As we know, pitching is the name of the game, and the NL East has a ton of above-average hurlers. In this article, I will be ranking the top 25 starting pitchers in the division, so I will be excluding anyone who comes out of the bullpen.
Do I like Cole Hamels? No. Does any Mets fan like him? Probably not. But you have to respect his immense ability to get hitters out. The Mets have done well against him in his career (8-14 record vs NYM, 4.09 era in 31 starts) but the 31 year old has been a backbone for Philadelphia for the last half decade.
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| Courtest of philly.com |
Calling him the best pitcher in the division is no easy task, as there are many eligible candidates who are worthy of that position. However, I factored in Hamels' consistency (career 3.27 ERA in 9 seasons) and ability to stay healthy (averages 223 IP per season). Whether or not Cole is on the Phillies squad by the end of the 2015 is up for question, but right now he is probably the best in the division.
2. Max Scherzer- Nationals
I didn't love the Scherzer signing from a Nationals standpoint, since they will be paying him for the next 14 seasons at $15 million apiece, but there's no question that bringing him in gives the Nationals the clear cut edge to win the division in 2015. The 30 year old has always shown promises of being a solid hurler, but he put it all together in 2013, going 21-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 32 starts for the Tigers. He was elected to his first All-Star game and won the American League Cy Young award.
2014 was similar to 2013, as he went 18-5 with a 3.15 ERA in 33 starts. His 10.3 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 ratio's stood out the most, as they were way above league average.
There's no question that Scherzer is immensely talented. The issue is the amount of years that the Nationals dished out to him, but in terms of this article, we will focus on next season only, and for 2015 he will be a strong force in an-already crowded Washington rotation.
3. Jordan Zimmermann- Nationals
Zimmermann has been one of the most underrated hurlers in the game over the past few years, and as he walks into a contract year, there are great expectations. He will be either the #2 or #3 in a Nationals rotation that is built like a concrete wall, and as a pitcher who has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries, his health is vital.
Since returning from his second TJ surgery in 2011, the 28 year old has posted a 3.00 ERA in 122 starts. It also appears as if he is still improving, as his BB/9 ratio has gone to an incredible 1.3 over the past season, and has been been in the Cy Young award conversation over the past couple of years.
Zimmermann is still getting better, and the Nationals should certainly look to lock him up before his hits free agency next winter.
4. Stephen Strasburg- Nationals
I know what you're probably thinking right now, 3 straight Washington pitchers? The answer is, Yes. They're THAT good.
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| Courtesy of natsinsider.com |
Strasburg has flown under the radar over the past year or two, probably due to his lack of run support in 2013 (8-9 with a 3.00 ERA in 30 starts). Many people don't know this, but he actually led the league in strikeouts last season (242) while finishing 9th in the Cy Young voting list. Strasburg is still only 26, even though it feels like he has been around for at least a decade, and should take another giant step in 2015.
It's safe to say that he has fulfilled his 1st round pick (1st overall pick, actually) hype, due to his 3.02 ERA over 102 career starts. Before the team brought in Scherzer, he was looked at as the team's ace, and building block. This may be hard to believe, but the Mets have only faced Strasburg SIX times in his entire career. Talkin' about a coincidence, huh?
However, in those 6 starts he has a combined 2.19 ERA against us, so if he continues that trend he will be another thorn in the Mets' side this upcoming season.
5. Matt Harvey- Mets
Finally, a Mets pitcher.
Harvey has a good chance to climb up this list if his 2015 season is ANYTHING like his 2013 campaign, but right now we just don't know how he'll respond.
The soon-to-be 26 year old should start the season with either an innings limit or the occasional skipped start, but there are still fair expectations. After being the starter in the 2013 All-Star game for the National League, and falling to fourth in the Cy Young award voting, the "Dark Knight of Gotham", as many call him, has gained confidence in several Mets fans that he will be able to rediscover himself, and fast.
Time will tell, however.
