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)

Top Free Agents for 2018-2019: Infielders

First Basemen

1. Matt Adams (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 21 HR, .239/.309/.477, 0 SB, 107 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR in 121 games
This is a very shallow first base class, with really no true starters available. There are, however, quite a few platoon bats, with Matt Adams leading the way. Though 2014 was his only full season as a starter, he has been a very valuable power bat as a platoon or bench option since then. In 2017, he slashed .274/.319/.522 with 20 home runs in 131 games, including .295/.342/.554 against right handed pitchers. In 2018, a late season slump with the Cardinals brought him down to .239/.309/.477 with 21 home runs overall, including .242/.316/.494 against right handers, but he is still a very potent option at the plate against that right handed pitching. He doesn't provide much defensive value, but I did watch him make some nice plays at first base and in left field for the Nationals. Also, because he just turned 30 at the end of August, he's not old as far as free agents go. For his career, the Central Pennsylvania native has 96 home runs, a .266/.314/.470 slash line, and 5.4 fWAR over 707 games since 2012.

2. Steve Pearce (2019 Age: 36)
2018 Stats: 11 HR, .284/.378/.512, 0 SB, 140 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR in 76 games
It's hard to know what to make of Pearce. He has up years and down years completely unpredictably, with the case in point being his drop from a breakout .293/.373/.556 line in 2014 to .218/.289/.422 in 2015. Though he played in only 76 games, this past year was an up year, as he slashed .284/.378/.512 with 11 home runs, good for a 140 wRC+, and his playoff heroics led to the World Series MVP Award. Fangraphs does not like his defense, but he has shown a knack for stretching for bad throws this year, so that's up to the teams to decide, but they'll all be buying his bat. He routinely hits left handed pitching better than right handed pitching, though he's not a true platoon bat because he is still serviceable against right handers. This past year, the line was .304/.400/.559 against left handers and .265/.359/.469 against righties, and you can see that the former is an All Star line while the latter is still worth having in your lineup. Of course, with all of his inconsistency, we don't know which Steve Pearce will show up in 2019. On the down side, he turns 36 in April, so there are definitely younger options. For his career, the former South Carolina Gamecock has 90 home runs, a .257/.336/.447 slash line, and 8.7 fWAR over 737 games since 2007.

3. Lucas Duda (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 14 HR, .241/.313/.418, 1 SB, 97 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR in 107 games
Lucas Duda is not coming off a great season, as he lives by his bat and he slashed just .241/.313/.418 with 14 home runs in 107 games. That's a moderately productive bat, but you have to expect more from someone who provides little value on defense. The good news is that he looked better last year, when he slashed .217/.322/.496 with 30 home runs in 127 games, his 12.2% walk rate helping mitigate his low batting average. Like Adams and Pearce, he has a platoon split, hitting much better against right handed pitching (.264/.336/.477 in 2018) than against left handers (.180/.255/.258). He either fits as a platoon bat on a team with enough depth to offset it or on a non-contending team that can live with his struggles against left handed pitching. For his career, the former USC Trojan has 152 home runs, a .242/.337/.452 line, and 8.1 fWAR over 919 games since 2010.

Other Notable
Logan Morrison (15 HR, .186/.276/.368, 1 SB, 74 wRC+, -0.7 fWAR)
Mark Reynolds (13 HR, .248/.328/.476, 0 SB, 112 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR)
Hanley Ramirez (6 HR, .254/.313/.395, 4 SB, 89 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR)

Second Basemen

1. Brian Dozier (2019 Age: 31-32)
2018 Stats: 21 HR, .215/.305/.391, 12 SB, 90 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR in 151 games
Dozier had the worst year of his career at the worst possible time, which puts him in a bad position but which could also give a lucky team a bargain. Dozier accumulated 11.2 fWAR from 2016-2017 while hitting 76 home runs, the former of which was second among second basemen only to Jose Altuve's 14.4 fWAR and the latter of which led all second basemen. However, his slash line dropped to .215/.305/.391 this year just a year after it had sat at .271/.359/.498 for 2017. Interestingly, his strikeout and walk rates remained fairly in line, and his 37.3% hard hit rate was the highest of his career. The problem lied in how he hit the ball; to summarize a bunch of Fangraphs and Baseball Savant data, he wasn't squaring the ball up as much, rather getting under or on top of it too much. Since he was still hitting the ball hard, it likely will only take some minor adjustments to get him back on track. Fortunately, even in his down year, he maintained a very solid 11.1% walk rate. If he rebounds, he's a near-All Star caliber second baseman, though he's more of a backup if he doesn't. It's a risky signing, but one that could pay off. For his career, Dozier has 172 home runs, a .246/.324/.444 slash line, and 22.1 fWAR over 1002 games since 2012.

2. Jed Lowrie (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 23 HR, .267/.353/.448, 0 SB, 122 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR in 157 games
Lowrie has been one of the game's more underrated players, accumulating the second most fWAR (8.5) among all second basemen over the last two seasons, trailing only Jose Altuve's 12.5. His recent offensive resurgence led to two nearly identical seasons over the last two years, as he slashed .277/.360/.448 in 2017 and .267/.353/.448 in 2018. His 40.1% hard hit rate this year was his best since his 40.4% rate in 2010, when he slashed .287/.381/.526 in 55 games for the Red Sox, and it easily tops his full season career high of 34.5%, set just back in 2017. His combination of on-base ability, moderate power, and good defense, in addition to veteran leadership, make him a valuable starting second baseman even at this stage of his career (he turns 35 at the start of the 2019 season). For his career, the Stanford alum has 104 home runs, a .262/.335/.414 slash line, and 20.0 fWAR over 1109 games since 2008.

3. Daniel Murphy (2019 Age: 34)
2018 Stats: 12 HR, .299/.336/.454, 3 SB, 110 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR in 91 games
Murphy is an older option, so a long term deal likely won't be the way to go, but he likely has at least two more solid offensive seasons left in him where he could be a real contributor to a lineup. His defense is shaky and probably isn't going to get any better, so the value is tied to the bat. Even with the downward slope of his career, he likely provides average on-base ability and at least average power for the foreseeable future, meaning he could even fit on some contending teams. Upon signing Murphy, teams also get a bonus hitting coach, as he has been credited by many Nationals players for helping them with their swing mechanics, getting the ball off the ground and into the air. For his career, the Jacksonville native and Jacksonville University alum has 122 home runs, a .299/.344/.458 slash line, and 24.6 fWAR over 1280 games since 2008.

Other Notable
DJ LeMahieu (15 HR, .276/.321/.428, 6 SB, 86 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR)
Asdrubal Cabrera (23 HR, .262/.316/.458, 0 SB, 111 wRC+, 2.7 fWAR)
Ian Kinsler (14 HR, .240/.301/.380, 16 SB, 87 wRC+, 2.3 fWAR)
Daniel Descalso (13 HR, .238/.353/.436, 0 SB, 111 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR)
Josh Harrison (8 HR, .250/.293/.363, 3 SB, 78 wRC+, 0.3 fWAR)
Marwin Gonzalez (listed as OF)

Shortstops

1. Manny Machado (2019 Age: 26-27)
2018 Stats: 37 HR, .297/.367/.538, 14 SB, 140 wRC+, 6.2 fWAR in 162 games
Easily the top shortstop available, Machado might be able to challenge Bryce Harper as the best player available overall. It's not often that a team can buy a potential franchise cornerstone, a new face of the franchise, on the open market. How do you price that out? $300 million, more? That's for the teams to figure out. Machado is coming off his third six win season in the past four years, slashing .297/.367/.538 with 37 home runs and 6.2 fWAR while appearing in all 162 games, albeit for two different teams. This past season was his best offensively, with his .377 wOBA and 140 wRC+ both setting career highs, and the ability to play a pretty good shortstop makes him even more of a franchise player. He has posted four straight seasons of at least 33 home runs, 30 doubles, and 156 games played, his 21.7 fWAR over that frame trailing only Francisco Lindor's 22.8 among players who are now shortstops (Machado was a third basemen for the first three years of that span). In fact, the 21.7 fWAR are ninth in all of baseball among position players in that time frame. Throw in that he doesn't turn 27 until July, and you've got a guy set for a ten or more year deal. For his career, the Miami native has 175 home runs, a .282/.335/.487 slash line, and 30.2 fWAR over 926 games since 2012.

2. Freddy Galvis (2019 Age: 29)
2018 Stats: 13 HR, .248/.299/.380, 8 SB, 85 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR in 162 games
There's a big drop from the top shortstop available to the second best, but Freddy Galvis is still a good starting option for a non-contending team or a back-up option for a contender. He's not much with the bat, performing consistently below average, though he does have a bit of a power stroke and he has knocked 49, 47, and 49 extra base hits over the last three seasons. While he struggles to get on base (career high in OBP is .309), the moderate power is nice to have, and his generally solid defense at shortstop makes him overall a useful package. On top of that, his active streak of 325 consecutive games played is the longest in the majors, making him one of the more durable players in the game. As a bonus, he's also one of the younger free agents available. For his career, the Venezuela native has 65 home runs, a .246/.290/.374 slash line, and 7.2 fWAR over 804 games since 2012.

