Pitching has perhaps never been at a higher level in the MLB. Over the years, pitchers have figured out how to make the ball do just about everything that is physically possible while also maxing out the velocity at which it is thrown. Most pitchers can throw upper 90s and have devastating off-speed pitches.
There are a lot of elite pitchers available, and one MLB Network social media page wanted to know which was the best, listing these options:
- Aaron Nola
- Alek Manoah
- Brandon Woodruff
- Carlos Rodon
- Clayton Kershaw
- Corbin Burnes
- Dylan Cease
- Framber Valdez
- Gerrit Cole
- Jacob deGrom
- Joe Musgrove
- Julio Urias
- Justin Verlander
- Kevin Gausman
- Logan Webb
- Luis Castillo
- Max Fried
- Max Scherzer
- Nestor Cortes
- Sandy Alcantara
- Shane Bieber
- Shane McClanahan
- Shohei Ohtani
- Spencer Strider
- Tony Gonsolin
- Yu Darvish
- Zac Gallen
- Zack Wheeler
There are a ton of excellent options on this list, but MLB fans already have their minds made up. They are also a bit surprised by which pitchers were left off, which again highlights the sheer amount of elite pitching talent in baseball right now.
MLB fans had various answers. A few were surprised not to see Kyle Wright, a 21-game winner from last season, on the list.
They were also surprised that Cristian Javier wasn't on the list after starting two combined no-hitters last year, one of which came in the World Series.
Tons of fans said Framber Valdez was the best pitcher in baseball, which bodes well for the Houston Astros, as he will replace Justin Verlander as their ace.
Gerrit Cole, Alek Manoah, Sandy Alcantara and Shohei Ohtani were both popular answers to the question posed.
Best MLB pitchers in 2022
Based on fWAR, the best value stat that baseball currently has, these were 2022's best starters:
- Aaron Nola, 6.3
- Carlos Rodon, 6.2
- Justin Verlander, 6.1
- Sandy Alcantara, 5.7
- Kevin Gausman, 5.7
- Shohei Ohtani, 5.6
- Max Fried, 5.0
- Shane Bieber, 4.9
- Corbin Burnes, 4.6
- Framber Valdez, 4.4
Nola, Rodon, Verlander and Alcantara had excellent seasons. Which of these superstars will top the list in 2023?