The Top Right Handed Starting Pitchers Right Now

   This is going to be a very intriguing and debatable blog series I am going to start. I am going to rank the top five players at each position. However, the player must meet the following criteria:



1) Have played in the MLB for at least part of 3 seasons (There may be exceptions to this rule-case by case basis).

2) Play at the position listed the majority of the time.

3) Any other criteria I see fit.

   So, without any further delay, here are my top five right handed starter pitchers and the reason(s) why each made my list.


5)    Johnny Cueto: Cueto is possibly the most underrated pitcher in the Majors. Cueto has been in the Show over parts of five seasons, and is only 26 years old. He has a career win-loss record of 60-46, an ERA of 3.57, and he has struck out 702 batters in 904 IP. While his stats don't seem overly impressive, the stats do display the numbers of a work horse. Cueto made my list because he is entering the prime of his career, and has displayed phenomenal potential over the last two seasons. Over the past two seasons, Cueto has compiled an ERA of around 2.55, pitching 373 innings, a win-loss record of 28-14, and has struck out 274 batters. He finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting this year, however he has never won a major award, or appeared in an All-Star game. Despite this, Cueto has posted excellent numbers for the Cincinatti Reds in Great American Ballpark, which is well renowned as a hitter's park. Cueto clearly flies below the radar, but nonetheless, he is very deserving of claiming the number
five spot on my list.


4)    R.A. Dickey: Dickey like Cueto is a pitcher whose career stats are underwhelming for an Ace at first glance. Seeing as Dickey has posted the following career numbers: ERA: 3.96, 1,059.1 IP, a win-loss record of 61-56, and he has only struck out 739 batters. While Dickey is38, he managed to win the NL CYA, make his first All-Star game appearance, and he struck out a league leading 230 batters. Additionally, over the last three seasons, Dickey has compiled these statistics:
An ERA of 2.95, a win-loss record of 39-28, he has pitched 616.2 innings, and struck out 468 batters. He has posted these statistics while playing with a sub-par club, the New York Mets, and henceforth he surpasses Cueto and lands at number four on my list.


3)    Matt Cain: Cain appeared in one of my recent blog entries, so not as much detail is needed concerning him. However, I will say this, Cain is one of the most consistent pitchers in the MLB. He has played a huge role in helping the San Francisco Giants secure two World Series Championships in three years, has thrown a perfect game, and made three All-Star appearance over parts of eight MLB seasons. And while Cain plays in AT&T Park, which is regarded as a pitcher's park, the guy just knows how to flat out pitch. He does not has a low to mid 90's fastball and off-speed pitches with good movement. He processes these career stats: an ERA of 3.27, a win-loss record of 85-78, 1,536.2 IP, and 1,278 batters struck out. Over the last three seasons, these are Cain's stats: an ERA of 2.94, a win-loss record of 41-27, 664.1 IP, an 548 batters struck out. Cain is a consistent force for the Giants, and it is that consistency that secures Cain at the third spot on my list.


2)    Jered Weaver: Weaver has been an excellent pitcher over parts of seven MLB Seasons. He has posted these numbers thus far in his career: an ERA of 3.24, a win-loss record of 102-52, pitched 1,320.1 innings, and struck out 1,119 batters. He pitches in Angel Stadium, and this park is basically a neutral site for pitchers and hitters alike. Weaver is a similar pitcher to Cain, he throws a low to mid 90's fastball, but has quite a few breaking pitches with good movement. Perhaps though, the most impressive thing about Weaver is his past three seasons. He has compiled an ERA of 2.75, a win-loss record of 51-25, pitched 648.2 innings, and struck out 573 batters. Furthermore, Weaver has appeared in the All-Star game each of the last three seasons, and finished in the Top Five of the American League CYA voting (placing 5th, 2nd, and 3rd respectively). Additionally, Weaver threw a No-Hitter this year, lead the league in winning percentage, had the lowest hit per 9 innings against (H/9), and Walk Plus Innings Pitched (WHIP) at the age of 29. Weaver may not be as well known as the number one pitcher on my list, but It could be debated that Weaver is possibly better than the guy who tops this list...

5)   Justin Verlander: The media and many fans have considered Verlander the best pitcher in baseball for the last few years, but this may be a misconception. Verlander has posted the following career numbers in parts of eight MLB Seasons. An ERA of 3.40, a win-loss record of 124-65, 1,553.2 IP, and 1,454 batters struck out. Unlike Weaver who is more of a finesse pitcher, Verlander is a power pitcher. Verlander can throw his fastball at 100+ MPH, and some dominating breaking pitches. Verlander has accumulated five All-Star appearances, including one in each of the last four seasons. So how does Verlander's past three years compare to Weaver's? The numbers look like this: an ERA of 2.80. A win-loss record of 59-22, 713.2 IP, and he has struck out 708 batters. Perhaps Verlander is considered the best pitcher in baseball right now because he has lead the league in IP, Strikeouts, and
ERA+ each of the last two seasons. Additionally, Verlander lead the league in wins, winning percentage, ERA, H/9 and WHIP in 2011 (Values indicated by the chart below). During the 2011 season he secured the AL CY and MVP Award. Also, Verlander has placed in the Top 3 of the CYA voting three of the last four seasons (finishing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively). So while Weaver may be a better pitcher than Verlander in some respects, I am confident in my choice to place him as the current top right handed starting pitcher on my list.

Year	Age	W	L	W-L%	ERA	IP	SO	ERA+	WHIP	H/9	Awards
2009	26	19	9	.679	3.45	240.0	269	131	1.175	8.2	AS,CYA-3,MVP-20
2010	27	18	9	.667	3.37	224.1	219	124	1.163	7.6	AS,CYA-11
2011	28	24	5	.828	2.40	251.0	250	172	0.920	6.2	AS,CYA-1,MVP-1
2012	29	17	8	.680	2.64	238.1	239	160	1.057	7.3	AS,CYA-2,MVP-8
8 Yrs		124	65	.656	3.40	1553.2	1454	128	1.173	7.8
162 Game Avg.		18	10	.656	3.40	228	213	128	1.173	7.8

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Generated 1/20/2013.

Five Additional Considerations (No Particular Order):

1) Roy Halladay: The guy had an injury plagued 2012 as he dealt with a shoulder injury and posted an ERA of 4.49, but this is a guy who just posted a career low (in a full MLB season) ERA in 2011 of 2.35, won the NL CYA in 2010, and placed 2nd in 2011,  but he will soon be 36 years old.

2) Chris Carpenter: He too was hampered by injury and only made three starts, but he helped lead the St. Louis Cardinals in 2011,  and has been a work horse throughout his career. However, he will soon turn 38.

3) Adam Wainwright: One of Carpenter's teammates, he did not pitch at all in 2011, and he has a subpar 2012, but he may regain form, as he is only 31 years old.

4) Kris Medlen: The 26 year old is entering the prime of his career, and he was the Atlanta Braves "Ace in the hole," posting a 1.57 ERA, and pitching 138 innings. However, he missed my list because he did not pitch the whole season at the MLB level, but keep an eye on this guy in the 2013 season.

5) James Shields: There may be better candidates worth mentioning, but "Big Game James" comes to mind because he is an innings eater, a competitor, and he is just a year removed from posting a 2.82 ERA, is onl, and finishing third in the AL CYA voting. Additionally, he just recently turned 31 years old.