The Atlanta Braves’ best starter is getting overlooked by Major League Baseball
The Atlanta Braves have had some things not go their way this season.
Top starting pitcher Spencer Strider, who left the home opener complaining of elbow pain that resulted in season-ending elbow surgery, was expected to be the anchor of a rotation that was seen as potentially one of the best in baseball.
Instead, it’s free agent signee Reynaldo López, 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA, that has put up some of the best performances of any starter in all of baseball. He‘s allowed just two earned runs in his first 25 innings (four starts) on the 2024 season, including a thirteen-inning scoreless streak
Despite López’s dominance, however, MLB.com’s Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, updated this morning after voting from the staff of MLB.com, don’t have him represented in the top nineteen.
And that feels like an oversight.
It’s actually the third iteration of the rankings for this season – Spencer Strider was at the top of the list prior to Opening Day, but has been removed for obvious reasons – yet López continues to not be recognized for his dominance.
The top ten is full of a lot of names you’d expect – Zach Wheeler of the Philadelphia Phillies (#1), Tyler Glasnow of the Los Angeles Dodgers (#2), and Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles (#4) – but one name that got my attention is Boston Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, who is new to the list for this edition.
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