We’re going to be talking and discussing who we think are the top 10 pitchers in the game right now!!! Starting with #10 and going to #1. Their are a ton of great pitchers out there but we can only select ten of them. I want to hear your thoughts about the players we will be selecting for our top 10 pitchers for 2015.
#10) Jon Lester (Chicago Cubs)
Lester bounced around a little last year. Starting the season with the Boston Red Sox and at the trade deadline, he was shipped off to Oakland to play with the A’s. He had (W)16- (L)11 with both teams but when he was traded to Oakland, he was sent there to bolster up the rotation for the playoffs. Didn’t work-out to well for the A’s. In the offseason he signed with the Chicago Cubs (6yr-$155mill).
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 16 11 220 48 1.10 4.6
#9) David Price (Detroit Tigers)
Price had a pretty solid season last year, between the Tampa Rays and the Detroit Tigers. Leading the MLB in strikeouts with 271 was the most he has ever thrown in his career. The most he had was 218 in 2011 with the Rays. He has now taken the #1 role in Detroit on the mound, Its going to be a new look for Detroit this year. For the past 7 years they’ve had Justin Verlander as the #1 pitcher but as he has struggled all of last year and all of the 2015 spring training, he lost the job to David Price.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 15 12 271 38 1.08 4.6
#8) Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco Giants)
Having his best season of his career last season with 18 wins and winning the World Series, plus being named 2014 WS MVP and winning the Silver Slugger Award for pitchers. The kid is only 25 and has 3 World Series rings under his belt. He will be a very exciting pitcher to watch over the next 8-10 years. He is becoming the face of Giants Baseball.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 18 10 219 43 1.9 4.0
#7) Corey Kluber (Cleveland Indians)
Pitching his first full season as a starting pitcher went pretty well for Corey Kluber. At the age of 28, he wins the Cy Young Award and came in 2nd in strikeouts with 269, behind David Price (271). The Cleveland Indians are hoping for a big 2015 season from him again and hoping he can help influence all there young talent, plus show them how you don’t have to be throwing (95-100 mph) to make it in the Majors. Kluber can hit mid 90’s most of the time but his control and off speed pitches were so dominate that it just made All-Stars look like they didn’t know what was coming.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 18 9 269 51 1.09 7.4
#6) Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals)
This guy has been one of the top pitchers in baseball for a long time. Over the past six seasons, four of them, he has been in the top 5 for CY Young Award voting. 2011 he missed the entire season due to Tommy John surgery. In the last five seasons he has pitched, Wainwright has (W)92-(L)50, (ERA) 2.86, (SO) 1,007 (average per season) 201.4 K’s, (WHIP) 1.121. That’s some good numbers for an Ace. Plus you can add a WS ring under him in 2006, when the Cardinals beat the Tigers.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 20 9 179 50 1.03 6.1
#5) Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals)
Over the past few years, Scherzer has been one of or the most dominate pitcher in the American League. Winning the American League Cy Young Award in 2013 and voted #5 in the Cy Young voting in 2014. Over the past 3 seasons, averaging 10+ strikeout per inning. The past five seasons Max was playing for the Detroit Tigers and this offseason he signed a record deal with the Washington Nationals (7yrs-$210 mill)
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 18 5 252 63 1.18 6.0
#4) Johnny Cueto
Cueto had his best season of his career in 2014. Busting out 20 wins and a ERA barely over 2. He came in 2nd in the Cy Young Award voting. Having a season like that and finishing 10 games under .500 and 14 games back from winning your division, makes you think and show how good of a player he is and how great of a season he had.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 20 9 242 65 0.96 6.4
#3) Chris Sale
Missing a few starts in May, could of helped him in the Cy Young race in 2014 but he still ended up with a good season. Sale is only 25 and still on the upside of becoming a 20 game winner. He has shown great potential. With the Chicago White Sox adding Jeff Samardzija to the rotation, will certainly help Sale. Sale posted 208 strikeouts in 174 innings. Averaging 10+ strikeouts per 9 innings last season and being in the top 5 for Cy Young voting in the past three seasons.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 12 4 208 39 0.97 6.6
#2) Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners)
For being in the MLB for 10 years already and only being 28 years old, Hernandez has put up great numbers and winning a Cy Young Award at the age of 24, shows that he is a HOF candidate and will keep getting better. He tied in 2nd with Johnny Cueto last season in the CY Young voting. Seattle has been building up for a WS team and Hernandez is hoping he can get his first ring soon. As good of pitcher Hernandez is, he has never pitched in a postseason game.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 15 6 248 46 0.92 6.8
#1) Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers)
This guy is only 27 years old and already has 3 Cy Youngs and 1 MVP. He had an outstanding season in 2014, winning the Cy Young Award and the MVP Award. Every year it seems that Kershaw just keeps getting better. Being in the MLB for 7 seasons and already having 98 wins and having a career ERA under 3, is pretty impressive.
2014 stats
- W L SO BB WHIP WAR
- 21 3 239 31 0.86 7.5
Recap of 1 thru 10
- Clayton Kershaw
- Felix Hernandez
- Chris Sale
- Johnny Cueto
- Max Scherzer
- Adam Wainwright
- Corey Kluber
- Madison Bumgarner
- David Price
- Jon Lester
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. -Roger Hornsby
