Ranking All 30 MLB Starting Rotations, From Worst to Best

30. Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates aren’t going to be very good in ’22, and it all starts with their lack of pitching depth. Pittsburgh’s rotation is filled with young arms who have mostly disappointed in recent years. This list is headlined by former second round pick Mitch Keller who has failed to live up to expectations thus far. Keller was especially dreadful in ’21, notching a 6.17 ERA while surrendering nearly 12 hits every nine innings.

Career journeyman Jose Quintana was brought in to add some experience. The 33-year-old spent parts of last season with the Angels and Giants, appearing in 29 games with a 6.43 ERA. Additionally, the Pirates swung a trade this offseason for former Marlins reliever Zach Thompson. The 28-year-old from Texas is expected to be in a starting role for the Pirates this year, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to his new role.

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29. Baltimore Orioles

Starting 5: Means – Lyles – Zimmerman – Lowther – Wells

2019 All-Star John Means put together another strong season in 2021. The powerful lefty finished with just a 6-9 record on the year, but sported a strong 3.62 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Means is the best homegrown Baltimore starter in years, but the team opted to not reward the 28-year-old with a long-term contract this offseason. Instead, Means was granted $3 million in arbitration, and will possibly emerge as a strong trade candidate at some point this season.

Outside of Means, the O’s don’t have a whole lot going on for them. Matt Harvey — who led the team in starts last season — is gone and Jorge Lopez — who started 25 games last year — was moved to the bullpen during the latter half of ’21. Baltimore will have no problem scoring runs with its offense, but opposing teams will have a field day against this porous pitching staff.

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28. Texas Rangers

Starting 5: Gray – Perez – Dunning – Hearn – Howard

The Rangers went out and spent half a billion dollars on a new middle infield, thought it could be all for naught given their considerable pitching woes. After circulating in trade rumors all of last season, the Rangers came to an agreement with former Rockies hurler Jon Gray on a four-year deal. Gray spent seven years in Colorado, and the Rangers hope a move away from Coors Field will help lower his career 4.59 ERA — though Gray’s career splits are shockingly more favorable at home (4.54) than on the road (4.65).

In the absence of proven talent, the Rangers have two former top prospects forming the back of their rotation — Dane Dunning and Spencer Howard. Dunning — a first-round pick of the Nationals — and Howard — a second-round pick of the Phillies — are both in their mid 20’s and have previously exhibited Major League stuff. The Rangers would be ecstatic if each can return to form.

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27. Washington Nationals

Starting 5: Corbin – Gray – Fedde – Sanchez – Rogers

How the mighty have fallen. It was just three years ago when the Nationals’ elite starting staff powered them to an epic World Series win over the Houston Astros. Since then, Max Scherzer was traded, Stephen Strasburg has struggled to stay healthy, and Patrick Corbin has regressed mightily. With Strasburg likely starting the season on the injured reserve, only Corbin (5.82 ERA in ’21) and Anibal Sanchez (6.62) remain from the World Series staff.

Washington does have high hopes for Josiah Gray who was one of the prized assets in the Scherzer trade. The former Dodgers prospect is just 24 years old, and held up admirably in 12 starts for the Nationals despite the midseason shakeup.

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26. Kansas City Royals

Starting 5: Greinke – Keller – Singer – Lynch – Bubic

In one of the best homecomings of the offseason, Zack Greinke agreed to a free agent deal with the team that drafted him sixth overall all the way back in 2002. Greinke spent the first seven years of his Major League career with the Royals, culminating in a Cy Young win in 2009. The six-time All-Star is now back in his old stomping grounds, and hopes to provide some stability to a group which ranked towards the bottom of the league in every relevant pitching category last season.

Kansas City could desperately use breakout campaigns from its pair of 25-year-old hurlers, Daniel Lynch and Brady Singer. Lynch made his long-awaited Major League debut in ’21, but struggled down the stretch registering an 8.69 ERA over the last month of the season. Singer has shown flashes, but hasn’t been able to put everything together just yet. Both player’s development will be crucial for Kansas City’s present and future.

