FULL ARTICLE: Here are the 10 Best Rotations in Baseball by Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Indians still have a top-5 rotation without SPs Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer
Over the last decade, baseball fans have been witnessing the relief-pitching revolution; no longer will SPs be throwing complete games and 110+ pitches per outing. However, MLB bullpens broke down in 2019 by collectively creating the 11th highest league-wide (4.43) ERA in history. With the shortened 60-game season on the July docket, MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince ranks the 10 best SP rotations as depth will play a major factor due to the special circumstances.
There is not a single SP trio that can match up with Washington’s Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin, but there is one team that has both firepower and youth to surprise the baseball world this summer: the Cleveland Indians. Even though the franchise traded away its previous No. 1 and 2 starters (Kluber -> Rangers & Bauer –> Reds), the Indians will still display an elite SP committee headlined by Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber.
Rounding out the rotation will be Mike Clevinger (5th-lowest ERA since 2017-18), Carlos Carrasco (10.8 Ks/9IPs in 2018, 9th-highest), and rising studs in Adam Plutko, Zach Plesac, and sixth-man Aaron Civale. Cleveland will continue to showcase their strong farm system that features one of the best pitching factories in the game.