30. Oakland Athletics
Oakland isn’t far removed from being a contender in the American League. Unfortunately, the 2023 Athletics project to be one of the worst teams in baseball. From its pitching staff to its starting lineup, Oakland is simply below-average. As we approach Spring Training, the projected starting lineup includes players such as Conner Capel (22 career games), Nick Allen (100 games), and Esteury Ruiz (17 games). The most well-known player in the lineup, Ramon Laureano, hit .211 last year. While the lineup does have some speed, it lacks good hitters. This lineup is incredibly weak.
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29. Washington Nationals
In recent years, the Washington Nationals have seen three superstar position players leave town. Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Trea Turner are elite players in the midst of their primes. As a result of their departures, the Nationals predictably have a weak lineup. The Nats have a few young, promising talents in catcher Keibert Ruiz and shortstop CJ Abrams — the main prize in the Soto trade. Washington is in for a long season, but Abrams should be a star shortly.
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28. Cincinnati Reds
Despite having a former MVP and (likely) future Hall of Famer in the middle of their lineup, the Reds project to have one of the weakest starting nine’s in baseball. Joey Votto will be 40 years old in September and is at least five years removed from his prime. Jonathan India is a nice player who will be looking to bounce back following a disappointing Year 2 — he won the Rookie of the Year in 2021. Cincinnati’s lineup will also feature two offseason acquisitions — veteran outfielder Wil Myers and shortstop Kevin Newman.
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27. Detroit Tigers
Perhaps the only exciting thing to follow this season with the Tigers is Miguel Cabrera’s farewell. The first-ballot Hall of Famer is unlikely to start, but he will garner plenty of attention and at-bats. Javier Baez is entering Year 2 in Detroit, and he will need to rediscover his magic if the Tigers want to make a run in the Central. Last year, Baez hit .238 with 17 home runs. Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson are the two players to watch. If they fulfill their potential, the pair could be cornerstones in the Motor City for years to come.
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26. Kansas City Royals
Kansas City is a franchise on the rise, and that starts with Bobby Witt Jr. Witt entered last season as one of the game’s top prospects and he didn’t disappoint. Appearing in 150 games, Witt slugged 20 homers and stole 30 bases. Joining Witt as Royal cornerstones of the future are MJ Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto (Pratto isn’t projected to start the season in the lineup). Of course, the Royals also have a veteran presence in the middle of the lineup in Salvador Perez. The only question is: Which version of Perez will show up? Two years ago, Perez led baseball with 48 HR and 121 RBI. In 2022, Perez was limited to 114 games and saw his numbers drop dramatically across the board. If the ’21 version shows up, the Royals will be a rather competitive group.
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25. Colorado Rockies
Colorado’s offense was very disappointing in 2022. So, leave it to the stumbling franchise to bring back largely the same team for the ’23 season. The Rockies will be looking for Kris Bryant to turn things around in Year 2. The former MVP was limited to 42 games last season due to a variety of injuries. When he was on the field, Bryant performed — despite hitting a mere five homers — slashing .306/.376/.475. C.J. Cron is back for a third season. The slugger has 57 HR and 194 RBI the past two years. Ultimately, the Rockies’ offense will go as Bryant and Cron go.
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24. Boston Red Sox
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Boston Dodgers. As things currently stand, the Red Sox Opening Day lineup projects to include three former Dodgers. Alex Verdugo and Kiké Hernandez are familiar faces in Boston, and now they will be joined by longtime Dodger Justin Turner. Boston’s lineup has been overhauled in the offseason. Joining Turner are veterans Adam Duvall, Adalberto Mondesi and Reese McGuire. Two big names are noticeably absent from Boston’s starting nine — Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. Still, Rafael Devers is a bonafide star that can carry the offense for large stretches.
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23. Arizona Diamondbacks
Don’t sleep on the Arizona Diamondbacks. We don’t expect the D-Backs to compete for the National League West title, but it wouldn’t surprise us to see them push for a .500 record. Ketel Marte is a former All-Star who nearly every team in baseball would like to have. Christian Walker, who will be 32 years old by Opening Day, exploded last year with 36 HR and 94 RBI. The two veterans are joined by exciting young talents including Jake McCarthy, Corbin Carroll, and newcomer Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Additionally, Arizona has some talented players on the bench who possibly could blossom into everyday players — Alek Thomas and Kyle Lewis.
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22. San Francisco Giants
At two different points this past offseason, it appeared as if the Giants would have a superstar in the middle of their lineup. First, a few eager reporters stated that Aaron Judge would be leaving the Yankees for San Francisco — he, of course, did not. Next, news broke that shortstop Carlos Correa would be joining the team on a massive 13-year, $350 million deal. However, the Giants backed out of the agreement following Correa’s physical which generated doubts about his future. So, here are the Giants at No. 22. The lineup is fine with the likes of Joc Pederson, Mitch Haniger and Michael Conforto — but it is nothing special.
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21. Miami Marlins
The Marlins’ biggest star resides on the mound, but that doesn’t mean they are deprived of talent in their lineup. Jazz Chisholm Jr. — the cover athlete of MLB The Show 23 — is one of baseball’s most exciting players and should be primed for a big year. Miami’s lineup lacks pop, but it certainly has some high-contact hitters. Leading the charge is Luis Arraez. Recently acquired in the trade that sent Pablo Lopez to Minnesota, Arraez slashed .316/.375/.420 last year and won the American League Batting Title. Additionally, Miami’s lineup includes established players such as Jean Segura, Jorge Soler, Avisail Garcia and Joey Wendle.
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20. Baltimore Orioles
An offense on the rise, the Orioles boast an eclectic mix of heavy-hitting veterans and highly-touted youngsters. A pair of Baltimore draft picks — former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman and second-round infielder Gunnar Henderson — may hold the key to this group. Rutschman exceeded all expectations as a rookie, posting an .806 OPS in 113 games. Henderson was a late call-up, but was productive in a limited amount of time (.788 in 34 games) and projects to be Baltimore’s Opening Day third baseman.
As far as the rest of the lineup goes, former All-Star Cedric Mullins offers plenty of speed and pop at the top of the lineup while Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle are quality power bats in the middle of the lineup. It should be noted that the recent renovations to Oriole Park has led to a major shift in perception. Camden Yards is now considered a pitcher’s park with power numbers down across the board last year.
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19. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs offense should be better in 2023 — but just how much better? Chicago spent the offseason making massive changes to its lineup. Former Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson was the big ticket addition following a career year in Atlanta. Swanson is coming off back-to-back 25-plus home runs seasons and set a career-high in batting average (.277) last year. With the Cubs, Swanson won’t be hitting between two MVP candidates like he did in Atlanta (Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley).
However, Swanson will be playing with a former MVP — two-time All-Star and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger. The longtime Dodger made the move to Chicago following yet another disappointing season. Bellinger hopes to turn it around in Wrigley after being one of the worst hitters in baseball over the last two seasons. Chicago needs strong seasons from newcomers like Swanson, Bellinger, Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer to stand a chance in the NL Central.
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18. Pittsburgh Pirates
Talk about an offense gleaming with upside. The Pirates have been overlooked after a few down years, but this lineup is one to watch out for in 2023. If anything, the top third is one of the more promising trios in the Majors. 24-year-old Oneil Cruz is primed for stardom with some of the best physical tools in all of baseball. Bryan Reynolds is the rare switch hitter who is competent from both sides of the plate — identical .281 career average against RHP and LHP. If Ke’Bryan Hayes can stay healthy, the young third baseman is an exceptional contact hitter who swiped 20 bags last year.
In an effort to field a more competitive team in 2023, the Pirates filled out the rest of their lineup with accomplished veterans including Ji-Man Choi, Carlos Santana, and the returning Andrew McCutchen. All three players are patient hitters who have historically been among the best at getting on-base. Generating more walks will be good for a Pirates lineup which finished 28th in on-base percentage last season.
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17. Texas Rangers
After finishing dead-last in runs scored among American League teams in 2021, the Rangers invested in the offense last offseason and it paid early dividends. Thanks to the contributions of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the Rangers rose to fifth in AL runs scored behind three playoff teams and another that plays half of its games in a little league ballpark (sorry Red Sox fans). Seager didn’t hit for his usual average, but smashed a career-high 33 HR. Semien started off dreadfully slow, but came on strong towards the second-half. Both should be better in 2023.
Keep an eye on three other Rangers — Nathaniel Lowe, Adolis Garcia, and Jonah Heim — who are looking to all build on career years. Lowe was the team’s best hitter last year (.851), Garcia is the team’s best power-speed combo (51 HR, 41 SB over last two seasons), and Heim is a switch-hitting backstop with power from both sides. Credit to the Rangers front office — all three were acquired via trade for marginal players.
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16. Los Angeles Angels
It doesn’t get much better than Trout and Ohtani. Unfortunately for the Angels, that holds true throughout their lineup. The elite pairing has been flanked by a middling supporting cast in recent years. Despite getting big numbers from their top two, the Angels ranked 25th in runs scored in and 23rd in OPS last year. In a season in which Ohtani and Trout combined for 78 HR and 175 RBI.
