One of the most coveted positions in Major League Baseball is a player who will only take the field every fifth or sixth game, depending on the rotation – the starting pitcher. However, from a sports betting perspective, this position is the one that deserves the most scrutiny when making a wagering decision, because (in most cases) the starting pitcher will influence the outcome more than any other player. Obviously, in some instances, a team is using an opener to pitch the first inning or two and then turn the game over to a bullpen committee, but win or lose, the starting pitcher will almost always play an influential role. Let’s take a look at the MLB betting analysis of the dominant starters heading into the 2023 campaign.
MLB News: Top 10 Starting Pitchers in 2023
1. Justin Verlander (N.Y. Mets)
Verlander just won his third Cy Young Award with the Houston Astros, posting an 18-4 record and striking out 185 batters – and leading MLB with an ERA of 1.75. He is 39 years old, which, as always, raises questions of durability, but his conditioning and durability show no signs of slowing down. He joins Max Scherzer (see below) with the Mets, who once again, have opened up the vault, hoping that big spending can bring a title to their side of Gotham.
2. Shohei Ohtani (L.A. Angels)
Ohtani is this high on the list because his numbers (15-9, 2.33 ERA, 219 K) were all top-ten in Major League Baseball – and because when he’s not pitching, he can DH. He had 586 at-bats in 2022, posting a 2.73 average with 34 home runs and 95 RBI. That kind of contribution makes him a generational talent, and the Angels’ failure to assemble a contending roster around Ohtani remains one of the sport’s biggest puzzles.
3. Max Fried (Atlanta)
Fried only posted a 14-7 record with 170 strikeouts and a 2.48 ERA in 2021, coming in second for the NL Cy Young Award. He was a major reason why the Braves ended up outlasting the Mets for the NL East title last year, and he is the undisputed ace for a team that has World Series aspirations again, although Spencer Strider (2.67 ERA and 202 K in just 131.2 innings pitched) may have something to say about that in a season or two.
4. Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee)
Burnes won the Cy Young Award in 2021 and has posted a 2.62 ERA over the last three seasons combined. Over that same time frame, he has struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings. Along with Brandon Woodruff, Burnes has combined for an ERA under 3.00 and a strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio above 10 since the start of the 2020 season; they are the only rotation-mates in Major League Baseball to post those numbers over that time frame.
5. Max Scherzer (N.Y. Mets)
Scherzer helped guide Washington to a title in 2019 and looks to help the Mets do the same thing four years later. Now 38, Scherzer still showed that he had elite pitching left in the tank last season, with an 11-5 record, a 2.29 ERA and 173 strikeouts. He will occasionally get lit up by opposing batters, but that’s part of pitching for just about everyone. He gets to pitch with his former Detroit Tiger teammate now that Verlander has signed with the Mets.
6. Aaron Nola (Philadelphia)
The Phillies were the last wild card team in the National League last year, and they rolled all the way to the World Series, where they fell to Houston in six games. Nola struck out 235 batters in 205 innings in 2022, and the way that he eats innings productively is a trait that other starters can emulate.
7. Yu Darvish (San Diego)
Darvish has been fragile in the past, dating all the way back to his time in Texas, but he may finally have worked through that. His regular season in 2022 saw a 16-8 record, a 3.10 ERA and 197 strikeouts, thanks in part to a curve ball that is almost unhittable. He then posted a 2.88 ERA in the playoffs, and while the Padres could not get by Philadelphia in the NLCS, he returns with another opportunity to get a title to San Diego.
8. Gerrit Cole (N.Y. Yankees)
Gerrit Cole has quietly performed well for the Yankees since coming over from the Houston Astros after the 2019 season. Cole led MLB with 257 strikeouts last season, almost a throwback to the days when fireballers like Nolan Ryan were fanning upwards of 300 batters a year. In an era of shorter outings for starting pitchers, striking out 257 is unheard of. Cole will also get knocked around in high-pressure games now and then, but his stuff is elite.
9. Julio Urias (L.A. Dodgers)
Urias has done a great job solidifying the Dodgers’ rotation during the extended absence of Walker Buehler. He won the NL ERA crown last year (2.16) and led MLB with 20 victories the year before. Clayton Kershaw returns as well, but as he continues his movement into the twilight in his career, Urias has an excellent shot at being the next ace in Chavez Ravine.
10. Kevin Gausman (Toronto)
Gausman’s numbers in 2021 (12-10, 3.35 ERA, 205 K) are not all that spectacular – except for the strikeout numbers. He cracked the top ten in AL Cy Young Award voting last year because of his splitter, which simply drops off the table and makes hitters swing. It took the 31-year-old a while to master his pitches, but now he is a terrific off-speed artist.
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