Top Free Agent Starting Pitchers of the 2019-2020 Offseason

1. Gerrit Cole (2020 Age: 29)
2019: 20-5, 2.50 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 326/48 K/BB in 212.1 IP
The best free agent pitcher since Max Scherzer, whom he started against twice in the 2019 World Series, Gerrit Cole should break his record for the largest contract ever given to a starting pitcher. And it'll be with good reason; in 2019, he smashed Pedro Martinez's single season record for a starting pitcher by striking out 39.9% of his opponents, easily topping Pedro's 37.5% in 1999. Cole turned everything around after being traded from Pittsburgh to Houston, as he was 19-22 with a 4.12 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP from 2016-2017 then 35-10 with a 2.68 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP from 2018-2019. You could make the argument that he's the best in baseball now with his four plus pitches, solid command, and durability, and he only just turned 29 in September. This is a true ace who can change a team's entire pitching landscape. For his career, the UCLA product is 94-52 with a 3.22 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 1336/315 strikeout to walk ratio over 1195 innings since 2013.

2. Stephen Strasburg (2020 Age: 31-32)
2019: 18-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 251/56 K/BB in 209 IP
Strasburg will be opting out of the four years and $100 million left on his contract, as a huge 2019 season and an even bigger postseason (combined 23-6, 3.12 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 298/60 K/BB in 245.1 IP and a World Series MVP) set him up to make significantly more money. Strasburg has been somewhat up and down over his career in Washington, looking really good before his 2011 Tommy John surgery, coming back strong in 2012-2014, then failing to reach 180 innings in a season between 2015 and 2018. Still, it seems that when he's on, he can be on for months at a time, as was the case in 2019 as his fastball, curveball, and changeup were all at the top of their game. While he's no more or less consistent than Cole, he's a step behind just due to how untouchable Cole can be at his best, and a slight injury history also hampers him slightly. Still, he's a true #2 who can pitch like an ace at times and the game has fewer and fewer of those. For his career, the San Diego State product is 112-58 with a 3.17 ERA, a 1.09 WHIP, and a 1695/377 strikeout to walk ratio over 1438.2 innings since 2010.

3. Zack Wheeler (2020 Age: 29-30)
2019: 11-8, 3.96 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 195/50 K/BB in 195.1 IP
Wheeler doesn't have nearly the brand value as many of the other pitchers on this list, but he might have untapped potential that could make him one of the top performers. A top prospect when he came up with the Mets in 2013 and 2014, Tommy John surgery and subsequent complications caused him to sit out both the 2015 and 2016 seasons before he was largely ineffective in 2017 (5.21 ERA, 81/40 K/BB). However, he's experienced somewhat of a renaissance over the last two seasons, going 23-15 with a 3.65 ERA over 60 starts. Wheeler has electric stuff and so-so command that has held him back to this point, but it's easy to see a new environment helping him get over the hump from #3ish starter to something more. Even if he remains as is, he's a solid mid-rotation guy who doesn't turn 30 until May. For his career, the Atlanta-area native is 44-38 with a 3.77 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 726/270 strikeout to walk ratio over 749.1 innings since 2013.

4. Hyun-Jin Ryu (2020 Age: 33)
2019: 14-5, 2.32 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 163/24 K/BB in 182.2 IP
Ryu will certainly be an interesting free agent case, because he has a lot of very serious plusses but a few attributes that will give evaluators pause. The most important thing he has going against him is his injury history, as he has never thrown 200 innings in a season and has only twice qualified for the ERA title (162 innings). From 2015-2016, shoulder issues limited him to just 4.2 innings, hip problems limited him to 126.2 in 2017, and groin issues knocked him out for half of 2018. Still, when he's on the mound, Ryu is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, and over the last two seasons he's 21-8 with a 2.21 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP over 265 innings. That's his excellent command and ability to mix pitches keeping hitters off balance, as his 22.5% strikeout rate isn't necessarily elite. On the one hand, he has the potential to be extremely valuable, a true ace, but on the other, he's far from a guarantee to remain on the mound on a consistent basis and he could end up being a sunk cost if he spends most of his time on the IL. For his career, the South Korean is 54-33 with a 2.98 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and a 665/164 strikeout to walk ratio over 740.1 innings since 2013.

5. Madison Bumgarner (2020 Age: 30-31)
2019: 9-9, 3.90 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 203/43 K/BB in 207.2 IP
Madison Bumgarner, one of the top pitchers in baseball from 2013-2016 who has regressed a bit over the last couple of seasons, but still only 30 and with over a decade of experience under his belt, he figures to be one of the most sought-after free agent starters. While 2019 saw him post a career-high 3.90 ERA, he also got back to 200 innings and 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2016. His fastball has lost a little bit of velocity, down 1-2 MPH since 2015, while his hard hit rate and swing and miss percentage have crept slowly in the wrong direction. That is why I rank him behind Wheeler and Ryu here, but the name value, experience, track record, and ability to step up in the playoffs still make him a very solid mid-rotation guy. For his career, the North Carolina native is 119-92 with a 3.13 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 1794/428 strikeout to walk ratio over 1846 innings since 2009.

6. Jake Odorizzi (2020 Age: 30)
2019: 15-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 178/53 K/BB in 159 IP
Having pitched for the small market Royals, Rays, and Twins in his career, Odorizzi has flown under the radar for a while, but he's topped 140 innings in six straight seasons and he's thrown at least 159 innings in five of the six. His ERA ballooned to 4.49 in 2018, but that was actually the only season in which his ERA rose above 4.14, and it was down at 3.51 in 2019. Odorizzi is a very solid mid-rotation guy who turns 30 just before the start of the season, and he has a consistent track record of success dating back to 2014. He's not a star, but consistently effective starting pitchers are hard to come by and he's one. For his career, the Southern Illinois native is 62-55 with a 3.88 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 983/355 strikeout to walk ratio over 1028.2 innings since 2012.

7. Dallas Keuchel (2020 Age: 32)
2019: 8-8, 3.75 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 91/39 K/BB in 112.2 IP
Keuchel won the 2015 AL Cy Young Award and has also been extremely effective at other times in his career, but he's been up and down and he holds a 3.74 ERA over the last two seasons without high strikeout numbers. He relies on his heavy sinker, which makes him an increasingly rare breed, generating a ton of ground balls rather than just striking everyone out. It's worked for long stretches at a time, but during other stretches, he's been too hittable and he's been more of a #3 or a #4 guy. I give the edge to Odorizzi here partly due to age (Keuchel turns 32 over the offseason), but Keuchel likely has the higher ceiling. For his career, the former Arkansas Razorback is 84-71 with a 3.67 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 1036/382 strikeout to walk ratio over 1302 innings since 2012.

8. Cole Hamels (2020 Age: 36)
2019: 7-7, 3.81 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 143/56 K/BB in 141.2 IP
One of the older free agent starters available, Cole Hamels can still perform at a high level and should still be a solid #3/#4 starter in 2020, his age-36 season. He's been losing velocity lately, but he's a smart enough pitcher with enough experience to overcome it and remain effective. A veteran guy, he eats innings and gives you a chance to win every day, and he should be a solid short-term option for teams looking to fill out their rotations. I just would be iffy on giving him two or three years on a contract. For his career, the San Diego native is 163-121 with a 3.42 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 2558/766 strikeout to walk ratio over 2694.2 innings since 2006.

9. Wade Miley (2020 Age: 33)
2019: 14-6, 3.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 140/61 K/BB in 167.1 IP
Miley has really reinvented himself after posting ERA's above 5.00 in 2016 and 2017, going 18-6 with a 2.89 ERA in 44 starts between 2018 and August 2019. However, he fell apart in September, allowing 21 runs in 11.1 innings to balloon his season's ERA from 3.06 to 3.98. The big decision for teams looking to sign him for 2020 and potentially beyond is which is the real Miley: the one we saw for most of 2018 and 2019, or the one who imploded in September, perhaps signaling a regression to his 2016-2017 self. I ultimately see him ending up with an ERA somewhere in the 4's in 2020, which would make him something of a #4/#5 starter, but recapturing what he had before the meltdown will make him a #3. For his career, the Southeastern Louisiana product is 85-82 with a 4.23 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, and a 1115/490 strikeout to walk ratio over 1403.2 innings since 2011.