Taylor Ward was a bright spot early on, but trailed off towards the second-half of the season after dealing with injuries. Same goes for Jared Walsh who had a dismal ’22 following excellent campaigns in the two previous seasons. Speaking of injuries, the Angels would like to finally get a healthy season out of Anthony Rendon. If not Rendon, then LA hopes veterans power-hitters like Hunter Renfroe or Brandon Drury can help support the team’s two stars.
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15. Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee’s lineup might not jump off the page as one of the top groupings in the league, but we advise to keep a close eye on the Brew Crew. Of course, the headliner here is former MVP Christian Yelich who has been unable to regain his elite form from 2019. Yelich has not posted better than a .786 OPS over the last three years, but he did find some success after being moved to the lead-off position last year. We’re not giving up hope on the two-time batting champ.
Additionally, the rest of the lineup has been bolstered with the addition of two big bats in William Contreras and Jesse Winker. Contreras was an NL All-Star starter (DH) last season and one of the best hitter (.860 OPS) on a stacked Braves lineup. Winker is coming off a dreadful season with Seattle, but was an elite hitter in ’20 and ’21. He could see a bump in production (just like new teammate Willy Adames did) with the change of home ballpark.
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14. Tampa Bay Rays
While not the flashiest lineup in the stacked AL East, the Rays are a balanced group that will have no trouble producing runs. Tampa Bay uses its deep bench to create advantages in certain lineups. Though we could see some more stability moving forward. Barring healthy, Wander Franco, Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe should have everyday spots in the lineup. The same could be said for center fielder Jose Siri given his base-running and defensive contributions.
What Tampa lacks in power they make up for in contact and speed. Franco is an elite contact hitter who projects to steal a ton of bases over a full season. Arozarena led the team with 32 steals last year. Manuel Margot provides plenty of pressure on the base-paths. With Harold Ramirez and Yandy Diaz, the Rays have two players who both hit nearly .300 last season.
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13. Cleveland Guardians
In terms of contact hitting, nobody does it better than the Guardians. While the league looks for more and more power, Cleveland has gone in the complete opposite direction while emphasizing putting the ball into play. Generating contact is at a premium for the Guardians — who can also utilize their elite team speed to put pressure on the base-paths. Nobody exemplifies this better than Cleveland’s star Jose Ramirez, who is one of the best all-around offensive players in baseball.
An All-Star last year, Andres Gimenez looks to build upon a career year. Five players in this lineup are capable of stealing 20-plus bases (Ramriez, Gimenez, Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario, and Myles Straw). The rest of the lineup does include some power-or-nothing bats in the form of Josh Naylor and two newcomers — Josh Bell and Mike Zunino.
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12. Minnesota Twins
Carlos Correa is back, giving the Twins once again one of the more complete lineups in the American League. Correa is the star, coming off hitting .291 with 22 HR. Though, we shouldn’t overlook his middle infield partner Jorge Polanco who is among the best switch-hitters in baseball. Left-handed outfielder Max Kepler also did not get dealt this offseason amidst several rumors. He’s looking to return to his 2019 form when he mashed 36 HR. The loss of Luis Arraez will hurt the team’s overall batting average.
The x-factor on this team will always be Byron Buxton. The oft-injured outfielder hasn’t played over 100 games since 2017. He struggled from a batting average standpoint last season (.224 AVG) but still managed a strong .833 OPS thanks to 28 HR in 92 games. When he’s right, Buxton is among the most dangerous hitters in all of baseball.
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11. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox should be among the most prolific offenses in the league next year (though they could face certain challenges early on). Replacing former MVP Jose Abreu will not be easy. Abreu recorded 863 RBI for Chicago since entering the league in 2014. Despite a dip in power numbers, Abreu hit .314 last year and has been a stalwart in the middle of the White Sox lineup. In his place, Chicago hopes the addition of Andrew Benintendi will help fill some of that void.
Full seasons from Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert will surely help. Two of the most exciting young hitters in the game, Jimenez and Robert will lead the White Sox into its new era. Chicago also hopes former top prospect Yoan Moncada will join that group after a dismal ’22 campaign. Tim Anderson is still one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball after four-straight seasons hitting over .300. 24-year-old Andrew Vaughn is somebody who could breakout this year. The 2019 first-round pick has tons of power and has already tallied 82 XBH in his first 261 career games.
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10. New York Yankees
You’ve got a chance to be pretty darn good whenever Aaron Judge is in your lineup. The power hitter from the Bay Area ended up spurning his hometown Giants in favor of re-signing with the Yankees — and will once again be joined by slugger Giancarlo Stanton. In the process, New York also made it a point of emphasis to bring back fan favorite first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Losing Andrew Benintendi and Matt Carpenter may end up hurting the team down the line. We’ll see how Josh Donaldson performs as he enters his late 30s. However, there’s still plenty of optimism. Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza will add some much-needed juice to this older group. Plus, Anthony Volpe is banging on the door ready to make his presence known sooner than later.
