Ranking the 10 Best Rotations Entering 2020

SP1: Walker Buehler

Buehler has quickly established himself as one of the league’s filthiest pitchers. Since the start of 2018, Buehler is 22-9 with a 2.98 ERA with a 10.3 K/9.

SP2: Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw has settled into the 1-b role despite being one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of baseball. Kershaw pitched 178 innings in 2019 and had a 3.03 ERA (7th among qualified NL starters).

SP3: Julio Urias

Urias had a breakout year in 2019. His 2.09 ERA as a reliever ranked third among qualified NL bullpen arms. The southpaw also had the lowest opponent exit velocity (83.2 mph) in the majors.

SP4: David Price

Newly-acquired Price will look to make the most out of a change of scenery. Price had a 4.21 ERA in 22 starts last season, but still had a 10.7 K/9.

SP5: Dustin May

Fangraphs ranks May as the second-best Dodgers prospect. He has one of the best fastball (2442 rpm) and curve spin rates (3058) in the league, with both landing inside the Top-10 percent of the league.

Depth: Alex Wood

Wood returns to L.A. after a short, injury-plagued stint with the Reds. Between 2018 and ’17, Wood posted a 3.20 ERA in 52 starts.

SP1: Charlie Morton

In his first year with Tampa Bay, Morton finished third in the AL Cy Young vote and finished with the fourth highest fWAR (6.1) among qualified AL starters. Since the start of 2017, Morton has the lowest HR/9 among AL starters with a minimum of 400 IP, an impressive fact in the midst of the Home Run era.

SP2: Blake Snell

Snell had an innings limited 2019 after going through elbow surgery. However, he was coming off a Cy Young season (1.89 ERA in 180 innings) in 2018 and has many ace-caliber years left at 27 years old.

SP3: Tyler Glasnow

Glasnow had a 1.78 ERA in 12 starts during his fourth major league season in 2019. Glasnow won the first AL Pitcher of the Month award last year but suffered forearm tightness which only limited him to 60 total IP.

SP4: Brendan McKay

The two-way leftie is the Rays’ second-best prospect, according to Fangraphs. McKay struggled on the big league mound but went 6-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 73 innings between AA and AAA last season.

SP5: Yonny Chirinos

Chirinos had a 3.85 ERA in 133 innings last season. He also had a 1.050 WHIP and a 1.90 BB/9. Early in the year, he was used a lot as the pitcher that came in after the Opener.

Depth: Ryan Yarbrough

Yarbrough could be seen as the poster child for the ‘bullpening’ strategy Tampa Bay employs. He threw 141 totals inning during 28 appearances (5 IP/GS), yet only started 14 games. Yarbrough was extremely effective in this role as he posted a 0.995 WHIP (seventh-lowest among pitchers with min. 120 IP).

SP1: Luis Castillo

Castillo struck out 226 batters in 190.2 IP last season, making his first All-Star Game as well. The 27-year-old’s 10.67 K/9 ranked sixth among qualified NL starters. He’s one of the frontrunners for the Cy Young Award this season.

SP2: Trevor Bauer

Bauer struggled after getting traded over from Cleveland last July. He will be looking to get back on the same wave he was riding in 2018, a year where he dominated (2.21 ERA in 175 innings) as a 27-year-old Cy Young candidate.

SP3: Sonny Gray

After Gray’s rough two-year stint with the Yankees, he reunited with former Vanderbilt pitching coach Derek Johnson in Cincinnati. He responded with a 2.87 ERA, finishing 7th in Cy Young voting. Cincy’s top three pitchers have all earned Cy Young votes in the last two years

SP4: Wade Miley

Before an awful month of September, Miley was actually one of the best pitchers last season; going 13-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 28 starts between March and the end of August.

SP5: Anthony DeSclafani

After a sluggish 2018, Desclafani bounced back nicely in 2019 by starting 31 games with a sub-4.00 ERA and posting a career-high 9.0 K/9.

Depth: Tyler Mahle

Mahle has struggled so far in his first 52 appearances with the big league squad. The Reds believe the potential is still there after neutralizing minor league hitting for seven seasons (2.83 ERA in 100+ MiLB GS).

SP1: Max Scherzer

This three-headed monster of a rotation is led by Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner. He probably had his “worst” year as a National, and yet pitched to a 2.92 ERA and led the National League with a 12.7 K/9. At some point, the 35-year-old will slow down, right?