10. Michael Wacha (2020 Age: 28-29)
2019: 6-7, 4.76 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 104/55 K/BB in 126.2 IP
For Wacha, a former first round pick out of Texas A&M, it's been a story of two careers; consistent with the hype he had as an amateur, he began his career 26-14 with a 3.21 ERA from 2013-2015, but since then, he's been up and down with a 4.39 ERA over the last four seasons. He reached as low as 3.20 in 2018, but he was as high as 5.09 in 2016. This past year, he had a 4.76 ERA and a career-worst 1.56 WHIP, and it's hard to project the 28 year old going forward. His past success and youth still make him an attractive target, and he does have an interesting fallback plan; if starting doesn't work out in 2020, he could shift to the bullpen and use his 6'6" frame and very good fastball/changeup combination to neutralize hitters in the late innings. For his career, the Texarkana native is 59-39 with a 3.91 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and a 759/301 strikeout to walk ratio over 867.2 innings since 2013.

11. Tanner Roark (2020 Age: 33)
2019: 10-10, 4.35 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 158/51 K/BB in 165.1 IP
Roark began his career struggling to find his identity as a pitcher with the Nationals using him as a starter and as a reliever, as his ERA's from 2013-2017 were 1.51, 2.85, 4.38, 2.83, and 4.67. However, since that 2017 season, he's settled into three consecutive seasons as a productive back-end starter, following it up with ERA's of 4.34 and 4.35. As a guy without swing and miss stuff, the upside is very limited here, but he's a fairly safe bet to end up as a guy who can give you a full season's worth or close to a full season's worth of productive innings, a #5 starter on a contending team or a #3 or #4 guy on a non-contending team. For his career, the Illinois product is 74-64 with a 3.71 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 890/314 strikeout to walk ratio over 1100.1 innings since 2013.

12. Julio Teheran (2020 Age: 29)
2019: 10-11, 3.81 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 162/83 K/BB in 174.2 IP
I think with Julio Teheran, unless you have a pitching coach with the magic touch, it's pretty clear what you're going to get. He's thrown over 170 innings and started at least 30 games in each of the past seven seasons, and given that he'll be 29 for all of 2020, durability is his strong suit. He'll go out and take the ball every fifth day and give you at least five innings. On the other hand, his walk rate has inched up from 5.8% in 2013-2014 to 8.9% in 2017 to 11%+ in 2018-2019, while his fastball velocity has dipped from 92.8 MPH in 2013 to 91.7 by 2016 and just 89.7 in 2019. That's an issue, and that's why he's no longer a solid #2 but more of a #4. Additionally, the trends are strong enough that he doesn't have a great chance of bouncing back in 2020, at least from a velocity standpoint, so he's probably a #4 starter at best. In summary, I wouldn't count on him in the long term, but he's a good bet to be an innings-eating back-end starter for at least 2020 and 2021, though not one you want starting Game Seven of the World Series. For his career, the Colombia native is 77-73 with a 3.67 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 1184/458 strikeout to walk ratio over 1360 innings since 2011.

13. Rick Porcello (2020 Age: 31)
2019: 14-12, 5.52 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 143/45 K/BB in 174.1 IP
Rick Porcello's results have been all over the place both with the Tigers from 2009-2014 when his ERA was as low as 3.43 (2014) and as high as 4.92 (2010), as well as with the Red Sox from 2015-2019, when his ERA was as low as 3.15 (2016) and as high as 5.52 (2019). The one thing that has been consistent here is Porcello's health and durability, as he's one of just three pitchers in baseball to qualify for the ERA title (min. 162 IP) every year since 2009, joining only Max Scherzer and Jon Lester. At the very least, in Porcello, you're getting a pitcher who can give you a full season's worth of productive innings and who in the past has had some very good seasons (including the 2016 AL Cy Young Award) in the recent past. In reality, he's likely a #4 starter. For his career, the New Jersey native is 149-118 with a 4.36 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 1507/474 strikeout to walk ratio over 2037.1 innings since 2009.

14. Josh Lindblom (2020 Age: 32-33)
2019 (in South Korea): 20-3, 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 189/29 K/BB in 194.2 IP
It's hard to know what to make of Josh Lindblom as he returns from South Korea armed with a higher-spin fastball, but Miles Mikolas certainly helps Lindblom's case as a pitcher who has found success through a similar path. Lindblom last pitched in the majors in 2017, when he had a 7.84 ERA over four appearances with the Pirates, but he absolutely dominated for the Doosan Bears over the past two seasons, going 35-7 with a 2.68 ERA over 56 starts. He probably comes back as a #4/#5 starter, as the increased spin rates on his fastball point to tangible progress. For his major league career, the Purdue product is 5-8 with a 4.10 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 131/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 147 innings since 2011.

15. Alex Wood (2020 Age: 29)
2019: 1-3, 5.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 30/9 K/BB in 35.2 IP
Wood has actually been a very effective starter for most of his career, never posting a 4+ ERA until this year, but back problems limited him to seven ineffective starts. Any team signing Wood will have to be comfortable with those back problems being behind him (pun unintended), because he could end up not contributing much at all if he can't stay healthy. Still, the upside here is that of a mid-rotation starter, and he'll come at a discount because of the uncertainty. For his career, the former Georgia Bulldog is 53-43 with a 3.40 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 768/238 strikeout to walk ratio over 839 innings since 2013.

Others
Kyle Gibson (13-7, 4.84 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, age 32)
Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 3.50 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, age 34)
Rich Hill (4-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, age 40)
Adam Wainwright (14-10, 4.19 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, age 38-39)
Brett Anderson (13-9, 3.89 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, age 32)

Top Free Agents for 2018-2019: Pitchers

Starting Pitchers

1. Patrick Corbin (2019 Age: 29-30)
2018 Stats: 11-7, 3.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 246/48 K/BB, 200 IP in 33 starts
There are no true aces available on the market this year, though 29 year old Patrick Corbin is arguably the closest. He has been improving steadily over the past three seasons, dropping his ERA from 5.15 in 2016 to 4.03 in 2017 and 3.15 in 2018 while increasing his strikeout rate from 18.7% to 21.6% to 30.8%. His big success in 2018 even came while losing velocity on his fastballs, which have dropped about 1.5 MPH over the past year. Still, you can't argue with the results this year, and the high strikeout rate paired with the low walk rate shows that very little luck was involved in his big season. As one of the younger arms available (he turns 30 in July), he has the ability to continue pitching at this #2 to #3 starter level for quite a few years, making him a candidate for a long term deal. For his career, the Syracuse native is 56-54 with a 3.91 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and an 897/271 strikeout to walk ratio over 172 games (154 starts) since 2012.

2. Dallas Keuchel (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 12-11, 3.74 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 153/58 K/BB, 204.2 IP in 34 starts
Keuchel is a similar option to Corbin in terms of projection, though while Corbin is a strikeout pitcher, Keuchel gets his outs with ground balls. It's a more sustainable model for success later into into his career, but it's also more volatile due to the nature of batted balls (a strikeout is a strikeout regardless of luck, but bad luck with ground balls leads to more hits). He has to be weary that he was getting fewer swings and misses on all of his pitches, so continuing to keep the ball on the ground will be key for him. I think this season is indicative of how he will pitch going forward, as a solid #2 or #3 starter. For his career, the former Arkansas Razorback is 76-63 with a 3.66 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 945/343 strikeout to walk ratio over 192 games (183 starts) since 2012.