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25. Minnesota Twins

Starting 5: Gray – Bundy – Ryan – Ober – Dobnak

Unfortunately, the Twins will be starting off the season without ace Kenta Maeda. The former Dodger is coming off Tommy John surgery, and is hoping for a return sometime in September — though the Twins could be out of playoff contention by then. Magnifying the loss of Maeda is the absence of Jose Berrios — Berrios was dealt to Toronto prior to last year’s trade deadline. The Twins previously boasted one of the the strongest rotations in the league, but it has been a steep fall from grace.

Needing a No. 1, Minnesota went out and acquired Sonny Gray from the Reds. Gray has been a far cry from his the 2019 version of himself which finished seventh in the Cy Young race, but he remains a reliable arm who should conceivably lead the way for this staff. Minnesota also took a shot on Dylan Bundy who is coming off a terrible season with the Angels after a top-10 Cy Young finish in the 60-game sprint.

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24. Colorado Rockies

Being a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies is not for the faint of heart. Pitching half of your games in Coors Field will do a number on your ERA. Though, it didn’t seem to impact Colorado ace German Marquez much last year. Marquez’s splits in ’21 were truly shocking, as he sported a magnificent — by Colorado standards — ERA at home (3.67) while boasting a rather pedestrian mark on the road (5.38).

Colorado’s No. 2-4 starters — Freeland, Senzatela, and Gomber — all sported nearly identical numbers with ERA’s hovering in the mid-4’s. That’s all you can really ask for from a group which isn’t overly talented. Former Pirate Chad Kuhl is set to replace the departing Jon Gray…a considerable downgrade for a Colorado team that is unlikely to compete in the rugged National League West.

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23. Oakland Athletics

Starting 5: Montas – Blackburn – Kaprielian – Irvin – Jeffries

The Oakland A’s cleaned house this offseason after a dreadful end to the ’21 campaign. After starting the season 44-27, Oakland gradually tumbled down the standings and wound up finishing third in the AL West behind the Astros and Mariners. As a response, Oakland shipped out many of the players who became stalwarts in the organization — including Matt Olson and Matt Chapman — in addition to the mid-season trade which saw young pitcher Jesus Luzardo get shipped to Miami.

Next on the chopping block could be Oakland’s top starter — Frankie Montas. Manaea was dealt right before the season to the Padres for a bevy of prospects. As of now, the A’s have a strong rotation with those two plus a couple of former top prospects in Cole Irvin and Brent Honeywell Jr. However, they could quickly find themselves among the bottom of this list if Montas is dealt.

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22. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks could sneakily boast a strong rotation in ’21. Zac Gallen has shown to be a legitimate ace. The 25-year-old wasn’t particularly effective in ’21, but we award him a pass after dealing with several injuries to start the year. Gallen’s first two seasons in Arizona were stellar, and he was especially dominant in the 60-game sprint when he notched a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts.

Behind Gallen is a solid group of veterans who should provide Arizona a bit of stability. After struggling in Year 1 with Arizona, three-time World Series winner Madison Bumgarner settled into his new digs in ’21, notching a respectable 4.82 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Luke Weaver and Merrill Kelly should not be overlooked. Both guys boast a solid arsenal and could easily be above-average rotation pieces for the D-Backs this season.

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21. Cincinnati Reds

Starting 5: Castillo – Mahle – Gutierrez – Minor – Lodolo

Don’t be surprised if Luis Castillo is no longer a part of this group in a few weeks time. The flamethrowing 29-year-old is perceivably available given Cincinnati’s recent string of transactions. He can be a bit streaky — and walks far too many batters — but there is no denying Castillo is a gifted hurler with an overpowering arsenal. A move out of the confines of the Great American Ballpark could vault Castillo into one of the top pitchers in the league.

We’re still awaiting the Tyler Mahle breakout. Still just 27 years old, Mahle has superior strikeout ability (10.7 SO/9 last two seasons) and a considerable pedigree. If he and former first-round pick Nick Lodolo can string together a strong few months, the Reds may end up being a whole lot better than people are projecting them to be.

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20. Chicago Cubs

Starting 5: Hendricks – Stroman – Miley – Mills – Smyly

The top three in Chicago is not too shabby — especially with the addition of the enigmatic Marcus Stroman. Stroman as a No. 2 in Wrigley Field feels like a perfect fit. His ability to generate ground balls will play well, especially if the team can provide some solid defense behind him. Wade Miley continues to produce into his mid 30s, coming off a strong season with the division rival Reds a year ago.

