarez has an ERA of 1.05 in June and hasn’t tasted defeat since May 11. Nathan Eovaldi leads the club in quality starts and strikeouts. Tom Koehler, meanwhile, has cooled off after a hot start—trying to regain the form that saw him post a 2.25 ERA into mid-May.

18. New York Yankees
Just as Darvish is trying to carry the Rangers’ pitching staff, the same can be true of Masahiro Tanaka. A prime candidate for Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, Tanaka has began his MLB career with an 11-2 mark and a 2.11 ERA. Meanwhile, no other starter in pinstripes can boast credentials even close to that—thus dragging the Yankees down.

A main concern for manager Joe Girardi now is how AL teams will fare in their second time facing Tanaka. It’s a worthy point, considering the Baltimore Orioles did a number on him this past week.

17. Toronto Blue Jays
In totality, credit for the Jays first place lead in the AL East should be granted nearly entirely to the lineup. Individually, plenty of praise should be heaped upon veteran Mark Buehrle.

For a league that sees way too many promising arms go under the knife with elbow ailments, Buehrle has remained supremely durable—not to mention successful. This season, his second in Toronto, could not have gone much better so far—ranking second in the AL in wins.

It was expected that R.A. Dickey would be a solid No. 2 behind Buehrle after coming north from New York. The knuckleballer has yet to reclaim what he did in 2012 as a Met, being more of an average starter than a shutdown starter.

Drew Hutchison and J.A. Happ make up the back end of the rotation—certainly a weakness for a Blue Jay squad hoping to get to the next level.

16. Houston Astros
The youth movement in Houston has been headlined by offensive stars George Springer and Jose Altuve.

Less heralded, yet just as effective, is 26-year-old Dallas Keuchel. Showing marked improvement from 2013, Keuchel’s second full-time big league season already has three complete games—the most recent of which came on May 25 against Seattle. He’s also among the AL’s top ten in wins, ERA and WHIP.

We’ve found few faults in Jarred Cosart (age 24) since coming to the majors last year. Certainly, the Rays didn’t find one last Friday when they were completely shut down over eight innings.

Behind this duo is mostly unknown and unproven, but the foundation is there for a bright future.

16. San Diego Padres
Aided by spacious Petco Park, the Padres possess more promise than most. This is a far cry from the struggles of 2013.

The newest edition of the San Diego starting staff still consists of Andrew Cashner at the top. Among the more highly underrated arms in the majors, Cashner has also been unappreciated by the Pads’ lineup. Despite a 2.36 ERA and nine quality starts, the 27-year-old ace is 2-6.

Tyson Ross’ record (6-7) is also not a reflection on how well he’s pitching. His 95 strikeouts rank just slightly below Ian Kennedy’s 111. But Kennedy’s ERA has ballooned up above the 4.00 mark after a lackluster June.

Eric Stults has had worlds of trouble preventing the long ball—surrendering 15 home runs so far this year.

14. Chicago Cubs
It’s safe to say that Jeff Samardzija is not only carrying this rotation, but he is one of the few standouts (2.53 ERA) in what has been a dreary Cubs season.

And come late July, he’ll likely be in the uniform of another team—likely getting more support than what he’s received so far. What will Chicago have if he leaves? Not much.

Jason Hammel has made 10 quality starts and his ERA stands at 2.99, while Alex Wood leads the Cubs with seven wins. However, he and Edwin Jackson have mediocre command at best.

13. Detroit Tigers
Look on the side of a random milk carton, and you’ll likely see the old Justin Verlander. Unfortunately for the Tigers, it may never come back.

With so many innings having been logged, leading to depleted results, the 2012 AL Cy Young winner has relinquished his title as the franchises’ true No. 1 over to Max Scherzer. Last year’s Cy Young recipient didn’t look the part when he allowed Kansas City to light him up for 10 earned runs in four innings. Not surprisingly, he rebounded with a one-run, six-inning outing against Cleveland—earning his ninth win of 2014.

Anibal Sanchez is a strong No. 2 starter, with numbers (5-2, 0.96 WHIP, 2.64 ERA) that would be ace-worthy on a lesser club.

