2046 Top 5 Rotations (AL added)
Apr 7, 2018 18:17:36 GMT -5
NickP_Marlins GM, Texas Rangers, and 9 more like this
Post by Wilson_DodgersGM on Apr 7, 2018 18:17:36 GMT -5
Top 5 Rotations
This is a subjective list!
** : Middle of rotation starter
*** : Top of rotation starter
**** : Ace
The star ratings are rough estimates. Not all 4 star pitchers are the same.
NL
1. Pittsburgh Pirates
It's not really even close. Every single starter is an Ace. Their worst starter last season put up 4 WAR. It's horrifying. 3/5 are durable and 1 is an Iron Man so it's not even a fragile staff. It will be more of the same from the Pirates rotation this year. I wouldn't be surprised if every one of them pitches 200 innings.
Expected Rotation
1. Jhoan Brown (L) ****
2. Ray Barry (R) ****
3. Salvador Nunez (R) ****
4. Obke Jansen (R) ****
5. Noel King (R) ***
Total *'s : 19
2. Cincinnati Reds
The Reds' rotation is poised to make a major jump forward this season. Felipe Carrillo was acquired from the Padres in the offseason and pushing the rest of the starters down suddenly makes this rotation look extremely solid. Their numbers don't jump out at you but they have seemed to underperform compared to their ratings. Add to that their ages, (average of 26.4) and they should be entering their peak years right about now.
Expected Rotation
1. Felipe Carrillo (R) ****
2. Masafumi Masuda (R) ***
3. Norman Cline (L) ***
4. Bob Hamlit (R) ***
5. Nelson Lewis (R) *
Total *'s : 14
3. New York Mets
Kevin Lopez nudges this rotation into 3rd place with his 6.3 WAR last season. This is another young and durable staff that is entering its prime. Justin Dyer could be the biggest factor for the rotation's success this year. The home run explosion last year hit him very hard (HR/9 went from 0.9 in 2044 to 1.9 in 2045). Even if he doesn't return to 2044 form, this rotation is extremely balanced and deep with Randy Brown waiting in AAA for a callup.
Expected Rotation
1. Kevin Lopez (L) ****
2. Russ Noftle (R) ***
3. Justin Dyer (R) *
4. Alan Burns (L) **
5. Manny Martinez (R) *
Total *'s : 11
4. Atlanta Braves
There are some durability concerns at the bottom of the rotation but this is still a very good group of starters. Their BABIP's and FIP's compared to their ERA's last year indicate that they might have been unlucky but their defense could hold them back from fixing that. Still, Mario Soto is a star and the rest of the staff is young enough to keep developing and improving.
Expected Rotation
1. Mario Soto (R) ****
2. Fred Caballero (R) ****
3. Geordi Orenduff (R) *
4. John Butler (L) **
5. Eric Maddox (R) **
Total *'s : 13
5. San Francisco Giants
The Giants rotation is very top heavy. Vasquez is one of the best pitchers in the game but the rest of the rotation has enough question marks to knock them down to 5th. I expect Mahiri to have a slightly better season this year but I'm not convinced that Kouyama and Slaughter will repeat their performances from last season. The 5th slot is still undetermined as far as I know. There aren't any young arms ready to step into the role either so I guess spring training will be what decides the final slot. With the strength of their bullpen, a 4-man rotation could be an interesting experiment.
Expected Rotation
1. Enrique Vasquez (R) ****
2. Hemmu Mahiri (R) ***
3. Tomokazu Kouyama (L) **
4. Chad Slaughter (R) **
5. ? ? ? *
Total *'s : 12
AL
1. Oakland Athletics
Norris Barton leads this rotation to the #1 spot in the AL. One of the only weaknesses is Orlando Perez's injury proneness but they have the starting pitching depth to deal with it. I think Sanguillen and Price will both have better seasons than last year and MacCley could become one of the better pitchers in this rotation if he continues to improve his stuff.
Expected Rotation
1. Norris Barton (L) ****
2. Markus Price (R) ***
3. Alden MacCley (R) ***
4. Dennis Sanguillen (R) **
5. Orlando Perez (R) ***
Total *'s : 15
2. Colorado Rockies
Don't be fooled by their ERA's, this Rockies rotation is good. Shawn Palmer fronts this Rockie rotation which like all the others before it, has been punished by their home stadium. They all made over 30 starts with 150+ IP last season and every starter had a WAR above 3 except for McNeil (2.4).
Expected Rotation
1. Shawn Palmer (L) ****
2. Armando Gonzales (L) **
3. Domingo Mava (L) **
4. Jeremy McNeil (R) *
5. Fernando Maldonado (R) **
Total *'s : 11
3. Baltimore Orioles
Apart from Will Taylor, there is nothing flashy about this rotation but there is a lot of consistency and depth to work with. If Taylor continues to be the ace we know, the rest of the guys simply needs to be average for this rotation to succeed. Jon Young is one of the most consistently reliable starters in the league so the top 2 spots in the rotation are very solid. After that, there are some question marks however. Ed Ward can be great but can he stay healthy long enough to provide enough innings? Torres and Saunders are nothing exciting but they are young and have the potential to be very good back end starters. There are also a lot of other arms able to step into the rotation in the likely case of an injury.
Expected Rotation
1. Will Taylor (R) ****
2. Jon Young (R) ***
3. Ed Ward (L) **
4. Carlos Torres (R) *
5. Don Saunders (L) *
Total *'s : 11
4. Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay, Baltimore, and Colorado are all very close in my mind in terms of ability. The difference is mainly how it is concentrated. Tampa doesn't have a true ace but they have a lot of starting talent. Doyle Moore, Willis and, Lawson are great middle rotation options. Colmenares has the potential to be a true Ace and if prospect John Guffin joins the team this year, the Rays could conceivably be the best rotation in the AL.
Expected Rotation
1. Harry Willis (R) ***
2. Harry Lawson (R) **
3. Sergio Colmenares (R) ***
4. Doyle Moore (L) **
5. Claudio Aviles (R) *
Total *'s : 11
5. New York Yankees
Like the Orioles, the first two slots are impressive before a mishmash of possibly decent starters. Both Frost and Fernandez border on "ace quality" but there are no sure things after that. Raymond and Huang seem to be fighting this season to stay in the rotation after an unimpressive 2045. The young starting depth in the Yankees organization means that by the end of 2046, the 3-5 slots could be completely different. This rotation is hard to project because if either Raymond or Huang struggle, Alberto Fontanez could see the rotation and become an ace sooner than expected. If the young Yankee starting prospects take big steps this season, the Yankees could have the scariest AL rotation going into the playoffs. Alternatively, their rotation could be the reason they miss the playoffs. I'm very curious to see how this one goes.
Expected Rotation
1. Rafael Fernandez (R) ***
2. Adrian Frost (R) ***
3. Eddie Raymond (R) *
4. You-de Huang (R) *
5. Ramiro Alvarado (R) *
Total *'s : 9