Comparing Top 25-and-Under MLB Starting Pitchers to Greats of the Past 25 Years
The last few seasons have seen a wave of talented young pitchers break into the league and perform at a high level right out of the gates.
A good starting rotation is the foundation of any championship-caliber team, and cultivating your own high-end, homegrown pitching talent is as important as any aspect of building a good baseball team.
Much like college football players are compared to their pro counterparts during the scouting process, what follows is a comparison of the top 10 MLB starting pitchers who are 25 years old or younger to some of the greats of the past 25 years.
*Note: Clayton Kershaw turns 26 on March 19th, which is 12 days before Opening Day of the 2014 season, so he was not included here.
SP Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants
1 of 10
Pro Comparison
Chuck Finley (1986-2002)
How They Are Comparable
Both Madison Bumgarner and Chuck Finley were big left-handers, as Finley stood 6'6" and 220 pounds while Bumgarner is 6'5" and 235 pounds. The comparisons go beyond their physical stature though, as they are similar pitchers as well.
While Finley relied on a split-finger fastball as his out pitch and Bumgarner turns to a slider, both fit the bill of power pitchers and are capable of racking up strikeouts. They also both threw from a similar three-quarters arm slot and made the most of their lanky frames.
Finley stayed durable enough to win 200 games over the course of his 17-year career, but had an ERA of just 4.21 after his age-30 season. Bumgarner debuted at the age of 19, and may very well put together a better career than Finley before all is said and done, but Bumgarner compares well to Finley in his prime right now.
SP Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates
2 of 10
Pro Comparison
Roger Clemens (1984-2007)
How They Are Comparable
Gerrit Cole has a long way to go to approach what Roger Clemens achieved over the course of his controversial 24-year career, but the physical similarities and comparable repertoires are certainly there.
Both were burly right-handed power pitchers with blazing four-seam fastballs, hard sinkers and a plus breaking balls. They also had similar mechanics and a bulldog demeanor on the mound, as Cole profiles as the workhorse ace of the Pirates staff long-term.
Looking at their ascension to the majors, both were first-round picks and both moved quickly through their respective systems. Clemens was drafted in 1983 and needed just 127.2 minor league innings before reaching the majors the following year. Similarly, Cole was drafted first overall in 2011 and threw exactly 200 minor league innings before being promoted to Pittsburgh.
SP Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins
3 of 10
Pro Comparison
Felix Hernandez (2005-Present)
How They Are Comparable
In a comparison of pitching prodigies, Felix Hernandez broke into the league as a 19-year-old back in 2005, while Jose Fernandez debuted as a 20-year-old this past season.
Hernandez needed just 48 minor league starts before getting the call to Seattle, while Fernandez never threw a pitch above High-A prior to making the Marlins Opening Day roster in 2013.
MLB Lead Writer Mike Rosenbaum wrote an in-depth article, and the biggest takeaway from that may be that when Hernandez first broke into the league, he was essentially a fastball/breaking ball pitcher much like Fernandez was this past year. Now Hernandez has one of the best changeups in baseball, and similarly, developing the pitch could be the next step in Fernandez's career as well.
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SP Matt Harvey, New York Mets
4 of 10
Pro Comparison:
Curt Schilling (1988-2007)
How They Are Comparable
The most popular comparison for Matt Harvey to this point in his career has been Mets legend and fellow right-hander Tom Seaver, but if we're only going back 25 years, the best comparison could be Curt Schilling.
In his prime, Schilling could dial his fastball up to the high-90s, and he relied on it as his primary pitch, much like Harvey did this past season when he threw the four-seamer over 56 percent of the time, according to Brooks Baseball.
That said, both pitchers had impressive repertoires beyond their blazing fastballs with Schilling relying on a terrific splitter and decent changeup/slider duo, while Harvey mixes in a solid changeup, slider and curveball alongside his fastball.
SP Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays
5 of 10
Pro Comparison
Jon Lester (2006-Present) and Mark Langston (1984-1999)
How They Are Comparable
Left-handed power pitchers have been few and far between over the past 25 years, and Matt Moore certainly fits the bill of a power pitchers as he has averaged 94.2 miles per hour on his fastball since breaking into the league, according to Brooks Baseball.
Moore has racked up 333 strikeouts in 337 innings so far in his big league career, and tallied 210 strikeouts in 155 innings in his final minor league season. Mark Langston was a hard-throwing southpaw who tallied 200-plus strikeouts in five of his first six seasons, and he was a front-line starter throughout his time with the Mariners and Angels.
