10. Mike Soroka (ATL)
2019 stats: 13-4 W-L , 2.68 ERA, 174.2 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 142 SO
At 22 years old, Mike Soroka has already made a name for himself as the new ace of the Atlanta Braves. His 2.68 ERA ranked fifth in the league and he came in second place in Rookie of the Year voting behind New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso. Soroka is different than most pitchers on this list mainly because he does not focus on striking batters out. Instead, he relies heavily on his sinker, which generates mostly ground balls: Soroka is able to keep the ball in the park better than any pitcher in the league. However, his home run rate last season was exceptionally low, at .721 long balls per nine innings. Soroka doesn’t have an overpowering fastball, but he fools hitters by locating his pitches very well. The Calgary native comes into the 2020 season ready to lead the Braves to a third consecutive National League East division title.
2020 season prediction: 13-6 W-L, 2.61 ERA
9. Walker Buehler (LAD)
2019 stats: 14-4 W-L, 3.26 ERA, 182.1 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 215 SO
Over the past two seasons, Walker Buehler has taken over the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff as Clayton Kershaw struggles with injuries. Buehler posted career highs in 2019 in strikeouts (215), innings pitched (182.1) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.81). He also earned his first All-Star selection last season and was even better in the second half, posting a 2.99 ERA in 13 starts. His postseason numbers since coming into the league are highly impressive, pitching a 2.72 ERA in six career starts. Buehler is only 25 years old and is poised to get even better as his career goes on.
2020 season prediction: 12-6 W-L, 2.99 ERA
8. Jack Flaherty (STL)
2019 stats: 11-8 W-L, 2.75 ERA, 196.1 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 231 SO
Jack Flaherty flew under the radar for the first year and a half of his career, but gained a lot of attention after he put up historic numbers in the second half of 2019. In 15 starts following the All-Star Game break, Flaherty led the league with a 0.91 ERA and finished the year with a 2.75, sixth in the league. His performance helped the Cardinals put up a 47-27 second half record to capture the National League Central division title over the defending division champions, the Milwaukee Brewers. Flaherty looks to be the star pitcher and leader of the pitching staff the Cardinals have not seen since Adam Wainwright was in his prime. The 24-year-old stud is looking to pick up where he left off at the end of last season to help guide St. Louis to another division title in 2020.
2020 season prediction: 12-6 W-L, 2.70 ERA
7. Stephen Strasburg (WAS)
2019 stats: 18-6 W-L, 3.32 ERA, 209 IP, 1.04 WHIP, 251 SO
Stephen Strasburg may not have ranked in the top 10 in ERA this past season, but that does not mean he isn’t a top 10 starting pitcher. One of the best at striking out hitters, he ranked sixth last season with 251. Some of his advanced statistics from last year such as WAR (wins above replacement), QS% (quality start percentage) and WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) sit atop the leaderboard along with other great pitchers on this list. Strasburg’s 6.2 WAR was sixth in the league last year while 67% of his outings were considered quality starts. He also earned World Series MVP honors during the Washington Nationals’ championship run. Now fresh off inking a massive seven-year, $245-million deal, Strasburg looks to continue to dominate as the Nats try to defend their title in 2020.
6. Zack Greinke (HOU)
2019 stats: 18-5 W-L, 2.93 ERA, 208.2 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 187 SO
Even as an older player in the game, Zack Greinke consistently puts up Cy Young-worthy numbers every season and had his best since 2015 last year with a 2.93 ERA in over 200 innings pitched. He had a great start to the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and even following a mid-season trade to the Houston Astros, Greinke lost only one start and carried a 3.01 ERA through his final 10 starts – helping Houston clinch their third consecutive division title and second pennant in three years. He enters the 2020 season at 36 years old, but age should not matter when it comes to Greinke. His stuff is still very effective even with a decreased velocity as he is one of the best in the game at painting the corners. His eephus curve is also unhittable and makes some of the best hitters look clueless. Greinke will be slated as the Astros’ second starter behind defending American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander.
