Having just recently passed the one-month mark since Opening Day, it¡¯s time to check in on our latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.
There are a number of new names on the list, with a panel of MLB.com voters not only considering track record but also recent performance. While some starters have faded after hot starts, others have solidified their performances in the past couple of weeks, capturing the attention of our voters in the process.
Here are the results. (All stats are updated through Wednesday¡¯s games.)
1. Gerrit Cole, Yankees (Last poll: 1)
Cole held onto his spot atop the list with three more strong outings since the first Starting Pitcher Power Rankings of 2023. After leading the AL in home runs allowed (33) last season, Cole still hasn¡¯t surrendered a long ball this year, posting a 1.35 ERA with 52 strikeouts over 46 2/3 innings. The Yankees have won all seven of his starts. If he keeps it up, Cole may finally secure the Cy Young Award that has eluded him throughout his impressive career.
2. Zac Gallen, D-backs (not ranked)
After putting together one of the longest scoreless-innings streaks (44 1/3) in history last summer en route to a fifth-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting, Gallen had another lengthy streak in April, going 28 consecutive innings without allowing a run. The right-hander (4-1, 2.53 ERA in 2023) vaulted up the ranks as a result, climbing all the way to the second spot after he was unranked in the first iteration of these rankings. With an MLB-leading FIP (1.72) and NL-leading K/BB ratio (11.4), Gallen could be a fixture on this list moving forward.
3. Sonny Gray, Twins (10)
Gray grabbed the 10th spot on our list two weeks ago after recording a 0.82 ERA over his first four starts, and he somehow managed to lower it even more in his final two starts of April. The two-time All-Star is now down to an MLB-leading 0.77 ERA through six starts in 2023, going 4-0 with 41 K¡¯s over 35 innings for the first-place Twins and moving up seven spots on this list.
4. Shohei Ohtani, Angels (2)
Ohtani continues to amaze on both sides of the ball, performing like an elite slugger at the plate and a top-tier starter on the mound. Although he was touched up for nine runs over his past two starts, he tied a career high with 13 strikeouts against the Cardinals on Wednesday and has recorded an MLB-leading 59 K¡¯s with a 2.54 ERA in 2023. His .125 opponents¡¯ batting average is 29 points lower than that of any other qualifying pitcher.
5. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (not ranked)
Kershaw has been performing at such a high level for so long that he almost flies under the radar at this point, even when he¡¯s still doing amazing things. But let¡¯s give the left-hander his due credit. This is supposed to be the twilight of his career, but at age 35, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has posted a 1.89 ERA, an 8.2 K/BB ratio and is tied with an MLB-best 0.76 WHIP through six starts in 2023. Batters are 7-for-69 (.101) with 23 K¡¯s against his slider.
6. Spencer Strider, Braves (8)
Strider¡¯s rookie year, in which he became the fastest pitcher in AL/NL history (in terms of innings) to reach the 200-strikeout plateau in a single season, seemed like it was going to be tough to top. But the flamethrowing righty is on his way to an even better season in 2023, registering a 2.57 ERA while ranking first in the Majors in strikeout rate (41%) and second in opponents¡¯ batting average (.154).
7. Luis Castillo, Mariners (3)
Castillo was excellent down the stretch after the Mariners acquired him from the Reds last July, and he¡¯s taken another step forward in 2023. With a dominant arsenal that features an elite four-seam fastball, the righty owns a 1.82 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and a career-best 4.75 K/BB ratio over six starts this season.
8. Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays (not ranked)
Coming off back-to-back 200-strikeout campaigns, Gausman (2.33 ERA) has increased his K-rate to a career-high 35.1% while keeping his walk rate below 4% in 2023, leading to an AL-best 9.0 K/BB ratio. Gausman¡¯s splitter has been virtually untouchable, racking up an astronomical amount of whiffs and K¡¯s while holding opponents to a .175 slugging percentage.
9. Shane McClanahan, Rays (4)
The Rays¡¯ offense deserves a lot of credit for the team¡¯s incredible start, but let¡¯s not overlook what McClanahan is doing a year after finishing sixth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. Few pitchers miss more bats than the 26-year-old left-hander, who has gone 6-0 with a 2.03 ERA and 51 K¡¯s over seven starts in 2023.
10. Justin Steele, Cubs (not ranked)
Easily the most surprising name in the top 10, Steele earned this spot after going 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA across six starts in April (and lowered his ERA to 1.45 with seven innings of one-run ball in a win over the Marlins on Friday). The southpaw doesn¡¯t throw particularly hard, but he¡¯s been able to generate weak contact by pairing excellent four-seam fastball command with a wipeout slider.
Also receiving votes: Joe Ryan (Twins), Bryce Elder (Braves), Wade Miley (Brewers), Hunter Brown (Astros)
Voters: Brett Blueweiss, Paul Casella, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Brian Murphy, Sweeny Murti, Manny Randhawa, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn