EAST LANSING- As we head into the All-Star break after this weekend, we are beginning to get a sense of who will be making a run toward CY Young honors in the 2024 season.
In this week’s power rankings, there are some new faces, lots of changes in ranking, as well as many guys who made their first All-Star team, as well as a few snubs. Here are the latest power rankings of the best starting pitchers in baseball right now. (All stats recorded are as of the end of play on 7/11/24).
- Tarik Skubal (DET)
ERA: 2.37 W-L: 10-3 SO: 132 WHIP: 0.90
If the season ended today, Tarik Skubal would probably be the Cy Young winner in the American League. The Detroit lefty is posting a career year so far in 2024, ranking second in all of baseball in qualified ERA, first in WHIP, third in opponent batting average, third in wins, and eleventh in innings pitched.
Skubal has allowed two earned runs or less in fourteen of his first eighteen starts to start the season and was deservingly named an All-Star for the first time this season. If I were managing the game for the American League, Skubal would get the start for me, as he has been the best pitcher in the league from the start so far in 2024, and if the season ended today, he’d be in the top ten in MVP voting.
2. Paul Skenes (PIT)
ERA: 1.90 W-L: 6-0 SO: 89 WHIP: 0.92
Talk about living up to the hype, Paul Skenes is the starter for the National League in the All-Star game less than a year after being selected first overall by the Pirates. The most runs Skenes has given up in an outing is three, and he has pitched at least six innings in nine of the eleven starts he’s made so far in the big leagues this season.
Skenes has struck out seven batters in ten of the eleven starts he’s made, including a seven-inning, no-hit performance yesterday afternoon against Milwaukee where he struck out eleven batters. Skenes is not only putting himself in serious consideration for N.L. Rookie of the Year, but also the Cy Young, that’s how impressive the twenty-two-year-old has been to start his career.
3. Seth Lugo (KC)
ERA: 2.21 W-L: 11-3 SO: 110 WHIP: 1.04
Seth Lugo continues to put up excellent numbers in a resurgent age-34 season. Lugo is leading all of baseball in qualified ERA while also tied for the league lead in pitcher wins. Lugo made the All-Star team for the first time in his career this season and has gone at least five and a third innings in all of his starts this season while making it through six innings in seventeen of the nineteen starts he’s made so far. The highest point Lugo’s ERA has reached at the end of any game this year is 2.42, which speaks to his constituency all year long, and would likely get the nod in the All-Star game, if it were up to me, if not for Skubal. Lugo is making a great push for his first Cy-Young this year as well.
4. Corbin Burnes (BAL)
ERA: 2.42 W-L: 9-3 SO: 110 WHIP: 1.04
Corbin Burnes has gotten better and better as the season has gone on, and he has really continued his groove as one of the best pitchers in the league in his first year in Baltimore. Burnes ranks top five in all of baseball in categories such as ERA and innings pitched, while also top ten in the American League in WHIP, BB/9, and wins. Burnes was just selected to the All-Star game for the fourth consecutive season and is right in the thick of the American League Cy Young Race. Burnes has completed six innings in each of his last fourteen starts and has been a constant for the first-place Orioles all season long.
5. Ranger Suárez (PHI)
ERA: 2.58 W-L: 10-3 SO: 106 WHIP: 1.02
Ranger Suárez has cooled off a little more as of late but his numbers still rank among some of the best in the league. Despite allowing six and five earned runs in each of his last two starts respectively, the Southpaw is still leading the National League in qualified ERA, while also top five in categories such as wins, and WHIP, while being tenth in the N.L. in opponent batting average. These numbers have gotten Suárez into the All-Star game for the first time in his career, and he has played a huge role in the Phillies’ success all season, as they have been the best and most consistent team throughout the first half.
6. Tanner Houck (BOS)
ERA: 2.54 W-L: 8-6 SO: 112 WHIP: 1.03
Tanner Houck was named an All-Star for the first time in his career this season and for very good reason. Houck is leading the league in HR/9 (0.4) and is fifth in the league in ERA. Houck also ranks in the top ten in the American League in innings pitched, strikeouts, WHIP, and wins. The Red Sox have been one of the hottest teams in baseball for the last month, and Houck has been a huge reason why, as he has emerged as an ace for a team that is currently sitting in the third wild card spot in the A.L. After struggling in his second and third to last starts, Houck posted six innings of shutout ball against Oakland last night to get back on track.
7. Chris Sale (ATL)
ERA: 2.74 W-L: 12-3 SO: 136 WHIP: 0.94
The resurgence of Chris Sale so far this season has been one of the best and most feel-good in MLB this year. Sale was selected to the All-Star game for the eighth time in his career and the first time since 2018, as he leads all of baseball in pitcher wins and FIP. Sale also ranks top ten in the league in ERA, WHIP, and opponent batting average, and is fourth in strikeouts. Sale is right back to look like his prime self in his first year in Atlanta and has finished at least five innings in every start he’s made this season except one. Sale has only given up three home runs since the beginning of May and is putting himself right back into Cy-Young conversations as he has for most of his illustrious career.
