The Dodgers officially announced their signing of Japanese phenom Rōki Sasaki on Wednesday. He’ll join two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell as the newcomers on one of the most star-studded and talented rotations the game has ever seen.
Of course, collecting a bevy of aces doesn’t guarantee that the results will match the potential. But if the Dodgers can keep their otherworldly assembly of arms healthy, they should find themselves in upcoming years with a spot on the list below.
These are the 10 best starting rotations over the past 30 years.
(* – signifies All-Star season)
Honorable Mention: 2003 Oakland Athletics
Tim Hudson (16-7, 2.70 ERA, 34 GS)
*Barry Zito (14-12, 3.30 ERA, 35 GS),
*Mark Mulder (15-9, 3.13 ERA, 26 GS),
Ted Lilly (12-10, 4.34 ERA, 31 GS)
This is really an ode to the early-2000s A’s nucleus of Barry Zito, Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder than it is a single season, but we’ll go with 2003, when Oakland had the lowest ERA in the American League and lowest WHIP in the majors. Mulder was an All-Star for the first time and threw nine complete games. Hudson had a career year, tossing two shutouts and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting. Zito followed up a Cy Young season with four complete games in his second straight All-Star campaign. Oakland’s 3.62 starters’ ERA that year sounds better when you consider the league average ERA in 2003 was 4.40.
10. 2018 Cleveland Guardians
*Corey Kluber (20-7, 2.89 ERA, 33 GS)
*Trevor Bauer (12-6, 2.21 ERA, 27 GS)
Carlos Carrasco (17-10, 3.38 ERA, 30 GS)
Mike Clevinger (13-8, 3.02 ERA, 32 GS)
Shane Bieber (11-5, 4.55 ERA, 19 GS)
A year after Kluber’s second Cy Young Award with the club and two years before a then-rookie Bieber’s first, this iteration of Cleveland’s elite rotation was record-setting in its own right. The 2018 Indians are the only team in MLB history to have four pitchers (Kluber, Bauer, Carrasco, Clevinger) with at least 200 strikeouts in a single season. Shockingly, this rotation finished second in the majors in strikeouts behind Houston, but the 2018 Astros are the only team whose starters have ever recorded more strikeouts in a season than the 2018 Guardians. Over the past 30 years, the 2018 Cleveland rotation ranks third in strikeout-to-walk ratio and is one of only three teams with four starters who were worth at least 4.0 bWAR. The depth of the group gives it a spot on this list.
Stephen Strasburg (18-6, 3.32 ERA, 33 GS)
*Max Scherzer (11-7, 2.92 ERA, 27 GS)
Patrick Corbin (14-7, 3.25 ERA, 33 GS)
Anibal Sanchez (11-8, 3.85 ERA, 30 GS)
The 2014 and 2017 versions of the Washington rotation also deserve recognition, but these were the Nationals who upset the Dodgers, swept the Cardinals (while allowing just six runs total across four NLCS games) and won two do-or-die matchups to best a similarly loaded Astros rotation in the World Series to rally to the franchise’s first and only championship. It couldn’t have happened without their elite arms. Scherzer and Strasburg finished top five in Cy Young voting, but they took their game to another level in October, combining to go 8-0 with a 2.17 ERA in the postseason. This group’s pitching performance was all the more noteworthy considering how juiced the balls were and how inflated the slugging totals were in 2019.
Washington Nationals starting pitchers Stephen Strasburg (37), Max Scherzer (31), and Patrick Corbin (46) pose for a portrait during the team’s Photo Day on Wednesday, February 22, 2019. (Photo by Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
*Curt Schilling (22-6, 2.98 ERA, 35 GS)
*Randy Johnson (21-6, 2.49 ERA, 34 GS)
Miguel Batista (11-8, 3.36 ERA, 18 GS)
Brian Anderson (4-9, 5.20 ERA, 22 GS)
You could make a strong case the following year’s rotation was better, but one of the Schilling-Johnson tandems had to make this list, so why not the group that won it all? Johnson won the Cy Young Award for the third time in four years, while Schilling was runner-up. The duo finished first and second in the majors, respectively, in strikeouts. Each of them had more than 290, while no other MLB starter that year had more than 220. Johnson’s 372 strikeouts alone were the most by any pitcher since Nolan Ryan struck out 383 in 1973. Arizona’s rotation led the majors in strikeouts with 90 more than the Yankees, who finished second in the category. The D-backs went on to top the Yankees in an epic seven-game World Series, as Johnson, Schilling and Batista combined to go 10-2 with a 1.54 ERA during the postseason run.