12. Kansas City Royals
Of the team’s four starters, James Shields is the go-to moundsman. With eight wins and 87 strikeouts, he’s thriving in his second year with Kansas City.

Ironically, though, of the Royals’ starting quartet, Shields has the worst ERA. That most certainly proves the point that if a 3.79 mark is gaudy, then this group is doing just fine.

That steadiness is showcased by ERA leader Jason Vargas, who is 7-3 and is 2.3 wins above replacement (WAR). Yordano Ventura’s 2014 is more of a roller-coaster. He was up in April, then down in May. Having turned 23 in June, he showed plenty of maturity—recovering to win three of his first four starts this month.

11. Milwaukee Brewers
With a very impressive April, the Brewers jumped to a wide lead in the NL Central race. They’ve maintained that safe advantage, and Kyle Lohse has kept up what he started at the season’s outset.

The 35-year-old has had only one poor performance all year, which came June 6 against Pittsburgh (8 ER in 5.0 innings). Aside from that, he has been remarkably steady. His 20 walks and nine victories rank among the best in the NL.

Behind Lohse, there is Wily Peralta. Peralta leads the Brewers in ERA and has won in each of his past four starts (to bring his season total up to eight). Yovani Gallardo and Marco Estrada supply the power, combining for 172 strikeouts.  

10. New York Mets
A good rotation can be overshadowed by what their teammates do at the plate. That is certainly the case with the Mets. New York’s struggle to consistently produce runs (especially in scoring position) is doubly frustrating when you consider that the pitchers are doing their jobs.

Southpaw Jon Niese has failed to get much support—as evidenced in his 4-4 record despite a 2.78 ERA. Zach Wheeler is certainly a pitcher for the future, and will help form a solid duo with Matt Harvey upon his return from Tommy John surgery. At age 24, Wheeler hasn’t always been steady, but has shown promise.

Bartolo Colon is certainly living up to the Mets’ needs, as the 41-year-old has gone 6-0 in his past seven starts to vault into the team lead for victories.

9. Los Angeles Angels
The 1-2 combo of Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson had already been established. It was the tail end of the rotation that was of great concern to the Angels’ front office and fan base.

Last winter, L.A. shipped outfielder Mark Trumbo to Arizona for Tyler Skaggs and Hector Santiago. Although the latter is trying to find his way in the bullpen, Skaggs has shown flashes of what he can bring.

Even more surprising is the emergence of Garrett Richards, who is the club’s ERA and strikeout leader.

What he and the rest of the staff have collectively done well is fan batters with regularity (nearly eight K’s per nine innings) and they keep the ball in the park (0.82 homers per nine innings).

8. San Francisco Giants
Tim Hudson, Madison Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain. All four of these pitchers have—at one point in their respective careers—been ace material.

And while Cain is suffering through a major funk this season, the others have contributed greatly to a wonderful start to 2014.

Lincecum made the most noticeable contribution—no-hitting the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Hudson is most definitely enjoying a renaissance in the Bay Area, with a 7-4 mark and a 2.62 ERA. Bumgarner has racked up the most wins so far (nine) and has fanned 111.

7. Seattle Mariners
Opponents of the Braves back in 1948 had the saying “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” expressing their fear in facing Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain.

Those prayers have a better likelihood of being answered in precipitation-rich Seattle when being asked to take on Felix Hernandez. Too bad Safeco Field has a retractable roof.

Facing King Felix is no easy task. The Seattle ace is 9-2 with a 2.28 ERA and 128 strikeouts. Batters hit just .215 off Hernandez, just one point higher than their success rate against Chris Young. After missing all of 2013 with thoracic outlet syndrome, the nine-year veteran is making himself a nice comeback story.

Hisashi Iwakuma doesn’t possess the overpowering nature of a Hernandez or Young. What he does have is control—and just eight walks allowed in 75 innings on the mound.

6. Atlanta Braves
Had this ranking been done a month ago, the Braves could have very easily been seen at the top. Now, due to the struggles of some overachieving stopgaps and another injury, Atlanta has come down to earth.

