The Top Five Pitchers Going Into the 2024 MLB Season
Pitchers and camp reported to camp on Tuesday, which means the MLB is starting soon! There are plenty of great starting pitchers around the league. Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell are going to try and reciprocate their Cy Young seasons while other guys try to finally get to the top. I’m really excited for the season, so let’s get it started.
5. Blake Snell
I know, it might seem crazy to put the 2023 National League Cy Young winner at fifth. Snell is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, one of seven pitchers to win the award in both the American and National League. In 2023 with the Padres, he went 14-9 with a 2.25 ERA and 234 strikeouts. A big reason he is only ranked at five is because of his walks, he is ranked in the fourth percentile in the walks category. Snell also had a 3.44 FIP and a 3.62 expected ERA. This means Snell got really lucky in 2023, but an elite pitcher, nonetheless.
4. Zac Gallen
Gallen had nasty stuff in 2023, going 17-9 with a 3.47 ERA, and 220 strikeouts, was selected to his first all-star game, and made the World Series with the Diamondbacks. He is elite at keeping runners off base, ranking in the 88th percentile in walk rate. This led Gallen to have a 3.25 FIP, which meant he was getting slightly unlucky sometimes. Based on his statistical accomplishments, being the ace of a team that made the World Series, and his 2024 projections, Gallen is easily a top-five pitcher.
3. Corbin Burnes
Burnes, the new ace of the Orioles, has been one of the most consistently elite pitchers over the past couple of years. Last year with the Brewers, he went 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA and 200 strikeouts. Burnes has formed into one of the best pitchers in the MLB despite some early struggles. He is a three-time all-star and won the 2021 National League Cy Young. Burnes’ sinker and cutter is his 1-2 punch, which is one of the best combinations in the game, leading him to be valued at 22 pitching runs, which ranks him in the 96th percentile. The Orioles rotation is going to look very scary with him at the helm.
2. Spencer Strider
Call me crazy, but Spencer Strider is the best pitcher in the National League. Strider went 20-5 with a 3.86 ERA and 281 strikeouts in 2023, but this ranking has nothing to do with win count. The ERA is a lot higher than the other guys on this list, but he had a 2.85 FIP and a 3.09 expected ERA, meaning Strider was getting unlucky. Strider ranked in the 71st percentile in hard-hit rate, meaning it’s hard to square up the ball against him. He also doesn’t allow many hitters to voluntarily reach base with a 7.6 walk rate. The one slack on Strider is his issue giving up home runs, having a 1.08 HR/9 in 2023.
1. Gerrit Cole
Cole had an unreal year with the Yankees. He led the American League with a 2.63 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 7.4 WAR, and 209 innings. He also went 15-4 with a disappointing Yankees team. This was his best season since 2019 when he played for the Astros. Cole has finally added a Cy Young Award to his resume to go along with his six all-star games.