*Walker Buehler (16-4, 2.47 ERA, 33 GS)
Julio Urías (20-3, 2.96 ERA, 32 GS)
Clayton Kershaw (10-8, 3.55 ERA, 22 GS)
*Max Scherzer (7-0, 1.98 ERA, 11 GS)
Trevor Bauer (8-5, 2.59 ERA, 17 GS)
Tony Gonsolin (4-1, 3.23 ERA, 13 GS)
David Price (5-2, 4.03 ERA, 11 GS)
Dustin May (1-1, 2.74 ERA, 5 GS)
Oh, what could have been. Several Dodgers rotations from the late 2010s/early 2020s could have made this list, but the 2021 group stood out for the sheer number of talented arms that contributed at various points. This iteration posted the lowest opponents’ batting average (.207) and WHIP (1.03) of any MLB rotation in the past 30 years. Their starters led the majors in wins (65), ERA (2.93) and strikeouts (947). It’s amazing that they still somehow ran out of arms late in the year.
Bauer was placed on administrative leave (and hasn’t pitched in the majors since). May needed Tommy John surgery. An elbow issue sidelined Kershaw for the postseason. Still, the Dodgers had three pitchers available to them in Buehler, Urías and Scherzer who would finish in the top seven in Cy Young voting. Scherzer was added at the deadline and became the fourth different Cy Young winner to suit up for the Dodgers that year. He was extraordinary down the stretch but dealt with dead-arm symptoms in the NLCS, where the club’s repeat bid fell short.
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*Jon Lester (19-5, 2.44 ERA, 32 GS)
Kyle Hendricks (16-8, 2.13 ERA, 30 GS)
*Jake Arrieta (18-8, 3.10 ERA, 31 GS)
John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA, 29 GS)
Jason Hammel (15-10, 3.83 ERA, 30 GS)
Let’s get back to more World Series winners. The Cubs group that ended the curse included a rotation that led the majors in wins (81), ERA (2.96), WHIP (1.07) and opponents’ batting average (.213). No other team that season had a starters’ ERA under 3.60. A year after Arrieta won his Cy Young Award, Lester and Hendricks each finished top three in voting for the award in 2016. Hendricks’ 2.13 ERA led the majors, while Lester’s 2.44 mark ranked second. Arrieta, who also finished top-10 in Cy Young voting, ranked 13th. Hendricks and Lester were even better in October, combining to go 4-2 with a 1.77 ERA in 10 playoff starts (11 appearances). Strictly going by ERA+ (park and league adjusted), these Cubs boasted the second-best rotation in the majors over the past 30 years.
*Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43 ERA, 33 GS)
Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14 ERA, 33 GS)
Barry Zito (9-14, 4.15 ERA, 33 GS)
Madison Bumgarner (7-6, 3.00 ERA, 18 GS)
Jonathan Sanchez (13-9, 3.07 ERA, 33 GS)
The 2011 Giants rotation, which featured four starters who finished in the top 11 in Cy Young voting, was probably better overall. But that group didn’t make the postseason. It was in 2010 when the Giants’ dynasty began to form behind one of the most formidable rotations in the sport. Lincecum, the lone All-Star of the group, led the National League in strikeouts for a third straight season, and the Giants’ rotation boasted the highest strikeout rate in the league. But it was Cain — who didn’t allow an earned run in 21.1 postseason innings — and a 20-year-old Bumgarner who really shined that October. Giants starters went 8-3 with a 2.23 ERA in the playoffs, and that nucleus on the mound would help guide San Francisco to three World Series championships over a five-year span.
Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants plays catch with teammate Matt Cain #18 during a team workout on October 25, 2010 in preparation for the World Series. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
*Max Scherzer (21-3, 2.90 ERA, 32 GS)
*Justin Verlander (13-12, 3.46 ERA, 34 GS)
Anibal Sánchez (14-8, 2.57 ERA, 29 GS)
Doug Fister (14-9, 3.67 ERA, 32 GS)
Rick Porcello (13-8, 4.32 ERA, 29 GS)
The Tigers would add yet another Cy Young Award winner a year later in David Price, but the 2013 group performed better both on the mound and in the standings. The Tigers won 93 games behind their terrific rotation, which led the American League in wins (76) and ERA (3.44) and led the majors in strikeouts, strikeout rate and strikeout-to-walk ratio. Scherzer paced the majors with 21 wins and won the Cy Young Award. Sánchez had the lowest ERA in the AL. Verlander thrived that postseason, allowing just one run in 23 innings. There was no weak spot. Porcello, the only member of the rotation with an ERA over 4.00, would go on to win a Cy Young Award three years later.
