Introduction: 

It took years and years of hard work. It was their drive, ambition, and belief in themselves. The Best of the Best. Continuing their level of success is just as difficult, if not more. Making any professional sports league is incredibly difficult, and few out of the cluster emerge to the highest level of professional baseball. For Major League Baseball players, nothing has come easy. Some have more connections or opportunities than others, but the system filters the great from the good. This piece is designed to identify the best traits in the MLB and will co-examine what separates the elite from the average MLB player through condensed statistical analysis and player evaluation.

Guidelines:

Filtering pitchers from hitters was the main component of this project. WAR (Wins above Replacement) and other analytical methods may compare players on the same scale, but it is best to separate and conquer. Players are comparable to those who do similar tasks. Pitching and hitting are complete opposites with ability and skill, so people should treat them differently. For those who intend on ranking pitchers to hitters, that is the purpose of the overall top ten list. When dissecting the great players, the tiniest criticism is their main criticism. None of their weaknesses mean they are not successful players- they comprise the best professional baseball league and amongst the best in the world- but used as a means of rank and separation from others. Relief pitchers were their own category since they operate in much smaller sample sizes, and it is not right to compare them to starting pitchers. 

Why some statistics were taken off: 

Appealing to fans of new and old was a challenge. Traditional and non-traditional statistics are included, with some omitted due to being included in the calculations of others. For example, pitchers’ innings totals are a statistic, but strikeouts are not necessary if K/9 is available, making strikeouts redundant. In some cases, statistics (2B, 3B, HR for position players) and (W/L, GS, CG, etc. for pitchers) help explain the story of a general statistic. Therefore, this project aims to allow statistics to speak for themselves, with added analysis to explain the reasoning between putting the players in their respective ranks. If a player sustained an injury in 2021, their last full season (most likely 2019), statistics were used.

Notable Omissions

1. Lucas Giolito

Elite Skills: Giolito changed his arm slot shortly after his trade to the White Sox and has been a consistent top-line pitcher. His changeup is tremendous and sinks just as the hitter begins to pick it up. His top-of-the-order presence is sure to erupt in future seasons of top-shelf pitching.

Omitted Reason: While the best pitcher on the White Sox and sure to be a consistent Cy Young talent, Giolito faded at times in 2021.

2. Joe Musgrove

Elite Skills: Musgrove showcased his long-teased potential with a strong 2021 season. He may not be the hardest thrower, but the man knows how to pitch and has always been a terrific strikeout pitcher.

Omitted Reason: An abundance of high-profile starting pitchers put Musgrove as a last-minute omission. He needs another season of success to cement his status as an elite pitcher.

3. Anthony DeSclafani

Elite Skills: A sinker-slider pitcher, DeSclafani was found to be a perfect addition to the Giants rotation and contributed to their division win over the Dodgers. He showed potential with Cincinnati, and the Giants banked on that promise.

Omitted Reason: Like Musgrove, DeSclafani needs another season of success before people can confirm his status as a top pitcher. Playing in a pitcher-friendly setting in Oracle Park, DeSclafani has every reason to continue his success.

4. Adam Wainwright

Elite Skills: A looping curveball never fails for the Cardinals righty. Even though he consistently sits around 90 MPH, Wainwright’s effectiveness remained even though the league prioritizes hot arms.

Omitted Reason: It is legitimate to question whether a player of Wainwright’s age (40 years old) will last over a full season. From a talent perspective, it is still there as of now. Durability is a concern for a pitcher with over 2,000 innings.

5. Justin Verlander

Elite Skills: The future Hall of Fame pitcher may need a few more seasons for the media to come around on his legacy. His ability to pick up velocity and spin during a game is one of the best traits in the league.

Omitted Reason: JV is a top 10 pitcher when healthy, but he last pitched 25+ games in 2019. His career is not over but whether he remains a top-tier pitcher remains to be seen after his absence.

15 through 11

15. Marcus Stroman

Elite Skills: Marcus Stroman is a terrific talent that relies on sinker action and a wipeout slider. He was the only durable and consistent pitcher for the Mets in 2021 and took his talent to the North Side of Chicago.

Rank Reason: Stroman’s career is up and down; his stuff is ace-caliber at times, and for others, he is a middle-of-the-rotation starter. He needs to continue to prove 2018, his worst year, was a fluke.

14. Lance McCullers Jr.

Elite Skills: McCullers is Houston’s ace and boasts one of the best curveballs in MLB. With a 95+ MPH fastball and an assortment of dirty breaking pitches, Lance is a tremendous pitcher and one of the best in the league.

Rank Reason: McCullers pitched less than 170 innings, albeit with a high strikeout rate. Injuries are a concern at times for the Astros righty and must answer durability questions in the future.

13. Max Fried

Elite Skills: Fried is one of the best lefties in the game and manned the Braves World Series rotation. With a terrific fastball and a slider many fail to hit, Fried is an elite pitcher.

Rank Reason: Akin to McCullers Jr., Fried had some injury concerns throughout 2021 but was healthy in the playoffs. If his strikeout numbers improve marginally, the Braves ace could slide up.