Gavin Floyd’s gruesome arm injury last week resulted in yet another starter being sidelined, dating back to spring training. And due to those early season ailments, the Braves were forced to sign Aaron Harang and Ervin Santana. Both fulfilled their roles many times over in April and May, but may be showing signs of wearing down.

They are fortunate to have an influx of powerful arms, including Alex Wood (who replaced Floyd in the rotation) along with Julio Teheran. Once thought to have too many pitchers, the Braves may have just enough to survive. But can they keep it going?

5. Cincinnati Reds
The doubts many have on Johnny Cueto’s health will always be prevalent. As for his ability, there is little doubt. Coming off an injury-riddled 2013, Cueto is at a Cy Young level this year thanks to a remarkable 1.86 ERA, , a .173 batting average against, a 0.84 WHIP and 119 K’s.

Funny enough, he doesn’t even have the most wins on the staff. That honor goes to Alfredo Simon, who is one of very few to have cracked the double-digit victory barrier.

Further back in the rotation is Homer Bailey—a pitcher that occasionally has no-hit potential but more often than not gives up too many runs.

4. St. Louis Cardinals
Cueto may be the best pitcher right now in the NL, but he has competition in his own division. Adam Wainwright is ranked right behind the Reds hurler in terms of ERA and opponents batting average.

And, like Cueto, Wainwright has the luxury of having a bevy of arms that can baffle enemy bats. Lance Lynn and Michael Wacha join their staff’s ace in a starting pitching trio with ERAs under 3.00. The 22-year-old Wacha will spend some time on the 15-day disabled list—what the Cards hope is a slight setback in a stellar first year in the bigs.

Jaime Garcia is also headed to the DL with a shoulder injury. He and Shelby Miller could be, when healthy, quite capable of helping drive the redbirds to the top of the NL Central.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers
From Sandy Koufax to Fernando Valenzuela, this franchise is littered with legendary pitching talent and no-hit ability.

Add Clayton Kershaw to the list, who occasionally appears unhittable. On June 18, he was exactly that to the Colorado Rockies. Just a single error prevented Kershaw from a perfect game—a performance that was among one of the best in history. The star southpaw may be the headliner in L.A., but his supporting cast is nearly as formidable.

Due to Kershaw’s gem, it’s easy to forget about Josh Beckett’s no-no in late May. It’s also easy to forget that the former Red Sox hurler has a 2.28 ERA. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu share the team lead in victories with nine, proof of how deep the Dodger rotation is.

2. Washington Nationals
When you have a group of pitchers that is fronted by Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez and first-year National Doug Fister, there shouldn’t be much weakness.

This season didn’t start out ideally, with Strasburg struggling to get support along with Gonzalez and Fister recovering from injury. Starting in late May, they began to show their capabilities—enough to have the majors’ best team ERA and help push the Nats into first place.

The 25-year-old Strasburg went on a three-game stretch in early June in which he allowed just three earned runs in 19 innings of work. Fister, a former Detroit Tiger, has started out 6-2—which includes a gem on Saturday against Atlanta.

So, naturally, the team’s top win leader is….Tanner Roark? With seven wins and a club-best 2.79 ERA, it won’t be long before he is a well-kept secret.

1. Oakland A’s
Add in the fact that this team produces the most runs per game, and it’s no wonder why the A’s are the best team in baseball. None of their starters are among the top 10 in ERA. However, what they have (and what other teams strive for) is depth and balance.

No starter completely blows you away, but none are incapable of a dominant outing, either. Sonny Gray is arguably the ace of the staff, despite his age and lack of experience. Nevertheless, he’s 7-3 with a 2.91 ERA in his first full year in the majors. Newcomer Scott Kazmir has certainly exceeded Oakland’s expectations. His dud on Tuesday against the Mets doesn’t put a damper on what’s been an All-Star worthy season—a team-best nine victories and a WHIP of 1.01.

Jesse Chavez’s 2.91 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 93 innings prove that his transition from the bullpen has been an effective one, while Tommy Milone is a No. 4 starter that can more than match up with his opposition.