Underrated MLB Rotations for 2020

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2013 days ago

The smell of fresh grass, the sound of bats hitting balls – what does it all mean? Baseball season is upon us. Thankfully, we’re now just a few weeks away from the start of the 2020 MLB season. In the era of the longball, one could argue that quality starting pitching has never been more important. We know all about some rotations such as the Nationals, Yankees, Astros or Dodgers. But what about the rotations that are flying under the radar as we approach Opening Day? This article will take a look at five of the most underrated rotations you should keep your eyes on in 2020.

Texas Rangers

Possible Rotation:

Texas should feel a much greater sense of confidence in their rotation this season. Texas acquired former Indians ace Corey Kluber this past December, for virtually nothing. “Klubot” will have a chance to bounce back this year after only making seven starts a season ago due to a fractured forearm. Kyle Gibson also joined Texas on a three-year deal after going 13-7 with a 4.84 with Minnesota. Last year’s ace Mike Minor will look to build off a stellar 2019 campaign which saw him post a 3.59 ERA and 200 punchouts over 208.1 innings. Likewise, right-hander Lance Lynn will rejoin the mix after winning 16 games for Texas in 2019. Globe Life Park is normally a hitter’s paradise, but the Rangers improved rotation won’t make it easy on any lineup.

Minnesota Twins

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There’s nothing underrated about Twins’ flamethrower Jose Berrios. However, you shouldn’t overlook #2 starter Jake Odorizzi, who actually finished with a better ERA and WHIP than Berrios in 2019. Minnesota (finally) landed Kenta Maeda from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts deal. Maeda will occupy the third slot in the Twins’ rotation coming off a 10-8 season with a 4.04 ERA as a starter/reliever. Homer Bailey quietly won 13 games with Oakland last year and should be a solid back-end starter. For now, Randy Dobnak will likely serve as the fifth man in the rotation. However, that could change with the return of Michael Pineda. “Big Mike” has 39 games remaining on his 60 game suspension for using a banned substance. Southpaw Rich Hill could also come back mid-season as he recovers from shoulder surgery. All in all, Minnesota has one of baseball’s most underrated rotations for 2020.

Cincinnati Reds

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The Cincinnati Reds may have the most underrated duo of any rotation in the big leagues. 27-year-old Luis Castillo leads the way, but the Red’s staff has great depth behind him. Trevor Bauer didn’t pitch well at all after being dealt by the Indians, but that may be an aberration. In 2018, Bauer posted a marvelous 2.21 ERA with a 2.44 FIP. Conversely, Sonny Gray had one of his best seasons as a pro last year. Gray managed to finish with a sub 3.00 ERA, and placed seventh in the NL Cy Young voting after being traded from the Yankees. But what makes this rotation really special is the strength on the back-end. Wade Miley joins the starting five coming off a 14-6 season with a 3.98 ERA as a Houston Astro. Anthony DeSclafani could round out the rotation after a solid 2019 campaign.

Toronto Blue Jays

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Toronto made a huge splash this winter by inking Hyun-Jin Ryu to a four-year, $80 million deal. The former Dodger is coming off his best season as a pro, finishing second in the Cy Young vote behind only Jacob DeGrom. However, the Blue Jays didn’t stop there. They also brought in Tanner Roark and Chase Anderson to help stabilize the middle of the rotation. Matt Shoemaker will look to bounce back after a torn ACL interrupted his hot start a year ago. Prior to going down, Shoemaker was 3-0 with a 1.57 across five starts. In addition, the Blue Jays dipped into the international market by agreeing to terms with 32-year-old Shun Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi was brilliant in Japan a season ago and has experience starting and coming out of the bullpen. The Yankees and the Rays will get all the hype, but Toronto has quietly built an underrated rotation.

San Diego Padres

Image via: https://www.baseballprospectus.com

Possible Rotation:

This is a definite dark horse rotation for 2020. Chris Paddack had a very strong rookie campaign. Though he only pitched 140 innings, Paddack finished with a 3.33 ERA and a terrific 0.98 WHIP. Dinelson Lamet missed the entire 2018 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. However, upon his return in 2019, Lamet threw the ball fairly well and showed flashes of the brilliant arsenal he possesses. Likewise, the former Angel Garrett Richards will look to complete a full season after missing all of 2018 with Tommy John surgery as well. San Diego didn’t spend crazy money this offseason, but they did pick one of the most underrated pitchers from last year. Zach Davies will join the Friars following a 10-7 , 3.55 ERA season with Milwaukee. Southpaw Joey Lucchesi rounds out the rotation after starting 30 games with a 10-10 record in 2019.

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