3. Charlie Morton (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 15-3, 3.13 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 201/64 K/BB, 167 IP in 30 starts
Charlie Morton's career looked like it was on the downswing in 2015 and, if you weren't looking closely, 2016. After posting a 4.81 ERA in 2015, he literally just decided to throw harder over the offseason. He was injured for much of 2016 but kept with the new deal, and he has been lights out ever since. Between 2017 and 2018, he went 29-10 with a 3.36 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP, striking out 364 and walking 114 in 313.2 innings. All of this by just deciding to throw harder. He literally added about 2.5 MPH to his sinker and nearly 4 MPH to his fastball, and the result has been taking a back-end starter and making him into a solid #3 or even #2 starter. Turning 35 this offseason, he won't get a long term deal, but he'll be a very useful starting pitcher for any team over the next couple of seasons. For his career, the Connecticut native is 75-81 with a 4.23 ERA, a 1.37 WHIP, and a 994/451 strikeout to walk ratio over 217 games (216 starts) since 2008.

4. Nathan Eovaldi (2019 Age: 29)
2018 Stats: 6-7, 3.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 101/20 K/BB, 111 IP in 22 games (21 starts)
It's hard to peg Eovaldi's value exactly because he has a lot of factors in his favor and a lot against him, and it all averages out to an average pitcher. He missed the 2017 season with Tommy John surgery and hasn't qualified for the ERA title (162+ IP) since 2014. However, he's been pretty consistent when on the mound, and he posted his second best ERA (3.81), best WHIP (1.13), and best K/BB (101/20) in 2018. Flipping back to the negative side, that 2014 season was his only full season. And on the positive, he turns 29 in February and is one of the youngest free agent starters available. Going forward, the hard throwing right hander has built his value up enough with a strong postseason to be a safe bet to be a valuable #3 or #4 starter, but only if he's healthy. The health isn't a safe bet, which knocks his value, but overall he'll be a good addition to any rotation that has the depth to make up for injuries should they strike. His excellent performance in the playoffs certainly helps. For his career, the Houston area native is 44-53 with a 4.16 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 640/259 strikeout to walk ratio in 156 games (148 starts) since 2011.

5. Hyun-Jin Ryu (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 7-3, 1.97 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 89/15 K/BB, 82.1 IP in 15 starts
Ryu, like Eovaldi, is difficult to rank. He is clearly a #2 starter when healthy, but health has been a huge issue with trips to the disabled list stemming from his shoulder, elbow, both hips, foot, and groin all since 2014, which was also the last time he threw 150 innings in a season. This year, Ryu was dynamite when he was actually on the mound, posting a 1.97 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and an 89/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 82.1 innings. While he's not a guy that will sustain those numbers over a full season, he has proven he is perfectly capable of ERA's consistently below 3.50 when on the mound. While age might render him even more susceptible to injury, he's healthy right now, and that's saying a lot. For his career, the South Korean lefty is 40-28 with a 3.20 ERA, a 1.22 WHIP, and a 502/140 strikeout to walk ratio over 97 games (96 starts) since 2013.

6. J.A. Happ (2019 Age: 36)
2018 Stats: 17-6, 3.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 193/51 K/BB, 177.2 IP in 31 starts
J.A. Happ may have just turned 36 during the playoffs, but he's still a valuable #3 starter even in his mid 30's. He has made at least 25 starts in each of the past five seasons and has kept his ERA below 3.70 in each of the past four, and deeper analytics show no sign of him slowing down. I think he's the safest bet on this list, at least in the short term, to give you exactly what you expect: 150-180 innings, a sub-4.00 ERA, good command, and relative start-to-start consistency. He only ranks this low because even just a three year deal will see him pitch right up to his 39th birthday. For his career, the former Northwestern Wildcat is 109-82 with a 3.90 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 1357/556 strikeout to walk ratio over 284 games (259 starts) since 2007.

7. Yusei Kikuchi (2019 Age: 27-28)
2018 Stats (NPB): 14-4, 3.08 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 153/45 K/BB, 163.2 IP in 23 starts
Japan's Seibu Lions will be posting 27 year old lefty Yusei Kikuchi this year, and he could be a mid-rotation starter right off the bat. In 2017, Kikuchi had a huge year in Japan by going 16-6 with a 1.97 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and a 217/49 strikeout to walk ratio in 187.2 innings. He took a minor step back in 2018 with a 3.08 ERA, a 1.03 WHIP, and a 153/45 strikeout to walk ratio in 163.2 innings, but he was still effective with a 23.4% strikeout rate and just a 6.9% walk rate. Kikuchi throws a mid 90's fastball, a good slider, and a curve and changeup, the classic mid-rotation arsenal, and he commands it all well. For his career (in Japan), Kikuchi is 73-46 with a 2.77 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and a 903/371 strikeout to walk ratio over 158 starts since 2011.

8. Lance Lynn (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 10-10, 4.77 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 161/76 K/BB, 156.2 IP in 31 games (29 starts)
After years of being a well above average starter, Lynn's ERA jumped above 4.00 for the first time in his seven year career, landing way up there at 4.77. He was actually throwing a little bit harder and was keeping the ball on the ground better in 2018, but he stopped throwing strikes and his walk rate rose to a career-high 10.9%. Interestingly, even though Lynn's 3.43 ERA in 2017 was far better than his 4.77 ERA in 2018, deeper analytics such as FIP and xwOBA actually think he was a better pitcher in 2018 and the difference was simply luck. I somewhat agree, and while I think he's done with those ERA's around 3.00, I think he settles in around 4.00 for the next few seasons, considering he doesn't turn 32 until May. For his career, the former Ole Miss Rebel is 82-57 with a 3.57 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 1080/445 strikeout to walk ratio over 214 games (190 starts) since 2011.

9. Drew Pomeranz (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 2-6, 6.08 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 66/44 K/BB, 74 IP in 26 games (11 starts)
It's tough to know exactly where to rank Pomeranz, who was an above average starting pitcher from 2016-2017 (38-18, 3.32 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 360/134 K/BB) but who struggled in 2018 (2-6, 6.08 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 66/44 K/BB). He has always been inconsistent, interspersing dominant stretches with times where it looked like he couldn't get anyone out. While he was at his best often in that 2016-2017 stretch, 2018 was a different ballgame as he lost about 1-2 MPH and forgot how to throw strikes. He turns 30 in a few weeks, so he's one of the younger free agents available, and a team that thinks they can unlock his 2016-2017 success will have a young, effective arm on their pitching staff. For his career, Lance Lynn's Ole Miss teammate is 44-48 with a 3.92 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 687/305 strikeout to walk ratio over 196 games (122 starts) since 2011.

10. Gio Gonzalez (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 10-11, 4.21 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 148/80 K/BB, 171 IP in 32 starts
Honestly, it's hard to know what to expect from Gio Gonzalez. After watching him for six and a half years in Washington, I can tell you that you never know what kind of game Gio is going to have until about the fourth or fifth inning. He tends to cruise early on before either finishing off a gem or falling apart, and it has led to wildly erratic seasons: a 4.57 ERA in 2016, 2.96 in 2017, and 4.21 in 2018. You can look at him month to month, as he posted a 2.10 ERA over the first two months this year, a 6.53 ERA over the next three months, and a 2.13 ERA in the final month. He'll probably continue to be maddeningly inconsistent over the next couple of seasons, but with enough good days to fit into most rotations. On his side is the fact that his one consistent attribute has been health, making at least 27 starts in each of the past nine seasons and at least 31 starts in each of the past four. For his career, the Miami native is 127-97 with a 3.69 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a 1748/759 strikeout to walk ratio over 313 games (307 starts) since 2008.