12. Julio Urias

Elite Skills: For years, he was considered the Dodgers' top prospect and was used in different roles before moving to a starting capacity in 2020. Urias impressed others in 2021, his first complete season as a starter, and proved that he was an ace.

Rank Reason: Urias needs to replicate his skills again over another season for his spot to be upgraded.

11. Gerrit Cole

Elite Skills: Not considered the best pitcher in New York, Cole still has elite stuff but had ups and downs throughout the 2021 season. Velocity is his game and continuously overpowers opponents.

Rank Reason: The Yankees' best pitcher, who is almost certainly not worth his mega-contract, Cole has a lot left to prove in his tenure with the Yankees. Until he obtains a Cy Young, Yankee fans have every reason to criticize Cole.

10 through 6

10. Sandy Alcantara

Elite Skills: The best player in Miami, Alcantara is a young and cost-controlled ace. Owning an electric fastball, he strikes fear in the eyes of hitters.

Rank Reason: There is room for growth with Alcantara, and he should continue to develop into the top-of-the-line starter many imagine him to be. While the future of the Marlins is uncertain, Alcantara’s ability is undoubted.

9. Kevin Gausman

Elite Skills: Not your typical sinker slider pitcher, with a dropping splitter that Gausman throws at any time. His splitter may be the best in the game, and not many starting pitchers utilize the pitch.

Rank Reason: Gausman has only recently come into his own, failing to achieve his potential in Baltimore and Atlanta until middling results in Cincinnati. It was not until his time in San Francisco that KG proved he was one of the best in the game and must maintain his stellar production.

8. Shohei Ohtani

Elite Skills: With the velocity of a speedster and a knack for racking up strikeouts, Shohei put all of his talents together into a season of offensive and pitching success after a few seasons of showcasing his unlimited potential.

Rank Reason: While he may have been consistent during the season health-wise, hitters shelled the hybrid pitcher-hitter at times. Another season would expunge his case as one of the best pitchers in MLB.

7. Walker Buehler

Elite Skills: Buehler, Buehler, Buehler. The Dodgers' homegrown talent never fails to exceed expectations, and Buehler is the poster boy for their youth movement amid superstar additions. Buehler is one of the game's best pitchers and is arguably the most talented pitcher on the Dodgers.

Rank Reason: Buehler has been a consistent dominant pitcher since 2018 and will win a Cy Young in the coming years. However, his strikeout rate is the lowest among the first eight pitchers on the list.

6. Brandon Woodruff

Elite Skills: Woodruff may have one of the best sliders in MLB and broke out in 2020. He may be in contention for future Cy Youngs if he maintains his stupendous numbers in the NL, but unfortunately, he can be overshadowed at times by his teammate Corbin Burnes.

Rank Reason: 2021 was a successful year for Woodruff, but it was the only season of his career in which he started more than 22 games. Continuing success is just as difficult as getting to this point.

5 through 1

5. Robbie Ray

Elite Skills: Ray’s MLB career is up and down, with multiple seasons around a 4.00 ERA or higher. With leading the league in strikeouts in 2021, Ray deserves to be at least top five on the list.

Rank Reason: Robbie Ray needs to prove he is more than a Jekyll and Hyde project that has the potential to win a Cy Young or give up a multitude of runs each year. For now, it is perfectly reasonable to be cautious of Ray’s history, given his up and down career.

4. Zack Wheeler

Elite Skills: During his time in Philadelphia, Wheeler has blossomed into the frontline starter many thought he would become. The Phillies' best pitcher overpowers hitters with a 95+ MPH fastball and wicked slider. If the ace keeps up his stellar production, he could be in line to receive a Cy Young Award.

Rank Reason: Wheeler has evolved into the pitcher he is now. As this is only his first season of pitching at an elite level, it happens that his best year is amongst the league’s best.

3. Corbin Burnes

Elite Skills: Corbin Burnes has the best cutter in MLB and featured the best strikeout rate in the big leagues. Burnes is the de facto ace in a super-rotation.

Rank Reason: Given this is only his second season playing at a high tier, Burnes still has a lot to prove. With his cutter, the sky is the limit for Burnes.

2. Jacob DeGrom

Elite Skills: DeGoat has the best overall stuff of any MLB pitcher. He accumulates strikeouts at a top rate and is the definition of a pitcher no-hitter wants to face.

Rank Reason: Jacob DeGrom would be first on this list if not for his arm discomfort, which cost the Mets ace around 15 starts. For now, his teammate gets the nod as the best pitcher in the Major Leagues.

1. Max Scherzer

Elite Skills: Scherzer may not always overpower hitters, but his breaking balls break hitter’s knees. His 95+ velocity is not too shabby either.

Rank Reason: There are no flaws to Scherzer’s game, and he is as dependable as they come. Whenever he retires, Scherzer will have a fast track to Cooperstown. For now, enjoy two of the best pitchers in MLB residing at Citi Field.

Complete List

Reference Page

• Baseball Reference