3. Jose Iglesias (2019 Age: 29)
2018 Stats: 5 HR, .269/.310/.389, 15 SB, 90 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 125 games
After he was anointed the Red Sox' "shortstop of the future" at the beginning of the decade, the baseball world kind of stopped paying attention to Jose Iglesias when he was traded to Detroit. He has actually been fairly good, not an All Star but good enough to warrant some notice on the free agent market. In fact, he has been worth at least 1.5 fWAR in each of the past five seasons he played in (he missed the 2014 season with shin issues), mostly due to very good defense. The defense is his calling card, as his bat has been above average just once in his career: wRC+ of 102 in 2013. However, he does hold his own at the plate, knocking 64 doubles over the past two seasons. While he probably wouldn't be a good option for contending teams, he should be able to start on teams with shallower rosters, and because he'll play the entire 2019 season at 29 years old, he's one of the younger free agents available. For his career, the Cuba native has 21 home runs, a .270/.315/.363 slash line, and 10.0 fWAR over 656 games since 2011.

Other Notable
Jordy Mercer (6 HR, .251/.315/.381, 2 SB, 85 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR)
Adeiny Hechavarria (6 HR, .247/.279/.345, 2 SB, 67 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR)
Alcides Escobar (4 HR, .231/.279/.313, 8 SB, 60 wRC+, -0.3 fWAR)
Eric Sogard (0 HR, .134/.241/.165, 3 SB, 14 wRC+, -0.8 fWAR)
Andrew Romine (0 HR, .210/.260/.244  43 wRC+, 0.1 fWAR)
Jed Lowrie, Asdrubal Cabrera (both listed as 2B)

Third Basemen

1. Josh Donaldson (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 8 HR, .246/.352/.449, 2 SB, 117 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR in 52 games
This down year came at the worst time for Donaldson, who from 2013-2017 put up five straight seasons with more than 5.0 fWAR. His 34.3 total fWAR in that span placed him second in all of baseball behind only the great Mike Trout's 44.2, and third place Paul Goldschmidt's 27.7 were far behind both. In that stretch, he was one of the game's premier hitters and racked up an incredible 16.2 fWAR between just 2015 and 2016 alone, again only behind Mike Trout's 18.9. Donaldson hit for power, got on base, and played third base all at elite levels, making him one of the game's premier stars. However, he was dogged by calf injuries in 2018 and played just 52 games with a mediocre (by his standards) .246/.352/.449 slash line. To throw in a however to the first however, Donaldson's performance also improved as he got farther and farther from the calf injury, shown in improving quality of contact as well as plate discipline. I don't think he's a safe bet to get back to his MVP caliber 2015-2016 form, but I would be comfortable expecting him to return to 2017 form (33 HR, .270/.385/.559) at least for the near future. Turning 33 over the offseason, he's not young, but he's also not too old yet. He's not as safe a bet as Machado to be a franchise cornerstone, but his bat - and glove - are still very valuable and should net him a large contract. For his career, the Auburn alum has 182 home runs, a .275/.367/.507 slash line, and 36.5 fWAR over 883 games since 2010.

2. Mike Moustakas (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 28 HR, .251/.315/.459, 4 SB, 105 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR in 152 games
Moustakas is a power bat that is a pretty safe bet for 20-30 home runs. I doubt he hits 38 again like he did in 2017, but it's still a profile that fits on most contending teams. He plays good defense at third base and while his on-base percentages aren't the greatest, he gets on enough given his power. He's also a good player to have in the clubhouse, and overall I'd call him a good all around player, one that's not a star but who can contribute from a supporting role. For his career, the Los Angeles native has 147 home runs, a .251/.307/.431 slash line, and 13.2 fWAR in 988 games since 2011.

3. Adrian Beltre (2019 Age: 40)
2018 Stats: 15 HR, .273/.328/.434, 1 SB, 99 wRC+, 1.2 fWAR in 119 games
It's not known whether Beltre will return for a 22nd major league season in 2019, but if he does, my guess is he'll either return to the Rangers or sign with a contender that will give him a chance to win a World Series, which he has not done yet. Amazingly, even as Beltre is set to turn 40 at the start of next season, he's still a good player that puts out essentially league-average production on both sides of the ball. He's a great clubhouse guy to have and he's probably one of the most fan-friendly pick-ups a team could possibly make, and because he's just 23 home runs shy of 500, all it would take would be an unlikely but not unrealistic power surge to get there. For his career, the Dominican future Hall of Famer has 477 home runs, a .286/.339/.480 slash line, and 84.0 fWAR over 2933 games since 1998.

Other Notable
Jung Ho Kang (0 HR, .333/.333/.333, 0 SB, 83 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR)
Luis Valbuena (9 HR, .199/.253/.335, 3 SB, 59 wRC+, -0.9 fWAR)
Chase Headley (0 HR, .115/.233/.135, 0 SB, 13 wRC+, -0.4 fWAR)
Ryan Flaherty (2 HR, .217/.298/.292, 4 SB, 57 wRC+, -0.4 fWAR)
Manny Machado (listed as SS), Marwin Gonzalez (listed as OF), Asdrubal Cabrera (listed as 2B)

Top Free Agents for 2018-2019: Catchers and Outfielders

Catchers

1. Yasmani Grandal (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 24 HR, .241/.349/.466, 2 SB, 125 wRC+, 3.6 fWAR in 140 games
Grandal will be a very hot commodity on the free agent market this year, just since good catchers are so hard to come by. In 2018, only three catchers accumulated more than 3.0 fWAR: J.T. Realmuto (4.8), Grandal (3.6), and Francisco Cervelli (3.3). Most teams have to choose between a catcher with some pop who is iffy with the glove, or a good fielder that they have to bury at the bottom of their lineup. However, Grandal can both hit and field well, and in a scarce market, that is valuable. At the plate, he is on a run of three straight 20 homer seasons, and he has always been considered one of the better pitch framers in the game. He's not quite a middle of the order anchor, but among catchers who can field, not many are better than him at the plate. Set to play all of 2019 at 30 years old, he's not too old as far as catchers go either. For his career, the former Miami Hurricane has 113 home runs, a .240/.341/.441 slash line, and 15.2 fWAR over 726 games since 2012.

2. Wilson Ramos (2019 Age: 31-32)
2018 Stats: 15 HR, .306/.358/.487, 0 SB, 131 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR in 111 games
Ramos is a better catcher than he gets credit for. From 2010-2015, he was essentially a league average hitter, slashing .258/.301/.411 for a respectable 92 wRC+. However, since having Lasik eye surgery in 2016, he's at .298/.343/.483 with a 120 wRC+, the latter of which is second among all catchers behind only Gary Sanchez's 124. At this point, it is safe to say that the Lasik has had a profound effect on his hitting and that pre-2016 Wilson is not relevant as a factor for predicting his future performance, leaving us with three seasons as one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. On top of it, he has always been well regarded as a defender. The only downside to Ramos, and it's a big one, is health. He has never played more than 131 games in a season he has only managed more than 88 games four times since debuting in 2010. His signing team will have to grapple with that, especially knowing he turns 32 next August and presumably isn't getting any less breakable. However, if he stays healthy, I can see his signing team getting a great bargain. For his career, the Venezuelan catcher has 109 home runs, a .273/.317/.439 line, and 13.2 fWAR over 760 games since 2010.

3. Kurt Suzuki (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 12 HR, .271/.332/.444, 0 SB, 108 wRC+, 2.0 fWAR in 105 games
Overall, I think the #3 spot is somewhat ambiguous, with the third best catcher available changing depending on what you're looking for. For some teams, Matt Wieters or Martin Maldonado could be the #3 option. I'm going to go with Kurt Suzuki here though because for someone who turned 35 just after the end of the regular season, he's still a good player. His .271/.332/.444 slash line was very respectable all around, and with good defense, he's an above-average all around catcher. Whether that success continues into 2019, his age 35 season, or beyond is anybody's guess, but my guess is that any 2019 regression does not pull him too far below average, and he should still be a serviceable starting catcher if he's healthy. Even with more regression than expected, he could still be a good backup and with his twelve years of experience in the majors, he's a valuable veteran. For his career, the Cal State Fullerton alumnus has 114 home runs, a .258/.315/.387 slash line, and 18.9 fWAR over 1394 games since 2007.

Other Notable
Matt Wieters (8 HR, .238/.330/.374, 0 SB, 89 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Martin Maldonado (9 HR, .225/.276/.351, 0 SB, 74 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Jonathan Lucroy (4 HR, .241/.291/.325, 0 SB, 70 wRC+, 0.6 fWAR)
Brian McCann (7 HR, .212/.301/.339, 0 SB, 82 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR)
Nick Hundley (10 HR, .241/.298/.408, 2 SB, 91 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)

Outfielders

1. Bryce Harper (2019 Age: 26)
2018 Stats: 34 HR, .249/.393/.496, 13 SB, 135 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR in 159 games
Bryce Harper represents one of the best free agents we have ever seen, just turning 26 at the beginning of the offseason while bringing an NL MVP award and six All Star selections to the table. The age is especially nice because unlike with most free agents, Harper's signing team will have him for much of his prime, as he won't even turn 30 until after year four. While much has been said about his low batting averages (.243 in 2016 and .249 in 2018), batting average is the last thing you should be concerned about with Harper. His on-base percentages in those two seasons were .373 and .393, respectively, due to an exceptional 14.8% career walk rate, making him one of the game's better players when it comes to getting on base, and that's completely disregarding power. Harper has hit at least 24 home runs in each of the past four seasons, including 42 in his MVP 2015 season and 34 this past year. All of that will amount to a contract in the $400 million range, possibly higher, as a team will look to sign Harper for the remainder of his career. For his career, the Las Vegas native has 184 home runs, a .279/.388/.512 slash line, and 30.7 fWAR over 927 games since 2012.

