MLB Power Rankings: Which pitching rotation is the best in baseball?
By Phil Akre
1. Houston Astros
The Houston Astros come in at number one by a landslide. No other rotation in the majors has combined for such firepower, run prevention and utter dominance this season.
Gerrit Cole has unlocked his potential since leaving Pittsburgh, as he currently flashes a 2.05 ERA and a ridiculous MLB-best 13.9 K/9 among starters. He’s struck out an obscene 109 batters through 75.2 innings of work. Nasty.
But Cole is just one part of the bunch that features Justin Verlander, who has flat out stifled opponents. He’s the front runner for the AL Cy Young award and if you don’t believe me, look at these numbers.
- 1.11 ERA (Best in MLB)
- 81.1 innings (2nd in AL)
- 98 K (3rd in AL)
- .153 BAA (best in AL)
Even Charlie Morton has become an ace in Houston. He sports a 2.26 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and a 169 ERA+. His offspeed pitches in particular have baffled hitters.
It’s been “down” years for both Lance McCullers and Dallas Keuchel, but who notices when your rotation is pitching out of its mind?
McCullers has pitched to a 3.89 ERA through 12 starts. The crazy thing is that he would probably be the top arm on a lot of teams.
The Astros came into the season as one of the favorites to win it all. Facing Cole, Verlander and Morton in a series will be a tall task for nearly any foe. So far, the rotation is backing up the hype.