11. Garrett Richards (2019 Age: 30-31)
2018 Stats: 5-4, 3.66 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 87/34 K/BB, 76.1 IP in 16 starts
Honestly, I have no idea where to rank a guy who might not even pitch in 2019, so I'll slap him at number ten. Richards is an immensely talented arm who should already have a $100 million plus contract by now if he could actually stay healthy, and while he is 6-9 with a 3.05 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP over his last 28 starts, those 28 starts have been the entirety of his last three seasons. He'll miss most if not all of 2019 as well after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July, so he'll likely get at least a two year deal with most of the money deferred. There is recent precedent for this, with the Rays signing Nathan Eovaldi to a two year deal before the 2017 season with full knowledge he would not pitch until 2018, and it worked out for them. Richards is a better arm, near ace-like when he is healthy, though his high numbers of unearned runs should be a minor red flag. He's so talented that I really hope he can get it together and have a productive, healthy 2020 season. For his career, the former Oklahoma Sooner is 45-38 with a 3.54 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, and a 645/268 strikeout to walk ratio over 170 games (115 starts) since 2011.

12. Jeremy Hellickson (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 5-3, 3.45 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 65/20 K/BB, 91.1 IP in 19 starts
If it weren't for a down 2017 (5.43 ERA, 96/47 K/BB), Jeremy Hellickson would be a higher profile free agent this winter. He was very good in 2016 (3.71 ERA, 154/45 K/BB), and he was pitching well in 2018 (3.45 ERA, 65/20 K/BB) before a wrist injury shut him down for the most part in August. Turning 32 at the start of the 2019 season, he's not old as far as free agents go and probably has a few productive seasons in him as a #4 starter. While he hasn't been the most consistent, he is very effective during many stretches. For his career, the Des Moines native is 74-72 with a 4.07 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and an 899/365 strikeout to walk ratio over 223 games (216 starts) since 2010.

13. Clay Buchholz (2019 Age: 34-35)
2018 Stats: 7-2, 2.01 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 81/22 K/BB, 98.1 IP in 16 starts
Honestly, it's hard to say what happened for Clay Buchholz in 2018. Released by the Royals in May, he ended up going 7-2 with a 2.01 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 16 starts for the Diamondbacks, allowing two or fewer earned runs in 14 of those 16 starts. His velocity was actually down, dropping 2-3 MPH from where he sat in his healthy 2015-2016 seasons. He also outperformed his peripheral stats, though his 3.47 FIP and .300 xwOBA (vs 2.01 ERA and .269 wOBA) aren't bad by any means. He did succeed with a career-best 32.4% chase rate, but he's been pretty consistent with that metric throughout his career and his next best season was 32.3% in 2015 (3.26 ERA). Overall, it's hard to know what to expect from Buchholz going forward, but he has a very good chance of at least being a productive starter if he can maintain some of whatever gave him success in 2018. For his career, the southeast Texas native is 88-64 with a 3.86 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP, and a 985/442 strikeout to walk ratio in 224 games (206 starts) since 2007.

14. Matt Harvey (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 7-9, 4.94 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 131/37 K/BB, 155 IP in 32 games (28 starts)
The Matt Harvey who posted three straight seasons with an ERA under 2.75 from 2012-2015 (sitting out 2014 with Tommy John) isn't coming back, but Harvey doesn't turn 30 until spring training and had a great strikeout to walk ratio (131/37) in 2018 while turning around his season, and maybe his career, with the Reds. After posting a 7.00 ERA and a 20/9 strikeout to walk ratio before the trade, his ERA dropped to 4.50 in 24 starts with the Reds as he struck out 111 and walked 28 in 128 innings. A team that thinks it can bring Harvey further along towards its former self will hope to get a #4 starter out of him. For his career, the former UNC Tar Heel is 41-44 with a 3.80 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 723/203 strikeout to walk ratio over 133 games (128 starts) since 2012.

15. Trevor Cahill (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 7-4, 3.76 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 100/41 K/BB, 110 IP in 21 games (20 starts)
Cahill has been very inconsistent throughout his career, serving as a valuable mid-rotation starter from 2009-2013 before being ineffective from 2014-2015, having a good year as a reliever in 2016, putting up and up and down 2017, and finally having a solid 2018. This past year, he was 7-4 with a 3.76 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP, the latter of which was his best since his 1.11 WHIP in 2010, and his 9.1% walk rate was his lowest since 2015. Overall, he can't be counted on to contribute a full season's worth of innings to a starting rotation, either because of injuries or because of ineffectiveness, with his most recent qualifying season (162+ IP) coming in 2012. He's likely a good option to make 20 or so solid starts. For his career, the San Diego area native is 80-83 with a 4.08 ERA, a 1.36 WHIP, and a 1007/548 strikeout to walk ratio over 304 games (208 starts) since 2009.

Other Notable
Derek Holland (7-9, 3.57 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 169/67 K/BB, 171. IP)
Wade Miley (5-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 50/27 K/BB, 80.2 IP)
Tyson Ross (8-9, 4.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 122/62 K/BB, 149.2 IP)
Martin Perez (2-7, 6.22 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 52/36 K/BB, 85.1 IP)
Anibal Sanchez (7-6, 2.83 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 135/42 K/BB, 136.2 IP)
Marco Estrada (7-14, 5.64 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 103/50 K/BB, 143.2 IP)
Ervin Santana (0-1, 8.03 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 16/9 K/BB, 24.2 IP)
Doug Fister (1-7, 4.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 40/19 K/BB, 66 IP)
Matt Moore (3-8, 6.79 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 86/41 K/BB, 102 IP)
Edwin Jackson (6-3, 3.33 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 68/37 K/BB, 92 IP)

Right Handed Relievers
Note: RE24 stands for Run Expectancy 24, a theoretical stat which measures the run expectancy subtracted from one at bat to the next. An RE24 of 5.00 would mean that a pitcher has taken five runs off his team's theoretical run expectancy based on the situations he inherited and left. Higher is better and it is both cumulative (like fWAR as opposed to ERA) and park adjusted. More here.

1. Craig Kimbrel (2019 Age: 30-31)
2018 Stats: 2.74 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 16.93 RE24, 96/31 K/BB, 62.1 IP in 63 appearances
Kimbrel is the best reliever on the market, and he'll probably make something close to the $80 and $86 million given to Kenley Jansen and Aroldis Chapman, respectively, though I don't think he'll reach quite that high. While Kimbrel was easily the best reliever in baseball from 2012-2014, he has been more inconsistent since 2015. His ERA reached as high as 3.40 in 2016, when his WHIP was a career-high 1.09 and his strikeout and walk rates were among the worst of his career. Then in 2017, his ERA dropped to 1.43, his WHIP to 0.68, and his strikeout and walk rates to among the best of his career. This past year was something in the middle, with a 2.74 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 38.9% strikeout rate to a 12.6% walk rate. Whether he can maintain himself as one of the best in the game going forward depends on whether he can maintain his command, which is a valid question, but he should continue to remain elite or at least very, very good for the next few seasons. He's also younger, turning 31 in May. For his career, the Huntsville, Alabama native has a 1.91 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and an 868/205 strikeout to walk ratio over 542 appearances.

2. Adam Ottavino (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 23.77 RE24, 112/36 K/BB, 77.2 IP in 75 appearances
Pitchers in Colorado often fly under the radar, and that is what Adam Ottavino has done. He doesn't have the name recognition of Craig Kimbrel, but he's a great option that will come slightly cheaper. Over 75 appearances this season, he had a 2.43 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and a 112/36 strikeout to walk ratio in 77.2 innings, finishing ninth in all of baseball (min. 50 IP) with his 36.3% strikeout rate, three spots behind Kimbrel and his 38.9% rate. While walks were a little bit of a problem, he was nearly un-hittable and should be a viable closing option wherever he goes. For his career, the righty out of Northeastern University has a 3.68 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 464/174 strikeout to walk ratio over 366 games (3 starts) since 2010.

