With the baseball season underway, we have taken a look at five starting pitchers who have caught our attention early on. Four play with teams that should be competing for a playoff berth come October; the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants and Angels have all started this season strongly. The Reds? Not so much, but their rookie phenom is certainly a pitcher to keep an eye on as the season continues.
If you’re looking for the best baseball spread betting odds to take advantage of the below pitcher breakouts, look no further.
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Nestor Cortes Jr. – LHP New York Yankees
There were questions entering this season about whether Cortes Jr. could continue the improvement he showed last season after turning to full-time starting. In 2021 he started 14 games and over 93 innings he managed to increase his strikeout percentage, reduce his balls-on-base (walk) rate, cut his home runs allowed in half while reducing hard contact and limiting runners. How did he do this?
The introduction of a cutter that keeps batters honest on his fastball and slider. He throws a combo of pitches that move all over the strike-zone, he throws them in any count and from a variety of arm slots to keep hitters guessing. He’s a throwback to the crafty pitchers of the 90s. Fast forward to his two starts and 9 ⅓ innings pitched this year, Nestor Cortes has allowed seven baserunners and recorded 17 strikeouts with no earned runs. He’s looked fantastic and is primed to be a key part of the Yankees rotation.
Andrew Heaney – LHP Los Angeles Dodgers
Much like Nestor Cortes, the 30-year old Heaney has overhauled both his delivery and his repertoire and is showing some initial success for the Dodgers. In four seasons with the Angels and Yankees he was more or less league average as a starter despite the promise of his quality stuff that has always tantalized but has never been fully realized over a season.
When the Dodgers signed Heaney to a one-year deal this offseason it was with the idea to overlook last year’s results and work with Heaney to rebuild his mechanics, adjust his arm slot and angle on the mound. The biggest change was to replace Heaney’s curveball in favor of a sweeper (a variant of the slider with more horizontal movement), a pitch the Dodgers have introduced to devastating effect with their pitching staff. So far, the results have been eye-opening, over 10.1 innings he’s allowed seven baserunners, one run scored and generated 16 strikeouts. Heaney’s new toy is producing excellent results; how well he adjusts to batters adjusting to his new pitch will determine if this year will truly be his breakout season.
Carlos Rodon – LHP San Francisco Giants
The Chicago White Sox weren’t willing to take a chance on Rodon because of his health history. The Giants however, were. After a couple of starts San Francisco are already reaping the benefits of a pitcher they can look to anchor a rotation, over 12 innings he’s allowed five hits, four walks and 21 strikeouts. He has already accumulated 0.7 fWAR, top of the pitcher standings, and his fastball velocity so far has returned to his early-2021 levels after a dip late last season.
The Giants have rarely seen this rate of strikeouts out of the gate to start the season. The 29-year old is coming into his prime and his two-year deal has an opt-out after this season. Should Rodon sustain the kind of breakout he threatened last season before shoulder soreness twice landed him on the injured list in 2021, he could very well expect a big payday. He’s certainly started this season hungry to prove himself.
Noah Syndergaard – RHP Los Angeles Angels
Unlike the other pitchers on this list who are posting gaudy strikeout numbers, Thor has recorded five strikeouts over 11.1 innings with seven hits and two walks. Nothing to write home about other than the value of two quality starts that has been quite scarce in Anaheim over the last few seasons.
After missing the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery and pitching only two innings last year context is important. Relying heavily on his sinker and changeup he has been forced to focus on his pitch sequencing and craft as he slowly builds back to the triple-digit stuff that we are accustomed to. His command has been the most notable aspect of his starts, pitching to contact and working the strike zone like he had been during those elite 2015-2018 years. If he can continue to build game strength and avoid any injuries (like every pitcher) he could lead the Angels alongside Shohei Ohtani as they make a playoff case.
Hunter Greene – RHP Cincinnati Reds
Two starts into his MLB career, 22-year old Hunter Greene has been as advertised. The rookie right-hander who went second overall in the 2017 MLB draft holds a 4.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts and two walks in 10.1 innings. It was his second start against his hometown Dodgers that highlighted bigger things to come.
In a performance that showed control and poise against one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, Greene unleashed 39 100mph fastballs smashing the record for the most triple-digit pitches recorded by a pitcher in a single game during the tracking era (since 2008). The previous record was held by former Cy-Young winner Jacob DeGrom with 33 on June 5, 2021. It’s not all about MPH however, his slider, command and comfort on the Dodger Stadium mound were highly impressive. Hunter Greene is all potential, if he stays healthy it looks like he has arrived.
