Everybody knows about Clayton Kershaw, King Felix, Adam Wainwright and others that have been under the pitching spotlight for the past several years and for good reason. They are unbelievably good. But I have devised a list of the 5 pitchers that I believe get overlooked and people should pay attention to down the stretch run and beyond.
5. Wily Peralta. Milwakee Brewers.
This is a pitcher that not many people have ever heard of, but this season he has opened the eyes of many scouts and fans alike. He has only been in the big leagues for a couple years and had a less than pomising 11-15 record with a 4.37 ERA last season. This year he has burst through in a big way for the Brewers, giving them something they have needed for a long time, good pitching. The Brew Crew can hit and most people have known that for years now, but what has seperated them from teams like the Reds and Cardinals has been their starting rotation. Going into his next start on Thursday against the Giants, Peralta is 13-6 with a 3.52 ERA and is tied for the league lead in wins. He has helped the Brewers maintain the top spot in the NL Central for most of 2014 and will be a key in their future success should they make the playoffs.
4. Tyson Ross. San Diego Padres.
Tyson Ross is a great pitcher, he is so often overlooked because his record is not sparkling and he plays on the Padres, a team that is only talked about for their horrible offense. But that is where a players win/loss record means nothing about the potential of the pitcher. Ross is 10-10 with a 2.62 ERA, 157 strikeouts, .227 BAA, 1.18 WHIP in 154.2 innings this season for the Padres. Even though the Padres are going nowhere this season, Ross should not be overlooked, I have seen him a couple times when he faced the Giants and he is sneaky pitcher that hides the ball well and has a nasty slider that makes hitters look foolish. If he was on a contender, he would be looked at more highly than he is right now.
3. Garrett Richard. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
This guy has become a stud starter in the American league this year. He has always had electric stuff but this year he has finally been able to keep up the consistancy that the Angels have been looking for out of him. He was my biggest All-Star snub and was unfortunately stuck behind Chris Sale on the final ballot. He has been a mainstake in the Angels 2014 resurgence, a team that had high hopes a couple years ago when the acquired Albert Pujols, C.J. Wilson and last year Josh Hamilton has not lived up to what they should be. This year they are one of the best teams in baseball and are in a dogfight with the A's for the top spot in the AL West. Richards has written his own story, he is 11-4 with a 2.74 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, .197 BAA and 143 strikeouts. He is top 10 in BAA and WHIP on the league. He has only allowed 5 HRs all season and opponents have been baffled by his electic fastball and sharp breaking ball. Keep him on your radar.
2. Scott Kazmir. Oakland Athletics.
Kazmir has fallen off the radar of many people ever since his excellent 2008 campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays, as if he almost disappeared entirely. The A's saw this differently and picked him up from the Cleveland Indians, looks like they knew something nobody else did. Kazmir has been unbelieveably good this year for the first place A's, posting a record of 12-4 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and a .224 BAA. He is been a vital part of the Billy Beane's vision for this team and he has rewarded the GM tremendously. He doesn't come at you with unbelieveable stuff but he gets the job done every 5th day by getting outs using all his pitches and escaping from jams. He was a pickup that nobody saw coming, and everyone wished they had made. He is apart of a superstar rotation of Sunny Gray, Jon Lester, Jason Hammel and Jeff Samardzija.
1. Corey Kluber. Cleveland Indians.
This man can flat out pitch. Coming off a good season last year, Kluber has quickly turned himself into a bonified ace in the league and an important part of the Indians rotation. His numbers are staggering and his strikeout rate is unbelieveable. It only makes me wonder why more people do not talk about this man, but now they will. He is 12-6 with a 2.55 ERA, 177 strikeouts, 1.08 WHIP, in 165.2 innings pitched this season. He has really been a shot in the dark for the Indians who are fighting their hardest to try and gain a playoff spot. He is doing his part to keep them in the mix. His slider puts hitters to shame along with his elecric fastball. This is a pitcher that will definitely be heard of in the coming years. He is coming off a start where he outdueled King Felix who is the American League leader in ERA.
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