Top 5 MLB pitchers primed for a breakout season in 2022 

Quality MLB pitchers are one of the most valuable commodities in Major League Baseball. While there are only a few MLB pitchers like the New York Mets' Jacob DeGrom, Max Scherzer, and the Seattle Mariners' Robbie Ray, acquiring a player of that caliber is incredibly costly for a club. For example, Scherzer and Ray, both former Cy Young Award winners, were awarded contracts in which they are set to make over $60 million between the two. Ideally, a club will discover an MLB pitcher in their own system and prepare them to ascend to the levels of DeGrom, Scherzer, and Ray.

Here are 5 MLB pitchers primed for a breakout season in 2022

5. Ranger Suarez (25.6% strikeout rate in 2021)

Baltimore Orioles v Philadelphia Phillies

Suarez established himself among MLB pitchers in his 106 innings during the 2021 season in which he struck out 107 batters in 106 innings and a 1.36 earned run average. During that season, Suarez had career-lows in barrel % and hard hit rate for the Philadelphia Phillies. While it seems highly unlikely for Suarez to repeat those numbers, indicating some regression in 2022, if he is able to come close and carry out that performance over an entire year, he will be elite.

4. Joe Ryan (30% strikeout rate in 2021)

Cleveland Indians v Minnesota Twins - Game One

Ryan, who was a key piece from the Tampa Bay Rays, arrived to the Minnesota Twins via the Nelson Cruz trade. Ryan is buoyed by an electric fastball that has allowed him to obliterate opposing hitters to the tune of 13 strikeouts per nin innings in AAA. Ryan flashed so much potential after being called up late in the 2021 season that he has been named the Opening Day Starter for the Twins. It will be the first time an MLB pitcher, as a rookie, has opened the season for the Twins since 1969.

3. Logan Gilbert (25.4% strikeout rate in 2021)

Oakland Athletics v Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners are immensely excited about the prospects Gilbert brings. After striking out 128 batters through 119.1 innings, Gilbert ascended to one of the tantilizing young right handers in the game. He managed to achieve that by relying predominantly on his fastball which, according to statcast, he used almost 62% of the time. If Gilbert was able to develop his off-speed pitches to a reasonable level during the offseason (something that should happen under the tutilige of Robbie Ray), he can ascend to the next tier of quality MLB pitchers.

Tanner Houck (30.5 % strikeout rate in 2021)

New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox

With the injury history of star ace Chris Sale, the Boston Red Sox would heavily benefit from a step forward from right-hander Tanner Houck. Houck got a brief taste of the MLB pitcher lifestyle and performed at an admirable level where the 24-year-old struck out 87 batters in 69 innings. Houck, who was announced as the Opening Day starter for the Red Sox, hopes to maintain his 30.5% strikeout rate and a 42.4% whiff rate on his slider, which he managed to increase by 100 rpm from 2020 to 2021. If Houck can maintain that level of production through an entire season, Chris Sale may not have the title of ace when he returns to the Boston Red Sox rotation. Even if he experiences some regression in his second taste of the big leagues, the Red Sox stand to make a deep run into the playoffs this October.

1.Shane Baz (36.7% strikeout rate in 2021)

Since 2019, Baz has dominated every level of baseball he has come into contact with. Though he only pitched 13 innings, Baz was able to showcase the talent that elevated him to one of the Tampa Bay Rays top pitching prospects. Within those 13 innings, some would argue that it was Baz's 99 miles per hour heater that did the heavy lifting as he mowed down 18 batters. However, the fastball is arguably the second most lethal pitch in the rookie's arsenal as opposing hitters batter .073 against the young fireballer's slider, a pitch that tops out at 92 miles per hour while producing a whiff rate of 40.7%. While the other four pitchers on this list have to deal with the question of being able to maintain their performance due to aspects of their peripheral numbers being a result of luck, Baz's only obstacle will be health and availability. If Shane Baz can stay healthy enough to pitch for the full duration of the 2022 season, he will not only ascend to being the best pitcher in the rotation; he will stand to be the greatest MLB pitcher to ever wear a Tampa Bay Rays uniform. The talent is too undeniable to contest it.