However, Chicago’s rotation will hinge on the play of its ace Kyle Hendricks. Despite finishing ’21 with a 14-7 record, Hendricks is coming off a down year. Given his low strikeout numbers, Hendricks relies on his accuracy and change of speed to keep hitters off-balance. It seemed like teams had keyed in on Hendricks’ game plan last season, and it’s up to the lifelong Cub to adjust accordingly.

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19. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers are an intriguing bunch. Already possessing one of the best young pitching cores in the league, Detroit went out and signed former Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in addition to inking veteran journeyman Michael Pineda to a one-year deal. Rodriguez has borderline electric stuff, and Pineda is coming off of one of the better seasons of his lengthy career. The Tigers also have Spencer Turnbull still on the roster, but the flamethrower could miss a considerable amount of time after having Tommy John back in July.

However, the real key to this rotation is Detroit’s three young arms — Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Matt Manning. These three arms are set to be cornerstones in the organization, and any one of them ascending into star status would completely alter Detroit’s immediate trajectory. Our bet is on Mize, a former first overall pick with a world class arsenal of pitches.

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18. Boston Red Sox

Starting 5: Sale – Eovaldi – Pivetta – Wacha – Hill

Boston’s pitching projection hinges heavily on the health of Chris Sale. The dominant lefty returned to the mound in ’21 after missing nearly two years. Shockingly enough, Sale looked like himself despite coming off a series of serious injuries. And that’s saying a lot for a guy who has finished in the top-six in Cy Young voting seven times over his career. While his strikeout numbers were slightly down, Sale finished the year with a 3.16 ERA and a sterling 5-1 record.

In addition to Sale’s return, the Red Sox received a nice boost from World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi. The hard-throwing righty put together his first All-Star campaign, and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting after 195 punch-out’s. Veterans Michael Wacha and Rich Hill make up the back of this rotation, but expect to see plenty of youngster Tanner Houck with Sale set to miss the first month of the year.

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17. St. Louis Cardinals

Adam Wainwright continues to truck on with his ridiculous 12-to-6 curveball. The guts and guile of the veteran pitcher remains, as he still throws the baseball at a very high level. Jack Flaherty is a budding star — though he needs to prove he can stay healthy for long stretches. He will begin the season on the injured list. When healthy, this duo atop the rotation is good enough to get the Cardinals over the hump in the NL Central.

Matz has been throwing the ball extremely well during Spring Training, and is said to be reestablishing the form he once had for the New York Mets. Hudson and Mikolas both have dealt with injury issues in recent times. Hudson, in particular, could help give the Cards a nice boost to the back of their rotation. He has a career record of 24-10.

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16. New York Yankees

Starting 5: Cole – Severino – Taillon – Montgomery – Cortes

New York’s place on this list is solely based on our respect for Gerrit Cole. Undoubtedly, Cole is one of the best pitchers in the league — and has been for quite some time. The $324 million man has finished in the top-five of Cy Young voting four years in a row, and has elite strikeout stuff. There will be a handful of games each year where Cole looks to be the most dominant hurler in the entire league.

Behind Cole, it gets a bit shakier. Luis Severino is set to make his first full-time return to the rotation since 2018. The 28-year-old was previously believed to be one of the best young pitchers in baseball, but it’s unclear if injuries and time off the mound have withered his skills. Jameson Taillon and Nelson Cortes are decent arms who can get a few outs, but the Yankees’ rotation isn’t nearly as stacked as it has been in past years.

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15. Miami Marlins

There’s a lot of talent within this group. Outside of Alcantara (the ace of the staff), it’s definitely a younger group. Getting Sixto Sanchez fully healthy is paramount. Many have compared him to the great Pedro Martinez. The guy that automatically jumps off the page is Jesus Luzardo.

Formerly of the Oakland Athletics, the lefty has been averaging 98 miles per hour on his fastball during the spring. While there are some command issues, the talent Luzardo possesses is through the proverbial roof. As for Rogers, the lefty dazzled as a rookie in ’21 — posting a 2.64 ERA and earning an All-Star nod.