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9. St. Louis Cardinals
In true St. Louis fashion, the Cardinals have put together a team chock-full of very good homegrown talent. The Lars Nootbar-Juan Yepez-Dylan Carlson trio is highly appealing, with plenty of potential upside ready to be uncovered. Swiping Willson Contreras from the Cubs was a shrewd move, as he’ll take over for club legend Yadier Molina. Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado are as deadly a one-two punch as you’ll find in the Central Division. Plus, Tyler O’Neill and Brendan Donovan can absolutely rake when given the chance. Top to bottom, this is a very attractive lineup.
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8. New York Mets
This lineup remains unchanged from a year ago. Bringing Nimmo and McNeil back were among the more important things on the agenda for the Mets this offseason. With Carlos Correa not coming to Queens, you may end up seeing the Mets pivot to two of their most prized prospects in Brett Baty and Francisco Alvarez. We saw glimpses of these two in the past, and there’s a scenario in which they bull their way into the starting lineup. At the very least, this team possesses a projected group with guys who can patiently work the count and hit to all parts of the park. In essence, a traditional team not reliant so much on the long ball (outside of Pete Alonso).
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7. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers will be in a bit of a rebuild (if we can call it that). The team wanted to get younger and less expensive — which led to the departures of Trea Turner, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and others. The lineup to start the season may look different than what we’ll see down the stretch. The farm is bursting with prospects, and many consider it to be the best collection of Minor League players in all of baseball. As currently constituted, the Dodgers still can trot out an elite top-three of Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith.
You’d have to think Max Muncy and Chris Taylor will bounce back from subpar years. J.D. Martinez was brought in as the DH to add some power, and Gavin Lux was quietly very decent last year. The outfield outside of Betts remains a question. We’ll see if Trayce Thompson is the longterm answer in LF. The same goes for James Outman — a very ‘toolsy’ player who somewhat resembles the aforementioned Bellinger.
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6. Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia will have to tread water for roughly half the season until Bryce Harper comes back from injury. Fortunately for the Fightin’ Phils, the addition of Trea Turner gives them one of the most talented hitters in the game. Aside from being an excellent contact hitter, his speed should allow for plenty of triple opportunities. While the top of the order is stabilized, the bottom half has a number of players with some considerable upsides (though low floors, as well).
Among them, you’ve got Darick Hall, Bryson Scott, Alex Bohm, and Brandon Marsh. If two of these guys prove to be above-average players at their positions, Philadelphia will be among the better teams in the National League. It’ll be imperative for them to make contact/use their collective athleticism within the lineup. As such, the team is prone to striking out a fair amount. We must also note that Bryce Harper will be out until mid-season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
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5. Seattle Mariners
We did see some turnover with this group. Teoscar Hernandez is slated to be a huge middle-of-the-order addition for the Mariners. A.J. Pollock is looking to bounce back from a rough 2022 season (after a very solid stint previously with the Dodgers). J.P. Crawford and Jarred Kelenic are two young players bursting with upside and potential. Cal Raleigh is rock-solid behind the dish, Kolten Wong is a competitive veteran with an edge to him, and Eugenio Suarez is quite gifted. However, the future of this team will be determined by Ty France and budding superstar Julio Rodriguez. If the M’s can limit strikeouts, they’ll be a dangerous threat to Houston in the AL West.
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4. Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto adjusted its lineup a bit this year — adding more flexibility as it pertains to attacking teams with more left-handed options. Among them include up-and-coming athletic outfielder Daulton Varsho, and veteran Brandon Belt. Whit Merrifield was added for some stability towards the end of the order, and Kevin Kiermaier is mostly there for his glove/speed in centerfield. Power continues to be a main theme within this group, especially as Bo Bichette matures as a hitter. Matt Chapman could also be in line for a monster season with the Rogers Centre being altered dimensions-wise. All this — and we’ve yet to even mention the heartbeat of the order…led by leadoff hitter George Springer and the dynamic duo of Alejandro Kirk and Vlad Guerrero Jr.
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3. Houston Astros
While not as prolific as some of the earlier iterations featuring the Jose Altuve-Alex Bregman core, this team is still plenty good enough to win the American League. The top four guys (Altuve, Michael Brantley, Bregman, Yordan Alvarez) are all back. Added to the mix is former MVP Jose Abreu. Having experience versus AL pitchers should make his transition a smooth one (aside from the fact Abreu now gets a short porch in left field to slug towards). Kyle Tucker should be even better this season, as should reigning rookie of the year Jeremy Pena. While the collective speed within this projected group isn’t stellar, they more than make up for it with bat-to-ball contact and home run prowess.