8. Ronel Blanco (HOU)
ERA: 2.53 W-L: 9-3 SO: 95 WHIP: 0.99
Ronel Blanco has been a revelation so far this season in Houston, a place known for pumping out excellent starting pitchers. The thirty-year-old has been one of the best starters in the American League so far this season, despite his snub from the All-Star game, and has not looked back since tossing a no-hitter in his first start of the season. Blanco ranks top ten in all of baseball in categories such as ERA, WHIP, opponent batting average, and wins, and was still not selected for the mid-summer classic. Hitters have a .590 OPS when going up against Blanco so far this season, as he has been one of the best “pitch to soft contact” guys in the league so far this year.
9. Reynaldo López (ATL)
ERA: 1.71 W-L: 7-2 SO: 93 WHIP: 1.13
Reynaldo López continues to be one of the surprise best-starting pitchers in the league so far this year, as his consistency has not wavered one bit. The thirty-year-old was selected to the All-Star game for the first time in his career this season and would be leading all of baseball in ERA if his innings qualified. López’s ERA has not gone above 2.00 at any point so far this season and has not allowed more than two earned runs in fifteen of the sixteen starts he’s made so far this season. López also hasn’t allowed a home run in twelve of his starts so far this year, as he and Sale have been an outstanding two-headed monster for the Braves so far this season.
10. Zack Wheeler (PHI)
ERA: 2.70 W-L: 10-4 SO: 126 WHIP: 0.99
Zack Wheeler continues to prove he is one of the best starters in baseball right now, as he was just selected to his second All-Star game and has stood out for a Phillies team that has been excellent up and down the roster all year long. Wheeler ranks top ten in MLB in categories such as ERA, wins, innings pitched, WHIP, and opponent batting average, and is making a great case for himself for Cy-Young in the National League. Wheeler has allowed two earned runs or less in fifteen of the nineteen starts he’s made so far this season, and has struck out at least seven batters in nine of those starts. Wheeler’s ERA has remained below 3.00 since April 14, as he has been a constant all year long.
11. Garrett Crochet (CWS)
ERA: 3.08 W-L: 6-6 SO: 146 WHIP: 0.97
Garrett Crochet has made the power ranking for the first time this year, as he finally gets some spotlight as one of the most electrifying pitchers in the league so far this season. The 25-year-old has made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, as he leads the American League in FIP, and all of baseball in strikeouts and K/9 (12.47). Crochet also ranks top five in the American League in WHIP and opponent batting average, while ranking tenth in ERA. Crochet is a young pitcher on a White Sox team that has been one of the very worst in the league all season, and if a true contender can give Chicago an offer that blows them away, he could be the most valuable piece moved at the deadline.
12. Logan Gilbert (SEA)
ERA: 2.94 W-L: 6-5 SO: 115 WHIP: 0.90
Logan Gilbert was just named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career and it was well-deserved as he leads all of baseball in innings pitched so far this season. Gilbert also ranks top ten in the American League in strikeouts, while also being top five in WHIP, and opponent batting average. Gilbert has completed at least six innings in sixteen of the nineteen starts he’s made so far this season and has pitched to a 2.40 ERA with a .545 OPS against since the beginning of June. The workhorse has been a huge piece for the first-place Mariners, as they look to hold off the Astros and clinch their first division title in over two decades.
13. Shota Imanaga (CHC)
ERA: 2.97 W-L: 8-2 SO: 98 WHIP: 1.11
Shota Imanaga continues to impress so far for the Cubs this season and was just awarded with an All-Star selection in his rookie season. Imanaga ranks top ten in the National League in ERA, WHIP, and wins, and perhaps turned in his most impressive performance of the season his last time out, going six shutout innings against the first-place Orioles in Baltimore. Imanag’s numbers are skewed by two bad starts where he gave up seven and ten earned runs respectively, but he has allowed two earned runs or less in thirteen of the seventeen starts he’s made so far this season. Imanaga vs Skenes in the N.L. Rookie of the Year race will be a great watch down the stretch.
14. Tyler Anderson (LAA)
ERA: 2.81 W-L: 8-8 SO: 77 WHIP: 1.18
Tyler Anderson has been excellent for the Angels so far this season and was rewarded with his second career All-Star selection. Anderson ranks top ten in the American League in ERA, wins, opponent batting average, and BABIP, for an Angels team that hasn’t had many bright spots so far this season. Anderson went eight shutout innings against the Cubs in his last outing, and has allowed three earned runs or less in fifteen of the eighteen starts he’s made so far this year. Tyler Anderson could be viewed as a valuable trade piece in this month’s upcoming trade deadline, as the Angels continue to fall out of the Wild Card race in the American League, as a veteran starter with playoff experience.
15. Luis Gil (NYY)
ERA: 3.27 W-L: 9-5 SO: 111 WHIP: 1.09
Luis Gil has dropped off significantly as of late but is still posting some of the best numbers in the league. Gil is still first in all of baseball with an opponent batting average of .168 and still ranks top ten in the American League in K/9, BABIP, and eleventh in strikeouts. Gil has struggled badly in three of his last four starts but bounced back in his last outing against Boston going six and two-thirds innings allowing only one run. The Yankees have been struggling a lot as of late as well, and if they want to get back on track and start winning some series again, Gil will have to get back to his level of production in the first two and a half months of the season.