2. Michael Brantley (2019 Age: 31-32)
2018 Stats: 17 HR, .309/.364/.468, 12 SB, 124 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR in 143 games
I think a lot of people forgot about Brantley because he played just 101 games between the 2016 and 2017 seasons, but he bounced back nicely with a .309/.364/.468 line and 3.5 fWAR in a full season this year. When he's healthy, Brantley is actually a pretty consistent two to four win player who gets on base, hits for some power, and unlike most players these days, rarely strikes out. He's not much help on defense, but his consistent, productive bat would fit in any lineup and could help any contender. For his career, the outfielder from Florida's Treasure Coast has 87 home runs, a .295/.351/.430 slash line, 118 stolen bases, and 19.5 fWAR over 1051 games since 2009.

3. Andrew McCutchen (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 20 HR, .255/.368/.424, 14 SB, 120 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR in 155 games
McCutchen isn't the consistent six to eight win player he used to be, with his last three years looking more pedestrian. While I think this is now the true McCutchen, a consistent two to four win player is still a good find on the market and he should get a considerable amount of money. He has hit at least 20 home runs and 25 doubles in each of the past eight seasons, and only in 2016 did he fail to steal more than ten bases. While his batting averages have dropped from the great to decent range, he has kept a great walk rate (12.0% career), which makes him overall a pretty good power/on-base threat even at this stage in his career. His defense has taken a hit since his prime, but he's not necessarily a liability at this point as long as you don't play him in center field. For his career, the small town Florida native has 223 home runs, a .287/.378/.481 line, 185 stolen bases, and 48.6 fWAR over 1501 games since 2009.

4. A.J. Pollock (2019 Age: 31)
2018 Stats: 21 HR, .257/.316/.484, 13 SB, 110 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 113 games
Pollock might have slashed .315/.367/.498 with 39 stolen bases and 6.8 fWAR in 2015, but he's more realistically a two to three win player who can contribute a little bit of everything. He's got some power, good for 15-20 home runs per season, some on-base ability, some speed, and pretty good defense. Turning 31 in December, he should be able to maintain that all-around ability at its current level for at least a few more years and should land a nice contract. For his career, the Notre Dame product has 74 home runs, a .281/.338/.467 slash line, 103 stolen bases, and 17.2 fWAR over 637 games.

5. Marwin Gonzalez (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 16 HR, .247/.324/.409, 2 SB, 104 wRC+, 1.6 fWAR in 145 games
Marwin Gonzalez is much more valuable than the numbers say. As a guy who has seen significant time at first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and left field throughout his career, he can fit on literally any roster, but unlike other recent super-utility men (Andrew Romine, Alfredo Amezaga), he can swing the bat. In four of the past five seasons, he has produced a wRC+ above 100 (league average), including a 144 mark in 2017 that stemmed from a .303/.377/.530 line and 23 home runs. The numbers were down a bit this year at .247/.324/.409 with 16 home runs, but there is not a team out there that shouldn't be at least a little bit interested in a guy who can play almost anywhere you want and still hit enough to remain relevant in the lineup. For his career, the Venezuelan has 76 home runs, a .264/.318/.419 slash line, and 7.8 fWAR over 795 games since 2012.

6. Adam Jones (2019 Age: 33-34)
2018 Stats: 15 HR, .281/.313/.419, 7 SB, 98 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR in 145 games
For baseball's sake, I hope Jones stays in Baltimore, having become synonymous with the Orioles over the past eleven years. However, for now he's a free agent and will test the open market. Turning 34 in August, he's not the 4-5 win player he once was, with both his glove and bat regressing to about average. Still, he's good for some all around contribution, hitting for some power while getting on base enough to justify keeping him in the lineup as long as he stays out of center field. He has been extremely durable, having avoided the disabled list entirely since his 2009 season was cut short by a sprained ankle, so that should help him remain a productive player deep into his thirties. Off the field, he's a great role model both in the clubhouse and out in the community. For his career, the San Diego native (weird to think about, isn't it?) has 266 home runs, a .278/.318/.456 slash line, and 29.4 fWAR over 1686 games since 2006.

7. Nick Markakis (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 14 HR, .297/.366/.440, 114 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR in 162 games
Despite turning 35 in November, Nick Markakis is showing no signs of slowing down. Having landed on the disabled list just once in his entire major league career (for just over a month in 2012), the durable outfielder had his best season since 2008 in terms of fWAR this year, his 2.6 being the most he's had in a season since he put up 6.0 in 2008. He gets on base, smacks doubles (at least 38 in each of the past four seasons including 43 in 2018), doesn't strike out much, and isn't too much of a liability on defense. He could start even for some contenders, with his age being the only reason he ranks this low on the list. I see no reason he won't be a productive player at least in 2019 and 2020. For his career, the Atlanta area native has 179 home runs, a .288/.358/.424 slash line, and 28.5 fWAR over 2001 games since 2006.

8. Lonnie Chisenhall (2019 Age: 30)
2018 Stats: 1 HR, .321/.394/.452, 1 SB, 129 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR in 29 games
It's easy to forget about Lonnie Chisenhall, as he has played just 111 games over the past two seasons due to injury, including just 29 in 2018, but he's actually a very productive player when on the field. Over those past two seasons, he is slashing .297/.368/.503 with 13 home runs and 2.1 fWAR in what amounts to about two thirds of a season's worth of games. That's a three win pace if he's healthy, comparable to what we might see out of a guy like Josh Reddick, except Chisenhall's left/right splits aren't as drastic. He also joined the fly ball revolution last year, which helped produce those numbers. His lack of consistent health pushes him down to #8 on this list, but a healthy Chisenhall could be a steal for whoever signs him. For his career, the eastern North Carolina native has 64 home runs, a .268/.320/.427 slash line, and 7.9 fWAR over 688 games.

9. Carlos Gonzalez (2019 Age: 33)
2018 Stats: 16 HR, .276/.329/.467, 5 SB, 96 wRC+, 1.7 fWAR in 132 games
Gonzalez isn't the 3-5 win player he once was, but he's still a solid left handed bat with a proven track record and enough sock to justify a spot lower in the lineup. He has fairly significant left/right splits, hitting righties at a .284/.344/.485 clip in 2018 but putting up just a .259/.295/.424 line against lefties, so he could fit nicely into a platoon role. His numbers will drop with his new team, but expect some power with the ability to get on base at a decent rate, especially against right handed pitching. For his career, the Venezuelan has 231 home runs, a .287/.345/.506 slash line, and 26.3 fWAR over 1332 games since 2008.

10. Denard Span (2019 Age: 35)
2018 Stats: 11 HR, .261/.341/.419, 9 SB, 112 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR in 137 games
While Span's loss of speed with age has sapped his value on defense and on the base paths, he still walks enough to get on base at a pretty good rate, and he seems to have found his home run stroke late in his career. After never hitting more than eight home runs in a season from 2008-2015, he has reached double digits in each of the past three seasons. This shifts his value more to his bat and away from his speed and defense, and while he shouldn't be a starter for a contending team, he could be a productive regular on most non-contending teams and even bat at the top of a few lineups. He does turn 35 in spring training, so he won't get a long term deal. For his career, the Tampa native has 71 home runs, a .281/.347/.398 slash line, 185 stolen bases, and 27.7 fWAR over 1359 games since 2008.

Other notable
Curtis Granderson (13 HR, .242/.351/.431, 2 SB, 116 wRC+, 0.9 fWAR)
Jon Jay (3 HR, .268/.330/.347, 4 SB, 86 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR)
Cameron Maybin (4 HR, .249/.326/.336, 10 SB, 88 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR)
Melky Cabrera (6 HR, .280/.335/.420, 1 SB, 102 wRC+, 0.4 fWAR)
Carlos Gomez (9 HR, .208/.298/.336, 12 SB, 80 wRC+, -0.5 fWAR)
Jose Bautista (13 HR, .203/.348/.378, 4 SB, 107 wRC+, 1.0 fWAR)
Matt Joyce (7 HR, .208/.322/.353, 0 SB, 89 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR)
Gerardo Parra (6 HR, .284/.342/.372, 11 SB, 80 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR)
Austin Jackson (3 HR, .245/.299/.326, 3 SB, 74 wRC+, -1.0 fWAR)
Hunter Pence (4 HR, .226/.258/.332, 5 SB, 59 wRC+, -0.9 fWAR)

Designated Hitters

1. Nelson Cruz (2019 Age: 38-39)
2018 Stats: 37 HR, .256/.342/.509, 1 SB, 134 wRC+, 2.5 fWAR in 144 games
Even though Cruz turns 39 in July, he is proving that he still has plenty of sock left in his bat and can contribute to any lineup that can fit him in at DH. Even with no defensive value, he has put up five straight seasons with at least 37 home runs, and with his decent walk rate, he gets on base enough to where he's a real threat at the plate. At this point, nearing 40, he probably fits as a #5 hitter on a non-contending team or as a #6 hitter on a contender, and even at this age I see no reason why he can't hit 30+ home runs in each of the next two seasons, albeit with falling on-base percentages that sit in the .340-.360 range now but could fall below .330 in the near future. For his career, the Dominican has 360 home runs, a .274/.342/.518 slash line, and 33.1 fWAR over 1569 games since 2005.