3. Jeurys Familia (2019 Age: 29)
2018 Stats: 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 9.76 RE24, 83/28 K/BB, 72 IP in 70 appearances
Familia has had so much happen in his career, from ups and downs as the Mets closer to a 2016 domestic violence charge that was ultimately dropped to his 2018 trade to Oakland, that is easy to forget he'll spend the whole 2019 season at 29 years old. Familia was one of the better relievers in baseball from 2014-2016 when his ERA's were 2.21, 1.85, and 2.55, respectively, though recently he has fallen into more of a second tier category. In 2018, he posted a 3.13 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP while striking out 83 and walking 28 over 72 innings, showing shut-down stuff on most nights but also being subject to the occasional rough game. He's younger than the above two options but less consistent, so he offers a cheaper option to those two, still with closing experience. For his career, the Dominican has a 2.73 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, and a 369/143 strikeout to walk ratio over 343 games (one start) since 2012.

4. Kelvin Herrera (2019 Age: 29)
2018 Stats: 2.44 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 8.72 RE24, 38/10 K/BB, 44.1 IP in 48 appearances
Herrera, like Familia, was one of the better relievers in baseball from 2014-2016 with ERA's of 1.41, 2.71, and 2.75, respectively, though also like Familia, he was down a bit in 2017 and has been inconsistent in 2018. This year, as of June 21st (two games after his trade from Kansas City to Washington), he had a 0.98 ERA, a 0.76 WHIP, and a 22/2 strikeout to walk ratio over 27.2 innings. From then on, though, he had a 4.86 ERA, a 1.92 WHIP, and a 16/8 strikeout to walk ratio in 16.2 innings. It's hard to know what to expect out of him going forward, but he's likely to be at least a solid late-inning guy, and when he's at his best he's still one of the best in the game. Also in his favor is that he'll spend all of 2019 at 29 years old, making him one of the younger free agents available. For his career, the Dominican has a 2.82 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a 454/136 strikeout to walk ratio over 463 appearances since 2011.

5. David Robertson (2019 Age: 34)
2018 Stats: 3.23 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 6.81 RE24, 91/26 K/BB, 69.2 IP in 69 appearances
Now about a decade into his run as one of the game's better relievers, Robertson has managed remarkable consistency while most relievers around him suffer through ups and downs. Since 2011, his ERA has never gone above 3.47 and his WHIP has reached above 1.17 just once. This past year, those numbers were 3.23 and 1.03, respectively, and even though he'll turn 34 at the start of next season, I see no reason he can't be a late-inning reliever for the next couple of seasons. As far as relievers go, he's a high floor, low ceiling option in terms of output; you know what you are going to get. For his career, the University of Alabama alumnus has a 2.88 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and an 874/260 strikeout to walk ratio over 654 appearances since 2008.

6. Joakim Soria (2019 Age: 34-35)
2018 Stats: 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 7.23 RE24, 75/16 K/BB, 60.2 IP in 66 appearances
Soria finds himself in a very similar spot to Robertson. Both have been unusually consistent for relievers, with Soria's ERA never reaching above 4.05 in any of his ten major league seasons. Over the last few seasons, his walk rate has been dropping, and his component ratios (strikeouts to walks to batters faced) leave him in a very good position to continue to be successful in the short run. Like Robertson, he's a safe bet, but probably at a slightly lower level of production. For his career, the Mexico native has a 2.88 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 688/189 strikeout to walk ratio over 639 appearances since 2007.

7. Cody Allen (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 4.70 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.30 RE24, 80/36 K/BB, 67 IP in 70 appearances
After five straight seasons with ERA's below 3.00, it wasn't a great season for Cody Allen. His ERA ballooned from 2.94 last year to 4.70 this year while his WHIP jumped from 1.16 to 1.36. While he wasn't actually quite as bad as the ERA might say, he still wasn't great and his walk rate jumped to a career high 11.4% while his strikeout rate dropped to a career-low 27.7%. His velocity has also been trending down, and he's just no as deceptive as he was in years' past, which is interesting because he's just turning 30 at the beginning of the offseason. He's young enough to bounce back, but the trends aren't in his favor and I'm not confident he can drop his ERA back below 3.00 consistently. For his career, the Orlando native has a 2.98 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 564/173 strikeout to walk ratio over 456 appearances since 2012.

Other Notable
Tyler Clippard (3.67 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 5.32 RE24, 85/23 K/BB, 68.2 IP)
Greg Holland (4.66 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, -9.14 RE24, 47/32 K/BB, 46.1 IP)
Joe Kelly (4.39 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.10 RE24, 68/32 K/BB, 65.2 IP)
Adam Warren (3.14 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 7.88 RE24, 52/20 K/BB, 51.2 IP)
Sergio Romo (4.14 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, -4.39 RE24, 75/20 K/BB, 67.1 IP)
David Phelps (did not play - injured)

Left Handed Relievers

1. Andrew Miller (2019 Age: 33-34)
2018 Stats: 4.24 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 4.80 RE24, 45/16 K/BB, 34 IP in 37 appearances
After four years as the game's premier left handed reliever, Miller made three separate trips to the disabled list in 2018 while battling hamstring, knee, and shoulder problems. In between, his 4.24 ERA and 1.38 WHIP were his highest marks since 2011, when he was a starter for the Red Sox. His strikeout rate also dipped below 30% for the first time since that year. It seems that his troubles likely originated from those injuries, as it is really tough to get anything going when you're always playing hurt. To me, his production in 2019 will not be a matter of his performance, but his ability to stay healthy and on the mound. A healthy Miller likely drops his ERA back below 3.00, in my opinion, even though he turns 34 in May. For his career, the former UNC Tar Heel has a 3.98 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP, and an 853/335 strikeout to walk ratio over 483 games (66 starts) since 2006.

2. Zach Britton (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 3.10 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 5.15 RE24, 34/21 K/BB, 40.2 IP in 41 appearances
It has been mostly downhill since Britton posted a 0.54 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP in 2016, finding himself on and off the disabled list. He still posted a 3.10 ERA over 41 appearances this year, though his 20.1% strikeout rate and career-high 12.4% walk rate leave something to be desired. He's still young, turning 31 in December, so his signing team should still hope to get a late-inning reliever out of him. For his career, the Weatherford, Texas native has a 3.21 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and a 446/205 strikeout to walk ratio over 331 games (46 starts) since 2011.

3. Justin Wilson (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 3.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 4.82 RE24, 69/33 K/BB, 54.2 IP in 71 appearances
Wilson has been up and down throughout his career, but with a rising walk rate, he's looking closer to a lefty specialist than the closer he was for much of 2017. In 2018, lefties slashed just .188/.301/.342 with a 34.4% strikeout rate against him, while right handed hitters hit a healthier .244/.350/.358 with a 25.9% strikeout rate. He's not strictly a specialist at this point, but the Cubs clearly saw a little bit of that in him as he managed just 54.2 innings in his 71 appearances, well under an inning per appearance. For his career, the former Fresno State Bulldog has a 3.33 ERA, a 1.27 WHIP, and a 407/166 strikeout rate over 412 appearances since 2012.

Other Notable
Tony Sipp (1.86 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 14.64 RE24, 42/13 K/BB, 38.2 IP)
Zach Duke (4.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 2.27 RE24, 51/21 K/BB, 52 IP)
Oliver Perez (1.39 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 17.55 RE24, 43/7 K/BB, 32.1 IP)
Jake Diekman (4.73 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, -4.58 RE24, 66/31 K/BB, 53.1 IP)
Jerry Blevins (4.85 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, -6.20 RE24, 41/22 K/BB, 42.2 IP)

First Half Awards

AL MVP: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 30 HR, 66 RBI, .329 AVG, 6 SB, 197 wRC+.