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14. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are opting to utilize a six-man starting rotation. This might be due to preserving Ohtani a bit. Additionally, they’re banking on the often-injured Noah Syndergaard to be the flamethrowing complement to the aforementioned Japanese star.

Michael Lorenzen was a sneaky-good addition. Coming over from the Reds, Lorenzen’s stuff should positively develop in much more of a pitcher’s park compared to the one he’s leaving behind. Among the other options, lefty Patrick Sandoval is a guy many are excited about — particularly with his ability to strike people out.

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13. Seattle Mariners

While Marco Gonzales is a solid pitcher, he doesn’t have the power stuff to be the ace of a staff. As such, Seattle went out and splashed some major cash on Robbie Ray. The lefty now assumes the role as the No. 1 option for the Mariners atop their rotation. Seattle gave him $115 million over five years. Undoubtedly, he’ll be expected to perform at quite a high level.

Flexen proved himself to be a valuable piece last season (winning 14 games). Gilbert is a 6-foot-6 24-year-old lefty with a nice upside. Brash is one of Seattle’s best prospects. He has a fastball touching 98 miles per hour, and generally possesses the power stuff to be a difference maker. If he’s not the fifth starter, look for Justus Sheffield to assume that role.

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12. Cleveland Guardians

Starting 5: Bieber – Civale – Plesac – McKenzie – Quantrill

In terms of ceiling, there aren’t a whole lot of teams with a more talented group than the Guardians. We all know how good Shane Bieber can be. The 2020 Cy Young winner was filthy two seasons ago, leading the league in ERA, strikeouts, and wins while finishing fourth in AL MVP voting behind only Jose Abreu, Jose Ramirez, and DJ LeMahieu. The Santa Barbara native struggled in ’21 before ending the season on the injured list, but his talent is undeniable.

Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac each have dominant stuff, and could be aces if they were on a different staff. The wildcard here is Triston McKenzie — a 24-year-old first-round pick who has posted a 10.4 SO/9 thus far in his young career. McKenzie has the profile of a potential star, and could help elevate this rotation even further up the rankings.

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11. Tampa Bay Rays

The upside of this staff is much higher. In a perfect world, should everything land the way Tampa wants it to go, you could see this staff end the year as a top-five unit. McClanahan, Patino, and Baz all have elite stuff. We’re talking about a trio of power arms which rival any young group in baseball.

Of course, the Rays will have to deal with relative inexperience and past injury issues. Kluber — the former Cy Young winner — is hoping to resurrect his career in about as perfect of a spot as you can figure. Plus, this group isn’t even including mammoth righty Tyler Glasnow. He’ll likely miss the entire year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

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10. Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays aren’t playing around. After signing Ryu and trading for Berrios a season prior, Toronto then proceeded to sign both Kevin Gausman and Yusei Kikuchi. Gausman had a stellar year for the Giants in 2021. He throws a heavy fastball with a wicked forkball/splitter. In fact, while most pitchers resist the proposition of developing blisters, Gausman reportedly welcomes it when it comes to utilizing his wipeout pitch.

The depth within this staff is clearly better, and the talent at the top of the rotation is also improved. Toronto figures to score a boatload of runs. As such, you may see Toronto starters only being asked to throw five or six innings.

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9. Houston Astros

The return of Justin Verlander is a major boon for the Astros. Despite coming off elbow surgery, Verlander reportedly is back throwing in the mid-to-upper 90s. When you add him to a group with a number of young, promising arms, the Astros still look like the favorites in the AL West (despite losing Carlos Correa to the Twins).

Though he wasn’t highly-elite, Zack Greinke left the team in order to return back to the Royals. We’d expect Valdez to take another step up as one of the American League’s best No. 2 pitchers.

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8. Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia has some major expectations heading into 2022. The lineup was revamped with the addition of two big boppers (Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos). In theory, scoring runs shouldn’t be that difficult to do in the hitter-friendly park. However, if the Phillies are to contend with the likes of Atlanta and New York, the pitching must hold up.

As we saw last year, Wheeler has elite stuff. He can be as good as anyone on any given day. Nola has been a consistent starter for quite a while, and Gibson is coming off an All-Star appearance. If the back of the rotation can be even satisfactory-to-decent, the Phillies will be doing cartwheels.