2. Evan Gattis (2019 Age: 32)
2018 Stats: 25 HR, .226/.284/.452, 1 SB, 99 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR in 128 games
The bad news is that Gattis' offense took a hit in 2018 and dropped below league average for the first time in his career, but the good news is that he still hit more than 20 home runs for the fourth time in his five major league seasons. He's not exactly the impact hitter that Cruz is, and as a DH, that's problematic, but he can still fit in towards the bottom of a major league lineup and if a team has an opening at DH, it's a starting-quality bat. As recently as 2016, he slashed .251/.319/.508 with 32 home runs and 2.7 fWAR, and he can get behind the plate and catch in a pinch, so Gattis should find a place to fit in and contribute to a major league team. For his career, the Dallas native has 139 home runs, a .248/.300/.476 slash line, and 7.7 fWAR over 706 games since 2013. Not bad for a former janitor.

Reviewing the Seattle Mariners Farm System

Dealin' Jerry DiPoto has taken a sledgehammer to this farm system, sending away prospects like Luiz Gohara, Mallex Smith, Nick Neidert, Ryan Yarbrough, Emilio Pagan, Andrew Moore, Tyler O'Neill, Boog Powell, Brayan Hernandez, Pablo Lopez, Thomas Burrows, and Juan Then just to name a few of the trades since the start of 2017. What's left is a very thin system with some high-ceiling talent at the top of the prospect charts and a smattering of relief prospects and recent draftees towards the bottom. The Mariners' player development isn't the greatest, which lowers the floors of many prospects, and with the team missing the playoffs again in 2018, the team isn't in a great spot. For now, the balance leans towards hitting, with many high ceiling hitters at the lower levels and quite a few utility prospects closer to the majors. Below are the system's bright spots.
Update: Mariners have since acquired Justus Sheffield, Erik Swanson, Dom Thompson-Williams, Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn, Gerson Bautista, and Jake Fraley

Affiliates: AAA Tacoma Rainiers, AA Arkansas Travelers, High A Modesto Nuts, Class A Clinton LumberKings*, Short Season Everett AquaSox, complex level AZL and DSL Mariners
*Class A Affiliate will move from Clinton, IA to Charleston, WV in 2019

The Headliner: OF Kyle Lewis
Kyle Lewis was drafted eleventh overall out of Mercer in 2016, though many people - myself included - saw this as a steal for the Mariners, who seemed to be getting a top ten or even top five talent. However, after a strong start to his pro career (.299/.385/.530 in 30 games at Short Season Everett in 2016), he blew out his knee in a home plate collision and it seems he is still feeling the effects. 2017 (.257/.329/.412) and 2018 (.244/.306/.405) have both been mediocre as he still doesn't appear fully healthy, and he turned 23 in July. Now, let's get to the good news. He is still extremely talented, and pre-injury he showed plus power, plus speed, a plus arm, and quick enough hands to hit for a high average. He still shows the quick hands and gets to his power occasionally (nine home runs and 26 doubles this year), and the lack of production really isn't his fault. His hands get through the zone so quickly that with his 6'4" frame, you can't give up on him yet. It's easy to project a healthy Lewis having an Eloy Jimenez-type breakout season in 2019, and if it all breaks right, I think he could hit 20-30 home runs per season in the majors with on-base percentages in the .350 range and good defense in the outfield.

Advanced Utility Prospects: 1B Evan White, OF Braden Bishop, 3B Joe Rizzo, SS Donnie Walton, OF Eric Filia, OF Chuck Taylor
While Kyle Lewis looks to be the next star in Seattle, the guys in this section of the list, save for White, don't project to be much more than bench assets. Fortunately for the Mariners, there are quite a few of them, meaning that one could end up exceeding expectations and contributing in a significant way. We'll start with Evan White, easily the second best position player prospect in the system. A high floor, low ceiling player when he was drafted 17th overall out of Kentucky in 2017, he has performed exactly to expectations, slashing .300/.371/.453 with eleven home runs and a 108/52 strikeout to walk ratio over 124 games this year, 120 of which came at High A Modesto. As with any California League statistics, they must be taken with a grain of salt, but these pretty much tell the story: a high on-base percentage and enough power to make pitchers respect him. While the power might be a little light for a first baseman who is typically expected to provide the thump, he makes up for it with exceptional defense (not common among first basemen) and he could be shifted to the outfield if needed. Expect a productive bat that may not be able to serve in the middle of a lineup but one that could slot nicely as a #6 hitter. 25 year old outfielder Braden Bishop is already a fan favorite, and for good reason. He established a charity called 4MOM in honor of his mother, who was diagnosed with Alzheimers, and he is extremely active in his philanthropic endeavor. On the baseball side, he slashed .284/.361/.412 with eight home runs and a 68/37 strikeout to walk ratio at AA Arkansas this year, showing serviceability in all aspects of offense. His glove is considered excellent in the outfield, and because he has shown some competency at the plate, he should have little trouble reaching the majors. However, since he doesn't offer much power and he's only a marginally productive on-base threat, I think it's unlikely that he ends up a leadoff hitter, but he still could be a nice bottom of the order piece. Most likely, he's a productive fourth outfielder. 20 year old infielder Joe Rizzo has seen his bat stagnate as he has moved up through the minors, slashing .241/.303/.321 with four home runs and a 108/40 strikeout to walk ratio even at hitter-friendly Modesto, and it's looking like he'll need to make some adjustments ahead of the 2019 season if he wants to remain a notable prospect. His defense is so-so, but fortunately, time is on his side and he is universally noted for his work ethic, which could help him tap the considerable raw power I still believe he possesses. He just needs to get more consistent with his approach. 24 year old infielder Donnie Walton hit much better at Modesto (.309/.402/.433) than he did after his promotion to Arkansas (.236/.325/.327), showing a classic utility projection with his defense, on-base ability, and lack of power. His solid approach (71/51 K/BB) gives him a high floor, and he'll likely be in Seattle by the end of 2019. 26 year old outfielder Eric Filia is an interesting prospect in that he was nearly 24 when he was drafted out of UCLA in 2016, has been suspended twice for drugs of abuse, and that his plate discipline is excellent despite a so-so bat. At Arkansas this year, he slashed .274/.371/.348 with just a pair of home runs, but his 30/44 strikeout to walk ratio shows great patience (12.8% walk rate) as well as great bat to ball skills (8.7% strikeout rate). That bodes well for him to be able to translate his hitting up to the majors, though his lack of power and ability to hit the ball with much authority, combined with his age at this point, will likely render him to a fourth or fifth outfielder role. Lastly, 25 year old outfielder Chuck Taylor has a similar current on-field profile to Filia, slashing .297/.377/.376 with three home runs and a nice 79/61 strikeout to walk ratio over 126 games at Arkansas. As with Filia, there's not much power, but he has shown an advanced approach at the upper levels which will help him get to the majors.

Starting Pitching Options: Logan Gilbert, Sam Carlson, Max Povse, Rob Whalen
There isn't much pitching talent in the system, and the group is even thinner when it comes to starting pitchers. In fact, with Michigan natives Anthony Misiewicz (5.24 ERA, 95/29 K/BB at mostly AA) and Oliver Jaskie (6.60 ERA, 77/49 K/BB at Class A) having rough seasons, the four listed in this section are the only ones with any real shot at being difference-making starting pitchers. The system's top pitching prospect, 2018 first rounder (14th overall) Logan Gilbert, has not thrown a professional pitch yet. He dominated at Stetson this year (11-2, 2.72 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 163/25 K/BB in 112 IP), showing an advanced four pitch arsenal which, when combined with his 6'6" frame, gives him a very high ceiling. However, his stuff was somewhat inconsistent in 2018, giving him some risk as a pitcher who might not be able to make his stuff translate upwards. We'll see if the Seattle development program makes an ace out of Gilbert or ends up with a relief arm. Sam Carlson, who was drafted in the second round (55th overall) out of a Minnesota high school in 2017 but who signed for first round money, is a long way off. The 19 year old underwent Tommy John surgery in July, meaning he probably won't pitch at all in 2019. When healthy, the 6'4" righty has ace-like stuff, throwing in the mid 90's and adding a wicked slider/changeup combination while controlling it all well for a teenager. Age is on his side, but we'll just have to play the wait and see game to find out if he becomes the next Felix Hernandez. 25 year old Max Povse came over in a trade from the Braves after the 2016 season, and while he seems to have AA down, he has struggled to perform in AAA. Between the 2017 and 2018 seasons, both of which were split between AA Arkansas and AAA Tacoma, he is 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA and a 92/33 strikeout to walk ratio at Arkansas but 2-10 with an 8.17 ERA and a 74/40 strikeout to walk ratio at Tacoma. The 6'8" righty has average stuff that plays up due to his height, but it looks like AAA hitting has figured him out and he'll need his stuff to take one more step forward to be successful in the majors. He has a #4/#5 starter ceiling but if converted to relief, he can probably be a solid bullpen piece right now. 24 year old Rob Whalen has been a prospect for a long time, having been drafted in 2012 out of high school in Florida. He dominated the low minors but has struggled in the upper minors, mixing his average stuff and getting mediocre results. He posted a 5.16 ERA and a 92/37 strikeout to walk ratio at AAA Tacoma this year, which isn't awful considering the context, and he really only needs to take one more step forward to be a useful #5 starter for the Mariners. More likely, he's a long reliever.

