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MLB: Power Ranking All 30 Major League Starting Rotations

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Feb 19, 2014; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) chats with the pitchers including Doug Fister (58) (in blue) in spring training action at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2014; Port St Lucie, FL, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (37) chats with the pitchers including Doug Fister (58) (in blue) in spring training action at Space Coast Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Barr-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 24, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Giants 9-1 to clinch the NL West Division Championship. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) during the game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Giants 9-1 to clinch the NL West Division Championship. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

player. 71. <p><strong>Projected Starting Rotation:</strong></p> <ul> <li>LHP Clayton Kershaw (21-6, 1.77 ERA, 27 GS in 2014)</li> <li>RHP Zack Greinke (17-8, 2.81 ERA, 32 GS in 2014)</li> <li>*LHP Hyun-jin Ryu (14-7, 3.38 ERA, 26 GS in 2014)</li> <li>RHP Brandon McCarthy (10-15, 4.05 ERA, 32 GS combined with Arizona and the New York Yankees)</li> <li>LHP Brett Anderson (1-3, 2.91 ERA, 8 GS with Colorado in 2014)</li> </ul>. 1st. NL West. Los Angeles Dodgers. 2

Even if they didn’t have the best pitcher in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers would have a top ten starting rotation, but with three-time National League Cy Young Award winner and reigning NL MVP Clayton Kershaw at the top of the rotation, the group is one of the very best in the Majors.

Kershaw started only 27 games last season but won a league leading 21 of them and tossed a league-high six complete games and had two shutouts. In addition to winning the ERA title, the southpaw also led the league in ERA+ (197), FIP (1.81), WHIP (.0857), K/9 (10.8) and K/BB (7.71). It was simply one of the greatest pitching seasons of this generation by a seven-year veteran that just turned 27 years old and is already a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

Of course, Kershaw isn’t the only Cy Young winner on staff as Zack Greinke is the perhaps the best No. 2 starter in baseball. The 2009 winner finished seventh in voting following a 2014 season in which he also won his first Gold Glove.

Following the best one-two punch in baseball is Hyun-jin Ryu – once he’s back in the rotation, that is. The lefty is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season with an inflamed shoulder similar to ailment that cost him a few starts last season.

Brandon McCarthy got better and better throughout the course of the 2014 season and was a completely different pitcher in 14 starts with the Yankees (7-5, 2.89 ERA in 90.1 innings) than he was with Arizona in his first 18 (7-5, 5.01 ERA in 109.2 innings).

He’ll handle the fourth spot in the rotation this season, followed by Brett Anderson who pitched great in Colorado last season before undergoing a season-ending back surgery in August. If the lefty can stay healthy, he could be a major factor in a possible Dodgers’ World Series run.

Prior to the surgery, Anderson was having his best year since 2010. He got off to a nice start this spring with a 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings spread across four Cactus League starts.

Next: 1. Washington Nationals

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