2020 season prediction: 13-4 W-L, 3.25 ERA
5. Hyun-Jin Ryu (TOR)
2019 stats: 14-5 W-L, 2.32 ERA, 182.2 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 163 SO
Not many people really know how good of a pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu actually is because of his large injury history. When Ryu is healthy, he is as good as anybody in the league. 2019 marked the first time he has pitched a full season since 2014 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and he did not disappoint. Ryu led the MLB with a 2.32 ERA and finished second in the National League Cy Young Award race behind the New York Mets’ two-time winner Jacob deGrom. Even after undergoing two major shoulder and arm surgeries in 2015 and 2016, Ryu remains one of the top starting pitchers in the game. He signed a four-year, $80-million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this past offseason and will most likely be the number one starter for a young, up-and-coming Blue Jays team.
2020 season prediction: 11-9 W-L, 3.32 ERA
4. Max Scherzer (WAS)
2019 stats: 11-7 W-L, 2.92 ERA, 172.1 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 243 SO
Max Scherzer had somewhat of a down year in 2019, battling injuries and struggling in the second half. Despite this, he ranked sixth in the National League in ERA and third in strikeouts, which gained him a No. 4 rank on this list. Scherzer overcame his second half struggles and dominated the 2019 postseason with a 2.40 ERA to help the Washington Nationals capture their first World Series title. He will turn 36 years old this season, but he still throws gas and strikes out hitters at an alarming rate. Expect the three-time Cy Young Award winner to bounce back in a big way in 2020 when the season eventually starts.
2020 season prediction: 14-8 W-L, 2.87 ERA.
3. Justin Verlander (HOU)
2019 stats: 21-6 W-L, 2.58 ERA, 223 IP, 0.80 WHIP, 300 SO
Justin Verlander won his second career Cy Young Award last season, becoming the oldest player to win since 2012 when R.A. Dickey earned the nod at 37 years old for the Mets. Verlander is another one of those players who continues to get better as he nears 40 years of age. He was one of only two pitchers last season to reach 300 strikeouts and has shown no signs of slowing down. Verlander definitely has a shot at pitching well into his forties. If anyone is going to break Roger Clemens’ record of being the oldest pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, Verlander is the most likely to do it.
2020 season prediction: 17-5 W-L, 2.77 ERA.
2. Gerrit Cole (NYY)
2019 stats: 20-5 W-L, 2.50 ERA, 212.1 IP, 0.89 WHIP, 326 SO
In his last two seasons with the Houston Astros in, Gerrit Cole has been unhittable. Looking at his numbers from last year, Cole arguably deserved the Cy Young Award over Verlander, placing third in the league in ERA and first in strikeouts. He thrived under Astros pitching coach Brent Strom and will now spend the next nine years of his career with the New York Yankees. Cole made history this past offseason after signing a nine-year, $324-million contract to become the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. Yankees fans will enjoy the next nine years with their new ace as they now become the clear team to beat in the American League.
2020 season prediction: 16-4 W-L, 2.55 ERA.
1. Jacob deGrom (NYM)
2019 stats: 11-8 W-L, 2.43 ERA, 204 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 255 SO
Back-to-back National League Cy Young Awards have earned Jacob deGrom the title of best pitcher in baseball. No pitcher has been more impressive and more effective than deGrom over the past two seasons and he will continue to dominate for many years to come. In the four years since his MLB debut, deGrom has claimed the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year Award and the 2018 and 2019 Cy Young Awards, doing so with absolutely no run support from his team. Looking at Cole’s enormous contract, it’s hard to believe that a pitcher as incredible as deGrom is in the middle of a five-year, $137 million deal he signed at the beginning of 2019. The Mets have the best chance of contending for a championship this year since 2015, and deGrom is a huge part of that. Expect him to be in the running for a third consecutive Cy Young.
2020 season prediction: 12-6 W-L, 2.40 ERA
Photo Courtesy of Emilee Chinn
