

Right-hander Kyle Wright (21-6, 3.19 ERA) who was a 20-game winner (the only one in MLB this season) replaces Anderson (10-6, 6, 5.00 ERA), while rookie right-hander Spencer Strider might have supplanted Morton in the third slot had the National League Rookie of the Year candidate not strained his oblique. Fried has solidified his ace status through a 14-7 mark and 2.48 ERA in 2022 but should have two others join him in the three-man rotation.
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Left-hander Max Fried, right-hander Charlie Morton, and right-hander Ian Anderson accounted for 13 of Atlanta’s 16 starts en route to winning the World Series last year. He also tied a franchise record with eight consecutive strikeouts. This leaves other starters such as José Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Cristian Javier to make spot starts and fill relief roles.Ĭlosing out a great Year with five no-hit innings. But he also has the stuff to strike you out, notching 184 K’s in 196 ⅓ innings, all while going 16-6 with a 2.89 ERA in 30 starts. The 28-year-old is a ground-ball specialist, leading MLB in ground-ball percentage at 69.9%. Left-hander Framber Valdez has been a key part of the rotation for the last three seasons and is probably one of the more unheralded guys out there. Plus, with the depth that will push some starters into relief roles, the Astros might only bank on one turn through the lineup (although McCullers has gone at least five innings in all of his outings this year). Yes, walks have been troublesome in his return, but he has always struggled in that area while still being very effective.

In eight starts, the 29-year-old is 4-2 with a 2.27 ERA, 22 walks, and 50 strikeouts in 47 ⅔ innings. has deepened an already-deep Astros rotation. 13 due to a flexor tendon strain in his right forearm sustained during last year’s playoffs, right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. A calf injury sidelined Verlander for the first couple weeks of September, which only freshened him up for another postseason run, where he has a 3.40 ERA in 31 career games (30 starts).Īfter being out until Aug. Verlander is a strong contender for his third American League Cy Young Award following his 18-4 and 1.75 ERA performance, with 185 strikeouts and 29 walks in 175 innings. Houston Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, at the young age of 39, has found the Fountain of Youth after missing all but his first start of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. (Also, the three pitchers listed are my selections, not necessarily who the teams will choose.) We aren’t saying these rotations will be in the World Series or the League Championship Series, but these trios are the best of the 12 teams in the postseason. 11, and will be able to have their rotations rested and set to take on their opponents. The top two teams in each league receive byes to the Division Series, which begin Oct. These are the five teams with the best top three starters.

So as we get ready for the debut of the Wild Card Series, which will be played on three consecutive days at the higher-seeded team’s stadium beginning Friday, here are the teams with three starters who fit that mold. Not every team has the true thoroughbreds at the top of the rotation to carry a team through a series of those lengths. Starters also come on in relief when their team needs them.įor the new Wild Card Series (best-of-three) and Division Series (best-of-five), the strategy is usually a three-man starting rotation. Bouncing back on short rest is commonplace. Managers hook starters (and relievers) more quickly.

Playoff pitching is a much different animal than the regular season.