SP2: Stephen Strasburg

Strasburg, the 2019 World Series MVP, had an incredible 2019 throwing an NL-best 209 innings (second time in his career). Strasburg finished fifth in the NL Cy Young voting, and signed a 7yr/$245M extension this past December.

SP3: Patrick Corbin

Patrick Corbin, one of the league’s top lefties, rounds out the big three. Corbin had a great debut season with Washington, pitching to a sub 3.30 ERA in over 200 innings. Corbin was used out of the bullpen a lot last postseason with his most significant outing being his three shutout innings in Game 7 of the World Series.

SP4: Anibal Sanchez

Sanchez is going through a revival phase late in his career after posting an impressive 3.39 ERA over his last two seasons. And let’s not forget about his near no-hitter vs the Cardinals this past October.

SP5: Erick Fedde

Fedde has been in and out of the rotation for the Nats. His 102 ERA+ in 2019 shows that he was a league-average pitcher. He looked pretty decent this Spring, striking out almost a batter per inning.

Depth: Austin Voth

Voth was actually very solid in the small sample size last season with the Nationals. He had a 3.30 ERA and a 9.1 K/9 during his 43 IP in 2019.

SP1: Robbie Ray

The D-backs rotation is filled with very sneaky talent. Led by Robbie Ray, a southpaw who is one of the league’s best strikeout pitchers. In 2019, he had a 12.9 K/9 and struck out 235 in 174IP.

SP2: Madison Bumgarner

Arizona added another southpaw to the top of the rotation, signing Bumgarner to a 5yr/$85M deal this past offseason. MadBum brings postseason experience and a track record of pitching heroics that can’t be matched. Bumgarner had a 3.90 ERA last season and is heading into his age-30 season.

SP3: Luke Weaver

Weaver was acquired by Arizona in the Goldschmidt trade before the 2019 season. He made the most of his first season in the desert, pitching to a 2.94 ERA and a 1.073 WHIP in just 12 starts. If he can stay healthy, he has ace-caliber stuff.

SP4: Zac Gallen

Gallen was a huge surprise last season, posting a 10.8 K/9 and an impressive 153 ERA+ in his rookie year. The D-Backs could’ve gotten a steal at the 2019 Trade Deadline.

SP5: Mike Leake

Leake is a considered solid fifth starter heading into his 11th major league season. He won the AL’s Gold Glove award for pitchers, which will come in handy considering over 80% of the batters he faces puts the ball in play against him.

Depth: Merrill Kelly

Kelly showed signs that he can pitch in the majors after a 5-year hiatus from professional pitching in North America (4 years in Korea). In a stretch between June 2nd and July 18th, he had a 2.67 ERA in 57 innings, but he ended the season on a 5.56 ERA over the final two months.

SP1: Jack Flaherty

Flaherty had a very good year with his 2.75 ERA in 33 starts ranking sixth among qualified major league starters. But it was in the second half of the year where he exploded as he owned a microscopic 0.91 ERA over his last 15 starts.

SP2: Carlos Martinez

Martinez’s shoulder issues forced the Cards to put him in the bullpen last year, where he eventually stepped in as closer after Jordan Hick’s injury. Before a solid relief campaign last year, he was a 2x All-Star SP and looks to get back to his ace-caliber ways in 2020.

SP3: Dakota Hudson

Hudson was a very welcomed surprise for the Cards last season. In 32 starts, the 25-year-old went 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA and finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year vote.

SP4: Miles Mikolas

Mikolas struggled in 2019, but his 2018 All-Star season still earns him a spot in the rotation. Since returning to the MLB, Mikolas has a 3.46 ERA in 64 starts after a 3-year tenure pitching in Japan.

SP5: Adam Wainwright

Wainwright returns for at least one more season to St. Louis after re-signing on a 1yr/$5M deal. His start against the Braves in Game three of the NLDS (7.2 IP, 4 H, 8 K) shows that Wainwright still has some fuel left in the tank.

Depth: Daniel Ponce de Leon

Ponce de Leon has been very good when called up to the majors. In 81 innings with the Cards, he has a 3.31 ERA while striking out a batter per inning.

