Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

By Joshua Sadlock

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 09: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) during an at bat in the second inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers played on April 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 09: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) during an at bat in the second inning of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers played on April 9, 2019 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
13 of 25
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 27: Los Angeles Dodgers Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 27, 2019, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 27: Los Angeles Dodgers Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 27, 2019, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

13. Clayton Kershaw

Up until last season, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw would have ranked much higher on this list, and ranking him as the top pitcher in MLB would not have drawn much argument. A third straight injury-plagued campaign, however, has the 31-year-old’s future looking much cloudier. Kershaw has failed to make at least 30 starts in three years running and began the 2019 season on the injured list with shoulder soreness. His velocity has dropped steadily, as has his strikeout rate, which fell below 10 per-nine last year for the first time since 2013.

Counting Kershaw out entirely would be silly. He is the best pitcher of his generation, has three Cy Young awards, an MVP, pitching Triple Crown, 300-strikeout season and five ERA titles. Kershaw is the active MLB leader in ERA, winning percentage, shutouts, WHIP and hits per-nine. If any pitcher is going to slow the passage of time and remain dominant into his mid-30s, it’s Kershaw.

Kershaw made his regular-season debut on April 15 and logged seven innings with six strikeouts and only five hits allowed against a strong Cincinnati Reds lineup, using only 84 pitches. He will need to rely more on his precise control and changeup as his velocity levels off into the low-90s. Kershaw is no longer the same pitcher who racked up sub-2.00 ERA seasons with little effort, but he is too good to be counted out for long. Through three starts, Kershaw has a 2.25 ERA and allowed only 11 hits in 20 innings of work.

Home/MLB