5. Sonny Gray
The Oakland A’s rotation took a big blow when Jarrod Parker went down with an elbow injury in spring and eventually needed Tommy John surgery. Now, another A’s starter, A.J. Griffin has also gone down the same road as Parker with an elbow injury. After these injuries, Sonny Gray has been just what the A’s need. Gray has taken the role of staff ace and is currently the best starting pitcher on his team. He currently owns a 4-1 record with a 1.76 ERA and doesn’t seem to be slowing down as he has great pitches.
4. Aaron Harang
Nobody, not even the most optimistic fan, believed that Aaron Harang would produce the way he has until now. The Braves rotation, which also suffered injuries, went out late in the spring to sign veteran starter Harang to a one-year deal. Harang apparently was going to be thrown out every fifth day to pitch until Mike Minor was healthy to pitch, but Harang has been incredible in his first five starts and doesn’t appear to be leaving the rotation anytime soon. Harang currently leads the league in ERA (0.85) and has a 3-1 record.
3. Jose Fernandez
The Cuban import has started this season where he left off last year and hasn’t shown any signs of a sophomore slump. Jose is a pitcher that will make the Miami Marlins much more consistent and should be able to help improve the team’s record this season. The Marlins have also seen an increase in their home field attendance whenever Jose Fernandez starts. Fernandez looks like the real deal as he continues to impress with his high 90’s fastball and his breaking ball which he nicknames “the defector”, the best breaking ball in the league right now. Fernandez has a 4-1 record with a 1.59 ERA and leads the league with 55 strikeouts.
2. Johnny Cueto
Cueto went through some tough times as he pitched with nagging injuries and even thought about changing his delivery to the plate. Those problems seem to be a thing of the past now. Cueto looks more like the Cueto of 2012, who won 19 games and finished 4th in the NL Cy Young voting. If Johnny Cueto can stay healthy, look for him to have a similar year as he did two years ago. Cueto’s record is a bit deceiving only at 2-2, but he is 2nd in the league in ERA (1.15) and WHIP (0.77).
1. Adam Wainwright
The only reason why Wainwright gets the first nod over Cueto is because he has been a more proven pitcher recently and he fits the definition of an ace more than Cueto. The numbers between both Wainwright and Cueto are very similar, but Wainwright currently leads the league with 5 wins, has a 1.20 ERA and has pitched 45 innings (second behind Cueto’s 47 IP). If I had to choose a pitcher to win the most important game of a season right now, Wainwright would be that starter.