SP1: Mike Soroka

Soroka quickly established himself as one of the league’s top pitchers, finishing third in the NL ERA title race at 22-years-old. He went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 174 innings, as the NL ROY runner-up (behind a historic ROY in Alonso), Atlanta’s only All-Star pitcher, and earned some Cy Young votes as well.

SP2: Mike Foltynewicz

Foltynewicz made the All-Star Game in 2018, the year where he had a 2.83 ERA in 183 innings. He had a rough 2019, but it was mainly due to elbow soreness early in the year. The 28-year-old is looking to get back on track this year.

SP3: Max Fried

Through his first 13 appearances in 2019, Fried had a 3.19 ERA in 62 innings from March to the end of May. He struggled during June and July, but picked it back up in August, pitching 40 innings with a sub-three ERA. His 17 wins were the second-most in the NL behind Strasburg.

SP4: Cole Hamels

Hamels signed a 1yr/$18M deal this past offseason, bringing crucial experience as a veteran presence to a young rotation. He had a 3.81 ERA in 27 starts with the Cubs last season.

SP5: Sean Newcomb

Despite starting almost all of his professional and collegiate games, Newcomb was very good as a reliever in 2019. In 55 games, the southpaw had a 3.16 ERA and striking a little less than a batter per inning pitched. With Hamels taking Keuchel’s spot in the rotation and Teheran now in LA, Newcomb has earned the right to reclaim a starting spot.

Depth: Bryse Wilson

Wilson is the Braves’ fifth-best prospect, according to Fangraphs. Despite his struggles in a very small sample size in the majors, Wilson has so much potential. In four minor league seasons, he has posted a 2.94 ERA and a 9.4 K/9.

SP1: Justin Verlander

At age 36, Verlander struck out 300 batters for the first time in his career and led all MLB pitchers with 34 starts and 223 IP. The 2019 AL Cy Young winner had a career-high 300 strikeouts last season, a year after striking out 290.

SP2: Zack Greinke

Greinke had a 2.93 ERA between the Diamondbacks and the Astros, his lowest ERA since 2015. In his age-35 season, Greinke won a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and had his sixth All-Star selection. He showed that Gold Glove numerous times in the biggest game of his career.

SP3: Lance McCullers

McCullers returns to the rotation after undergoing Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the entire 2019 season. In 2018, McCullers had a 3.86 ERA in 22 starts. The former All-Star also has one of the league’s best curveball, with a spin rate of 2790 rpm.

SP4: Brad Peacock

In 2019, Peacock really struggled after the month of June, but was really doing very before then besides a disastrous start against the Twins that ballooned his season ERA to 4.12. It would’ve been 3.58 without those miserable 3.2 innings in Minneapolis.

SP5: Jose Urquidy

Urquidy found himself on the postseason roster after an impressive sample size during his debut season. His best performance came in Game 4 of the World Series against the Nationals, where he pitched five scoreless innings and struck out 4.

Depth: Forrest Whitley

After an injury and suspension filled 2018 season, Whitley returned in 2019 but completely lost his control and was eventually shut down with shoulder fatigue. In his only full professional season in 2017, he had a 2.92 ERA in 90-plus innings, with an incredible 13.9 K/9. He’s universally regarded as a top-25 prospect in baseball entering 2020.

SP1: Mike Clevinger

The Indians have lost Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer this past year, but they still own one of the best rotations in the sport. Clevinger will get his chance to shine as the ace of the staff this upcoming season. In 21 starts last season, Clevinger had a 2.71 ERA with a 12.1 K/9, overcoming an early-season back injury that limited him to 126 total IP. Since 2017, he’s struck out 513 batters in 447 innings with an ERA+ of 153, showing how dominant his stuff is.

SP2: Shane Bieber

One could make the case that Bieber is the ace of the rotation after an incredible 2019 sophomore season, winning the All-Star Game MVP and finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young vote. His 3.28 ERA was the fourth lowest in the AL and his three complete games and two shutouts topped all big leaguers.

SP3: Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco is ready and eager to return to the mound after he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia during the 2019 season. He was able to return to the mound late last year, but his stats reflected the weariness of the diagnosis. Before 2019, Carrasco was considered one of the AL’s best pitchers going 35-16 with a 3.33 ERA between ’17 and ’18.

SP4: Zach Plesac

Plesac’s rookie season was a successful one. Despite not being a big strikeout pitcher, he had a 3.81 ERA in 21 starts.

