Ranking all 30 MLB rotations heading into 2017

Boston's dream of three potential Cy Young candidates nearly came to an end when David Price went down with an elbow injury early in spring training, but the issue isn't considered severe. With 2016 AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello and annual candidate Chris Sale leading the way, Boston has a scary top three. The Sox also have three options for the last two spots of the rotation in Eduardo Rodriguez, Steven Wright and Drew Pomeranz. The rotation could finish better than third in the AL in ERA, as it did last season.

The Chicago rotation had a historic year in 2016, though much of the sub-3.00 ERA was due to a brilliant defense. Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester were legitimate Cy Young contenders, while 2015 Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta had another fine year. John Lackey had a 3.35 ERA in his first year with the team, and fifth starter candidates Brett Anderson and Mike Montgomery both have upside.

The Dodgers' rotation finished fifth in the NL in ERA last season despite Clayton Kershaw making only 21 starts. A healthy Kershaw could do a lot for the team, as could full seasons from Rich Hill (2.12 ERA) and Julio Urias (3.39 ERA). Kenta Maeda and Scott Kazmir are no slouches at the back of the rotation, while Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brock Stewart make for great fallback options.

2016 Cy Young winner Max Scherzer is nursing a minor finger injury carried over from last season, while Stephen Strasburg is also coming off an arm injury. Tanner Roark, Gio Gonzalez and Joe Ross slot in well in spots 3-5, but the team hurt its depth by trading Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez for Adam Eaton.

There isn't a rotation with more upside than the Mets, as Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz all enter spring training healthy. The fifth starter spot is also intriguing with Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler as the candidates. New York's rotation finished third in ERA despite all of the injury issues in 2016, showing just how much talent is present.

Even after trading Drew Smyly and Matt Moore over the last year, few rotations have more upside than Tampa Bay. Chris Archer underperformed last season after a great 2015 but still has ace stuff. Blake Snell and Alex Cobb are able to join him with ace upside. Jake Odorizzi had a strong 3.69 ERA last season, and the fifth starter spot is sprouting with potential between Jose De Leon and Matt Andriese.

Cleveland's top three of Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar can rival almost any in baseball, but the latter two names have struggled to stay healthy. Trevor Bauer is still trying to finish with an ERA below 4.00 for the first time, and fifth starter Josh Tomlin had an up and down 2016.

Johnny Cueto returned to Cy Young form last season, joining Madison Bumgarner to make a scary duo. Jeff Samardzija wasn't spectacular in his first year with San Fran but did fill the No. 3 starter role well with a 3.81 ERA and 203.1 innings. Acquiring Matt Moore made the rotation much deeper, but the fifth starter spot doesn't inspire confidence between Matt Cain, Albert Suarez and Ty Blach.

Felix Hernandez has shown serious decline in recent seasons, but the rest of the Seattle rotation might be able to pick up the slack. James Paxton showed flashes of an ace last season, while Drew Smyly has done the same in the past. Hisashi Iwakuma remains an efficient middle-of-the-rotation starter. The fifth spot doesn't breed much optimism after the year Yovani Gallardo had in 2016 (5.42 ERA), but Ariel Miranda showed he's a possible option last season.

Toronto's rotation surprisingly had the lowest ERA in the AL last year, due largely to the contributions of Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada. The team expects improvement out of Marcus Stroman and Francisco Liriano, but it remains to be seen if Happ and Estrada can hold up as well as they did last season.

Losing top prospect Alex Reyes to Tommy John surgery at the beginning of camp was a huge blow for the Cardinals, but they still have a promising and deep rotation. Adam Wainwright has started to decline with age but remains a strong innings eater. Carlos Martinez has stepped up as the team's ace, and Lance Lynn should help as he returns from Tommy John surgery himself. It's unclear what the Cardinals will get out of Mike Leake and Michael Wacha after some struggles last season, but Luke Weaver (1.40 ERA at Double-A) shows upside as a fallback option.

Not many rotations carry more upside than Pittsburgh heading into 2017. The team is hoping for better health from former ace Gerrit Cole after making only 21 starts last season, but promising minor league arrivals from Jameson Taillon, Chad Kuhl and Tyler Glasnow provide huge potential. Ivan Nova, who signed an extension in the offseason, should also be noted after posting a 3.06 ERA in 11 starts and walking only three batters with the Pirates.