Bullpen Options: Matthew Festa, Wyatt Mills, Joey Gerber, Art Warren, Nick Rumbelow
Relief prospects tend to pop out of nowhere, either as converted starters or guys who just found something that clicked. The Mariners don't have many of these either, but they don't have much of anything and this spot isn't necessarily a weak one for them. Matthew Festa offers the best combination of major league readiness and upside, coming in with a pretty good fastball/slider combination backed up by a curveball and a changeup. He posted a 2.76 ERA and a nice 67/12 strikeout to walk ratio over 49 innings at AA Arkansas this year, reaching the majors for a few appearances with mixed results. The 25 year old has a decent shot of breaking camp with the Mariners next year, and if he doesn't he should be one of the first to be called up from the minors to do some middle relief work. 23 year old Wyatt Mills pitched very well at High A Modesto (1.91 ERA, 49/9 K/BB in 42.1 IP) but struggled with his promotion to Arkansas (10.13 ERA, 10/4 K/BB in 10.2 IP). He's a sidearming righty with a true fastball/slider combo, working more from a place of deception than of dominance. He hasn't proven that he can hold up against higher level hitting, but his upside is higher than Festa's. 21 year old Joey Gerber was just drafted in the eighth round out of Illinois this past June, but he has already made a name for himself in this system by posting a 2.10 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP, and a 43/11 strikeout to walk ratio over his first 25.2 innings in the minors, split between the short season Northwest League and Class A Clinton. He uses a very good, very deceptive fastball/slider combination to get outs, but with that deception comes some command problems which ultimately have not hampered him yet in the minors. Look for Gerber to be among the first 2018 draftees for any team to reach the majors. 25 year old Art Warren is a converted starter who battled shoulder issues in 2018, using his full, four pitch arsenal to rack up strikeouts but also struggling with command. He may have to drop a pitch going forward (probably his changeup), but getting healthy and throwing strikes will be his most important goal because he is clearly talented enough to pitch in the major leagues. 27 year old Nick Rumbelow makes this list really because of his proximity to the majors. He actually pitched for the Yankees in the majors as far back as 2015, but with 33.1 career major league innings he is still technically a prospect. He has mastered the minor leagues and has a 1.35 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, and a 71/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 innings in AA and AAA over the last two seasons, so all he really needs is an opportunity. At 27, he's probably not getting any better.

Distant Offensive Wild Cards: OF Josh Stowers, C Cal Raleigh, OF Julio Rodriguez, SS Juan Querecuto, SS Noelvi Marte, OF Luis Liberato, OF Anthony Jimenez
The reasons behind the Mariners' lack of advanced prospects comes from a combination of trades and poor player development, which is why you see all these names here at the bottom, where the Mariners actually have some depth. I'll start with the two 2018 draftees from major ACC programs. I saw second rounder (54th overall) Josh Stowers play for Louisville this year, and he's a wiry outfielder with tons of speed, patience, and a bat that was picking up as the spring progressed. He hit .260/.380/.410 with 20 stolen bases in the short season Northwest League this year, and if he can keep his strikeouts down and recognize pitches well, he could be a leadoff man in Seattle. Third rounder (90th overall) Cal Raleigh comes from Florida State and is the team's best catching prospect, and his .288/.367/.534 line in 38 games in the Northwest League was very encouraging. He has a lot to prove against more advanced pitching and with his defense behind the plate, but not a lot of catchers can swing it and he can. The next two players, Julio Rodriguez and Juan Querecuto, played all of 2018 at just 17 years old down in the Dominican Summer League. Rodriguez hit .315/.404/.525 with ten stolen bases and a 40/30 strikeout to walk ratio while showing arguably the best upside in the entire system, while Querecuto hit .243/.331/.329 with a 54/25 strikeout to walk ratio. Rodriguez is an outfielder who obviously has a long, long way to go, but he's done everything asked of him so far and could be an impact player in Seattle four or five years down the road. Querecuto, meanwhile, is more known for his defense at shortstop and his bat will need to develop considerably if he wants to make it. The defense does give the bat plenty of time, though, and takes the pressure off of it as he moves up. Noelvi Marte, who just turned 17 a few weeks ago, might be the youngest player I write about in this series because of the Mariners' lack of depth. The shortstop has big time power that should grow as he adds loft, and as a shortstop the bat has time to develop. His defense doesn't quite match Querecuto's but the bat is better. Of course, he has not appeared in the minors yet so he is completely unproven. The last two guys in this section, 22 year old Luis Liberato and 23 year old Anthony Jimenez, don't exactly qualify as "distant" but fit better here than in the utility section due to their upside. Liberato slashed .250/.317/.424 at Modesto in the High California League this year, which is decent given the hitter-friendly nature of the league. He's got power, good plate discipline, and good defense, but he'll still have to take another step forward with the bat to be any kind of impact player. Jimenez, meanwhile, slashed .262/.314/.377 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases the same level, which is somewhat disappointing. His defense and speed buy his bat time, but having just turned 23, the bat will have to pick up sooner or later.

2018 Dugout Edge Regular Season Awards: Rookies, Managers, and Relievers

These awards are based on how I would assign them, not on how I believe they will end up. MVP's and Cy Young's were posted previously.

American League Rookie of the Year
Winner: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels)
Hitting Stats: 22 HR, .285/.361/.564, 10 SB, 152 wRC+, 2.8 fWAR in 104 games
Pitching Stats: 4-2, 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 63/22 K/BB, 51.2 IP in 10 starts
Honestly, I don't think this race should be particularly close. Shohei Ohtani was clearly the superior rookie to me, generating more offensive fWAR than Miguel Andujar and adding more than 50 innings of above average pitching to roughly match Andujar's number of plate appearances/total batters faced. At the plate, Ohtani slashed .285/.361/.564 with 22 home runs for a 152 wRC+, the latter of which would have placed him fourth in the American League if he had qualified, right between Alex Bregman's 157 and Jose Ramirez's 147. As a pitcher, he posted a 3.31 ERA and a 63/22 strikeout to walk ratio over ten starts, including an absolute gem on April 8th when he tossed seven shutout innings on one hit, one walk, and 12 strikeouts against the A's. The numbers alone make him the best rookie in the American League, but if you put them in context and just think about how amazing the fact that he was pitching and hitting at All Star levels is, and it really should be no competition here.

Runner-Up: Joey Wendle (Tampa Bay Rays)
Stats: 7 HR, .300/.354/.435, 16 SB, 116 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR in 139 games
In the Ohtani-Andujar Rookie of the Year race, Joey Wendle didn't get nearly enough credit. An older rookie at 28, Wendle slashed .300/.354/.435 with 16 stolen bases and very good defense, impacting the game in very way except power. Even with only hitting seven home runs, he still knocked 33 doubles and six triples for a total of 46 extra base hits, good for third among AL rookies behind only  Miguel Andujar (76) and Niko Goodrum (48): pretty good for a guy where power is his worst attribute.

Honrable Mention: Miguel Andujar (New York Yankees)
Stats: 27 HR, .297/.328/.527, 2 SB, 128 wRC+, 2.7 fWAR in 149 games
I'm just not as high on Andujar as many people are, though you could make a very good argument to put him ahead of Wendle and it's pretty close in my book. He did still have a great season for a rookie. The 23 year old slashed .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs and 47 doubles, his power stroke helping the Yankees get plenty of production out of what looked like a murky infield situation pre-season. He didn't get on base much, but the power was unmatched by any AL rookies outside of Ohtani. He also got better as the season went on and had his best month in August, slashing .320/.344/.623 with ten home runs in 30 games, again having difficulty getting on base but really showing off the power. On defense, he helped the Yankees just about as much as Ohtani did as a DH, as in not much.

Others
Gleyber Torres (NYY, 24 HR, .271/.340/.480, 6 SB, 120 wRC+, 1.9 fWAR)
Brad Keller (KC, 9-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 96/50 K/BB)
Ryan Yarbrough (TB, 16-6, 3.91 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 128/50 K/BB)
Jaime Barria (LAA, 10-9, 3.41 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 98/47 K/BB)
Willy Adames (TB, 10 HR, .278/.348/.406, 6 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR)

National League Rookie of the Year
Winner: Ronald Acuna (Atlanta Braves)
Stats: 26 HR, .293/.366/.552, 16 SB, 143 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR in 111 games
This was a difficult decision because Ronald Acuna and Juan Soto had virtually identical seasons, with their OPS's (Acuna .917/Soto .923), wOBA's (.388/.392), and fWAR's (3.7/3.7) knotting them together. While they were essentially equal offensively (Acuna has the upper hand in power, Soto in on-base percentage/plate discipline), Acuna was the better defender. Fangraphs didn't like his defense, but Statcast gave him five outs above average to Soto's four below average. Add in his 16 stolen bases, and I think Acuna has just enough to beat Soto by a hair. The 20 year old finished his rookie year slashing .293/.366/.552 with 26 home runs and 16 stolen bases, heating up as the season went on and slashing .322/.403/.625 with 19 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 68 games after the All Star Break. In fact, in August, he slashed .336/.405/.698 with eleven home runs and six stolen bases in 30 games, a pace that would give him nearly 60 home runs and over 30 stolen bases over a full season. Regardless of where he stands with regard to Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna had a fantastic rookie year.