After a fairly miserable debut in 2016 (.179/.263/.345), Judge has been unstoppable in his first full season, slashing .329/.448/.691 with 30 home runs through 84 games, already setting the Yankees rookie home run record and winning a Home Run Derby. His 197 wRC+ shows that he's creating nearly twice as many runs as the league average hitter, and although he has struck out in 29.8% of his plate appearances, he has also walked in 16.7%, providing value in more than just home run power. His outside-the-zone swing percentage is down from 33.6% last year to 24.1% this year, showing sustainable success. Mark McGwire holds the rookie record with 49 home runs, but Judge is just 19 away and could easily become the first rookie ever to hit 50 in a season. His on-base percentage sits at .448 right now, and even if he follows Steamer's fairly pessimistic projection and posts a .352 OBP for the rest of the season, he'll still finish at .408, so he's the whole offensive package. He's been worth 5.5 fWAR this year, well ahead of second-place Jose Altuve's 4.4.

Runner-up: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Indians): 17 HR, 48 RBI, .332 AVG, 10 SB, 157 wRC+.

After Judge, there are a lot of players who have produced about the same amount this year, but I chose to put Ramirez in the runner-up spot because of the ridiculous amount of lineup protection in Houston, where George Springer, Jose Altuve, and Carlos Correa all could easily fill this spot. Ramirez has put up his own crazy-good numbers without the same amount of protection in the lineup, slashing .332/.388/.601 with 17 home runs and 27 doubles through 86 games. Adding ten stolen bases and good defense at third base, he has been worth 3.9 fWAR, holding up more than his fair share of the responsibility as part of the Indians young dynamic duo with Francisco Lindor. He's been especially hot as of late, slashing .401/.446/.774 since June 3rd, spearheading the Indians' run to the top of the AL Central.

Honorable mentions: Jose Altuve (13 HR, .347 AVG, 18 SB, 161 wRC+), George Springer (27 HR, .310 AVG, 2 SB, 164 wRC+), Carlos Correa (20 HR, .325 AVG, 0 SB, 161 wRC+), Mike Trout (16 HR, .337 AVG, 10 SB, 208 wRC+)

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals): 20 HR, 65 RBI, .325 AVG, 2 SB, 161 wRC+.

Bryce has been producing back at his 2015 levels, slashing .325/.431/.590 in the middle of a lineup that has been one of the most prolific in baseball. He sits second to Joey Votto in just about every offensive category, but because he adds value with good defense in right field, he truly contributes to the Nationals in every way he can. He slumped a bit in late May and into early June, but he seems to have rebounded and is slashing .433/.528/.700 in the month of July, currently sitting on an eight game hitting streak. Overall, he has been worth 3.8 fWAR.

Runner-up: Joey Votto (Cincinnati Reds): 26 HR, 68 RBI, .315 AVG, 3 SB, 167 wRC+.

Votto's edge over Paul Goldschmidt is razor thin, but I think he has just enough to take the runner-up spot, slashing .315/.427/.631 with 26 home runs through 88 games. Arguably the closest thing this generation of baseball players has to Ted Williams, Votto has walked in 16.1% of his plate appearances while striking out in just 10.9%. He hits for power, he gets on base, he makes the hitters around him better, and he's overall one of the very first bats I'd pick to be in my lineup this year. What's even crazier is that his .291 BABIP says that he may have been the recipient of bad luck so far, especially considering his career rate is .354, though his hard hit rate and soft hit rates aren't quite as stellar as they have been in the past, so who knows. What we do know is that Votto leads the NL in home runs (26), slugging percentage (.631), OPS (1.058), wOBA (.432), and wRC+ (167), and that he has been worth 3.8 fWAR.

Honorable mentions: Paul Goldschmidt (20 HR, .312 AVG, 13 SB, 153 wRC+), Daniel Murphy (14 HR, .342 AVG, 1 SB, 146 wRC+), Justin Turner (10 HR, .377 AVG, 2 SB, 183 wRC+), Ryan Zimmerman (19 HR, .330 AVG, 1 SB, 148 wRC+).

AL Cy Young: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox): 11-4, 2.75 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 178/22 K/BB.

During his time with the White Sox, Sale bounced back and forth between "very good" and "excellent," and when he was shipped over to a tougher division and a tougher home park in Boston, it was expected that his numbers would revert back to "very good," at least at first, as had happened with David Price. However, Sale had no intentions of letting that happen, instead putting himself on pace for what may be the best season of his career with a 2.75 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP. He has struck out 35.9% of the batters he has faced, which is a ridiculous number for a starter, meanwhile walking only 4.4%. He has been surprisingly consistent, as you might be surprised to hear he has just three scoreless starts this season, but he hasn't been blown up in any, either. His best start came on April 20th, when he struck out 13 Blue Jays over eight shutout innings, allowing four hits and walking just one. His worst start came in his return to Chicago, when the White Sox touched him up for six runs (five earned) over five innings, but he still struck out nine.

Runner-up: Dallas Keuchel (Houston Astros): 9-0, 1.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 69/18 K/BB.

Keuchel has only made eleven starts due to injuries, but no pitcher other than Chris Sale has been able to step in and firmly take over this runner-up spot, with even the best pitchers' ERA's creeping up close to 3.00. Over a month ago, when Keuchel made his most recent start, he was the clear front runner for the AL Cy Young Award, holding a 1.67 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP, and just 48 hits allowed in 75.2 innings. He has given up more than two runs in just one of his eleven starts, when manager A.J. Hinch left him in too long and he gave up three runs in the ninth inning while vying for a complete game. Other than that easily avoidable bad-on-paper start, he is 9-0 with a 1.20 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP. When he's on the mound, he's easily been the most dominant pitcher in baseball this year, and we're eagerly awaiting his imminent return.

Honorable mentions: Corey Kluber (7-3, 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP), Jason Vargas (12-3, 2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), Ervin Santana (10-6, 2.99 ERA, 1.08 WHIP), Carlos Carrasco (10-3, 3.44 ERA, 1.08 WHIP).

NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals): 10-5, 2.10 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 173/27 K/BB.

Slowly and steadily, Max Scherzer has put up an amazing season. His 0.78 WHIP is lower than any full National League season since 1876, and if he can maintain the pace he is on, it will be the second lowest in MLB history, trailing only Pedro Martinez's 0.74 in 2000. He's also leading the MLB in ERA this year at 2.10, enough to give him the rare edge over Clayton Kershaw for NL Cy Young. He has absolutely dominated almost every time out, reaching double digits in strikeouts in 11 of his 18 starts and striking out at least one batter per inning in all 18. In terms of consistency, his worst month in terms of both ERA and WHIP was April, when he went 3-2 with a 2.94 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP, striking out 40 batters in 33.2 innings. Not bad for your worst month.

Runner-up: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers): 14-2, 2.18 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 159/22 K/BB.

We're seeing classic Clayton Kershaw, as he is in the middle of posting his fifth straight season with an ERA below 2.20 and a WHIP below 0.95. Like Scherzer, the highest ERA he has posted in any month was a 2.43 mark in May, and he has shown the uncanny ability to bounce back from tough starts and keep them from snowballing. He has only allowed more than two runs in a game four times this year, but in his subsequent start after each of those games, he is 4-0 with a 0.94 ERA and a 0.59 WHIP, striking out 39 in 28.2 innings. Nobody gets to Kershaw two starts in a row, and that's part of what makes him great.

Honorable mentions: Zack Greinke (11-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP), Robbie Ray (8-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP), Ivan Nova (9-6, 3.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), Gio Gonzalez (7-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.23 WHIP).

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): 30 HR, 66 RBI, .329 AVG, 6 SB, 197 wRC+.

See MVP write-up. If Judge gets his projected 252 additional plate appearances this year (Steamer) and literally strikes out in every single one, he'd still slash .176/.290/.370 with 30 home runs, which would still theoretically have him in the running.

Runner-up: Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox): 12 HR, 51 RBI, .279 AVG, 9 SB, 106 wRC+.