The Astros failed to add a top-end pitcher via trade in the offseason, as they were rumored to, but have reason to believe the rotation will still improve. 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel returns healthy from a shoulder issue that hindered him late last year, and Lance McCullers is also healthy after posting a 3.22 ERA in 14 starts last season. Collin McHugh continues to be a reliable innings eater, while Charlie Morton is an extreme ground ball pitcher who showed increased velocity until tearing his hamstring last year. The fifth starter spot could be a battle between veteran Mike Fiers and promising control artist Joe Musgrove. Top prospects David Paulino and Francis Martes should prove to be great backup plans.

There's not much debate over the abilities of Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish, but the rest of the rotation should make Rangers fans nervous. Andrew Cashner settled for a one-year contract after struggling last season and is already nursing an arm issue in camp. Martin Perez was completely unable to miss bats last season but did have a 4.39 ERA. A.J. Griffin had an ERA above 5.00 last season but is likely the fifth starter until Tyson Ross returns from thoracic outlet syndrome. Ross could determine this rotation's upside, but a full rebound from his surgery is far from a sure thing.

Perhaps Justin Verlander was robbed of the AL Cy Young last season, but he can't do it all himself. Michael Fulmer has emerged as Detroit's clear No. 2 starter after winning Rookie of the Year, but there's reason to be nervous beyond him. Jordan Zimmermann battled through a neck injury and lost velocity when he was on the mound last season. Daniel Norris showed great ability with a 3.38 ERA in 69.1 innings but continues to struggle keeping the ball in the park. Matt Boyd is at least an adequate fifth starter, showing plus control. Anibal Sanchez also remains as an option.

The Royals had quite a whirlwind in the offseason with the tragic death of Yordano Ventura, but their rotation is still very deep. They added Nate Karns via trade and signed veterans Jason Hammel and Travis Wood late in the offseason. Danny Duffy emerged as the staff ace last season, while Ian Kennedy can at least eat innings. Jason Vargas was a solid contributor before Tommy John surgery and hopes to return to form.

The Yankees' rotation has a high ceiling and low floor based on how the young arms perform. Masahiro Tanaka is the sure thing at the top of the rotation, though he wasn't the most durable pitcher before 2016. Michael Pineda could be an ace if he's able to get his home run issues in check. Luis Severino is back competing for a rotation spot after struggling last year, but his 2015 performance shows big upside. CC Sabathia showed capable as a back-of-the-rotation starter last season. Chad Green, Luis Cessa, Bryan Mitchell and Adam Warren all have ability for the bottom of the rotation.

Arizona's rotation ranked dead last in the NL last season, though that doesn't reflect its talent. Zack Greinke had arguably his worst season after signing a lucrative deal, and there's no debate that Shelby Miller did have his worst year after the team traded a mammoth package for him. If the Diamondbacks can get rebounds out of that pair, they'll be in much better shape. The advanced metrics suggest Robbie Ray can be one of baseball's top pitchers with a strikeout rate that already ranks as elite. Taijuan Walker was acquired in the offseason and also has huge upside as a former elite prospect. Archie Bradley has a chance to finish off the rotation and had more than one strikeout per inning last year.

Atlanta drastically improved its rotation in the offseason by adding veterans Bartolo Colon, R.A. Dickey and Jaime Garcia. It remains to be seen what Colon and Dickey have left in their 40s. Julio Teheran reclaimed his role as the clear ace last season, posting a 3.21 ERA. Mike Foltynewicz is a fifth starter with upside, posting a 3.17 K/BB ratio last season.

Colorado's rotation had one of the worst ERAs in the NL last season, as would be expected from a team playing half its games at Coors Field, but the pitching is progressing. Jon Gray has started to look like the ace Colorado saw when it made him a first-round pick. Tyler Anderson had a 3.54 ERA, and Tyler Chatwood returned from Tommy John surgery to post a 3.87 ERA. Chad Bettis had an offseason cancer scare but is back healthy and has strong command. The fifth starter spot has upside with top prospects Jeff Hoffman and German Marquez.

Losing Chris Sale is a huge loss for the rebuilding White Sox, but Jose Quintana is still in town for now. Former first-round pick Carlos Rodon has started to develop into the top-line starter Chicago envisioned. Miguel Gonzalez pitched very well late last season and finished the year with a 3.73 ERA. Derek Holland is trying to revitalize his career now. The fifth starter spot is likely a battle between top prospects Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito, both acquired for Adam Eaton.