Runner-Up: Juan Soto (Washington Nationals)
Stats: 22 HR, .292/.406/.517, 5 SB, 145 wRC+, 3.7 fWAR in 116 games
As you can see from the stat line, Juan Soto had a very, very similar season to Acuna. While I think Acuna beats him by a hair, I want to go over just how incredible the year was. Soto missed all but 32 games of the 2017 season with injuries, then turned 19 that October. Since he had only played 29 games above complex league baseball (the lowest level of the minors), it made sense to start him at Class A Hagerstown and let him work his way up. 16 games and a .373/.486/.814 slash line later, he was at High A Potomac, where he slashed .371/.466/.790 over 15 games. Up at AA Harrisburg, a feat in and of itself considering his situation, he slashed .323/.400/.581 over eight games and found himself in the majors by May. In the majors, he still didn't stop mashing, slashing .292/.406/.517 with 22 home runs over 116 games. Perhaps even more incredible than the production was the plate discipline he showed, as evidenced by a 99/79 strikeout to walk ratio (20% to 16%). In fact, his 21.9% swing rate on pitches outside the zone was 14th best in baseball among players with at least 450 plate appearances, which is pretty cool in its own right but downright incredible when you consider he's a teenager who began the season in Class A. In the box, he looked as poised and professional as anyone on the field, though his defense and base running could definitely use some work.

Honorable Mention: Walker Buehler (Los Angeles Dodgers)
Stats: 8-5, 2.62 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 151/37 K/BB, 137.1 IP in 24 games (23 starts)
Walker Buehler was about as good as rookie pitchers get. Over 24 games (23 starts), he posted a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP while striking out 151 and walking just 37 over 137.1 innings, good for a 27.9% strikeout rate and just a 6.8% walk rate. Component ratios like that tend to be sustainable, and while he wasn't Corey Seager or Cody Bellinger this year, Buehler is yet another great Dodger rookie. While he did have a tendency to get blown up from time to time, allowing at least four earned runs in five separate games, he closed the season on absolute lockdown mode, going 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP, and an 87/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 75.1 innings from July 31st onwards. He held the Padres hitless for six innings on May 4th and limited the Cardinals to just four baserunners over eight shutout innings on September 14th, striking out nine in the process.

Others
Harrison Bader (STL, 12 HR, .264/.334/.422, 15 SB, 106 wRC+, 3.5 fWAR)
Jack Flaherty (STL, 8-9, 3.34 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 182/59 K/BB)
Brian Anderson (MIA, 11 HR, .273/.357/.400, 2 SB, 113 wRC+, 3.4 fWAR)
Dereck Rodriguez (6-4, 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 89/36 K/BB)
Joey Lucchesi (SD, 8-9, 4.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 145/43 K/BB)

American League Manager of the Year
Winner: Kevin Cash (Tampa Bay Rays)
Record: 90-72, .556 WPCT (3rd in AL East), 10 game improvement over 2017
I don't think anybody expected the Rays to win 90 games in the stacked AL East this year, but they did just that in Kevin Cash's first year as manager. The team won not by hitting for power (.406 slugging percentage was 17th in baseball), but by getting on base (.333 on-base percentage was third best) and by mixing up their pitching staff. They did so by famously employing the opener, starting many games with a reliever to get the opposing team's best hitters out before going to a starter for the longer run. The results were great; their 90 ERA- beat last year's 94 ERA- and was far better than 2016's 102 ERA-, and they got these results without burning anybody out. In fact, only two pitchers (Blake Snell and Ryan Yarbrough) threw more than 100 innings, and no true reliever threw more than 70 innings. Instead, ten different pitchers threw between 50 and 70 innings as the workload was evenly balanced out, and almost all were effective with only one posting an ERA above 4.65 (Jacob Faria at 5.40). Cash pioneered a change in baseball that I think will have a lasting impact on how teams try to win.

Runner-Up: Bob Melvin (Oakland Athletics)
Record: 97-65, .599 WPCT (2nd in AL West), 22 game improvement over 2017
While I stand by giving the award to Kevin Cash, Bob Melvin did a fantastic job in helping his team improve 22 games, going from last in the AL West to a Wild Card spot. The A's put up the fourth highest slugging percentage in the majors (.439) on the backs of Khris Davis (.549), Matt Chapman (.508), and Stephen Piscotty (.491). Melvin was able to bring out the best in his offense, and it paid dividends. On the pitching side, he also experimented (to a lesser extent) with the opener, and his team's 92 ERA- was significantly better than 2017's 109.

Honorable Mention: Scott Servais (Seattle Mariners)
Record: 89-73, .549 WPCT (3rd in AL West), 11 game improvement over 2017
Based on the fact that they scored 34 fewer runs than their opponents in 2018, the Mariners significantly over-performed on their win-loss record mostly due to their 36-21 record in one run games and 14-1 record in extra innings games. While that doesn't bode well for future, sustained success in Seattle, I think it reflects well on Servais's ability to manage in close games. I also think the 89 wins is pretty impressive for a team where, frankly, I don't think there was too much talent.

Others
Aaron Boone (NYY, 100-62)
Alex Cora (BOS, 108-54)

National League Manager of the Year
Winner: Brian Snitker (Atlanta Braves)
Record: 90-72, .556 WPCT (1st in NL East), 18 game improvement over 2017
Brian Snitker took a very young team coming off a 72-90 record and reversed it straight up to a 90-72 record. How young were the Braves? Touki Toussaint, who turned 22 in June, was the sixth youngest player to appear for the Braves this year, with four players being born in 1997. To be able to take a team that young and get this much success out of them is extremely impressive. Next year, I think the Braves will be even better.

Runner-Up: Craig Counsell (Milwaukee Brewers)
Record: 96-67, .589 WPCT (1st in NL Central), 9.5 game improvement over 2017
Craig Counsell was dealt an interesting hand, with baseball's deepest outfield and an infield that seemed somewhat mismatched. However, he handled it seemingly with ease, shuffling around his position players to get the right guys playing time while maintaining production. His team got hot at just the right time, winning their last eight games (including game 163) to win the NL Central. I think you could make a strong case for Counsell as the NL Manager of the Year.

Honorable Mention: Bud Black (Colorado Rockies)
Record: 91-72, .558 WPCT (2nd in NL West), 3.5 game improvement over 2017
Bud Black has done a great job turning Colorado into a pitching-oriented team, helping facilitate the rise of Kyle Freeland, German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela, Tyler Anderson, Scott Oberg, and more. I really don't think the Rockies' roster is *that* good, so to be able to squeeze so many wins out of a team with no offense and very young pitchers stuck pitching half their games in pitchers' hell is very impressive. If Rockies management ever got Black some hitters outside of Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, and Trevor Story, this could be a very good team going forward.

Others
Dave Roberts (LAD, 92-71)
Joe Maddon (CHC, 95-68)

American League Reliever of the Year
Winner: Blake Treinen (Oakland Athletics)
Stats: 0.78 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 38 SV, 100/21 K/BB, 80.1 IP in 68 appearances
Blake Treinen completely turned his career around when he was traded from Washington to Oakland in 2017. With a 5.73 ERA and an 18.9% strikeout rate pre-trade and a 2.13 ERA and a 26.9% strikeout rate post trade, he successfully made the long-awaited transition from thrower to pitcher. This year, he was off the charts: 0.78 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and a 100/21 strikeout to walk ratio in 80.1 innings. He struck out 31.7% of those that he faced while walking just 6.7%, and he allowed just one earned run after July 21st. In fact, in those final 30.1 innings, he had a 0.30 ERA, a 0.56 WHIP, and a 36/3 strikeout to walk ratio. That's a 32.7% strikeout rate and a 2.7% walk rate if you're keeping track at home. 98 mile per hour diving two seamers will do that.

Runner-Up: Edwin Diaz (Seattle Mariners)
Stats: 1.96 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 57 SV, 124/17 K/BB, 73.1 IP in 73 appearances
Edwin Diaz finished with the second most saves (57) ever for a single season, but that's not why he ranked second on this list because personally, I don't care. What's more astounding is Diaz's 124/17 strikeout to walk ratio, which translates to a 44.3% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate. Imagine for every time you go through the lineup, four of the nine hitters strike out. That was what facing Diaz was like this season, with the 44.3% rate leading the American League this year (min. 50 IP).

