All 30 MLB starting rotations, ranked

Not only do the Dodgers have arguably the most talented rotation in MLB but also the deepest. Even after David Price opted out of the season, the rotation is comfortable seven deep. That depth was already tested on Opening Day when young star Dustin May was called upon to replace the injured Clayton Kershaw. Walker Buehler is on the cusp of being an annual Cy Young candidate, posting a 3.26 ERA and 5.81 K/BB last season, while Julio Urias has similar upside now that he's back in the rotation. The track records of Alex Wood and Ross Stripling are excellent, while reserve Tony Gonsolin had a 2.93 ERA last season. LA's rotation ERA of 3.11 was nearly a half-run better than the closest competitor last year, albeit with the now departed Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda.

No team in baseball can claim a better top three than the Nats, with Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin. The power-pitching trio led Washington to its first championship last year, each fanning more than 10 batters per nine innings. Anibal Sanchez was a strong fourth starter last year with a 3.85 ERA in 30 outings, and Austin Voth shows potential after a velocity increase last season.

Despite their limited finances, Tampa Bay still has one of the best and deepest rotations. Charlie Morton continued to be an ace after joining the Rays last year, picking up for 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who had an injury-plagued 2019. Tyler Glasnow was untouchable last year when healthy with a 1.78 ERA in 12 starts, while Ryan Yarbrough and Yonny Chirinos find consistent success by throwing strikes. The Rays also have very nice depth with Brendan McKay,Trevor Richards, Anthony Banda, and Jalen Beeks all capable of stepping in.

Cleveland doesn't have Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer anymore, but it speaks to their organizational development that their starting rotation remains elite. Shane Bieber and Mike Clevinger had breakout seasons in 2019, and Carlos Carrasco is now healthy after overcoming cancer last year. He slots in as the No. 3 starter despite a career 3.82 ERA and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings. Aaron Civale is hoping to repeat his surprising 2.34 ERA from last season, while Zach Plesac sported a 3.81 ERA in 21 starts.

The loss of Gerrit Cole really hurts the Astros. Even so, they were in good hands with aces Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke at the top of the rotation. Then Verlander suffered an injury that could cost him the entire 2020 season. Lance McCullers has returned from Tommy John surgery and has a career 3.67 ERA with more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Jose Urquidy's changeup fooled hitters late last season, though his season is delayed due to illness. Josh James shows huge upside with a high-90's fastball, and the team remains loaded with top pitching prospects like Forrest Whitley and Cristian Javier. But right now, everything hinges on how long Verlander will be sidelined. 

Cincinnati had the ninth best rotation ERA in baseball last year, and should take another big step forward this year if Trevor Bauer can rebound. Bauer had a 2.21 ERA in 2018, but it went up more than two runs last year. Sonny Gray did revitalize his career after reuniting with his college pitching coach in Cincy, and Luis Castillo's devastating sinker hasn't been hit consistently since he arrived to the majors. Anthony DeSclafani had one of his best seasons last year with a 3.89 ERA, and free agent signing Wade Miley has remade himself over the last two years. Control artist Tyler Mahle also offers good depth as the sixth starter.

The addition of Gerrit Cole was just in time for the Yankees this year, as they lost Luis Severino to Tommy John surgery and Domingo German to suspension. The ace is supported by lefty James Paxton, a groundball pitcher with more than 11 strikeouts per nine in the last two seasons, and veteran Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka is starting the year on the IL due to a concussion, but he shouldn't be out for long. J.A. Happ is coming off a disappointing 2019 season, but had a sub-4.00 ERA in the previous four seasons. Jordan Montgomery had a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts during his 2017 rookie season, and is finally back from elbow surgery this season. New York also has ample, young depth with Mike King, Deivi Garcia, and Clarke Schmidt.

The Rangers rotation was thin behind Lance Lynn and Mike Minor last year, so they addressed it by adding Corey Kluber, Kyle Gibson, and Jordan Lyles in the offseason. Kluber won two Cy Young Awards in Cleveland, though he couldn't stay healthy last year and is on the wrong side of the 30. If he can't take the ace mantle, Lynn is fine maintaining is after throwing over 200 innings last year with a 3.67 ERA and even better ERA metrics. Gibson is hoping to regain his 2018 form when he had a 3.62 ERA. Lyles had a 2.45 ERA late last season in Milwaukee, showing upside in the fifth spot.

