Top 10 by position. Part 3, SP and 1B

As we reach another weekend, it's time for another edition of top 10 players right now, today we'll rank the 10 best starting pitchers and first basemen.

MLB Network's Top 10 SP

1, Clayton Kershaw
2, Corey Kluber
3, Chris Sale
4, Max Scherzer
5, Stephen Strasburg
6, Madison Bumgarner
7, Noah Syndergaard
8, Carlos Carrasco
9, Justin Verlander
10, Kyle Hendricks

My (proper) top 10 SP.

1, Clayton Kershaw.
2, Corey Kluber.
3, Max Scherzer.
4, Chris Sale.
5, Stephen Strasburg.
6, Noah Syndergaard
7, Madison Bumgarner
8, Jacob DeGrom
9, Luis Severino
10, Zack Greinke/Justin Verlander/Carlos Carrasco

Tier 1: Kershaw.

Tier 2: Kluber, Scherzer, Sale and Strasburg.

Tier 3: Syndergaard, Bumgarner, DeGrom, Severino, Greinke/Verlander/Carrasco.


Few notes.

1, Yes Kershaw is in another tier, one if his own. Look at career ERA+

Kershaw 161

Next, closest are Sale, Kluber, and Strasburg in the 130's. Scherzer is high 120's (127).

He had an off year, compared to career years from his competition, and finished second in ERA+ to Kluber.

In 2016 he pitched in levels none of them have ever reached.


2, On that last spot i just could not make a decision, very close, if you back me up to a corner, i'll say, Carrasco is probably slightly better, but the track record and all that comes and durability (Carrasco career high is 200.0 Innings, second best is 183.2) make it very close.


3 guys to watch out.

Aaron Nola, Chris Archer and James Paxton.

Just missed the cut, like all 3 of them, especially the first two, Paxton scares me a bit.





MLB Network's top 10 1B

1, Joey Votto
2, Freddie Freeman
3, Paul Goldschmidt 
4, Anthony Rizzo
5, Cody Bellinger
6, Jose Abreu
7, Edwin Encarnacion
8, Brandon Belt
9, Matt Carpenter
10, Carlos Santana

My (proper) top 10 1B

1, Joey Votto.
2, Paul Goldschmidt.
3, Freddie Freeman.
4. Anthony Rizzo.
5, Cody Bellinger.
6, Jose Abreu.
7, Carlos Santana.
8, Matt Carpenter.
9, Eric Hosmer.
10, Joey Gallo/Will Myers.

Tier 1: Votto, Goldschmidt, Freeman and Rizzo.

Tier 2: Bellinger.

Tier 3: Abreu, Santana, Carpenter, Hosmer, Gallo/Myers.


Two notes.

1, Regarding Bellinger, he might very well belong in tier 1, but as we stand today, i can't put him in the same level as the first four, nor put him with the latter 5, he is kind of in between, although, closer to tier 1.


2, Myers had a down year, but looking at his talent, past performance, projections, and analyzing what went wrong, i'm optimistic about a bounce-back season, defense killed his value in 17, uncharacteristically bad with the glove, not that he is a Gold Glove 1B, but he was significantly worse in 2017.


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