Benintendi won't catch Judge, but he's having a fine season in his own right. Through 82 games, Benintendi, who just over two years ago was still suiting up for the Arkansas Razorbacks, is slashing .279/.357/.446 with 12 home runs and nine stolen bases, showcasing an all around game that will be hugely valuable for the Red Sox in the coming years. If you look closer, though, he's actually having a better season than the numbers say. He had a horrible slump in which he went hitless in seven straight games from May 10th to the 17th, totaling 26 at bats, but outside of that, he's been putting up All Star numbers: all 12 of his home runs (obviously) with a .305/.375/.487 slash line. With his low .299 BABIP, he'll likely finish the season with better numbers than he has right now. He has been worth 1.4 fWAR this year.

Honorable mentions: Trey Mancini (14 HR, 44 RBI, .312 AVG, 1 SB, 133 wRC+), Jordan Montgomery (6-4, 3.65 ERA, 1.23 WHIP), Yulieski Gurriel (11 HR, 44 RBI, .297 AVG, 1 SB, 115 wRC+), Danny Barnes (2-2, 2.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)

NL Rookie of the Year: Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers): 25 HR, 58 RBI, .261 AVG, 5 SB, 145 wRC+.

While Bellinger hasn't quite dominated the NL the way Aaron Judge has dominated the AL, he's been quite amazing in his 70 games, slashing .261/.342/.619 with 25 home runs. He may not hit .300 to back up his power, but he has supplemented his average .261 batting average with 33 walks, good for 11.3% of his plate appearances and a .342 on base percentage. Of course, when you're slugging over .600 with those 25 home runs, anything more than an acceptable OBP is just a bonus. He already has six multi-homer games. From May 5th to June 25th, a span of just 48 games, he blasted 21 home runs. His uppercut is, in my opinion, baseball's most aesthetically pleasing swing, and when you add in his great defense, he's a complete player. He's been worth 2.3 fWAR this season.

Runner-up: Kyle Freeland (Colorado Rockies): 9-7, 3.77 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 65/41 K/BB.

Freeland has been an enigma this year. The 8th overall pick of the 2014 draft, Freeland has kept his ERA under 4.00 despite pitching half his games in Coors Field, an extremely difficult place to be a pitcher. Oddly enough, he has been way better at Coors (5-4, 3.23 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) than he has been on the road (4-3, 4.35 ERA, 1.51 WHIP). Additionally, he's somehow getting it done with a low strikeout rate (14%) and a high walk rate (8.8%) that should theoretically hurt him in an environment where any ball put in play is dangerous. He has induced 1.8 ground outs for every fly out, so he does have that going in his favor. In his final start before the All Star Break, he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning against the White Sox and finished with 8.1 shutout innings on one hit, three walks, and nine strikeouts at Coors Field.

Honorable mentions: Jesus Aguilar (9 HR, 34 RBI, .294 AVG, 0 SB, 131 wRC+), Josh Bell (16 HR, 44 RBI, .239 AVG, 2 SB, 107 wRC+), Antonio Senzatela (9-3, 4.63 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), Ian Happ (13 HR, 31 RBI, .257 AVG, 3 SB, 122 wRC+).

Tracking Awards: 6/4

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 16 HR, 36 RBI, .337 AVG, 10 SB, 212 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

You never like to hear about players getting injured, but having the game's best player, in the midst of a career year, go down for almost two months is especially disappointing. At this point, though, he hasn't missed enough time to justify giving the award to someone else, like Aaron Judge, so let's recap what he was doing before he got hurt. Through 47 games, Trout had 16 home runs, 14 doubles, a pair of triples, and ten stolen bases, slashing .337/.461/.742 and leading the MLB with a 212 wRC+ and 3.4 fWAR. We all wish Trout a speedy recovery, and if he keeps playing the way he has, he could conceivably still win the AL MVP at the end of the season as long as BBWAA writers don't continue their misguided trend of valuing team performance. 

NL MVP: Bryce Harper (WSH): 15 HR, 43 RBI, .328 AVG, 0 SB, 179 wRC+. Last week: Freddie Freeman.

Freddie Freeman still leads the MLB in wOBA (.488) and the NL in wRC+ (208), but unlike Trout, he has now missed enough time with his injury to justify moving the award elsewhere. Bryce Harper is very much back in his 2015 form, with his .328/.438/.655 slash line comparing well to 2015's .330/.460/.649. The heart of a lineup that also includes Ryan Zimmerman and Daniel Murphy, he is currently serving a three game suspension for *hot take alert* standing up for himself after being beaned by Giants reliever Hunter Strickland. We are extremely lucky to be able to watch Harper and Trout (once he comes back in July) compete against each other, even if they aren't in the same league. It's reminiscent of the Mantle-Mays-Snider era to me. While Bryce probably compares better to Duke Snider than to Mickey Mantle or Willie Mays at this point, comparing Trout to Mantle or Mays may not be too much of an overstatement at this point.

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel (HOU): 9-0, 1.67 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 69/18 K/BB. Last week: Keuchel.

Unlike most of the other awards here (save for AL ROY), this one is pretty clear. Dallas Keuchel has not only bounced back from a rough 2016 (4.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) to regain his 2015 form in which he won the AL Cy Young Award, but he's actually putting up a career year that outperforms anything he's ever done. Through eleven starts, he's unbeaten (with the help of MLB's best offense) with an MLB-leading 1.67 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, allowing just 67 baserunners over 75.2 innings. He has allowed two or fewer earned runs in ten of his eleven starts, with his only blip being an eight inning, five earned run performance against the Angels in which his manager left him in to long and he allowed three runs in the eighth. If you take out that one start, which really wasn't as bad as the stat line would suggest, he has a 1.20 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and a 64/16 strikeout to walk ratio over ten starts.

NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 7-2, 2.28 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 92/11 K/BB. Last week: Kershaw.

Max Scherzer is doing his best to challenge him here, but realistically, it's tough to see baseball's best pitcher relinquishing this spot. Any time he has a tough start, he bounces back better than ever; this season, in his three starts that have immediately succeeded starts in which he allows at least three runs, Kershaw has a 1.19 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP, allowing three earned runs and striking out 31 over 22.2 innings. Obviously, it's a small sample size, but one of the many things that make Kershaw great is that he will not let one tough start build on him. Overall, he has a 2.28 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP, and 90 strikeouts over 83 innings, which is right in line with what is expected out of him.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 18 HR, 41 RBI, .326 AVG, 4 SB, 197 wRC+. Last week: Judge.

Forget AL ROY, Judge is the frontrunner to take over the AL MVP spot once Trout misses enough games. He is leading the MLB with 18 home runs, and when you throw in his eight doubles, two triples, and 32 walks, he has an extremely impressive .326/.433/.691 slash line, regardless of the fact that he's a 25 year old rookie. He's currently riding a seven game hitting streak in which he has knocked three home runs, and he's actually drawn a walk as well in each of his past five. One possible red flag to watch is his strikeout rate, which has climbed from 26.7% in April to 29.7% in May to 42.9% in three June games (two strikeouts in each game), and it could be a sign of an impending slump. His walk rate also dropped from 14.4% in April to 13.5% in May, before jumping to 28.6% in June, though keep in mind for both the strikeout and walk rates that June's sample size is too small to really get much from the data. Analysts have been predicting Judge to slow down for some time now, and he's proven them wrong so far, so we can continue to sit back and enjoy the monster home runs and surprisingly high on-base percentages for now.

NL Rookie of the Year: Antonio Senzatela (COL): 7-2, 3.49 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 44/20 K/BB. Last week: Kyle Freeland.

Senzatela and rotation-mate Kyle Freeland are neck and neck for this award, but Senzatela has taken the lead for now. Through eleven starts, six of them in Coors Field, Senzatela has a 3.49 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP, striking out 44 batters in 67 innings. He wasn't as sharp in May as he was in April, having allowed four earned runs in three of his past four starts, but sandwiched inside was one of the greatest games any pitcher has thrown this season. Facing the Cardinals in Coors Field on May 26th, Senzatela tossed eight shutout innings and allowed just five hits and walked nobody, striking out three. First off, to allow no runs and no walks over eight innings is impressive regardless of the situation, but to do it in Coors Field, as a rookie, and against the St. Louis Cardinals, who aren't elite hitting-wise but certainly are no easy foe, is pretty amazing.