Philadelphia brings back most of the same faces from last season, with some upside added in Clay Buchholz. The Phillies hope Aaron Nola can re-emerge as the ace he showed last season before an elbow injury hindered him. Jeremy Hellickson had a strong 2016 campaign, as did Jerad Eickhoff, with sub-4.00 ERAs. Vince Velasquez certainly knows how to miss bats but struggled to keep the ball in the park late last season.

Baltimore's pitching staff is built on the bullpen, not the rotation, but there is still some ability. Kevin Gausman had a breakout year in 2016 with a 3.61 ERA, and Chris Tillman rebounded with a 3.77 ERA. Wade Miley was acquired at midseason and struggled, but he also had more than one strikeout per inning. As usual, Ubaldo Jimenez will be relied upon when the team has no idea what to expect. Dylan Bundy, a former elite prospect, has returned from arm injuries to be a viable option, posting a 4.02 ERA last season.

There's nervous optimism for the Angels' rotation centered around Garrett Richards. The ace opted for rehab over Tommy John surgery and looks healthy in spring training. We still don't know how long he can hold up. The rotation has potentially solid performers in Matt Shoemaker and Tyler Skaggs, but they're in trouble if they lose Richards. Ricky Nolasco proved he had something left last season, making 32 starts, while the fifth starter role is an unimposing battle between Jesse Chavez, Bud Norris and Alex Meyer.

Even with the help of a pitcher's park and Rich Hill, the A's rotation ERA was second worst in the AL last season. That could change if Sonny Gray is able to rebound from an awful season, and Jesse Hahn has also been the talk of early spring. Jharel Cotton's minor league numbers show upside, and Sean Manaea had a sub-4.00 ERA in his MLB debut. Ground ball pitcher Kendall Graveman shows solid fifth starter ability, and Andrew Triggs was great in six starts last year.

Miami's rotation ERA ranked 12th in baseball last season but decidedly takes a giant leap backward after Jose Fernandez's tragic death. The Marlins hope Wei-Yin Chen can start to earn the huge contract he was paid last season. Dan Straily and Adam Conley showed good ability last season but aren't exactly reliable pillars yet. Edinson Volquez is trying to rebound from a 5.37 ERA. Tom Koehler can eat innings but last had an ERA below 4.00 in 2014.

Milwaukee's rotation has plenty of candidates but not much upside, at least in the short term. Zach Davies and Junior Guerra are the only pitchers locked in to rotation spots. The rest of the rotation will feature some combination of Jimmy Nelson, Matt Garza, Chase Anderson, Tommy Milone and Wily Peralta. The team is waiting on the arrival of top prospects Josh Hader and Brandon Woodruff, both of whom should improve what's currently a low ceiling.

The Twins' rotation ERA was dead last in baseball last season, and not much has been addressed this year. Ervin Santana was reliable, and the team has innings eater Hector Santiago behind him. Kyle Gibson had an ERA above 5.00 after posting a 3.84 ERA in 2015, and Phil Hughes is returning from thoracic outlet syndrome. Former top prospect Jose Berrios couldn't pitch any worse than he did last year. Tyler Duffey, Trevor May and Adalberto Mejia do show upside if any of that group can crack the rotation.

Cincinnati is trying to hold serve until its minor league reinforcements are ready. Anthony DeSclafani is the rotation's most reliable pitcher, posting a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts last season. Scott Feldman has proved he can be adequate when healthy, and Brandon Finnegan somehow finished with a sub-4.00 ERA last season despite poor control. Homer Bailey will miss significant time again with another arm injury. Cody Reed struggled last season but has shown great ability in the minors. The Reds do have some upper minors intrigue with Rookie Davis, Nick Travieso, Robert Stephenson and Amir Garrett, among others.

Manager Andy Green has already suggested the Padres could employ multiple starters in short stints, showing the low confidence in the staff. It's difficult to find even one reliable name in a group that includes Jhoulys Chacin, Trevor Cahill, Christian Friedrich, Luis Perdomo, Clayton Richard, Cesar Vargas and Jered Weaver. It's going to be a long season in San Diego.