As for a physical comparison, however, Langston was lankier than Moore and a better comparison for him may be Red Sox southpaw Jon Lester who is also a hard-throwing left-hander with strikeout stuff. Some combination of the two seem like the best match for Moore at this point in his career.
SP Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
6 of 10
Pro Comparison
Randy Johnson (1988-2009)
How They Are Comparable
There may be no higher praise for a left-handed pitcher than to be compared to Randy Johnson, as he is arguably the greatest southpaw to ever take the mound, but Chris Sale certainly invokes memories of the Big Unit in more ways than one.
Though he's not as tall as the 6'11" Johnson, the 6'6" Sale certainly has a height advantage on the mound as well and makes full use of it. Beyond that, both pitchers threw from a similar low three-quarters arm slot with a whip-like delivery.
Perhaps the best comparison is in their stuff, as Johnson boasted a devastating fastball/slider combination and Sale has quickly developed one of the better fastball/slider mixes in all of baseball. Sale spent two years in the bullpen before performing like an ace-caliber starter, but he's actually ahead of the curve, as Johnson didn't establish himself until the age of 26.
SP Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
7 of 10
Pro Comparison
Ben Sheets (2001-2012)
How They Are Comparable
Finding a viable comparison for Stephen Strasburg is tricky because at this point he still has all the potential in the world and could very well be the best pitcher in baseball within the next couple years if he continues to improve.
He certainly has all the tools to wind up with better career numbers than Ben Sheets, who made it just four full seasons before injuries started to derail him and eventually limited him to just 250 career starts. However, Sheets at his best, compares very favorably to Strasburg.
Both pitchers came into the league with great fanfare, as Strasburg was the No. 1 pick in the draft and Sheets was the ace of a U.S. Olympic team that captured the gold medal. Repertoire wise, Strasburg uses a plus curveball to compliment his blazing fastball, while Sheets also relied on a terrific hook as his out pitch and compliment to his plus fastball.
SP Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves
8 of 10
Pro Comparison
Pedro Martinez (1992-2009)
How They Are Comparable
Count me among many who have compared Julio Teheran to Pedro Martinez through the years, and the well-known Baseball America Prospect Handbook did the same thing back in 2011, even going so far as to say he was ahead of his developmental curve.
""Comparisons to a young Pedro Martinez are commonplace, and Teheran’s biggest backers think he’s more advanced at the same stage of his career." said Baseball America.
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The two pitchers small stature may be their most comparable feature, as both are relatively short and skinny, though Teheran does have three inches on Martinez.
At this point in his career, Teheran relies on a slider as his out pitch, while Martinez was known for his changeup. However, like Martinez, Teheran has four potential plus pitches and could wind up being a reliable front-of-the-rotation arm despite being somewhat undersized.
SP Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals
9 of 10
Pro Comparison
Adam Wainwright (2005-Present)
How They Are Comparable
It is no secret that Chris Carpenter has been instrumental in the development of Adam Wainwright, as the big right-hander transitioned from reliever to starter to ace of the Cardinals' staff. From their smooth mechanics to their plus repertories to their ever-poised mound presence, both pitchers had a lot of similarities.
Now the 32-year-old Wainwright finds himself as the elder statesman of the Cardinals' staff, and in a similar position to mentor another up-and-coming big right-hander in Michael Wacha. Like the Carpenter-Wainwright, Wacha has similar mechanics, plus stuff and poise beyond his years.
Wacha already has one of the best changeups in baseball, but he is essentially a two-pitch pitcher at this point. His curveball is still a developing pitch at this point but has the potential to be a good one, and there may not be a better teacher than Wainwright who relies heavily on the pitch.
SP Taijuan Walker, Seattle Mariners
10 of 10
Pro Comparison
Dwight Gooden (1984-2000)
How They Are Comparable
An argument can be made for Taijuan Walker being the most athletic player in the major leagues, as he was a terrific basketball player in high school, averaging 15.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game as a senior.
With his focus on basketball for much of his high school career, Walker was taken with the No. 43 pick in the 2010 draft more on his raw talent and incredibly high ceiling than anything else. He's moved quickly through the Mariners system though, as he simply seems to be a natural-born pitcher.
The same could be said for Dwight Gooden, who joined the Mets' rotation full-time as a 19-year-old and immediately became one of the best pitchers in baseball, seemingly on God-given talent alone. Walker will bring his electric stuff to the Mariners rotation for his first full season this coming year, as he looks to live up to what have quickly become lofty expectations.
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