Atlanta's youth leads the way, showing huge upside in all five spots. It wasn't supposed to be this way, but offseason addition Cole Hamels has been unable to get healthy so far this season. Mike Soroka established himself as an ace at 21 with a 2.68 ERA in 2019, and curveball wizard Max Fried was also very good with a 4.02 ERA. Mike Foltynewicz regressed last year due to elbow issues, but was the ace in 2018 with a 2.85 ERA and 9.9 strikeouts per nine innings. The enigmatic Sean Newcomb has No. 1 starter stuff and a career 3.87 ERA, while former first rounder Kyle Wright is trying to make a name for himself this year. If Wright fails, the Braves have good insurance with Bryse Wilson, Ian Anderson, and veteran Jhoulys Chacin. 

Jack Flaherty became the Cardinals new ace in 2019, finishing fourth in the Cy Young voting with a 2.75 ERA and league-best 0.97 WHIP. The team is excited about Carlos Martinez's move back to the rotation with better health in camp, with a career 3.36 ERA. Miles Mikolas showed ace ability in 2018 before some regression last year, and Adam Wainwright was the team's ace for nearly a decade before some late-career deterioration. Groundball specialist Dakota Hudson had a 3.35 ERA in his first full season as a starter, though his 4.93 FIP shows pending regression.

San Diego's rotation was worlds of potential, led by young ace Chris Paddack. Handled with kid gloves in his rookie season, Paddack had a 3.33 ERA in 26 starts. Dinelson Lamet and Garrett Richards are capable of missing plenty of bats if healthy, and Zach Davies was a five-inning specialist in Milwaukee, posting a sub-4.00 ERA in four of his five seasons. Joey Lucchesi is overshadowed in this group, but the lefty has a strong 4.14 ERA and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings in two seasons. The depth makes the Padres even more imposing with Cal Quantrill and elite prospect MacKenzie Gore.

Minnesota's rotation is very deep, led by Jose Berrios, who has made consecutive All-Star appearances with a 3.68 ERA last season. The rotation was boosted in the offseason by veterans Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda, former Dodgers who have been very solid when healthy. Jake Odorizzi revitalized his career in 2019 with a 3.51 ERA and 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 30 starts, and Homer Bailey was also suddenly durable last year. Michael Pineda will be a member of the rotation when he returns from a PEDs suspension, posting a 4.01 ERA with nearly perfect control last year, but in the meantime groundball artist Randy Dobnak can serve as a swingman.

Oakland is thrilled to have Frankie Montas back from a PEDs suspension, as he had a 2.63 ERA in 16 starts last year with the help of a new pitch. The oft-injured Sean Manaea enters the season healthy, and deceptive veteran Mike Fiers had one of his best years in 2019 (3.90 ERA in 33 starts). The A's had hoped top prospects Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk would be in their rotation this year, but Luzardo is regaining strength after COVID-19 and Puk has a recurring shoulder issue. Replacing them are Chris Bassitt (career 3.84 ERA) and Daniel Mengden.

The Angels have had incredibly bad luck with health in recent years, but hope to have turned the corner in 2020. The COVID-19 pause gave time for Shohei Ohtani and Griffin Canning to get healthy, both showing top of the rotation upside. Andrew Heaney is also healthy, and the peripherals were far better than his 4.91 ERA last season. New addition Julio Teheran is a reliable innings eater at this point, and Dylan Bundy should benefit from getting out of Camden Yards. He had more than one strikeout per inning in the last two years, so there is upside.

Arizona's starting rotation has the potential to keep them in the playoff race if it remains healthy. Madison Bumgarner was added in the offseason, effectively replacing Zack Greinke as the veteran ace. Behind him is a very interesting trio with Robbie Ray, Zac Gallen, and Luke Weaver. Ray struggles with walks, but has an elite strikeouts per nine rate of 12.1 over the last three years. Gallen was incredible in his rookie debut with a 2.81 ERA, and Weaver was similarly effective last year but often hurt. Fifth starter returned from Korea to post a 4.42 ERA in 32 starts last season.