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2. Atlanta Braves
Atlanta’s scouting department deserves all the credit in the world for essentially building much of this lineup from the Minor League system. You’ve got a terrific balance of power, speed, and gap-to-gap capabilities with this group. Of course, Ronald Acuna Jr. sets the table as the leadoff hitter — where he’ll be joined by star-in-the-making Michael Harris II. The right-lefty duo of Austin Riley and Matt Olson will slug super well. Sean Murphy was brought over from Oakland to man the catchers spot (and he’s an upgrade over Travis D’Arnaud). Simply put, when you’ve got a lineup slated to have Ozzie Albies as the No. 6 hitter — and Marcell Ozuna as the No. 8 hitter — depth isn’t an issue.
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1. San Diego Padres
The depth within this lineup is truly startling. Due to the proactive front office, the last 12 months has netted a host of proven bats — including stars Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts, along with veterans Nelson Cruz and Matt Carpenter. When Fernando Tatis Jr. eventually returns from suspension, you’re looking at a group who can go 1-4 with Tatis, Soto, Manny Machado, and Bogaerts. No other team in baseball comes close to fielding such a prolific quartet. You could quibble over the ages of Cruz and Carpenter — along with the rough last year for Trent Grisham. Regardless, this is a STACKED group of hitters. Anything short of a playoff appearance would be a MASSIVE disappointment (remember, the Pads still have to prove they can usurp the division crown from the rival Los Angeles Dodgers).
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MLB in 2023: Ranking All 30 Aces
30. Roansy Contreras — Pittsburgh Pirates
Here you go, kid. The 23-year-old out of the D.R. has been given the reins to the Pittsburgh staff. At only 6-feet tall and 175 pounds, the diminutive Contreras can still rev up a fastball close to 100 mph. In terms of percentile rankings, Contreras ranks in the 80-85th percentile in four categories (Chase Rate, Fastball Velocity, Fastball Spin, Curve Spin). While Contreras might not turn into the next Pedro Martinez, the Pirates do have a talented young arm to build around. For that reason, fans should be excited.
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29. Josiah Gray — Washington Nationals
One of the prized pieces in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner trade, the Nationals hope former Dodger prospect Josiah Gray can eventually become a stalwart in Washington’s rotation. Gray hasn’t posted the best overall numbers over his short career (5.17 ERA), but this is a guy who has a ton of pedigree and upside. We’re just a few years removed from Gray ranking higher in the Dodgers farm system than National League All-Star Tony Gonsolin. Gray already boasts a plus slider and curveball. If his fastball ever develops into an elite pitch, Gray will have no trouble producing at a high level.
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28. Paul Blackburn — Oakland Athletics
The Athletics project to be one of the worst teams in all of baseball in 2023. As such, it shouldn’t be too surprising to see their ace — Paul Blackburn — ranked this low on our list. Having posted middling numbers throughout his career, Blackburn came out of the gates strong in ’22. The 29-year-old parlayed an excellent April and May into his first career All-Star appearance. However, after having a 1.70 ERA through his first nine starts, Blackburn’s took a massive downturn. From May 30 on, the Oakland hurler posted a putrid 6.22 ERA. While he is a decent pitcher, Blackburn wouldn’t be a No. 1 on most staffs around the league.
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27. Hunter Greene — Cincinnati Reds
The flamethrower out of Southern California will be given the chance to develop into the ace of this team in Cincinnati. When looking into Green’s analytical breakdown, you realize he’s the hardest-thrower on average in baseball. He throws more 100+ mph pitches than any other pitcher in the game today. For Greene, it’s all about refining his stuff — and improving his secondary pitches. At only 23, the LA native is still not close to touching his upside. He went 5-13 with a 4.44 ERA last year. We have to think he’ll be far more comfortable in 2023 knowing that he’ll be ‘the man’ in Cincinnati.
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26. Brady Singer — Kansas City Royals
The former first-round pick is starting to figure things out. His first two years in the Majors were rather unspectacular — with Singer combining to go 9-15 with an ERA around 4.50. Last year was his coming out party. Singer went 10-5 with a solid 3.23 ERA. He allowed only 140 hits in 153.1 IP, and his walks total decreased by nearly 20 from the previous year. If you’re a fantasy baseball player, we’d buy some Singer stock. He’s just scratching the surface on his immense potential.
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25. German Marquez — Colorado Rockies
Everyone knows the story when it comes to pitchers in Colorado — it is nearly impossible to post ‘great’ numbers. The Rockies have two very talented pitchers atop their rotation in Kyle Freeland and German Marquez. Freeland finished fourth for the NL Cy Young in 2018, and Marquez is a former All-Star. Both struggled last season — especially Marquez — but we envision the flamethrower to have a better 2023. The former All-Star has a five-pitch mix, but is at his best when his sinker is dialed in. When right, the pitch looks like Marquez’s four-seam fastball until it drops off the plate at the last second.