*Justin Verlander (16-9, 2.52 ERA, 34 GS)
*Gerrit Cole (15-5, 2.88 ERA, 32 GS)
*Charlie Morton (15-3, 3.13 ERA, 30 GS)
Dallas Keuchel (12-11, 3.74 ERA, 34 GS)
Lance McCullers Jr. (10-6, 3.86 ERA, 22 GS)
Sticking with Verlander squads here, you could make a case for the 2019 or 2022 versions of the Houston rotation, too. In 2019, the Astros added Zack Greinke, made the World Series and saw Verlander and Cole finish first and second, respectively, in Cy Young voting. But the depth of the 2018 group stands out more. Verlander, Cole and Morton were All-Stars while Keuchel and a healthy McCullers were coming off All-Star seasons. Keuchel won a Gold Glove, Verlander finished second in Cy Young voting while leading the majors in WHIP (0.90) and the AL in strikeouts (290). Cole finished second in the AL in strikeouts (276) and fifth in Cy Young voting. This season also saw the emergence of a rookie Framber Valdez. As a group, the 2018 Astros led the majors with a 3.16 ERA and 1,101 strikeouts — the most strikeouts by any team’s starters ever.
Charlie Morton #50 of the Houston Astros, Lance McCullers Jr. #43, Gerrit Cole #45 and Justin Verlander #35 wait to celebrate with the team on July 8, 2018. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
*Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35 ERA, 32 GS)
*Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40 ERA, 32 GS)
*Cole Hamels (14-9, 2.79 ERA, 31 GS)
Roy Oswalt (9-10, 3.69 ERA, 23 GS)
Vance Worley (11-3, 3.01 ERA, 21 GS)
You could make an argument that this group should be No. 1. By FanGraphs’ WAR, this was the most valuable rotation not just over the past 30 years but in MLB history. The Cy Young Award went to Clayton Kershaw, but three Phillies — Halladay, Lee and Hamels — finished in the top five in voting. Those three were all All-Stars, while Worley finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. By bWAR, Halladay and Lee were the most valuable pitchers in baseball that season. Halladay tossed eight complete games while Lee fired six shutouts. Phillies starters led the majors in ERA (2.86), WHIP (1.11), strikeouts (932) and complete games (18). Their team set a franchise record with 102 wins, which made the end result all the more disappointing. The Phillies lost in the NLDS — despite Halladay allowing one run in eight innings in the deciding Game 5 — to the eventual champion Cardinals. No one would have anticipated the misery to follow, either, as that 2011 season would represent the end of an era of excellence. The Phillies would miss the playoffs each of the next 10 years.
*Greg Maddux (18-9, 2.22 ERA, 34 GS)
*Tom Glavine (20-6, 2.47 ERA, 33 GS)
John Smoltz (17-3, 2.90 ERA, 26 GS)
Denny Neagle (16-11, 3.55 ERA, 31 GS)
Kevin Millwood (17-8, 4.08 ERA, 29 GS)
You could select any team from those late-90s Braves rotations here, but we’ll go with the 1998 group for the top spot. The Braves won a franchise record 106 games behind the Hall of Fame triumvirate of Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz. Glavine led the majors with 20 wins and was named Cy Young. Maddux, who led the majors in ERA and WHIP, and Smoltz both finished in the top five in voting. The starters on the 1998 squad amassed 90 wins, the most of any rotation since the 1961 Yankees starters won the same number of games. In an era when home runs were particularly prevalent, this Braves rotation was particularly adept at preventing them. Atlanta’s 1998 rotation led the majors with a 3.06 ERA at a time when the average league ERA for starters was 4.43. All five starters finished in the top 10 in the NL in wins, and Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz all finished in the top six in the NL in ERA.
John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves pose for a portrait during spring training on March 20, 1997. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Also considered: 2003 Cubs, 2003 Yankees, 2012 Rays, 2014 Nationals, 2015 Cardinals, 2018 Indians, 2019 Mets, 2019 Dodgers, 2021 Brewers, 2024 Mariners
Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.
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