6. Cliff Lee- Phillies
Cliff Lee has truly fallen off the radar since the Phillies are no longer in "win-now" mode, but he is still able to have a big 2015 campaign. While the age is creeping up on him (36 years), he has shown little signs of any regression, when healthy.
2014 was a wash for him, as he only made 13 starts, but in 2013 he had a solid 2.87 ERA with 222 strikeouts for the Phillies. He may not be the sexiest name out there, but has been one of the most consistent, posting a 2.93 ERA from 2008-2014, and being named to the All-Star squad four times in the process.
Lee has one more full season left on his contract, with a vesting option for 2016, thus making him an attractive deadline trade chip. Like Hamels, I will be very surprised if he is on the Phillies in 2016.
7. Doug Fister- Nationals
When the Nationals acquired Doug Fister last winter via the Tigers, everyone knew that they were getting one heck of a pitcher. Fister exceeded expectations in 2015, pitching to a 2.41 ERA while winning 16 games in 25 starts.
Despite not being a strikeout pitcher (5.4 K/9 in 2015), Fister does an excellent job in generating ground ball outs, evident by his 48.9% ground-ball percentage. He is essentially built for Nationals Park, as he has a 2.01 ERA in 13 career starts there.
Like Zimmermann, he is also a free agent after the 2015 season, and it will be very interesting to see if they can return one, if not both of these gifted hurlers.
8. Julio Teheran- Braves
Atlanta has Teheran locked up on potentially one of most team-friendly deals in baseball right now. He is signed through 2019, making a $31.4 million in the process. Essentially, they are paying $5-6 million per season for a guy who has posted a 3.03 ERA in the last two seasons.
Teheran is still 24, believe it or not, and he is still getting a whole lot better. He was elected to his first All-Star game in 2014, and finished the year with a strong 2.89 ERA.
The Braves may not be fully committed to winning in 2015, but Teheran will lead their starting rotation, and I expect him to win at least 15 games, run support or not.
9. Jacob deGrom-Mets
deGrom's unbelievable 2014 season has pushed him in the top-ten of this list, clearly, but the 26 year old is capable of climbing up even further if he proves that last year was no fluke.
Jacob won the National League Rookie of the Year because of his 2.69 ERA that garnered him a 9-6 record in 22 starts. It's funny when you think about it. deGrom didn't even start the season with New York. Imagine if he did?
2015 will be an important one for the youngster, as he must prove that he is unaffected by the dreaded "sophomore slump." Mets fans expect big things out of him, and if he continues to perform like an ace, the Mets' rotation will look that much nicer next season.
10. Gio Gonzalez- Nationals
I have never been a huge fan of Gonzalez, mostly because of his control issues, and he did take a considerable step backwards last year. He went 10-10 with a 3.57 ERA in 27 starts for Washington, which was a downgrade from his ace-caliber 2012 season where he had 21 wins with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts, while being named to his second All-Star game.
Gio is another one of those guys who is capable of making a jump on this list, but if his 2015 season was anything like 2014, the 10th spot seems about right for the 7 year veteran.
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(11-15)
11. Henderson Alvarez- Marlins
12. Zack Wheeler- Mets
13. Alex Wood- Braves
14. Mat Latos- Marlins
15. Shelby Miller- Braves
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(16-20)
16. Jon Niese- Mets
17. Jarrod Cosart- Marlins
18. Bartolo Colon - Mets
19. Mike Minor- Braves
20. Dan Haren- Marlins
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(21-25)
21. Tom Koehler- Marlins
22. Chad Billingsley- Phillies
23. Aaron Harang- Phillies
24. *Eric Stults- Braves
25. Jerome Williams- Phillies
Notes
*Stults is the favorite to win the 5th starter job for Atlanta. Other candidates include, but are not limited to: Wandy Rodriguez, Manny Banuelos, Mike Foltynewicz.
- Dillon Gee and Tanner Roark have been excluded from this list as both are expected to start the 2015 season in the bullpen.
- Jose Fernandez has been excluded from this list as he is not expected to return until at least May.
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