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7. San Francisco Giants

Logan Webb came out of nowhere to become the ace of SF’s staff. He was one of the better pitchers in the National League despite relying more on movement and deception rather than velocity. Just ask the Dodgers how good he was (Webb dominated them throughout the regular season and the postseason).

Even though the Giants let Kevin Gausman walk, Carlos Rodon isn’t a bad consolation prize. Assuming he can stay healthy, he should have a monster year. Additionally, remember that the Giants play at arguably the most pitcher-friendly park in the league. Couple that with a strong developmental system/analytics-driven organization, you can be assured that the ‘stuff’ all Giants’ pitchers normally possess plays ‘up’ from their norm.

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6. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Trevor Bauer situation knocks the Dodgers down a bit. If he were in the fold, you could make a case that LA would have a top-three rotation. Even as is, the trio of Buehler-Urias-Kershaw is pretty darn good. Though his numbers don’t suggest it, the analytics-driven front office believes that Heaney will be much better pitching at Chavez Ravine.

As is typical with the Dodgers, you’ll see them rotate a number of arms within the rotation. Remember, they’ve still got Mitch White, David Price, and Dustin May sitting behind Tony Gonsolin. Additionally, two of the team’s best prospects (Ryan Pepiot, Bobby Miller) could emerge sooner than later. Miller — a 6-foot-5 righty throwing north of 100 miles per hour — is said to be a big-time athlete.

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5. Milwaukee Brewers

The depth within this staff might not be as good as others. However, Milwaukee’s playoff hopes sit with the two at the top of the rotation. Without a doubt, the combination of Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes is one of the best duos in all of baseball. Both would be considered No. 1/ace-types when looking at their stuff.

Peralta is looking to take another leap after a very strong 2021 campaign in which he had 195 strikeouts in only 144 innings. Houser had a very respectable ERA last year (3.22), and Lauer is a crafty starter with some ability. At the end of the day, however, it’ll come down to Woodruff and Barnes as it pertains to postseason success.

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4. Chicago White Sox

Should Chicago represent the American League in the World Series, much of it will stem from a deep starting rotation. Across the board, the White Sox have a very nice mix of youth and experience. Giolito is a rising star within the league. Lynn is a true front-of-the-rotation guy, Keuchel has tons of experience from his days with the Astros, and the duo of Cease and Kopech give Chicago two guys with potentially elite stuff. Kopech’s fastball can ride north of 100 miles per hour, and Cease has the stuff to one day be a No. 1.

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3. Atlanta Braves

With Mike Soroka coming back healthy, the Braves are loaded. Max Fried and Ian Anderson have grown before our eyes — going from young players with promise to experienced, grizzled talents. Charlie Morton reprises his role as the rock-solid veteran of the group. If Soroka can even get back to 90-percent of what he once was pre-injury, Atlanta’s rotation should be even better than it was a year ago.

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2. New York Mets

The Mets went big fish hunting this offseason. Despite being close to 40 years of age, Max Scherzer is still an elite pitcher in this game. Pairing Scherzer with Jacob deGrom gives the Mets the best one-two punch in baseball. Trading for Chris Bassitt was a smart move, and the Mets were able to rehabilitate Taijuan Walker last year to get effectiveness. When you throw in a healthy Carlos Carrasco, this group is downright terrifying.

With all of the excitement, we must speak about the collective health of this group. Almost all of the projected starting five have had some health issues. The Mets undoubtedly will have to navigate those waters before staking claim to the top spot in baseball.

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1. San Diego Padres

Starting 5: Musgrove – Darvish – Snell – Clevinger – Manaea

You may be surprised to see the Padres listed as the team with the best starting pitching. However, there’s not a franchise right now matching San Diego when it comes to depth. There’s simply no shortage of quality arms here. Joe Musgrove is looking to capitalize on what was a very good 2021 year. Snell and Darvish each have elite stuff, and Clevinger gives San Diego another proven arm. Nabbing Manaea from the Athletics was also a shrewd move.

The fifth spot is still a bit up for grabs. However, this is a club which should lean heavily into its pitching depth — especially with Fernando Tatis Jr. sitting out for potentially the first three months of the season.

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