In Major League Baseball, the most challenging role on any roster is the Ace. An ace is the best pitcher on the team, the one you go to in big moments, and the one who wins your most important games throughout the season.
With the MLB season just a few weeks away, here are the 10 Pitchers with the most to prove this season.
10. Chris Flexen – Chicago White Sox
I’m sure most people don’t expect much from Chris Flexen; his ERA over the last two seasons has been horrendous. But it’s time for him to find his form again. When healthy, he’s a quality starter in the MLB, which he showed in 2021 and 2022 with the Mariners. But in the last two seasons, his 7.71 and 6.27 ERAs have shown regression that gets people sent back to the minor leagues. He will need to step up and prove those two years weren’t a fluke.
9. Blake Snell – San Francisco Giants
Blake Snell is coming off his best season after leading the MLB in ERA on his way to a CY Young award. For Snell, a long-term contract with a lot of money could be within throwing distance if he has a year similar to 2023. He recently signed a two-year deal with the San Francisco Giants worth $62 Million. This deal includes an opt-out after the first year, so depending on his performance will likely determine if he will remain with the Giants in 2025. Snell has had his ups and downs throughout his career, but he’s shown flashes of brilliance, and now it’s time for him to show the league he can be an ace in someone’s rotation for a long time.
8. Corbin Burnes – Baltimore Orioles
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral MLB stories via Google! Follow Us
Corbin Burnes had the lowest ERA in the MLB in 2022. After another productive year as an Ace in 2023, he will be chasing a World Series trophy in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles. The switch provides a new environment for one of the best pitchers in Baseball and a much-needed ace for a talented offense that won 100 games last season. Burnes might be the missing link for the Baltimore Orioles, which could make them a team capable of winning 120+ games next season.
7. Patrick Corbin – Washington Nationals
What in the world happened to Patrick Corbin? The once Stud, who had multiple big performances in the World Series, has now become one of the worst pitchers in Baseball. He’s had a +5 ERA the last three seasons, and since 2019, Corbin has been a shell of what we once saw. If he has another season like the previous three, he might find himself out of the league, and he certainly won’t see another big contract soon after putting on a ski mask and robbing the Nationals.
6. Sandy Alcantara – Miami Marlins
For some reason, last season, the Sandy Alcantara fastball, which was once one of the most feared pitchers in Baseball, was sent over the wall quite a few times. The Marlins ace was a cog in their wheel last season as they received an MVP-type season out of Luis Arraez. Alcantara went only 7-12 seasons and struggled to pick up wins, as he had his highest WHIP since 2019 with the addition of Tim Anderson to the Marlins roster. The former All-Star and two-time CY Young winner can separate himself as one of the best pitchers in Baseball this season.
5. Lance Lynn – St.Louis Cardinals
Throughout his career, Lance Lynn has been known as a reliable starter in Major League Baseball. The 6’5 right-handed pitcher has consistently posted solid stats throughout his 12-year career, averaging ten wins per season. But since 2021, he’s struggled, which led to him being traded last season by the Chicago White Sox to the Los Angeles Dodgers after starting the year with a 6.47 ERA through his first 21 starts. He now finds himself with the St.Louis Cardinals, needing to prove himself again after one of the worst statistical seasons of his career.
4. Yu Darvish – San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres need Yu Darvish to be reliable to win in the NL West. It’s pretty simple why Yu Darvish has a lot to prove in the 2024 season. In 2022, when he played well and picked up 16 wins, the Padres were one of the best teams in their division. In 2023, when he only won 8 games, the Padres struggled. While San Diego also had numerous other problems as a team, Yu is their Ace, and in order for any team to be good, their Ace has to lead the way.
3. Dylan Cease – San Diego Padres
Since his rookie season in 2019, Dylan Cease has gotten better and better with the Chicago White Sox. Each season, his ERA and WHIP lowered until last season. IN 2023, Cease was bad. It also marked his first losing season as a starter since his rookie season, as he finished 7-9. But a change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered, as Cease will find himself in San Diego this year as a new piece in the Padres rotation. Cease has the opportunity to support a talented roster desperate to get back to the playoffs and prove that 2023 was just a fluke.
2. Justin Verlander – Houston Astros
In a strange series of events, Justin Verlander pitched 16 games with the New York Mets last season. Just to get traded back to the Houston Astros. It was bizarre, and so was Verlander’s performance. In 2023, Verlander posted his lowest Win % and ERA since 2018, when he was a part of the Detroit Tigers. He may be his best in Houston; there is a lot to love about the city. But with his return, he’s now paired against Max Scherzer in the AL West. The two were arguably the best duo in baseball history at the start of the 2023 season on the Mets. But they now find themselves as the aces on division rivals in Texas as Scherzer is a part of the Texas Rangers. While Verlander has dominated Baseball, he’s still chasing a ring, while Scherzer is coming off his second. So, Can Verlander prove he’s the best pitcher in Baseball?
1. Max Scherzer – Texas Rangers
Max Scherzer is coming off winning his second World Series as a starting pitcher. The 6’3 right-handed Ace is entering year 17 at age 39 and still has some more left in the tank. Scherzer is just trying to prove he’s still got it and can dominate and win championships. This offseason, he had back surgery that would scare any athlete at his age. But for Mad Max, he’s planning a Midsummer return along with Jacob Degrom, and that will likely be a critical point in the Ranger’s season. Scherzer can only afford to return slowly if he wants to win another World Series. The Rangers are in one of the most competitive divisions in Baseball, and since Scherzer has had the better bill of health in recent years over legroom. He will likely be called on much more than his teammate.