Minor League Watch: Chance Adams (NYY AAA): 7-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 59/22 K/BB. Last week: Kolby Allard.

Few players, if any, can match Chance Adams' minor league success over the past three years. Since being drafted in the fifth round, 153rd overall, out of Dallas Baptist University in 2015, Adams has been nearly untouchable. Over 49 games (34 starts), he is 23-3 with a 1.96 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and 248 strikeouts over 220.2 innings across five different levels. This season, he's been better than ever. Starting at AA Trenton, the 22 year old put up a 1.03 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP over six starts, striking out 32 in 35 innings. He was promoted to AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and he's been just as good, putting up a 1.57 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP over four starts while striking out 27 in 23 innings. He hasn't allowed more than two earned runs in any start this season, and he had his best start on May 31st. Squaring up against Columbus, the Indians' AAA affiliate, he allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out 12 Clippers over six shutout innings. New York's rotation is full right now with Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Luis Severino, and Jordan Montgomery, but once there's an opening, Adams could be the one to seize it.

Tracking Awards: 5/22

AL MVP: Mike Trout (LAA): 14 HR, 34 RBI, .350 AVG, 9 SB, 222 wRC+. Last week: Trout.

Last week, Trout and Judge were neck and neck for this award, and while Judge blasted a pair of home runs to give himself sole possession of the MLB lead at 15, Trout has managed to put some daylight between himself and the rookie. He homered in four straight games from May 12th to May 15th, then added home runs on May 17th and May 21st. Riding a nine game on-base streak, Trout has somehow managed to make his May (.317/.508/.878) better than his April (.364/.443/.707), and he now leads the MLB in wRC+ (222) and the AL in wOBA (.487). His 3.1 fWAR puts him well ahead of second place Freddie Freeman (2.6), making MLB's only three win player still less than a third of the way through the season. Steamer now projects Trout to finish the season with a .320/.440/.632 slash line, which would rank as the best of his career, even with some regression through the rest of the season.

NL MVP: Freddie Freeman (ATL): 14 HR, 25 RBI, .341 AVG, 4 SB, 204 wRC+. Last week: Bryce Harper.

Unfortunately, Freeman won't hang onto this spot for long after an Aaron Loup fastball broke his left wrist, likely holding him out for ten weeks. For now, though, his numbers are the best in the National League. He's leading it with 14 home runs, as well as with his 204 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR, and .489 wOBA, the latter of which actually leads the MLB. Freeman was hot, too, when he got hurt, having homered in his last two games and having collected at least two hits in three of his past four games. His .341/.461/.748 slash line is pretty mighty, and the Braves are certainly going to miss it while he recovers. They added Matt Adams (.292/.340/.396) in a trade in response, but he's no MVP.

AL Cy Young: Dallas Keuchel (HOU): 7-0, 1.84 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 54/14 K/BB. Last week: Jason Vargas.

Here we have another injured player, though unlike Freeman, Keuchel is only expected to miss one start with a pinched nerve in his neck. After respective tough starts for Ervin Santana and Jason Vargas the week they each claimed this spot, Keuchel will be our third AL Cy Young in three weeks. Through nine starts, Keuchel is unbeaten (for what it's worth) with a 0.86 WHIP and an MLB-leading 1.84 ERA. Aside from one tough start where Astros manager A.J. Hinch left him in way too long, Keuchel has allowed two or fewer runs in each of his other eight starts. Leave out that eight inning, five run performance in Los Angeles on May 5th (in which he had allowed just two runs in the first eight innings before allowing three more in the ninth), and Keuchel's ERA and WHIP drop to 1.29 and 0.83, respectively. The Houston ace has done this by putting up a wicked, MLB-leading 2.97 ground out to air out ratio, taking advantage of the fact that ground balls are a pitcher's friend and limiting balls in the air. This has led opponents to bat just .217 on balls in play against him, and while that may be due for some regression, I don't expect it to float all the way up to his career mark of .294 as BABIP's tend to do. After a tough 2016 (4.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), Keuchel is pitching better than ever, including his 2015 AL Cy Young season.

NL Cy Young Award: Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 7-2, 2.15 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 62/8 K/BB. Last week: Kershaw.

Last week, I mentioned that partially because he had made two starts at Coors Field already, Kershaw's 2.43 ERA and 0.95 WHIP were his worst since 2012. He must have read this, because in his next start, on May 17th, he shut down the Giants over seven innings, allowing no runs on three hits and no walks while striking out five. His ERA and WHIP dropped to 2.15 and 0.89, respectively, but that 2.15 ERA is still his worst since 2012 and the 0.89 WHIP is his worst since 2013. Can you believe this guy? The two greatest players of our generation currently play in Los Angeles, with Mike Trout tearing it up for the Angels and Clayton Kershaw shutting it down for the Dodgers.

AL Rookie of the Year: Aaron Judge (NYY): 15 HR, 30 RBI, .321 AVG, 200 wRC+. Last week: Aaron Judge.

Something tells me the Yankees' 25 year old right fielder isn't letting go of this spot any time soon. He is leading the majors with his 15 home runs, and 39 games into his season, he is still producing twice the offense as the average player, as evidenced by his 200 wRC+. After slashing what was thought to be an unsustainable .303/.411/.750 in April, he has been just about as good in May, slashing .344/.432/.656. His .390 BABIP is pretty inflated, so expect some regression, but we've thought that was due for a while and it hasn't happened yet. For now, Judge can just keep blasting home runs and getting on base.

NL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Freeland (COL): 5-2, 3.31 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 32/24 K/BB. Last week: Antonio Senzatela.

Back to back tough starts have dropped Antonio Senzatela from this spot, but another Rockies' rookie starter has jumped in to scoop it up before Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger could. Kyle Freeland has had all the same disadvantages as Senzatela by pitching in Coors Field, but it hasn't bothered him yet, as he has a 3.31 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP through nine starts. That gets even better when you consider his 3.80 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in four home starts, meaning he has a 2.89 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in five starts in more pitcher-friendly locations. Despite pitching in Coors, he actually has only allowed more than three earned runs in one of his nine starts. Take out the second MLB start of his career on April 12th in Coors Field, when he allowed six runs against the Padres, and he has 2.49 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP over eight starts, five on the road and three at Coors. While Freeland needs to get his walk rate down (10.9% of the batters he's faced so far, or 24 out of 221), his secret to success has been the same as Dallas Keuchel's, as his 2.44 ground out to air out ratio leads the NL. Considering that he pitches in Coors Field (how many times can I mention that in one paragraph?), this number is even more important to him than Keuchel's is to himself.

Minor League Watch: Kolby Allard (ATL AA): 4-1, 1.65 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 41/13 K/BB. Last week: Taylor Gushue.

The Braves selected Allard with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft out of high school in California, but had he been healthy, he could have easily gone in the top ten picks and possibly within the top five. He's showing why this year, dominating the AA Southern League at just 19 years old. Through nine starts, the teenager has a 1.65 ERA, a 1.02 WHIP, and a 41/13 strikeout to walk ratio in 49 innings, forcing the Braves to at least consider promoting him to AAA Gwinnett. Down in Mississippi, he has allowed more than two runs in a start just once, as he allowed three in his most recent outing on May 19th. His most impressive start came on May 4th in Birmingham, when he tossed six shutout innings on three hits and no walks, striking out 11 Barons. Right now it's a four way race to see who will be the first player younger than me to break into the major leagues, with Allard, his AA teammate Mike Soroka (3.14 ERA, 1.02 WHIP), another Braves prospect in Ozzie Albies (.259/.308/.388 at AAA Gwinnett), and Padres prospect Luis Urias (.344/.429/.485 at AA San Antonio) making their cases.