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The 12th week of the MLB regular season has officially begun and several pitchers are enjoying stellar seasons. By now, it's a big enough sample size for most to safely say they're pitching really well. Many of these players could vie for awards at the end of the season. Here are the top five as of now.
Best starting pitchers in MLB Week 12
#5) Chris Sale
The Atlanta Braves might have lost Spencer Strider, but their offseason addition of Chris Sale proved to be a stroke of genius. Sale is 8-2 with a 3.01 ERA. He has 2.4 fWAR, second-most in the National League. He is striking out 11.09 batters per nine innings as well, so he's been a challenging matchup for most hitters this year.
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#4) Ranger Suarez
The National League's leader in fWAR is Ranger Suarez. He might not be the most high-profile pitcher on his team, but he has been the most valuable. The Philadelphia Phillies star is 10-1 with a 1.81 ERA. His 2.60 FIP is also excellent, as he has been a big reason for Philadelphia's impressive start to the season.
#3) Cole Ragans
Cole Ragans may be just 4-4, but he is third in baseball with a 2.6 fWAR. Ragans also has a 3.08 ERA, 11.16 K/9 rate, and a 2.32 FIP. The Kansas City Royals are a pleasant surprise this year, and Ragans has been a big reason why. He'd likely be a Cy Young finalist if the season ended today.
#2) Tarik Skubal
The Detroit Tigers are a mess this season, but that is no fault of Tarik Skubal. He's 8-1 through 13 starts with a 1.92 ERA and 2.20 FIP. His 2.7 fWAR is second among all pitchers, and he boasts an impressive 10.85 K/9 rate. His expected stats are great, too.
#1) Tanner Houck
After another week, Tanner Houck still leads baseball in fWAR. His 2.9 stands above everyone else. The Boston Red Sox starter is 6-5 with a 1.91 ERA, 2.22 FIP, and minuscule 0.21 HR/9 rate. He is slowly creeping towards a potential Cy Young award. After so many impressive weeks, it's safe to say he's not a fluke.