The Mets had a big loss this spring when Noah Syndergaard required Tommy John surgery, and Marcus Stroman is also out to start the season with a calf injury. That puts more pressure on Jacob deGrom, but he's up to the challenge as the back-to-back defending NL Cy Young winner. Rick Porcello has also won a Cy Young but was terrible recently in Boston. Michael Wacha is similarly trying to fix himself with New York, as his career with south in St. Louis due to arm injuries. Steven Matz has stayed healthy over the last two years and has a combined 4.09 ERA to show for it. A lack of depth puts the Mets in a bind with the fifth spot in the rotation until Stroman returns.

The Cubs have spent big money on their rotation, led by Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, and Jon Lester. Darvish was terrific in the second half of 2019, while Hendricks could be the most underrated starter in baseball with a career 3.14 ERA. Lester has seen better days, with a 4.46 ERA in 31 starts at age 35 last year. Jose Quintana has started the year on the injured list due to a hand issue, and Tyler Chatwood is being relied on more this year after the first two years of his three-year, $38 million contract were an unmitigated disaster. Alec Mills is filling in as the fifth starter until Quintana returns.

The White Sox were busy in the offseason adding Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez behind ace Lucas Giolito. Keuchel has won a Cy Young and Gonzalez has a long track record of success, but neither lefty has pitched their best ball lately. The wild cards for Chicago in 2020 are Dylan Cease and Reynaldo Lopez. Cease struggled in his rookie season but missed bats on command in the minors. Lopez throws smoke, but his command had made him inconsistent, coming off a 2019 season with an ERA above 5.00. The team should have top prospect Michael Kopech back next season after he missed 2019 to Tommy John surgery and opted out of 2020.

The starting rotation was Philly's weak link last year, and they opened their wallets to address it by signing Zack Wheeler in the offseason. The former Met follows Aaron Nola in the rotation, who finished third in the Cy Young vote in 2018 and has a career 3.49 ERA. Jake Arrieta does have a Cy Young, but could have a tough time finding attention next offseason if he doesn't improve upon his 2019 performance. Improved velocity has helped Zach Eflin's trajectory with a 4.13 ERA last season, and Vince Velasquez still offers upside with a plus arm in the fifth spot. Top prospect Spencer Howard could contribute later this season after posting a 2.03 ERA in the minors last year.

There's no debate Toronto's rotation got better in the offseason, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough. Free agent signing Hyun-Jin Ryu is the clear ace, finishing second in the NL Cy Young vote last year with a 2.32 ERA in 29 starts. Tanner Roark is another new addition, showing consistency over the last three years, albeit with an ERA above 4.00. Chase Anderson quietly had a 3.63 ERA over the last three years in Milwaukee, and Matt Shoemaker has shown flashes but just can't stay healthy. Trent Thornton showed some upside last year when he wasn't getting knocked around. The most exciting pitcher on the staff could be Nate Pearson, who can touch triple digits on the radar gun and had a 2.30 ERA between three minor league levels last year.

Milwaukee's rotation is deep but mostly unproven. Brandon Woodruff and Adrian Houser were breakouts in 2019 and hope to continue their momentum this year. The organization also has very high hopes for the plus arms of Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta, but they were too inconsistent last season. Josh Lindblom is an interesting addition after pitching in Korea over the last three years, and Brett Anderson continues to get groundball outs when he's healthy. Recovering from COVID-19, Eric Lauer is a former first-round pick by the Padres who has a 4.40 ERA in two seasons.

Pitching is the strength of the Marlins roster, with an intriguing rotation and some great reinforcements on the way. Sandy Alcantara netted the Opening Day start after posting a 3.88 ERA last season despite a poor strikeout rate. He has a plus arm, and the same can be said for Caleb Smith and Pablo Lopez. Jose Urena returns to the rotation this year, when he ahd a sub-4.00 ERA in 2017 and 2018. Elieser Hernandez had some dominant minor league numbers, helping him win the fifth spot. Nick Neidert and Jordan Yamamoto are intriguing backend prospects, while Sixto Sanchez and Edward Cabrera could eventually anchor the staff after they arrive to the majors.

You can never trust a pitcher in Coors Field, as the Rox have shown over the last two seasons. German Marquez and Kyle Freeland took hard falls last year after terrific 2018 seasons. Jon Gray was able to make up for their deterioration with better health last season, posting a 3.84 ERA. The backend of the rotation could have big problems getting consistency out of Antonio Senzatela, Chi Chi Gonzalez, and Jeff Hoffman.

The Giants have some household names in their rotation with Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Kevin Gausman, Unfortunately, that trio has seen better days, but each is still capable of getting outs. Drew Smyly is also in that category, as his career started spectacularly before arm injuries. The back of the rotation has some interesting upside with plus arm Logan Webb, and Tyler Beede could be an arm to watch in 2021 after he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

COVID-19 has ravaged Kansas City's rotation early this season, with Brad Keller and Jakob Junis starting the year on the injured list. Danny Duffy was back as the Opening Day starter, but his ERA has been well above 4.00 in consecutive years. Mike Montgomery showed flashes with the Cubs as a groundball specialist, and there's reason to be excited about former first-round pick Brady Singer's arrival. Glenn Sparkman and Jorge Lopez could potentially round out the rotation while the team waits on prospects Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, and Kris Bubic.

In three years, Detroit's starting rotation could be near the top of the list due to prospects Casey Mize, Matt Manning, and Tarik Skubal. For now, the current lot buys time. Matthew Boyd and Spencer Turnbull could be keepers, with Boyd's nasty slider producing an 11.6 strikeouts per nine inning rate last year and Turnbull also fanning nearly one batter per inning in 2019. Michael Fulmer has returned from Tommy John surgery, and it will be interesting to see if he can reproduce the velocity he showed early in his career. Ivan Nova is just backend innings at this point in his career, while Tyler Alexander is probably keeping a seat warm for Daniel Norris, who is out due to COVID-19.

Pittsburgh's starting rotation isn't what it should have been, as No. 1 starter Jameson Taillon is out due to Tommy John surgery, and Chris Archer suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Joe Musgrove has picked up the slack as the No. 1 starter, and pitched better last season than his 4.44 ERA indicates. The team hopes Mitch Keller can also develop into a No. 1 down the line. Trevor Williams is hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2019 season, while the team is just hoping to get something out of Derek Holland, Steven Brault, and Chad Kuhl.

Marco Gonzales is nothing if not an innings eater now after throwing 203 innings last year and pushing his ERA below 4.00. The reliability ends there, unfortunately, as Yusei Kikuchi was terrible in his first year in the States, and Taijuan Walker barely pitched in 2019 due to injury. Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn could be big parts of the team's future if they can get their control in order. Kendall Graveman has been a groundball specialist in the past, and had camp buzzing due to his increased velocity.

What a mess. Boston lost ace Chris Sale to Tommy John surgery following spring training, and Eduardo Rodriguez's timetable for return is an open question due to a setback from COVID-19. High-price Nathan Eovaldi pitched well on Opening Day, unlike his entire 2019. Martin Perez showed flashes last year in Minnesota but still had an ERA above 5.00. After that duo, the team is praying for rain with some combination of Ryan Weber, Dylan Covey, Brian Johnson, Zack Godley, and whoever else they can find walking along Yawkey Way.

Baltimore's full rebuild continues, with 2019 ace John Means getting scratched on Opening Day due to a shoulder injury. Replacing him was journeyman smoke-and-mirrors lefty Tommy Milone, who could be one of the worst fits for hitter-friendly Camden Yards in MLB. Baltimore could like to get something -- anything -- out of Alex Cobb after he missed most of 2019 due to a back injury. Deceptive thrower Asher Wojciechowski was able to miss bats last year, if nothing else, and Wade LeBlanc's ERA was nearly two runs worse in 2019 (5.71) than it was the previous year. Kohl Stewart struggled in Minnesota last year, yet he could still fill the fifth spot until Means is healthy.