Others
Jose LeClerc (TEX, 1.56 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 85/25 K/BB, 57.2 IP)
Collin McHugh (HOU, 1.99 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 94/21 K/BB, 72.1 IP)
Chad Green (NYY, 2.50 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 94/15 K/BB, 75.2 IP)

National League Reliever of the Year
Winner: Josh Hader (Milwaukee Brewers)
Stats: 2.43 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 12 SV, 143/30 K/BB, 81.1 IP in 55 appearances
I find it just a but counter-intuitive to give this award to a pitcher with a 2.43 ERA, but Josh Hader was so good in every other facet of pitching that it had to go to him. While his ERA was a bit elevated in the realm of elite relievers, his 143/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 81.1 innings was absolutely incredible. His 46.7% strikeout rate (nearly half) not only led all of baseball (min. 50 IP), it was the fourth highest strikeout rate ever, behind only 2014 Aroldis Chapman (52.5%), 2012 Craig Kimbrel (50.2%), and 2017 Kimbrel (49.6%). In addition, by only allowing 36 hits and 30 walks, his WHIP was just 0.81. On April 30th, he had perhaps his best game of the season, striking out eight of the nine batters he faced (including Joey Votto), walking the other batter.

Runner-Up: Jeremy Jeffress (Milwaukee Brewers)
Stats: 1.29 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 15 SV, 89/27 K/BB, 76.2 IP in 73 appearances
The Brewers' bullpen was pretty good, wasn't it? Jeremy Jeffress bounced back from a down 2017 (4.68 ERA, 51/34 K/BB) to post his best season this year, finishing with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. His 89/27 strikeout to walk ratio led to a 29.8% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate, but by keeping the hits from falling and especially limiting extra base hits (just 12 allowed all year), Jeffress kept the damage to a minimum even in the worst case scenarios, never allowing more than two runs in any of his 73 appearances. He even had a stretch from April 9th to May 27th in which he tossed 22.2 shutout innings on five hits, six walks, and 21 strikeouts for a 0.49 WHIP.

Others
Adam Ottavino (COL, 2.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 112/36 K/BB, 77.2 IP)
Kirby Yates (SD, 2.14 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 90/17 K/BB, 63 IP)
Sean Doolittle (WSH, 1.60 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 60/6 K/BB, 45 IP)

2018 Dugout Edge Regular Season Awards: MVP's and Cy Youngs

These awards are based on how I would assign them, not on how I believe they will end up. Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and Reliever of the Year will follow

American League MVP
Winner: Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox)
Stats: 32 HR, .346/.438/.640, 30 SB, 185 wRC+, 10.4 fWAR in 136 games
This award is so, so close with Mike Trout and I want so, so badly to give it to him, but I think Mookie Betts has Trout by just a hair. While Trout has the higher on-base percentage (.460 to .438), Betts has the higher slugging percentage (.640 to .628), leading to very similar wOBA's of .449 for Betts and .447 for Trout. Adding in park factors, Trout's 191 wRC+ tops Betts' 185, though Betts' stronger defense helps him win the fWAR battle 10.4 to 9.8. To help confirm the defensive edge for Betts, he recorded ten outs above average (Statcast) to Trout's eight. And, though I don't believe in using team winning percentage to qualify an MVP, it can help be a tiebreaker (but only in absolute ties), and Betts wins there. Again, as much as Trout deserves more MVP awards and as much as I want to give it to him, Betts was just a hair better. Now, to focus on Betts, his season was absolutely phenomenal. With a .346/.438/.640 slash line as well as 30 stolen bases and ten outs above average, he showed not only skill but exceptional proficiency in all facets of the game: power, on-base ability, speed, and defense. Meanwhile, his 14.8% strikeout rate was fairly low for today's standards, especially for a power hitter, and he established himself as arguably the second best player in the game after Trout. His 13.2% walk rate was also a career high. Betts lead the American League in runs (129), batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.640), extra base hits (84), wOBA (.449), and fWAR (10.4) while finishing second in doubles (47), on-base percentage (.438), OPS (1.078), and wRC+ (185). This was mostly possible due to an exceptionally hot stretch from April 1st to May 25th in which he slashed .372/.446/.793 with 17 home runs and a 23/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 44 games. That included his best game of the season on April 17th when he homered three times and walked twice in five trips to the plate in the Red Sox 10-1 win over the Angels, including leading off the game with a home run off Shohei Ohtani.

Runner-Up: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels)
Stats: 39 HR, .312/.460/.628, 24 SB, 191 wRC+, 9.8 fWAR in 140 games
Another year, another exceptional season from Trout. In fact, his 191 wRC+ and .447 wOBA set career highs in what has likely been his best offensive season ever. This is why it is so difficult for me not to give Trout the MVP award, and it reflects more on Mookie's incredible season than any shortcomings whatsoever for Trout, and Trout remains the best player in the league by far. In 2018, he led the American League in wRC+ (191), walks (122), on-base percentage (.460), and OPS (1.088) while finishing second in wOBA (.447) and fWAR (9.8) and fourth in home runs (39) and batting average (.312). He also added eight outs above average and stole 24 bases, showing, like Betts, the ability to change the game in every facet. He continued his career trend of being completely allergic to slumps, posting an OPS of at least 1.045 in all five full months that he was healthy (.867 in three March games and .873 when missing all but eight August games to injury). He was unstoppable at home (.296/.469/.583) and on the road (.328/.450/.672), against lefties (.292/.452/.540) and righties (.318/.462/.656), and before (.310/.454/.606) and after (.316/.472/.684) the All Star Break. Of note is an eight game stretch in June where he knocked four home runs and slashed .696/.771/1.261 against Seattle, Oakland, and Arizona. He also had his best game of the season on September 8th, when he punished the White Sox by swatting three singles and two home runs as part of a 5-5 performance in the Angels' 12-3 win.

Honorable Mention: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Indians)
Stats: 39 HR, .270/.387/.552, 34 SB, 147 wRC+, 8.1 fWAR in 157 games
As with Trout and Betts, the race for third place is exceptionally close between Jose Ramirez and Alex Bregman, though I think Ramirez wins by a hair. He didn't league the league in anything, but he finished in the top five in walks (106), fWAR (8.1) stolen bases (34), home runs (39), runs scored (110), RBI (105), slugging percentage (.552), OPS (.939), total bases (319), on-base percentage (.387), extra base hits (81), wRC+ (147), and wOBA (.393). While his .270 batting average hampered his real stats enough that he doesn't quite factor into the MVP conversation, his power/patience/speed combination was among the best in baseball. In fact, he was the first player to hit 30 home runs, steal 30 bases, and draw 100 walks in a season since Bobby Abreu way back in 2004 (though Mike Trout came three home runs away in 2013 and one home run away in 2016). He was fantastic and on pace with Trout and Betts in the first half (.302/.401/.628, 29 HR), but a second half slump (.218/.366/.427, 10 HR) dropped him out of the MVP race.

Others
Alex Bregman (HOU, 31 HR, .286/.394/.532, 10 SB, 157 wRC+, 7.6 fWAR)
J.D. Martinez (BOS, 43 HR, .330/.402/.629, 6 SB, 170 wRC+, 5.9 fWAR)
Francisco Lindor (CLE, 38 HR, .277/.352/.519, 25 SB, 130 wRC+, 7.6 fWAR)
Justin Verlander (HOU, 16-9, 2.52 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 290/37 K/BB, 214 IP)
Blake Snell (TB, 21-5, 1.89 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 221/64 K/BB, 180.2 IP)

National League MVP
Winner: Jacob deGrom (New York Mets)
Stats: 10-9, 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 269/46 K/BB, 217 IP in 32 starts
Again, while this wasn't as close as the AL MVP race, choosing a pitcher, in this case Jacob deGrom, ahead of a hitter, in this case Christian Yelich, is always difficult. Not only are comparisons difficult, but it's hard to get over the stigma that the MVP award ~should~ go to a position player. That said, while Yelich had a great season, deGrom was exceptional. In 31 of his 32 starts, he allowed no more than three runs (earned or unearned), and he allowed just four in that one other start. That means that deGrom gave his team the chance to win, without exception, in every single one of his 32 starts. Of course, the Mets' offense and bullpen had other ideas, but that's not deGrom's fault. Yelich was pretty great, but while his season was more in line with typical top-of-the-league production (i.e. typical MVP candidate), deGrom put up one of the finest pitching seasons in recent memory, and that's why I chose him over Yelich. I'll write more in the Cy Young section.

Runner-Up: Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers)
Stats: 36 HR, .326/.402/.598, 22 SB, 166 wRC+, 7.6 fWAR in 147 games
In terms of the best position player, Christian Yelich is a fairly easy pick. He led the National League in fWAR (7.6), wRC+ (166), wOBA (.422), batting average (.326), slugging percentage (.598), and total bases (343). With four outs above average in the outfield, he proved to be a positive contributor on defense as well, helping him check all the boxes between power, on-base ability, speed, and defense. Unlike Betts and Trout, who were consistent contributors throughout the season, Yelich was pretty good before the All Star Break (.292/.364/.459, 11 HR) before catching fire for the entire second half of the season. In 65 games post-break, he knocked 25 home runs and slashed .367/.449/.770, with the batting average, slugging percentage, and 1.219 OPS leading all major leaguers after the break. His second half run helped spur the Brewers on a furious chase for the NL Central crown, which they ultimately won in Game 163 as Yelich knocked three hits and stole a base. Yelich also became the first player since Aaron Hill in 2012 and just the fifth ever with two cycles in the same season, with his first cycle on August 29th being his best game of the season: 6-6, three singles, double, triple, home run, three RBI, two runs scored in Brewers' 13-12, extra inning win over the Reds.