SP5: Aaron Civale

Civale only started in 10 games in 2019, but his 2.34 ERA and 1.040 WHIP make him a very solid bottom of the rotation pitcher with the potential to be much more.

Depth: Jefry Rodriguez

Rodriguez owned a 4.63 ERA in 98 innings last season. It is very possible that the Indians use him as a reliever more than a starter this upcoming season unless injuries force them to strategize otherwise.

SP1: Jacob deGrom

The Mets are led by the best pitcher in the game. One runs out of superlatives when trying to describe the dominance of deGrom. The 31-year-old has taken over the league ever since he arrived, adding a Rookie of the Year award, two consecutive Cy Young’s, and three All-Star’s to his list of accolades.

SP2: Marcus Stroman

Before getting traded to the Mets, Stroman had a 2.96 in 21 starts for Toronto. He struggled just a bit with the Mets (3.77 ERA in 11 starts), but showed promise by raising his K/9 from 7.1 with the Blue Jays, to 9.1 with New York. Entering a contract year, Stroman will look to prove he’s the No.1 pitcher on the market this upcoming Winter.

SP3: Steven Matz

Matz is a lefty with plenty of potential to be a solid starter, but has yet to pitch more than 160 innings (career-high in 2019) during his five-year career. This could be a make-or-break year for the trade candidate.

SP4: Rick Porcello

Porcello was acquired this past offseason and will try to bring back some of that Cy Young magic he had back in 2016. Porcello had a 5.32 ERA in 32 starts last season but showed out when it matters most by helping Boston win the World Series in 2018.

SP5: Michael Wacha

Wacha took a step back in 2019 after a very strong ’18 campaign where he had a 3.20 ERA in 15 starts. He has plenty of time to get back to his All-Star ways as a 29-year-old this year.

Depth: Corey Oswalt

Oswalt is more of an emergency arm for the Mets, like most depth pieces on this list, but has already been moved up to the top spot starter after Thor’s TJ surgery. The 26-year-old has struggled in his 71 career innings with the Mets, pitching to a minuscule 59 ERA+.

*Noah Syndergaard will miss the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery*

SP1: Robbie Ray

The D-backs rotation is filled with very sneaky talent. Led by Robbie Ray, a southpaw who is one of the league’s best strikeout pitchers. In 2019, he had a 12.9 K/9 and struck out 235 in 174IP.

SP2: Madison Bumgarner

Arizona added another southpaw to the top of the rotation, signing Bumgarner to a 5yr/$85M deal this past offseason. MadBum brings postseason experience and a track record of pitching heroics that can’t be matched. Bumgarner had a 3.90 ERA last season and is heading into his age-30 season.

SP3: Luke Weaver

Weaver was acquired by Arizona in the Goldschmidt trade before the 2019 season. He made the most of his first season in the desert, pitching to a 2.94 ERA and a 1.073 WHIP in just 12 starts. If he can stay healthy, he has ace-caliber stuff.

SP4: Zac Gallen

Gallen was a huge surprise last season, posting a 10.8 K/9 and an impressive 153 ERA+ in his rookie year. The D-Backs could’ve gotten a steal at the 2019 Trade Deadline.

SP5: Mike Leake

Leake is a considered solid fifth starter heading into his 11th major league season. He won the AL’s Gold Glove award for pitchers, which will come in handy considering over 80% of the batters he faces puts the ball in play against him.

Depth: Merrill Kelly

Kelly showed signs that he can pitch in the majors after a 5-year hiatus from professional pitching in North America (4 years in Korea). In a stretch between June 2nd and July 18th, he had a 2.67 ERA in 57 innings, but he ended the season on a 5.56 ERA over the final two months.

SP1: Charlie Morton

In his first year with Tampa Bay, Morton finished third in the AL Cy Young vote and finished with the fourth highest fWAR (6.1) among qualified AL starters. Since the start of 2017, Morton has the lowest HR/9 among AL starters with a minimum of 400 IP, an impressive fact in the midst of the Home Run era.

SP2: Blake Snell

Snell had an innings limited 2019 after going through elbow surgery. However, he was coming off a Cy Young season (1.89 ERA in 180 innings) in 2018 and has many ace-caliber years left at 27 years old.

