A great starting rotation can be the difference between a championship and missing out on the MLB postseason. The demand for elite starting pitching has seen teams pay record amounts this offseason. Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom and Carlos Rodon have all signed lucrative contracts with new teams.
The question now becomes which of these players is worth the money? MLB fans recently voted on who they believe is the league’s top pitcher. The top half of the list has all the big-name stars. The bottom five, however, may surprise a few people.
A recent Tweet by MLB Network showed the results for the fan’s top starting pitchers entering 2023. Sandy Alcantara and Justin Verlander, the 2022 National League and American League Cy Young Award winners, ranked first and third, respectively. The Texas Rangers’ latest addition, two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, ranks second.
MLB fans took to Twitter to debate which starting pitchers deserve a spot on this list.
@MLBNetwork @MLBNow We didn’t vote for Max Sherzer??? He had a much better year and career than Guasman. He would be top 4 if he didn’t miss time. And why is Corbin Burnes so low????
@MLBNetwork @MLBNow Guess guys like Rodon, McClanahan, Bieber and Nola all died. Interesting.
@MLBNetwork @MLBNow Corbin Burnes has been the top pitcher of the last couple of years. Underrated.
@MLBNetwork @MLBNow I know he was an All Star snub but Dylan Cease deserves to be on here. Ridiculous.
The list caused a stir with some fans. Seattle Mariners fans cannot believe Luis Castillo did earn a spot in the top 10. Los Angeles Dodgers fans were shocked to see Julio Urias’ name omitted. Arias led the NL in wins in 2021 and followed that up by leading the NL in ERA in 2022. There was even a nomination for Dylan Cease.
MLB fans were shocked to see Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole miss the cut