Every MLB Team's Best Pitcher in 2023
Thursday, we highlighted every MLB team's best position player of the 2023 season, and now it's time for the pitchers.
Whether it's a club headed for the postseason or a team that has been out of the race for months, every team has at least a few standouts, and ahead we've highlighted each team's best pitcher.
While the list is mostly made up of starting pitchers, a few relief pitchers made the cut.
Let the debates begin.
In case you missed it: Every MLB Team's Best Position Player in 2023
Arizona Diamondbacks: RHP Zac Gallen
1 of 30
Stats: 32 GS, 16-8, 3.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 44 BB, 205 K, 197.2 IP, 3.8 WAR
After finishing fifth in NL Cy Young voting a year ago, Zac Gallen has posted career highs in wins (16), strikeouts (205) and innings pitched (197.2) this season while serving as the ace of the staff for a contending D-backs team.
Behind him in the starting rotation, Merrill Kelly remains one of the most underrated pitchers in baseball. The 34-year-old is 12-7 with a 3.37 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 177 strikeouts in 165.2 innings, and he logged a matching 3.37 ERA over 200.1 innings in 2022.
Atlanta Braves: RHP Spencer Strider
2 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 18-5, 3.73 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 54 BB, 270 K, 176.0 IP, 3.5 WAR
Spencer Strider has backed up his phenomenal rookie season by leading the majors in wins (18) and strikeouts (270), and while he has had a few duds along the way that have led to a slightly inflated ERA, there is little question he has been one of the most overpowering pitchers in baseball.
Max Fried (13 GS, 7-1, 2.64 ERA, 71.2 IP) has been terrific when healthy, but he missed three months with a forearm strain. Bryce Elder also deserves a mention for a breakout season that earned him an All-Star selection.
Baltimore Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish
3 of 30
Stats: 28 GS, 11-7, 3.01 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 41 BB, 159 K, 158.2 IP, 4.3 WAR
Closer Félix Bautista was a tempting choice here as the most overpowering relief pitcher in baseball this season. The 28-year-old has 33 saves with a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and an absurd 46.4 percent strikeout rate.
However, the importance of Kyle Bradish filling what had been a glaring void in the staff ace role gets him the nod. The 27-year-old had a 4.90 ERA in 117.2 innings as a rookie last season and began the year as the team's No. 4 starter, but he has steadily improved as the season has progressed, and he has a 2.47 ERA in 54.2 innings since the beginning of August.
Boston Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello
4 of 30
Stats: 27 GS, 12-10, 4.11 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 43 BB, 129 K, 151.0 IP, 3.2 WAR
It's been years since the Red Sox farm system has produced an All-Star-caliber starting pitcher. In fact, Jon Lester is the last homegrown starter to earn an All-Star selection. But that could soon change if Brayan Bello continues on the trajectory he has shown over his first two MLB seasons.
Tip of the cap to veteran reliever Chris Martin, who has a 1.07 ERA and 23 holds in 54 appearances. The two-year, $17.5 million deal he signed in December has turned out to be one of the best moves of the offseason.
Chicago Cubs: LHP Justin Steele
5 of 30
Stats: 29 GS, 16-5, 3.00 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 35 BB, 170 K, 168.0 IP, 3.7 WAR
A pair of rocky starts on Sept. 15 (6.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER) and Sept. 20 (3.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER) have widened the gap between Justin Steele and San Diego Padres ace Blake Snell in the NL Cy Young race, but it has still been a huge breakout season for the 28-year-old left-hander.
A fifth-round pick in 2014, Steele logged a 3.18 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 119 innings in his first full season in the starting rotation last year, and he has slashed his walk rate in half to take another step forward this year.
Chicago White Sox: RHP Dylan Cease
6 of 30
Stats: 31 GS, 7-8, 4.85 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 77 BB, 196 K, 165.0 IP, 1.6 WAR
The White Sox rank 27th in the majors with a 4.95 ERA, and finding a standout on their pitching staff is not easy. Lucas Giolito was traded at the deadline, Mike Clevinger missed significant time during the first half, and Michael Kopech struggled to a 5.43 ERA in 129.1 innings.
That leaves right-hander Dylan Cease, who leads the team in innings pitched (165.0) and strikeouts (196). The 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up has been far more hittable this season, with his opponents' batting average climbing from .190 to .252, but he has still missed plenty of bats.
Cincinnati Reds: RHP Alexis Díaz
7 of 30
Stats: 67 G, 37/40 SV, 2.51 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 11.7 K/9, 64.2 IP, 2.5 WAR
After finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, Alexis Díaz has been one of baseball's most dominant closers this year. The 26-year-old has an NL-leading 37 saves, and he has only tallied three blown saves while anchoring a Reds bullpen that has been tasked with propping up a shaky rotation.
Left-hander Andrew Abbott has a 3.68 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 112 strikeouts in 102.2 innings since making his MLB debut on June 5, and hard-throwing Hunter Greene has shown flashes of ace potential since returning from the injured list, but Díaz gets the nod for his consistent impact all season.
Cleveland Guardians: RHP Tanner Bibee
8 of 30
Stats: 25 GS, 10-4, 2.98 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 45 BB, 141 K, 142.0 IP, 3.6 WAR
With Shane Bieber and Triston McKenzie both missing significant time and closer Emmanuel Clase tallying an MLB-high 11 blown saves, the Guardians' best pitcher has been rookie right-hander Tanner Bibee.
The 24-year-old has outperformed fellow rookie standouts Gavin Williams and Logan Allen, and he has not allowed more than three earned runs since June 13. During that span, he's gone 8-2 with a 2.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 96 strikeouts in 93.2 innings over 16 starts.
Colorado Rockies: RHP Justin Lawrence
9 of 30
Stats: 64 G, 11/18 SV, 10 HLD, 3.86 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 70.0 IP, 1.1 WAR
The Rockies have baseball's worst starting rotation with a 5.94 ERA and only 38 quality starts in 152 games, so no one from the starting staff was a viable option to qualify as the team's best pitcher in 2023. That leaves cross-fire reliever Justin Lawrence as the clear choice.
The 28-year-old is having a breakout season at the back of the Colorado bullpen on the strength of his lethal sweeper, which has limited opposing hitters to a .152 average with a 36.1 percent whiff rate.
Detroit Tigers: LHP Eduardo Rodríguez
10 of 30
Stats: 24 GS, 11-9, 3.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 43 BB, 133 K, 138.2 IP, 2.9 WAR
Veteran Eduardo Rodriguez had a disappointing first year with the Detroit Tigers after signing a five-year, $77 million deal during the 2021-22 offseason, but he has bounced back nicely this season. The 30-year-old vetoed a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, and he can opt out of the final three years of his contract this winter.
Left-hander Tarik Skubal has a 3.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 69.1 innings over 13 starts since returning from flexor tendon surgery on July 4. With club control through 2026, he still has the potential to be a cornerstone piece of the future.
Houston Astros: LHP Framber Valdez
11 of 30
Stats: 29 GS, 12-10, 3.20 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 49 BB, 183 K, 188.2 IP, 4.0 WAR
Workhorse Framber Valdez finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting last season, then went 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings during the postseason before stepping into the role of staff ace this year following the departure of Justin Verlander in free agency.
Valdez, 29, is the only pitcher in baseball with multiple shutouts this season, and he has again been a quality start machine with 20 in 29 outings, a total that trails only Logan Webb (23) and Gerrit Cole (22).
Kansas City Royals: LHP Cole Ragans
12 of 30
Stats: 10 GS, 4-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 19 BB, 76 K, 59.1 IP, 2.4 WAR
Cole Ragans missed the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery and a second surgery when he suffered a second tear during the rehab process. He then lost another year of development to the canceled 2020 minor league season.
The No. 30 overall pick in the 2016 draft struggled to a 5.32 ERA in 64.1 innings once he finally made his debut with the Texas Rangers in 2022, and he was flipped to Kansas City this summer in exchange for Aroldis Chapman. The 25-year-old has looked like a completely different pitcher in 10 starts since joining the Royals rotation.
Los Angeles Angels: RHP Shohei Ohtani
13 of 30
Stats: 23 GS, 10-5, 3.14 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 55 BB, 167 K, 132.0 IP, 4.0 WAR
Shohei Ohtani has not pitched since Aug. 23, yet he still ranks eighth among all pitchers with 4.0 WAR over the 23 starts he made prior to tearing the UCL in his right elbow. The free-agent-to-be underwent elbow surgery earlier this week and will not pitch again until the 2025 season.
He made six starts with at least 10 strikeouts, and his 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings rank eighth among all pitchers who have thrown at least 100 innings this year. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval and closer Carlos Estévez also deserve a mention, but there is little question Ohtani has been the team's best pitcher once again.
Los Angeles Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw
14 of 30
Stats: 22 GS, 12-4, 2.52 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 36 BB, 127 K, 121.1 IP, 3.4 WAR
With Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May all missing significant time and Noah Syndergaard failing to live up to expectations as an offseason free-agent signing, the Dodgers have leaned heavily on a handful of rookie arms in the starting rotation.
Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw missed six weeks at midseason with shoulder inflammation, but he has put together another terrific season when healthy. The late-inning duo of Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips is also worthy of a mention, anchoring a bullpen that ranks first in the NL with a 3.48 ERA.
Miami Marlins: LHP Jesús Luzardo
15 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 10-9, 3.68 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 51 BB, 194 K, 166.1 IP, 3.5 WAR
Jesús Luzardo took a huge step forward last season when he followed up a 6.61 ERA during the 2021 season by logging a 3.32 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 100.1 innings in his first full season with the Marlins.
The former top prospect has outperformed 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara this season as the best pitcher on the Miami staff, and his continued emergence has helped ease the loss of Pablo López during the offseason.
Lefty reliever Tanner Scott (70 G, 9 SV, 24 HLD, 2.44 ERA, 11.7 K/9, 3.1 WAR) also deserves a mention.
Milwaukee Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes
16 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 9-8, 3.56 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 63 BB, 190 K, 184.2 IP, 3.0 WAR
Since the start of the 2021 season, Corbin Burnes has been a bona fide ace for the Milwaukee Brewers, and this season has been no different. The question now is how much longer he will be wearing a Brewers uniform with free agency looming after the 2024 season and little optimism on a long-term extension.
Injuries have limited Brandon Woodruff to just 10 starts this season, but he's been awesome when healthy, posting a 1.89 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 62 innings. Closer Devin Williams also deserves a mention with 35 saves in 39 chances and a 1.59 ERA in 59 appearances.
Minnesota Twins: RHP Sonny Gray
17 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 8-7, 2.84 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 54 BB, 171 K, 174.0 IP, 5.1 WAR
Outside of NL Cy Young front-runner Blake Snell, no pitcher has done more to boost his upcoming free-agency stock than Sonny Gray. The 33-year-old has had a career filled with ups and downs, but he has thrived in Minnesota with a 2.94 ERA in 293.2 innings over the past two seasons.
Pablo López would have been the choice for a lot of other teams with a 3.58 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 221 strikeouts in 183.2 innings. Those two have anchored a Minnesota starting rotation that ranks third in the majors with a 3.83 ERA.
New York Mets: RHP Kodai Senga
18 of 30
Stats: 28 GS, 12-7, 2.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 74 BB, 194 K, 161.1 IP, 4.5 WAR
With Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer both traded at the deadline and All-Star closer Edwin Díaz watching from the sidelines, the highest-profile pitchers on the Mets roster when the season began are not part of this conversation.
Instead, it's longtime Japanese League standout Kodai Senga who has made a seamless transition stateside after signing a five-year, $75 million deal. His walk rate is higher than ideal, but there's no ignoring his 191 strikeouts in 155.1 innings, and his lethal forkball has accounted for 107 of those punchouts while generating a 59.7 percent whiff rate.
New York Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole
19 of 30
Stats: 31 GS, 13-4, 2.81 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 48 BB, 208 K, 192.0 IP, 6.4 WAR
Will this be the year Gerrit Cole finally wins his first Cy Young Award?
The 33-year-old was runner-up in 2019 and 2021, and he has six total top-10 finishes on his resume dating back to early in his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He leads the AL in ERA (2.81), innings pitched (192.0) and pitching WAR (6.4).
Right-hander Michael King deserves a mention for his 2.66 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 94.2 innings spanning seven starts and 40 relief appearances.
Oakland Athletics: LHP JP Sears
20 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 5-12, 4.52 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 49 BB, 150 K, 163.1 IP, 2.5 WAR
Ken Waldichuk was supposed to be the headliner in the return package from the deal that sent Frankie Montas to the New York Yankees at the 2022 deadline. Instead, it's fellow left-hander JP Sears who has made the biggest immediate impact out of the four players the A's received in that trade.
The 27-year-old is the team leader with 2.5 WAR this season, and he has accounted for nine of the 28 quality starts recorded by the Oakland pitching staff. His 5.16 FIP does not paint the brightest picture for future success, but he's been the team's best pitcher by a decent margin here in 2023.
Philadelphia Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler
21 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 12-6, 3.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 37 BB, 201 K, 181.0 IP, 4.2 WAR
The five-year, $118 million deal that Zack Wheeler signed with the Phillies prior to the 2020 season is shaping up to be one of the best nine-figure contracts ever given to a starting pitcher.
Over the first four seasons of that deal, he has a 3.06 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 664 strikeouts in 618.1 innings, and his 19.5 WAR during that span leads all pitchers, and by a wide margin over No. 2 on that list Gerrit Cole (16.8).
Pittsburgh Pirates: RHP David Bednar
22 of 30
Stats: 61 G, 36/39 SV, 1.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 10.3 K/9, 63.0 IP, 2.5 WAR
David Bednar vs. Mitch Keller was one of the toughest decisions of this entire exercise, and the latter would be a perfectly acceptable selection with a 4.25 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 204 strikeouts over 188.1 innings in a season where he was a first-time All-Star.
However, the numbers Bednar has put up this season make him a top-five relief pitcher in all of baseball. With a 96.6 mph fastball and a 77.9 mph curveball, the drastic variance in the velocity of his two primary pitches does a great job keeping hitters off-balance.
San Diego Padres: LHP Blake Snell
23 of 30
Stats: 31 GS, 14-9, 2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 97 BB, 227 K, 174.0 IP, 5.7 WAR
Blake Snell had a 5.40 ERA through his first nine starts after allowing six earned runs in four innings of work against the Boston Red Sox on May 19.
Since then, he has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 22 starts, going 13-3 with a 1.26 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 129 innings to emerge as the NL Cy Young front-runner and position himself for a massive payday in free agency this winter.
His 97 walks lead all of baseball, but he has done a great job pitching around trouble all season with an 86.2 percent strand rate, and his .181 opponents' batting average leads all qualified pitchers.
San Francisco Giants: RHP Logan Webb
24 of 30
Stats: 32 GS, 10-13, 3.35 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 31 BB, 187 K, 207.0 IP, 5.0 WAR
Logan Webb is the San Francisco Giants' best homegrown pitcher since Madison Bumgarner, and he has pitched like an ace the past three seasons while emerging as one of baseball's best workhorses. The 26-year-old leads the majors in innings pitched (207.0) and quality starts (23).
Shoutout to veteran starter Alex Cobb (28 GS, 3.87 ERA, 151.1 IP) and closer Camilo Doval (65 G, 37/45 SV, 3.09 ERA, 11.7 K/9), who both earned a spot on the NL All-Star team and have been key cogs on a pitching staff that has shouldered the load for a Giants team pushing for a wild-card berth.
Seattle Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo
25 of 30
Stats: 31 GS, 14-7, 3.06 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 50 BB, 207 K, 188.1 IP, 3.9 WAR
In his first full season with the Mariners, Luis Castillo has been the staff ace the team was expecting when they traded two of their top prospects, Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo, to acquire him last summer. The 30-year-old has reached 200 strikeouts for the second time in his career, and his .211 opponents' batting average is the lowest among qualified AL starters.
Fellow starting rotation members Logan Gilbert (30 GS, 3.77 ERA, 182 K, 179.0 IP), George Kirby (29 GS, 3.58 ERA, 161 K, 178.2 IP), Bryce Miller (23 GS, 3.88 ERA, 113 K, 123.0 IP) and Bryan Woo (16 GS, 3.90 ERA, 82 K, 80.2 IP) all deserve a mention as well.
St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas
26 of 30
Stats: 32 GS, 7-12, 4.84 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 36 BB, 118 K, 182.1 IP, 1.5 WAR
The Cardinals' pitching staff has been an unmitigated disaster this season, and with Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks all traded at the deadline, it's slim pickings when it comes to naming a top pitcher on their roster.
Veteran Miles Mikolas has at least been durable—ranking 12th in the majors with 182.1 innings—and his 4.33 FIP paints his performance in a better light than his 4.84 ERA. The 35-year-old has two seasons remaining on his three-year, $55.75 million deal, and the 2024 rotation will be built around him this offseason.
Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Zach Eflin
27 of 30
Stats: 29 GS, 15-8, 3.44 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 23 BB, 172 K, 167.2 IP, 3.5 WAR
The Tampa Bay Rays made a rare free-agency splurge when they signed Zach Eflin to a three-year, $40 million deal this past offseason, and he has been the workhorse of their staff as the only pitcher who has tallied more than 120 innings. The 29-year-old is the AL leader with a 1.01 WHIP thanks to career lows in hits per nine innings (7.9) and walks per nine innings (1.2).
Relievers Pete Fairbanks, Robert Stephenson, Colin Poche, Jason Adam, Kevin Kelly, Shawn Armstrong and Jake Diekman have all been terrific in forming one of baseball's best bullpens.
Texas Rangers: RHP Nathan Eovaldi
28 of 30
Stats: 23 GS, 11-4, 3.05 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 43 BB, 121 K, 135.2 IP, 3.7 WAR
Nathan Eovaldi missed almost two months after the All-Star break with a right forearm strain, but he has still been the best starter on the Texas Rangers staff. Who would have guessed that would be the case after Jacob deGrom signed a massive five-year, $185 million deal during the offseason?
A tip of the cap to Dane Dunning, who started the year in the bullpen before stepping into the rotation after deGrom was sidelined. The 28-year-old is 10-6 with a 3.78 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 127 strikeouts in 157 innings over 23 starts and nine relief appearances.
Toronto Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman
29 of 30
Stats: 30 GS, 12-9, 3.29 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 53 BB, 232 K, 178.0 IP, 2.9 WAR
After throwing six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, Kevin Gausman is the AL leader with a career-high 232 strikeouts, marking three straight seasons he has reached 200 punchouts on the strength of his elite splitter.
Chris Bassitt (31 GS, 3.78 ERA, 166 K, 185.2 IP), José Berríos (30 GS, 3.49 ERA, 168 K, 178.0 IP) and Yusei Kikuchi (30 GS, 3.74 ERA, 170 K, 158.2 IP) have also been great in the starting rotation, while Jordan Romano (55 G, 35/38 SV, 2.45 ERA, 11.1 K/9) is having another strong year in the closer's role.
Washington Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray
30 of 30
Stats: 29 GS, 8-12, 4.00 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 78 BB, 136 K, 153.0 IP, 2.8 WAR
Several young building blocks have taken a step forward for a rebuilding Washington Nationals this season, including starting pitchers Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore who were acquired in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner and Juan Soto blockbuster deals.
Gray was the team's All-Star representative this year, and he has done a nice job pitching around an 11.6 percent walk rate. If the 25-year-old can take another step forward with his command, he can help anchor the starting staff for years to come.
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