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24. Dean Kremer — Baltimore Orioles
The O’s are coming off a promising season in which they rattled off 83 wins — their highest total since 2016. While several offensive pieces seem to be in place, building up the rotation will be key for Baltimore returning to the postseason. For now, the Orioles have a few promising arms, but are lacking a true ace. The team’s leader in innings pitched (Jordan Lyles) is in Kansas City now. However, Stockton native Dean Kremer was arguably the team’s most effective pitcher over the course of the season. Kremer’s team-leading 2.8 WAR was nearly double the amount of the next closest Baltimore starter.
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23. Sonny Gray — Minnesota Twins
At age 33, Gray is still atop the Twins’ rotation. We are a bit curious to see how he’ll fare this season. He hasn’t enjoyed a double-digit win total for a single season since 2019 (coinciding with his last All-Star appearance). Gray’s velocity is down from where it once was, though that’s enabled him to mix his pitches up better with the utilization of his off-speed pitches. Gray still should be able to provide the Twins with a competitive force as a frontline guy.
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22. Jameson Taillon — Chicago Cubs
In need of an ace, the Cubs lured Taillon away from the Yankees with a lucrative multi-year deal (4-years/$68 million). Talent has never been a problem for Taillon. For years, we were waiting for him to break out as a real star with the Pittsburgh Pirates. That didn’t exactly come to fruition. He moved to the Yankees and enjoyed the best year of his career in 2022. Taillon set career-highs in starts and wins (going 14-5). At pitcher-friendly Wrigley Field, Taillon — only 31 years of age — should be a nice fit.
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21. Eduardo Rodriguez — Detroit Tigers
The lefty out of Venezuela was brought to Detroit in order to solve its issues atop its rotation. Rodriguez inked a massive $77 million contract at the start of last year. The returns? Not great — Rodriguez went 5-5 with a 4.05 ERA. While this wasn’t a great beginning to the deal, Rodriguez is a talented player. There’s plenty of time for him to turn things around for the upstart Tigers.
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20. Chris Sale — Boston Red Sox
Stymied by injuries over the last several seasons, there’s no guarantee Chris Sale will ever return to his previous form again. Sale was previously one of the unquestioned best arms in the league. From his debut in 2010 until Boston’s World Series campaign in 2018, Sale held a career 2.89 ERA with seven top-6 Cy Young finishes. He’s accrued over 2,000 career strikeouts, and is the all-time leader in SO/9 (11.1) and SO/W (5.33). Sale has appeared in just 11 games over the last three years with mixed results. However, after seeing how Justin Verlander responded after missing a lengthy period of time, there remains hope the veteran Sale can return to the mound in ’23 and dominate once again.
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19. Jack Flaherty — St. Louis Cardinals
Both Flaherty and the Cardinals are looking for the ace to bounce back from a lost 2022. Flaherty only made eight starts before being shelved for the entire year. There’s some worry about his durability — having made single-digit start totals in two of the last three seasons. When healthy, there’s no denying Flaherty’s value to both the pitching staff and the team. He has power stuff on all levels, and is as competitive a pitcher as there is.
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18. Logan Webb — San Francisco Giants
Logan Webb and the San Francisco Giants entered the 2022 season with massive expectations. The club shocked the league in 2021 by winning 107 games, and Webb introduced himself to the country with a pair of dominant outings against the Dodgers in the postseason. Last season, Webb and Carlos Rodon formed a fearsome 1-2 punch atop the rotation. With Rodon now a Yankee, Webb is the clear No. 1. In ’22, Webb led the Giants with 15 wins and posted an impressive 2.90 ERA. Webb utilizes a four-pitch mix, but predominantly baffles hitters with his sinker, slider and change-up. San Francisco’s ace has Cy Young potential.
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17. Yu Darvish — San Diego Padres
Last year, the San Diego Padres trotted out a starting rotation that included Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Sean Manaea, Blake Snell and Mike Clevinger. Darvish and Musgrove were clearly the leaders in the pack, and we would listen to an argument for Musgrove being the staff ace. However, we are riding with Darvish. The veteran has one of the biggest arsenals in the league — regularly throwing six pitches throughout a start. Although he didn’t strike out as many batters per nine in 2022 as in year’s past, Darvish still generates plenty of whiffs. In four starts in the ’22 postseason, Darvish had a 2.88 ERA and went 2-1.
