MLB Power Rankings: Which pitching rotation is the best in baseball?

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TORONTO, ON – MAY 19: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics delivers a pitch in the first inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on May 19, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

20. Oakland Athletics

This season, the A’s truly have been an average team. They don’t do a lot of things great, but they do a few things really well.

Pitching is one of those things.

Combined, Oakland starters have a 4.27 ERA. Remarkably, they have walked the fewest amount of batters (77). That’s a pretty astonishing statistic when you consider the talent that other rotations have in comparison.

At the top of the rotation has been 26-year-old Sean Manaea. Aside from no-hitting the Boston Red Sox, he’s done quite well as the teams No. 1. In 75 innings, he’s walked just 14 and compiled a brilliant 0.973 WHIP.

Daniel Mengden has been absolutely terrific behind Manaea. In addition to having a true throwback of a mustache, the 25-year-old currently sports a 2.85 ERA and 0.965 WHIP. What’s more impressive is that he’s thrown a complete game shutout, too.

Even Trevor Cahill has outdone himself this year. In seven starts, he’s recorded a sterling ERA of 2.25. His WHIP sits at an obscene mark of 0.886. He’s allowed just four home runs through 44 innings pitched.

Oakland’s starters have gotten into the habit of going deep into games. The bunch has tossed 303.2 innings, which stands as the 12th highest number among the games starting staffs.

For a rotation comprised of younger guys and the veteran Cahill, there are some impressive notes that jump out from the bunch.

Manaea and Mengden might be the 1-2 duo for the A’s future.