SP3: Tyler Glasnow

Glasnow had a 1.78 ERA in 12 starts during his fourth major league season in 2019. Glasnow won the first AL Pitcher of the Month award last year but suffered forearm tightness which only limited him to 60 total IP.

SP4: Brendan McKay

The two-way leftie is the Rays’ second-best prospect, according to Fangraphs. McKay struggled on the big league mound but went 6-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 73 innings between AA and AAA last season.

SP5: Yonny Chirinos

Chirinos had a 3.85 ERA in 133 innings last season. He also had a 1.050 WHIP and a 1.90 BB/9. Early in the year, he was used a lot as the pitcher that came in after the Opener.

Depth: Ryan Yarbrough

Yarbrough could be seen as the poster child for the ‘bullpening’ strategy Tampa Bay employs. He threw 141 totals inning during 28 appearances (5 IP/GS), yet only started 14 games. Yarbrough was extremely effective in this role as he posted a 0.995 WHIP (seventh-lowest among pitchers with min. 120 IP).

SP1: Luis Castillo

Castillo struck out 226 batters in 190.2 IP last season, making his first All-Star Game as well. The 27-year-old’s 10.67 K/9 ranked sixth among qualified NL starters. He’s one of the frontrunners for the Cy Young Award this season.

SP2: Trevor Bauer

Bauer struggled after getting traded over from Cleveland last July. He will be looking to get back on the same wave he was riding in 2018, a year where he dominated (2.21 ERA in 175 innings) as a 27-year-old Cy Young candidate.

SP3: Sonny Gray

After Gray’s rough two-year stint with the Yankees, he reunited with former Vanderbilt pitching coach Derek Johnson in Cincinnati. He responded with a 2.87 ERA, finishing 7th in Cy Young voting. Cincy’s top three pitchers have all earned Cy Young votes in the last two years

SP4: Wade Miley

Before an awful month of September, Miley was actually one of the best pitchers last season; going 13-4 with a 3.06 ERA in 28 starts between March and the end of August.

SP5: Anthony DeSclafani

After a sluggish 2018, Desclafani bounced back nicely in 2019 by starting 31 games with a sub-4.00 ERA and posting a career-high 9.0 K/9.

Depth: Tyler Mahle

Mahle has struggled so far in his first 52 appearances with the big league squad. The Reds believe the potential is still there after neutralizing minor league hitting for seven seasons (2.83 ERA in 100+ MiLB GS).

SP1: Walker Buehler

Buehler has quickly established himself as one of the league’s filthiest pitchers. Since the start of 2018, Buehler is 22-9 with a 2.98 ERA with a 10.3 K/9.

SP2: Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw has settled into the 1-b role despite being one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of baseball. Kershaw pitched 178 innings in 2019 and had a 3.03 ERA (7th among qualified NL starters).

SP3: Julio Urias

Urias had a breakout year in 2019. His 2.09 ERA as a reliever ranked third among qualified NL bullpen arms. The southpaw also had the lowest opponent exit velocity (83.2 mph) in the majors.

SP4: David Price

Newly-acquired Price will look to make the most out of a change of scenery. Price had a 4.21 ERA in 22 starts last season, but still had a 10.7 K/9.

SP5: Dustin May

Fangraphs ranks May as the second-best Dodgers prospect. He has one of the best fastball (2442 rpm) and curve spin rates (3058) in the league, with both landing inside the Top-10 percent of the league.

Depth: Alex Wood

Wood returns to L.A. after a short, injury-plagued stint with the Reds. Between 2018 and ’17, Wood posted a 3.20 ERA in 52 starts.

SP1: Max Scherzer

This three-headed monster of a rotation is led by Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner. He probably had his “worst” year as a National, and yet pitched to a 2.92 ERA and led the National League with a 12.7 K/9. At some point, the 35-year-old will slow down, right?

SP2: Stephen Strasburg

Strasburg, the 2019 World Series MVP, had an incredible 2019 throwing an NL-best 209 innings (second time in his career). Strasburg finished fifth in the NL Cy Young voting, and signed a 7yr/$245M extension this past December.

SP3: Patrick Corbin

Patrick Corbin, one of the league’s top lefties, rounds out the big three. Corbin had a great debut season with Washington, pitching to a sub 3.30 ERA in over 200 innings. Corbin was used out of the bullpen a lot last postseason with his most significant outing being his three shutout innings in Game 7 of the World Series.

