Who would you say is the best starting pitcher right now?
Who Is the Best Starting Pitcher Right Now?
- Thread starter VirginiaCavs
- Start date
What?
Frank Costanza
2024 and 2025 CTG Supporting Donation Member
Debate about who's the best overall. But there's no better big-game pitcher playing right now than Eovaldi. The guy just embraces pressure.
Now, he'll get lit up tonight, watch.
Now, he'll get lit up tonight, watch.
May not be the best pitcher on his team
Frank Costanza
2024 and 2025 CTG Supporting Donation Member
Not so. Another dominant performance and now with a microscopic ERA of 1.38 this season.
Mariners Starters
Combined record of those with 10 or more starts:
36-35
Records of those pitchers:
9-6
8-6
3-4
3-5
6-5
5-4
2-5
ERA:
3.02
3.22
3.45
5.47
4.13
4.30
5.73
Facts:
16 pitchers have a better ERA than Seattle best (Woo)
Woo is 4th in quality starts, after that no one till 18th
Zero pitchers in the top 20 in strikeouts
Woo is 28th in WAR
Final Conclusion:
This simply has no merit. The Mariners staff is slightly above average when all said and done. Woo is the only pitcher one could consider for this list but he simply doesn't measure up to the other guys here.
KJ
Minister of Communication
KJ
Minister of Communication
Sorry mate, I think you're way out of it on this one.
KJ
Minister of Communication
Huh? Do you watch baseball?
Yes, I'd like to hear @KJ evidence that a Seattle pitcher should be on this list.
Present your case sir.
Inspekdah
Quiet, Piggy!
Best big game pitcher for sure. No one else stands out as dominant and also translates to putting up 0s when it matters most.
League hasn’t had a true dominant pitcher since young DeGrom and before that Bumgardner.
The fact that it changes so much this answer shows that.
Skubal with the best chance to be that guy
Inspekdah
Quiet, Piggy!
A lot of #2s on that staff. No one in particular is even close to being the best pitcher in baseball. Especially pitching in that park.
KJ
Minister of Communication
I can poke holes in every one of the listed pitchers outside of Skubal. Tons of flaws on that list.
But in order I go:
Skubal
Wheeler
Crochet
Then the rest are not overly relevant when I cap. All have so many deficiencies that can be exploited. Skubal is easily #1, Wheeler is easily #2....Crochet is so fastball reliant that it's hard to think he'll be a quality starter for long in MLB
I also think Maddux and Glavine were the best pitchers in my lifetime and that includes living in AZ with Randy and Schilling. Brandon Webb was better than both of them. He just didn't win anything of note. Trevor Hoffman was insanely good. He basically said here comes the splitter and hitters could do nothing about it. I don't even know if he hit 90mph on his fastball but it was effective because of that one dirty pitch.
But in order I go:
Skubal
Wheeler
Crochet
Then the rest are not overly relevant when I cap. All have so many deficiencies that can be exploited. Skubal is easily #1, Wheeler is easily #2....Crochet is so fastball reliant that it's hard to think he'll be a quality starter for long in MLB
I also think Maddux and Glavine were the best pitchers in my lifetime and that includes living in AZ with Randy and Schilling. Brandon Webb was better than both of them. He just didn't win anything of note. Trevor Hoffman was insanely good. He basically said here comes the splitter and hitters could do nothing about it. I don't even know if he hit 90mph on his fastball but it was effective because of that one dirty pitch.
KJ
Minister of Communication
Crazy to think how knuckle ballers could dominate a game. Saw Charlie Hough pitch a game in Dallas and I can't even remember the catcher's name, he had a ton of PBs. Was fun to watch the hitters get fooled but also fun to watch the catcher look like a little leaguer. I'd love to see a knuckler pitch to today's hitters where .250 is considered being great anymore.
Great points !
The numbers outside of Safeco park are not great.
This team as a whole is struggling -- 9-8 since the break.
Game 7 tomorrow, both rested, Who gets the ball? I say Wheeler
Spot on.
KJ
Minister of Communication
I think he is another fastball pitcher that will have to learn to pitch. Can he do it? Probably so... he'll need to because the velocity can't last without an arm falling off
Remember how good Cole turned out to be when he left Pitt? I wonder if Skenes‘ pitch-coaching is similarly holding him back
Frank Costanza
2024 and 2025 CTG Supporting Donation Member
Don't think there's a wrong answer there.
For context this season, best ERA in history after 19 starts is 1.08 (Gibson). As noted above Eovaldi at 1.38. In 13 of Eovaldi's last 14 starts he's given up 1 run or less.
Retired 24 of 25 in 8 innings last night. Sole hit was a blooper.
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Damn impressive
Dsn150
2025 CTG Supporting Donation Member
Joe Ryan has the stuff, having a good year, but will end up like Skenes since Twins unloaded before trade deadline…
Brewers (Peralta and Priester) have some nice arms as well…
Hard to be objective- but I put wins up there pretty high- especially with mid WHIP and decent ERA, means they can work out of trouble-
Curious to see where some of these younger guys end up-
But, overall- I would put Skubal first right now…
Brewers (Peralta and Priester) have some nice arms as well…
Hard to be objective- but I put wins up there pretty high- especially with mid WHIP and decent ERA, means they can work out of trouble-
Curious to see where some of these younger guys end up-
But, overall- I would put Skubal first right now…
slim5150
Freelance Gynecologist
I Watch skenes most starts..but im no expert.
Having said that, he added a new pitch to the aresenal this year. I get the impression he is using this year, and maybe next, to work through getting that dialed in. He quickly learned last year, he can be lights out and still lose. Happens often to these top end cureent day pitchers.
QUickly looking at his fangraph splits, he is mixing up his pitches better this year than last. Is that on purpose, time will tell. But the game these days has these guys having an educated guess on whats coming. Paul weighs heavily on a couple, but he still mixes thing up pretty well. Imagine you have to guess which of his 6 pitches he is going to throw next.
To compare...skubal has 5 pitches but he doesnt really use his knucle curve all that much. At best you have a 25% chance of guessing right. With skenes, that drops to 16%
Game 7 of the ws and i can have any current pitcher, its skubal. But...ask me again after next year.
Having said that, he added a new pitch to the aresenal this year. I get the impression he is using this year, and maybe next, to work through getting that dialed in. He quickly learned last year, he can be lights out and still lose. Happens often to these top end cureent day pitchers.
QUickly looking at his fangraph splits, he is mixing up his pitches better this year than last. Is that on purpose, time will tell. But the game these days has these guys having an educated guess on whats coming. Paul weighs heavily on a couple, but he still mixes thing up pretty well. Imagine you have to guess which of his 6 pitches he is going to throw next.
To compare...skubal has 5 pitches but he doesnt really use his knucle curve all that much. At best you have a 25% chance of guessing right. With skenes, that drops to 16%
Game 7 of the ws and i can have any current pitcher, its skubal. But...ask me again after next year.
Not in same class
Remember Linecum? Man that dude was filthy.
Learn to pitch??? He hits 97 on his sinker and 98-99 on his fastball which he also keeps low. He was a pure fastball/curve guy in college and was hitting 100mph+. He's changed a lot for the better. Forces ground balls and K's. His whiff rate is 31% and in the 90th percentile of MLB pitchers and batted balls on barrell is also in the 90th percentile from his pitches because he does such a good job locating his pitches and keeping it low. He good brah.
Skenes relies on that sinker for his secondary mostly, I would say Tarik its a tie with the slider and changeup.
1.04 ERA. Lowest in majors for qualified pitchers
home scoreless streak o 28 innings
No earned runs at home since may 16th