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The 10th week of the MLB regular season is over, and several starting pitchers have continued their epic seasons. There's still quite a way to go in the regular season, but it wouldn't be a big surprise if some of these hurlers were award-winners at year's end. Here are the five best starters in baseball right now.
Best starting pitchers in MLB right now
5) Ranger Suarez
Ranger Suarez isn't pitching at the same incredible level he was earlier in the season, but he's still easily been one of MLB's best pitchers. His 1.70 ERA is, by 0.02 points, the lowest in baseball. His 2.44 xERA suggests only a small amount of luck has gone into that. He isn't allowing a lot of hard contact and is striking out over one batter per inning. He's been excellent and could be in line for the NL Cy Young.
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4) Zack Wheeler
The Philadelphia Phillies don't have just one of baseball's best pitchers, they have two, as Zack Wheeler has also been stupendous. A 2.32 ERA is excellent. A 10.38 K/9 rate is also really good. His expected metrics line up pretty well with his production, so once again, Wheeler is one of the sport's best hurlers. That's been true for a while, and this season has only confirmed it.
3) Cole Ragans
Cole Ragans is striking out just under 11 batters per nine innings. The Kansas City Royals have a bona fide ace. He has also accumulated a 2.4 fWAR, second in baseball. Thanks to a 2.27 FIP and a 72.8 left-on-base percentage, Ragans has been particularly difficult to score on.
2) Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal has officially become a household name. He is 7-1, a record which is a major factor in the Detroit Tigers being even remotely close to .500. Skubal's 10.75 K/9 rate is impressive, as is his 2.01 ERA and 2.07 FIP. His 2.4 fWAR is tied for second in baseball and he could be a serious awards contender if he keeps this up.
1) Tanner Houck
The best pitcher in baseball resides with the Boston Red Sox, and the margin is surprisingly large. Tanner Houck has accumulated 2.9 fWAR so far, 0.3 more than the next closest player. That's a pretty significant gap so early into the season. Thanks to Houck's 1.85 ERA and 0.12 HR/9 rate, he's been an absolute stud for the Red Sox. After major concerns over the pitching staff, the Red Sox might have the eventual Cy Young winner.