SP4: Anibal Sanchez

Sanchez is going through a revival phase late in his career after posting an impressive 3.39 ERA over his last two seasons. And let’s not forget about his near no-hitter vs the Cardinals this past October.

SP5: Erick Fedde

Fedde has been in and out of the rotation for the Nats. His 102 ERA+ in 2019 shows that he was a league-average pitcher. He looked pretty decent this Spring, striking out almost a batter per inning.

Depth: Austin Voth

Voth was actually very solid in the small sample size last season with the Nationals. He had a 3.30 ERA and a 9.1 K/9 during his 43 IP in 2019.

SP1: Jack Flaherty

Flaherty had a very good year with his 2.75 ERA in 33 starts ranking sixth among qualified major league starters. But it was in the second half of the year where he exploded as he owned a microscopic 0.91 ERA over his last 15 starts.

SP2: Carlos Martinez

Martinez’s shoulder issues forced the Cards to put him in the bullpen last year, where he eventually stepped in as closer after Jordan Hick’s injury. Before a solid relief campaign last year, he was a 2x All-Star SP and looks to get back to his ace-caliber ways in 2020.

SP3: Dakota Hudson

Hudson was a very welcomed surprise for the Cards last season. In 32 starts, the 25-year-old went 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA and finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year vote.

SP4: Miles Mikolas

Mikolas struggled in 2019, but his 2018 All-Star season still earns him a spot in the rotation. Since returning to the MLB, Mikolas has a 3.46 ERA in 64 starts after a 3-year tenure pitching in Japan.

SP5: Adam Wainwright

Wainwright returns for at least one more season to St. Louis after re-signing on a 1yr/$5M deal. His start against the Braves in Game three of the NLDS (7.2 IP, 4 H, 8 K) shows that Wainwright still has some fuel left in the tank.

Depth: Daniel Ponce de Leon

Ponce de Leon has been very good when called up to the majors. In 81 innings with the Cards, he has a 3.31 ERA while striking out a batter per inning.

SP1: Mike Soroka

Soroka quickly established himself as one of the league’s top pitchers, finishing third in the NL ERA title race at 22-years-old. He went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA in 174 innings, as the NL ROY runner-up (behind a historic ROY in Alonso), Atlanta’s only All-Star pitcher, and earned some Cy Young votes as well.

SP2: Mike Foltynewicz

Foltynewicz made the All-Star Game in 2018, the year where he had a 2.83 ERA in 183 innings. He had a rough 2019, but it was mainly due to elbow soreness early in the year. The 28-year-old is looking to get back on track this year.

SP3: Max Fried

Through his first 13 appearances in 2019, Fried had a 3.19 ERA in 62 innings from March to the end of May. He struggled during June and July, but picked it back up in August, pitching 40 innings with a sub-three ERA. His 17 wins were the second-most in the NL behind Strasburg.

SP4: Cole Hamels

Hamels signed a 1yr/$18M deal this past offseason, bringing crucial experience as a veteran presence to a young rotation. He had a 3.81 ERA in 27 starts with the Cubs last season.

SP5: Sean Newcomb

Despite starting almost all of his professional and collegiate games, Newcomb was very good as a reliever in 2019. In 55 games, the southpaw had a 3.16 ERA and striking a little less than a batter per inning pitched. With Hamels taking Keuchel’s spot in the rotation and Teheran now in LA, Newcomb has earned the right to reclaim a starting spot.

Depth: Bryse Wilson

Wilson is the Braves’ fifth-best prospect, according to Fangraphs. Despite his struggles in a very small sample size in the majors, Wilson has so much potential. In four minor league seasons, he has posted a 2.94 ERA and a 9.4 K/9.

SP1: Justin Verlander

At age 36, Verlander struck out 300 batters for the first time in his career and led all MLB pitchers with 34 starts and 223 IP. The 2019 AL Cy Young winner had a career-high 300 strikeouts last season, a year after striking out 290.

SP2: Zack Greinke

Greinke had a 2.93 ERA between the Diamondbacks and the Astros, his lowest ERA since 2015. In his age-35 season, Greinke won a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger, and had his sixth All-Star selection. He showed that Gold Glove numerous times in the biggest game of his career.

