MLB Power Rankings: Listing the top 5 starting pitchers as Week 5 end approaches

The fifth week of the MLB Regular Season has practically finished, and several pitchers continue to perform well. It's been long enough that some of these pitchers can expect to continue having good seasons. With quite a few impressing right now, here are the top five:

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MLB Pitcher Power Rankings

#5) George Kirby, Seattle Mariners

George Kirby has pitched better than it looks on paper

George Kirby has been excellent to start the season. He has accumulated 1.2 fWAR and a 3.66 xERA. His normal metrics, such as his 4.18 ERA, suggest a struggling ace, but that's not the case. Kirby's 2.08 FIP would indicate that he has been let down by the defense because he's been pretty great.

Luis Castillo has also had the same issues with his standard metrics saying one thing but the underlying numbers suggest poor defense and luck, so perhaps it's just a Seattle Mariners issue.

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#4) Tyler Glasnow, LA Dodgers

Tyler Glasnow has pitched like a true ace for the Dodgers

Tyler Glasnow has produced 1.1 fWAR so far for the Los Angeles Dodgers, striking out just over 11 batters per nine innings. He's hardly allowed any home runs and has a 2.72 ERA through an impressive 43 innings thus far. He has proven to be worth the investment for the Dodgers.

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#3) Ranger Suarez, Philadelphia Phillies

Ranger Suarez has been among the league's best

Ranger Suarez is unbeaten for the Philadelphia Phillies at 5-0, and a .189 batting average on balls in play will have that effect. It has also helped him to a 1.32 ERA, among the lowest in baseball. Suarez is not striking everyone out, but he's getting weak contact and recording a ton of outs.

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#2) Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox

Kutter Crawford is pitching really well

There hasn't been a pitcher more valuable than Kutter Crawford, who is tied for the league lead with 1.4 fWAR. The Boston Red Sox ace also has an extremely low 1.35 ERA and a 2.20 FIP to boot. He has also thrown 33.1 innings in 2024 and has yet to allow a single home run.

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#1) Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies

Zack Wheeler has been on fire to start the season

Once again, Zack Wheeler finds himself at the top of this list. He is off to another fantastic start, accumulating a league-leading 1.4 fWAR. His 11.09 K/9 rate means he's striking out batters very often, and a 0.48 HR/9 rate means he's rarely letting hitters leave the yard. Wheeler also has a 1.93 ERA and a sterling 2.44 FIP.