Honorable Mention: Javier Baez (Chicago Cubs)
Stats: 34 HR, .290/.326/.554, 21 SB, 131 wRC+, 5.3 fWAR in 160 games
This number three spot was really difficult to choose from, with Javier Baez, Anthony Rendon, and Nolan Arenado all coming very close. In fact, Rendon and Arenado put up virtually identical seasons when taking ballpark into context. Even though Baez's 5.3 fWAR was lower than both Rendon's 6.3 and Arenado's 5.7, I have to go with Baez. The .326 on-base percentage is low, in most cases too low to be considered the third most valuable player in the league and second most valuable position player, but everything else about his game was top notch. He slugged 34 home runs for a very good .554 slugging percentage, stole 21 bases, played great defense, and provided a spark for his team every time he touched the ball. It's that last part that makes me look past the fWAR and let Baez rank ahead of Rendon and Arenado, because Baez made his teammates better and because he simply makes baseball fun. It's good for the Cubs' brand, and while branding shouldn't play a significant role in selecting MVP candidates, it's a nice tiebreaker. It's also cool that his first half (.292/.326/.566) and second half (.289/.326/.540) were virtually identical, which is not common for a player who strikes out as much as Baez does.

Others
Anthony Rendon (WSH, 24 HR, .308/.374/.535, 140 wRC+, 6.3 fWAR)
Nolan Arenado (COL, 38 HR, .297/.374/.561, 132 wRC+, 5.7 fWAR)
Paul Goldschmidt (ARI, 33 HR, .290/.389/.533, 144 wRC+, 5.1 fWAR)
Max Scherzer (WSH, 18-7, 2.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 300/51 K/BB, 220.2 IP)
Aaron Nola (PHI, 17-6, 2.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 224/58 K/BB, 212.1 IP)

American League Cy Young
Winner: Justin Verlander (Houston Astros)
Stats: 16-9, 2.52 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 290/37 K/BB, 214 IP in 34 starts
We're over a year past the trade that sent Justin Verlander from Detroit to Houston, yet it still feels weird to write "Houston Astros" next to his name. Anyways, Verlander's 2.52 ERA may have been the third best in the American League (fourth if you include Chris Sale, who just missed qualifying for the ERA title), but his season was truly remarkable if you look a little bit deeper. Among qualifiers (sorry Chris Sale), he led the AL in games started (34), strikeouts (290), WHIP (0.90), opponents' on base percentage (.242), strikeouts per walk (7.84), and strikeout rate (34.8%) while finishing second in innings (214) and third in ERA (2.52) and walk rate (4.4%). While Blake Snell's ERA is significantly better, Verlander threw far more innings, kept more runners off base, and did so while working with a somewhat less effective defense behind him. Verlander's season itself was fairly streaky, as he began the season on a mad run that saw him with a 7-2 record, a 1.11 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP, and a 98/15 strikeout to walk ratio at the end of May. However, from the start of June through the end of August, he went 6-7 with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, though his K/BB was an excellent 142/17 over 99.2 innings in that stretch. He then closed the season with a 1.09 ERA, a 0.64 WHIP, and a 50/5 strikeout to walk ratio in September. I chalk it up to BABIP (luck): his opponents' BABIP was .210 in that first stretch, .249 in the second, and .238 in the third. His best start came on May 2nd, when he kept the Yankees off the board for eight shutout innings, allowing three hits, no walks, and one hit batsmen while striking out 14.

Runner-Up: Blake Snell (Tampa Bay Rays)
Stats: 21-5, 1.89 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 221/64 K/BB, 180.2 IP in 31 starts
On the surface, Blake Snell's numbers look better than Verlander's. I don't care that he won more games, but the ERA is significantly lower (with RA9's checking out similarly between Snell's 2.04 and Verlander's 2.65) is certainly a factor. However, as I explained with Verlander, Snell threw 33.1 fewer innings over three fewer starts, which in and of itself is not a deal breaker, but he also allowed more baserunners (0.97 WHIP to Verlander's 0.90) due to a 9.1% walk rate that was more than double Verlander's 4.4%. His 31.6% strikeout rate was also slightly lower than Verlander's 34.8%, and he had the benefit of slightly better defense behind him. Snell got better and better as the season went on, because as of May 13th, he was 4-3 with a 3.12 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and a 53/16 strikeout to walk ratio. However, he turned his season from a good one to a great one right there, going 17-2 with a 1.37 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP, and a 168/48 strikeout to walk ratio over 131.2 innings. After the All Star Break, he never allowed more than two runs (earned or unearned) in any single start, his 1.17 ERA and 0.79 WHIP both leading the majors. Overall, that helped him lead the AL in ERA (1.89) and opponents' OPS (.554).

Honorable Mention: Chris Sale (Boston Red Sox)
Stats: 12-4, 2.11 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 237/34 K/BB, 158 IP in 27 starts
Further down the workload chain is Chris Sale, who missed qualifying for the ERA leaderboards by just four innings due to a shoulder injury that limited him to just 17 innings in August and September combined. However, if he did qualify, he would have led the league in WHIP (0.86), opponents' OPS (.532), and strikeout rate (38.4%). Even with that massive strikeout rate, he was able to keep his walk rate down at a very reasonable 5.5%, well below Snell's 9.1%. He is the kind of pitcher where on his best days, he's unhittable, and I'd wager that Sale's best is better than anyone else's best. From June 24th to September 16th, he had the best nine start stretch of any pitcher this season: 6-0, 0.19 ERA, 0.63 WHIP, 82/6 K/BB in 48 innings.

Others
Corey Kluber (CLE, 20-7, 2.89 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 222/34 K/BB)
Gerrit Cole (HOU, 15-5, 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 276/64 K/BB)
Trevor Bauer (CLE, 12-6, 2.21 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 221/57 K/BB)
Blake Treinen (OAK, 9-2, 0.78 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 100/21 K/BB)
Mike Clevinger (CLE, 13-8, 3.02 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 207/67 K/BB)

National Leauge Cy Young
Winner: Jacob deGrom (New York Mets)
Stats: 10-9, 1.70 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 269/46 K/BB, 217 IP in 32 starts
I wrote a bit about Jacob deGrom in the MVP section, but I'll expand a bit here. Not only does deGrom deserve this award, but he deserves to be unanimous. It's not even close. The major league ERA leader was untouchable in his 32 starts, allowing three or fewer runs in all but one and allowing just four runs in the other start. In no individual month was his ERA above 2.36, and he never posted a WHIP above 1.07. Literally every time he took the mound, he put the Mets in a position to win. He wasn't streaky and he didn't get blown up from time to time and make up for it with gems. He simply dominated from his first start (5.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 K vs Cardinals) to his last start (8 IP, 0 ER, 10 K vs Braves). Through it all, opponents slashed just .196/.244/.277, their .521 OPS coming out to the MLB's lowest since Zack Greinke and Jake Arrieta both allowed a .507 OPS in 2015. This wasn't just the best year by any pitcher this year, but I'd wager it was the best since 2015's Greinke (1.66 ERA, 200/40 K/BB) and Arrieta (1.77 ERA, 236/48 K/BB.

Runner-Up: Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals)
Stats: 18-7, 2.53 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 300/51 K/BB, 220.2 IP in 33 starts
Max Scherzer may have had the third best ERA in the National League, but his 0.91 WHIP, 300 strikeouts, 34.6% strikeout rate, and 220.2 innings pitched all led the league. It may have actually been the best year of his Hall of Fame career, yet deGrom was so good that he finishes second here and it's not really that close. He did seem to slide just a bit as the season progressed, beginning with a 1.62 ERA in March/April, a 2.21 ERA in May, 2.31 in June, 3.18 in July, 1.89 in August, and a 4.24 ERA in September. His best start of the season came on April 9th, when he tossed a complete game shutout against the Braves while allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out ten. Overall, opponents slashed just .188/.247/.332 against Scherzer, hitting for some moderate power but otherwise struggling to get on base.

Honorable Mention: Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies)
Stats: 17-6, 2.37 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 224/58 K/BB, 212.1 IP in 33 starts
From the start of September, we knew that it was going to be a three horse race for the NL Cy Young Award between deGrom, Scherzer, and Aaron Nola. Nola comes out in third place here, but not by much. His 2.37 ERA beat Scherzer's 2.53 despite poor defense behind him, and by throwing 212.1 innings, his workload was in the same ballpark as deGrom's 217 innings and Scherzer's 220.2. However, his 224/58 K/BB, which is still great, falls behind deGrom's 269/46 and Scherzer's 300/51. Interestingly, Nola only had five scoreless starts all season, instead relying on consistency and never allowing more than four runs, earned or unearned, in a single start. He was like deGrom in that sense, only not as good, in giving the Phillies the chance to win every single time he took the mound. His best start came on July 9th against the Mets, where he tossed seven shutout innings on one hit, one walk, and ten strikeouts in New York.

Others:
Kyle Freeland (COL, 17-7, 2.85 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 173/70 K/BB)
Miles Mikolas (STL, 18-4, 2.83 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 146/29 K/BB)
Patrick Corbin (ARI, 11-7, 3.15 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 246/48 K/BB)
Mike Foltynewicz (ATL, 13-10, 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 202/68 K/BB)
Zack Greinke (ARI, 15-11, 3.21 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 199/43 K/BB)