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16. Shane Bieber — Cleveland Guardians
The Southern California native will yet again assume the role as the ace for Cleveland. The two-time All-Star is coming off a solid year in which he won 13 gams and registered a rock-solid 2.88 ERA. As he’s approaching his 28th birthday, Bieber is just approaching his prime as a frontline starter. Barring injury, he should be in position to have yet another good year. The Guardians will need Bieber to be elite for the team to be a title contender within the American League.
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15. Framber Valdez — Houston Astros
The departure of Justin Verlander means there is a new ace in town for the defending World Series champions. With Verlander now in New York, Houston will rely on its young stars to lead the rotation. Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy combined to win 28 games and posted sub-4.00 ERAs. Christian Javier struck out 11.7 batters per nine, and finished with a gaudy WHIP (0.95) and ERA (2.54). Javier certainly has an argument to be the No. 1, but we’re rolling with Framber Valdez. The 29-year-old finished 2022 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. An All-Star and fifth place finisher for the Cy Young, Valdez was nails in the postseason. Not only did he go 3-0 in his four starts (Houston won all four games), but he allowed a total of four earned runs over 25.0 IP. In the World Series-clinching Game 6, Valdez allowed two hits, one run, and struck out nine over 6.0 IP.
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14. Alek Manoah — Toronto Blue Jays
Brash and confident, Alex Manoah has wasted no time making a name for himself with the Blue Jays. At just 24 years old, Manoah enjoyed a breakout campaign in ’22 as a sophomore pitcher. Manoah posted a 2.24 ERA, 0.992 WHIP and collected 16 wins en route to an All-Star nod and a third-place AL Cy Young finish. The 6-foot-6 right-hander is extremely competitive, and never backs down no matter who he’s facing on the mound. Toronto has quietly built one of the better rotations in the league (Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Christ Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi, and Hyun Jin-Ryu) with Manoah leading the way.
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13. Zac Gallen — Arizona Diamondbacks
Zac Gallen is one of the most underrated pitchers in the league today. Largely due to the fact that Gallen plays on the west coast for the mediocre Arizona Diamondbacks, the 27-year-old has flown under the radar for much of his career. In 2020, Gallen had a 2.75 ERA and finished ninth for the NL Cy Young. After a disappointing ’21, the budding ace delivered in ’22. In addition to going 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA, Gallen led the NL in WHIP (0.913) and allowed an MLB-best 5.9 H/9. Gallen generates a ton of spin on his fastball and cutter, and often keeps hitters unbalanced with a good mix of off-speed pitches (curve, change-up).
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12. Shohei Ohtani — Los Angeles Angels
While the Angels did well by adding Tyler Anderson — 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA during an All-Star season for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year — Shohei Ohtani is the clear ace of the staff. The best two-way player the game has ever seen, Ohtani reached new heights on the mound in 2022. En route to finishing fourth for the AL Cy Young, Ohtani led the American League with 11.9 SO/9 and set career-highs across the board. Ohtani routinely devastated hitters with his mix of velocity and break. He won 15 games while posting a 2.33 ERA, fanned 219 hitters, and ended the year with a 1.012 WHIP. Ohtani is one of the game’s elite pitchers.
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11. Luis Castillo — Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have one of the best starting rotations in the American League. In addition to Luis Castillo, our pick for staff ace, Seattle’s starting five includes the likes of 2021 AL Cy Young Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby and Marco Gonzales. Castillo was acquired last season from Cincinnati, and the marquee pickup didn’t disappoint. In 11 regular season starts, Castillo averaged 10.6 SO/9 and made seven quality starts. In the postseason, Castillo was great. The ace allowed zero runs over 7.1 IP in a Wild Card triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays, and yielded three runs in 7.0 IP in a loss to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros. We expect Castillo to be a Cy Young candidate this season.
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10. Dylan Cease — Chicago White Sox
Lucas Giolito was projected as the ace heading into last year. Then — out of nowhere — Dylan Cease exploded as one of baseball’s most promising arms. The 27-year-old righty has a fastball routinely sitting in the 97-100 mph range. He had the third-best ERA in baseball (2.21), the second-best WAR mark, and was fifth in strikeouts. This offseason, he’s reportedly working to add a changeup to his repertoire (which includes a wicked slider and a ridiculous knucklecurve).
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9. Max Fried — Atlanta Braves
Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Spencer Strider made waves in his first full season. The 24-year-old flamethrower may very well become Atlanta’s ace in due time, but for now Southern California native Max Fried is the No. 1 option in the Braves staff. Time and time again, Fried has delivered in the biggest moments for Atlanta. While he did struggle in his lone playoff appearance in ’22, Fried is coming off his best regular season performance (second-place finish for NL Cy Young). Additionally, Fried has taken the mantle as one of the best defensive players at his position having won three straight Gold Glove awards in the National League.