SP3: Lance McCullers

McCullers returns to the rotation after undergoing Tommy John surgery, forcing him to miss the entire 2019 season. In 2018, McCullers had a 3.86 ERA in 22 starts. The former All-Star also has one of the league’s best curveball, with a spin rate of 2790 rpm.

SP4: Brad Peacock

In 2019, Peacock really struggled after the month of June, but was really doing very before then besides a disastrous start against the Twins that ballooned his season ERA to 4.12. It would’ve been 3.58 without those miserable 3.2 innings in Minneapolis.

SP5: Jose Urquidy

Urquidy found himself on the postseason roster after an impressive sample size during his debut season. His best performance came in Game 4 of the World Series against the Nationals, where he pitched five scoreless innings and struck out 4.

Depth: Forrest Whitley

After an injury and suspension filled 2018 season, Whitley returned in 2019 but completely lost his control and was eventually shut down with shoulder fatigue. In his only full professional season in 2017, he had a 2.92 ERA in 90-plus innings, with an incredible 13.9 K/9. He’s universally regarded as a top-25 prospect in baseball entering 2020.

SP1: Mike Clevinger

The Indians have lost Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer this past year, but they still own one of the best rotations in the sport. Clevinger will get his chance to shine as the ace of the staff this upcoming season. In 21 starts last season, Clevinger had a 2.71 ERA with a 12.1 K/9, overcoming an early-season back injury that limited him to 126 total IP. Since 2017, he’s struck out 513 batters in 447 innings with an ERA+ of 153, showing how dominant his stuff is.

SP2: Shane Bieber

One could make the case that Bieber is the ace of the rotation after an incredible 2019 sophomore season, winning the All-Star Game MVP and finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young vote. His 3.28 ERA was the fourth lowest in the AL and his three complete games and two shutouts topped all big leaguers.

SP3: Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco is ready and eager to return to the mound after he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia during the 2019 season. He was able to return to the mound late last year, but his stats reflected the weariness of the diagnosis. Before 2019, Carrasco was considered one of the AL’s best pitchers going 35-16 with a 3.33 ERA between ’17 and ’18.

SP4: Zach Plesac

Plesac’s rookie season was a successful one. Despite not being a big strikeout pitcher, he had a 3.81 ERA in 21 starts.

SP5: Aaron Civale

Civale only started in 10 games in 2019, but his 2.34 ERA and 1.040 WHIP make him a very solid bottom of the rotation pitcher with the potential to be much more.

Depth: Jefry Rodriguez

Rodriguez owned a 4.63 ERA in 98 innings last season. It is very possible that the Indians use him as a reliever more than a starter this upcoming season unless injuries force them to strategize otherwise.

SP1: Jacob deGrom

The Mets are led by the best pitcher in the game. One runs out of superlatives when trying to describe the dominance of deGrom. The 31-year-old has taken over the league ever since he arrived, adding a Rookie of the Year award, two consecutive Cy Young’s, and three All-Star’s to his list of accolades.

SP2: Marcus Stroman

Before getting traded to the Mets, Stroman had a 2.96 in 21 starts for Toronto. He struggled just a bit with the Mets (3.77 ERA in 11 starts), but showed promise by raising his K/9 from 7.1 with the Blue Jays, to 9.1 with New York. Entering a contract year, Stroman will look to prove he’s the No.1 pitcher on the market this upcoming Winter.

SP3: Steven Matz

Matz is a lefty with plenty of potential to be a solid starter, but has yet to pitch more than 160 innings (career-high in 2019) during his five-year career. This could be a make-or-break year for the trade candidate.

SP4: Rick Porcello

Porcello was acquired this past offseason and will try to bring back some of that Cy Young magic he had back in 2016. Porcello had a 5.32 ERA in 32 starts last season but showed out when it matters most by helping Boston win the World Series in 2018.

SP5: Michael Wacha

Wacha took a step back in 2019 after a very strong ’18 campaign where he had a 3.20 ERA in 15 starts. He has plenty of time to get back to his All-Star ways as a 29-year-old this year.

Depth: Corey Oswalt

Oswalt is more of an emergency arm for the Mets, like most depth pieces on this list, but has already been moved up to the top spot starter after Thor’s TJ surgery. The 26-year-old has struggled in his 71 career innings with the Mets, pitching to a minuscule 59 ERA+.

*Noah Syndergaard will miss the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery*