Ranking Most Reliable MLB Starting Rotations Among Playoff-Contending Teams

The MLB postseason is right around the corner.

OK, so maybe two months isn't exactly right around the corner, but the fact remains that only 13 teams remain as realistic playoff contenders to secure baseball's 10 playoff spots.

Arguably the most important part of the postseason is pitching. We know that offense wins games, but pitching wins championships. To have three or four solid starters who can put your team in a position to win is a huge advantage, and teams need to have those guys in October.

With roughly two months until the playoffs start, let's take a look at the most reliable starting rotations among playoff contenders.

13. Baltimore Orioles

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Chris Tillman

2. Wei-Yin Chen

3. Bud Norris

4. Miguel Gonzalez

5. Zach Britton

6. Scott Feldman

7. Jason Hammel

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Baltimore Orioles have a very deep pitching staff with several options not even included on this list. However, the team lacks a true star at the top of its rotation to compete with other AL aces.

Chen and Norris have both been pitching better than Tillman, whose 3.89 ERA has been very disappointing. However, the team's bullpen has only asked pitchers to throw six strong innings to win games.

The Orioles rank very low on this list, but if the bullpen continues to shine, that doesn't mean the team doesn't have a good chance to make a run behind its offense.

12. Oakland Athletics

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Bartolo Colon

2. A.J. Griffin

3. Jarrod Parker

4. Tommy Milone

5. Dan Straily

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

Knowing that 40-year-old ace Bartolo Colon will not be suspended this season is huge for the Oakland Athletics, whose rotation is pretty shaky.

Colon is the only pitcher on the team with an ERA below 3.90, as his 2.75 ERA is well below that of his teammates.

At 40 years old, it will be difficult for Colon to pitch in a three-man rotation throughout the postseason, which is why the team would likely consider having a four-man rotation up until the ALCS if it can make the postseason.

However, the team does not have much of a rotation outside of its ace, which is why it is so low on this list.

11. Arizona Diamondbacks

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Patrick Corbin

2. Randall Delgado

3. Wade Miley

4. Trevor Cahill

5. Brandon McCarthy

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

Even with Trevor Cahill coming back and Daniel Hudson not, the Arizona Diamondbacks will still be overly dependent on youngster Patrick Corbin, who has been marvelous this season.

Corbin leads a top-heavy rotation that will ask him to do too much if the team makes it to the postseason, but with the way the Dodgers are playing, it's not too likely the team will make the playoffs.

The D-Backs sit five games behind the Dodgers and are falling out of the race, but the team needs its rotation to get hot if it's going to play in October. However, that doesn't seem likely.

10. Cleveland Indians

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Justin Masterson

2. Zach McAllister

3. Corey Kluber

4. Scott Kazmir

5. Ubaldo Jimenez

6. Danny Salazar

7. Trevor Bauer

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

Like the Orioles, the Cleveland Indians lack a true ace. However, unlike the Orioles, the Indians have four quality pitchers whom they could throw out if they make the postseason (if Kluber comes back healthy).

Led by Masterson, the rotation has been solid all year, consistently putting the team in a position to win games.

However, while the team has a solid top-to-bottom rotation for the postseason, it still lacks the ability to compete with the big boys up top. The Indians can't rely on their starting pitchers to shut other teams out with their aces. Instead, they rely on their offense to win games.

That won't bode well for the team if it can make it into the playoffs.

9. Boston Red Sox

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Clay Buchholz

2. Jake Peavy

3. John Lackey

4. Felix Doubront

5. Jon Lester

6. Ryan Dempster

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Boston Red Sox boast the best record in the American League, but that has much more to do with the fact that the team leads the MLB in runs scored rather than its pitching.

Clay Buchholz was the undisputed ace for the team before he hit the DL. His 1.71 ERA would lead the MLB if he had continued that pace, and his 9-0 record is no mistake. He should be back by the time the postseason rolls around, and if he can get back on track before that time, he will be key to the team's success.

The team also traded for Jake Peavy of the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline, and he surrendered just two runs in seven innings of work in his Red Sox debut. He has struggled this season, but pitching for a postseason contender could bring the best out of the former ace once again.

The Red Sox are not particularly deep when it comes to starters, as only Buchholz, Lackey and Dubront have ERAs below 4.00 this season. If this team is going to win, it will come from its offense.

8. Cincinnati Reds

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Mike Leake

2. Mat Latos

3. Bronson Arroyo

4. Homer Bailey

5. Tony Cingrani

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Cincinnati Reds have quietly put together one of the best one-two punches in the NL with Mike Leake and Mat Latos.

Both guys have ERAs around 3.00, and the team has ridden them to one of the best records in the NL. Unfortunately, the team plays in the deadly NL Central and will likely be a wild-card team.

The Reds will probably go with a three-man rotation to pitch Leake and Latos as often as possible, and they will give the team a chance to win on a nightly basis.

7. Tampa Bay Rays

Top Starting Pitchers

1. David Price

2. Matt Moore

3. Chris Archer

4. Jeremy Hellickson

5. Roberto Hernandez

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Tampa Bay Rays might have one of the better duos in the AL with David Price and Matt Moore, but that doesn't make up for a lack of depth.

Assuming Alex Cobb won't be healthy in time for the postseason, the Rays only have five guys who have made starts this season, with one of them being midseason call-up Chris Archer, who may be too immature to rely on in October.

The Rays would certainly love to have Archer ready for the postseason, and with another two months to develop, he could be. However, the team will rely heavily on Price and Moore, which is why it makes sense for the team to go to a three-man rotation from the start of the playoffs.

The Rays might be better than the AL East rival Red Sox, but they still don't exactly have a foolproof pitching plan.

It's worth noting the team acquired stud reliever Jesse Crain from the White Sox at the trade deadline, but that's of little concern when it comes to this list.

6. Atlanta Braves

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Mike Minor

2. Julio Teheran

3. Kris Medlen

4. Paul Maholm

5. Brandon Beachy

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

With Tim Hudson done for the year, the Atlanta Braves are struggling with rotation depth. Paul Maholm will come off of the DL at some point, but even so, the team lacks starting pitchers.

Unless Beachy or Alex Wood step up in these last two months, the team will rely heavily on its top four pitchers in the NLDS before switching to a three-man rotation in the NLCS and beyond.

What the Braves lack in depth, they make up for in quality, as both Minor and Teheran have ERAs below 3.00, and Medlen remains one of the top pitchers on the team.

If the Braves get a chance to utilize their three-man rotation, the NL needs to watch out, as having Minor and Teheran pitch five games in a seven-game series is deadly. These guys are the reason why the Braves lead the MLB in quality starts.

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Clayton Kershaw

2. Hyun-Jin Ryu

3. Zack Greinke

4. Ricky Nolasco

5. Chris Capuano

6. Stephen Fife

7. Josh Beckett

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball, and the team's rotation has been getting better and better all season.

The acquisition of Hyun-Jin Ryu this season has given the team a terrific three-man rotation with Kershaw, Ryu and Greinke.

Kershaw remains arguably the best pitcher in the game, whereas Ryu has been terrific and Greinke has been solid for much of the year.

If the Dodgers go to a four-man rotation with Nolasco, they will be a bit weaker, but a three-man rotation could help the team make a deep postseason run.

4. Detroit Tigers

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Max Scherzer

2. Anibal Sanchez

3. Doug Fister

4. Justin Verlander

5. Rick Porcello

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Detroit Tigers might not have the depth of other AL starting rotations, but they don't miss it at all.

With the 2011 MVP and Cy Young winner ranking fourth on the team in ERA, and the MLB's wins leader at the top of the rotation, the team has four pitchers who could all make a big impact in October.

The Tigers' guys all have prior postseason experience, and they have the talent to keep the team in games. Don't be surprised to see this rotation help Detroit win the World Series alongside Miguel Cabrera and Co.

3. St. Louis Cardinals

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Adam Wainwright

2. Shelby Miller

3. Lance Lynn

4. Joe Kelly

5. Jake Westbrook

6. Chris Carpenter

7. Jaime Garcia

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The St. Louis Cardinals won't know how reliable their rotation is until they see Chris Carpenter and Jaime Garcia pitch before the postseason, but let's assume both struggle after not pitching in so long. Let's also assume Joe Kelly continues to pitch well, although not quite at his current torrid pace.

The Cards have a ton of question marks around the bottom half of their rotation, but they have arguably the best one-two punch in MLB with Wainwright and Miller, both of whom are in the conversation for the NL Cy Young.

The reason why the Cardinals are fighting for the best record in baseball is the dominance of their starting rotation, and they will be among the best in the MLB come playoff time.

2. Texas Rangers

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Yu Darvish

2. Derek Holland

3. Matt Garza

4. Alexi Ogando

5. Martin Perez

6. Nick Tepesch

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Texas Rangers have the best three-man rotation in baseball after acquiring Matt Garza from the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline.

Yu Darvish has been the most devastating pitcher against hitters all year, leading the MLB in strikeouts by a mile. Derek Holland hasn't been too shabby himself, posting an ERA of 3.02, while Garza's 3.09 season ERA is even higher than his 2.89 ERA with Texas.

These three will be the only guys pitching for the Rangers come playoff time, and you can bet they will give the team a great chance to finally win the World Series after several years of close calls.

1. Pittsburgh Pirates

Top Starting Pitchers

1. Jeff Locke

2. Francisco Liriano

3. A.J. Burnett

4. Gerrit Cole

5. Wandy Rodriguez

6. Charlie Morton

Indicates projected postseason starter

Breakdown

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the deepest starting rotation in baseball. It's so deep that only pitchers with 10 starts this year were included on this list, but the team has five other guys who could've been on it.

With Francisco Liriano pitching like an ace again, the team has three pitchers who have ERAs under 3.00. Gerrit Cole has also burst onto the scene and will likely be included in the starting rotation if the Pirates win two of the first three games in any given series.

The Bucs are simply incredible from top to bottom, and after watching this team pitch its way to the best record in baseball, it's no wonder why it ranks as the most reliable starting staff in the game.

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