Top 10 starting pitchers in MLB right now

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 01: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the third inning against the Houston Astros in game seven of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on November 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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5. Chris Sale

In his first season with the Boston Red Sox, left-hander Chris Sale came out like a man possessed. Given his first chance to pitch for a legitimate contender, Sale did not disappoint and finished second in the AL Cy Young vote. His brilliance kept the Red Sox afloat while David Price struggled with a balky elbow, Eduardo Rodriguez worked through knee trouble and Rick Porcello regressed back to the mean.

Sale finished 2017 with a 17-8 record and 2.90 ERA. He led the major leagues with 214.1 innings, 308 strikeouts, a 2.45 FIP and 12.9 strikeouts per nine. From April 10 to May 19, Sale reeled off eight starts in a row with at least 10 strikeouts. On the year, he would tally double-digit strikeouts in 18 of his 32 starts, including four 13-strikeout games.

In his final year with the Chicago White Sox, Sale had made a conscious effort to pitch to more contact in order to go deeper into games. That was not the case last year, as he was hunting strikeouts in nearly every at-bat. With his frisbee-like slider, Sale is reminiscent of a slightly shorter Randy Johnson.

If there is one knock on Sale, it is that he wore down in the second half, going only 4-4 in August and September. That has been a trend throughout his career, although his ERA has only risen from 2.74 in the first half to 3.28 in the second half — still very good. Sale also struggled in the ALDS, allowing nine runs and four home runs in 9.2 innings of work against the Houston Astros. Finally given his first taste of the postseason, look for the 28-year-old to make the necessary adjustments to carry his dominance through the end of the regular season and into the playoffs in 2018.

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