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8. Aaron Nola — Philadelphia Phillies
The defending National League champions have the luxury of boasting two ace-caliber pitchers in their starting rotation. Former Mets hurler Zack Wheeler has been especially productive since coming over to Philadelphia. In three years with the Phillies, Wheeler has posted a sterling 2.82 ERA and placed second in Cy Young voting in ’21. Lifelong Phillie Aaron Nola is no slouch either. Finishing fourth in Cy Young voting last season, Nola has elite wipeout stuff (career 10.1 SO/9) while exhibiting some of the best control of any arm in the league (led the Majors with a 1.3 BB/9).
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7. Gerrit Cole — New York Yankees
While it’s fair to question Cole’s performances in big games since joining the Yankees, there’s no doubting he’s New York’s most explosive arm and still one of the best pitchers in the game. Cole has been revered as an elite talent dating all the way back to his time in Pittsburgh. However, it was a move to Houston which truly unlocked his potential. A two-year run with the Astros led to the inking of a massive $324 million deal with the Yankees. Since joining the Bronx Bombers, Cole has three top-10 Cy Young finishes and has collected nearly 600 punch-outs in 455 innings pitched. However, Cole has been especially prone to the long-ball in recent seasons. He surrendered a league-leading 33 HR last year which ballooned his ERA to 3.50 (his highest since 2017). Cole is still somebody who can dominate any given game, but he hasn’t been overly reliable since joining the Yankees.
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6. Shane McClanahan — Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays have a penchant for developing pitching, and McClanahan is the most recent example of that. The lefty hurler was a first-round pick in 2018, making his major league debut two years later. McClanahan finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting two seasons ago, and was even better in Year 2. As a sophomore, McClanahan posted a 2.54 ERA over 166.1 IP while earning an All-Star spot and a sixth-place finish in the Cy Young race. At just 25 years old, McClanahan projects to be one of the best pitchers in the game for the foreseeable future.
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5. Julio Urias — Los Angeles Dodgers
With Walker Buehler on the mend following Tommy John surgery, Julio Urias enters the 2023 season as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace. Despite being one of the best pitchers in baseball for the past two seasons, Urias continues to be overlooked by many. The lefty is 37-10 since 2021 and has a 2.57 ERA in that time — including a National League best 2.16 last season. Urias’ mix of pitches is improving each year he takes the mound. A free agent following the ’23 season, Urias will be the top pitcher on the market next offseason. Will the Dodgers splurge to keep him?
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4. Sandy Alcantara — Miami Marlins
Miami boasts one of the best, young rotations in baseball even after sending a plus-arm in Pablo Lopez to the Minnesota Twins. However, there is only one Cy Young winner on the staff. MLB’s ironman from a season ago, Sandy Alcantara gutted his way to a National League Cy Young award in ’22. The Marlins’ ace threw 228 innings over 32 starts, compiling six complete games and one shutout. While Alcantara’s fastball exceeds triple digits on the radar gun, the 27-year-old isn’t among the league’s top strikeout producers. Instead, Alcantara relies on an elite sinker-changeup combo to induce weakly hit groundballs.
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3. Corbin Burnes — Milwaukee Brewers
Burnes is a beast — plain and simple. He has an assortment of six pitches which he uses with great effectiveness. His slider is disgusting, and his cutter is nearly unhittable when being launched up to 98 mph. Four of his five professional seasons have included ERA totals under 3.00. Burnes is coming off a career-high 243 punch-outs in only 202.0 IP. As long as Burnes is leading the Brew Crew, they have a chance to be competitive in the central. If Burnes ever went on the trade market, the Dodgers would be salivating at the thought of bringing back the California native to his home state.
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2. Justin Verlander — New York Mets
New York’s one-two punch are a pair of former Cy Young winners approaching 40 who remain among the top arms in the league. Max Scherzer enjoyed a brilliant season with the Mets last year, but he takes a slight backseat to Justin Verlander — who has won two of the last three Cy Young awards in the American League. Verlander seems to be immune to aging effects, as the 39-year-old hurler was at his very best in 2022. After missing each of the two previous seasons, Verlander returned to the mound and posted a 1.75 ERA over 28 starts. New York is hoping the future Hall of Famer can stay healthier than their previous ace Jacob deGrom.
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1. Jacob deGrom — Texas Rangers
For the second offseason in a row, the second-best team in Texas made huge moves. A year after signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to stack the middle infield, Texas bolstered its starting rotation with a slew of moves. In addition to adding Jacob deGrom, the Rangers brought in Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Heaney. Of course, deGrom is the biggest get of the group. When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. With that being said, deGrom is rarely on the field. The ace has made 38 starts since 2020 — including just 11 last season. Will a change of scenery help keep him on the field? We have our doubts.
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