With the history of being one of the oldest major sports leagues, there is no doubt that many great players have graced the sport.
Similarly, MLB has seen it had many brilliant pitchers over the years. But who are the best pitchers in the league right now amongst all?
Hence, to answer the query, we have compiled here a list. Although it is quite difficult to pinpoint which pitcher is the best, we went through the players’ current and previous year rankings and data to develop this list.
Therefore, without any further ado, let us get into our list of best pitchers in MLB right now.
12 Best Pitchers in MLB Right Now
The list has been compiled with the help of trusted sources from the internet like NbcSports, Betway, etc. But before jumping into the details, let us take a quick look at the rankings below.
Players Name | Team |
12. Max Fried | Atlanta Braves |
11. Blake Snell | San Diego Padres |
10. Aaron Nola | Philadelphia Phillies |
9. Walker Buehler | Los Angeles Dodgers |
8. Hyun Jin Ryu | Toronto Blue Jays |
7. Yu Darvish | San Diego Padres |
6. Clayton Kershaw | Los Angeles Dodgers |
5. Max Scherzer | Washington Nationals |
4. Trevor Bauer | Los Angeles Dodgers |
3. Gerrit Cole | New York Yankees |
2. Shane Bieber | Cleveland Indians |
1. Jacob DeGrom | New York Mets |
Max Fried 12.
We are starting our ranking of the top MLB pitchers right now with Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves. He debuted for the Braces in 2017, but the San Diego Padres selected him seventh overall in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft.
Fried made his MLB debut after being acquired to the Braves. 2014 saw Fried regarded as one of the Braves’ top pitching prospects.
Fried achieved his breakthrough in 2020. He started the season off right away by becoming the first left-handed pitcher with eight starts without allowing a home run.
Since Babe Ruth in 1917, the Braves have not won every game over that time frame. Fried concluded the 2020 campaign with a Gold Glove Award, a Fielding Bible Award, and a spot on the All-MLB First Team.
His other major victories include winning the World Series, being named to the All-MLB First Team, receiving Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and Fielding Bible Awards.
He also became just the third pitcher in MLB history to earn both the Silver Slugger and the Gold Glove in the same calendar year. Fried had a 40-18 win-loss record, a 3.34 earned run average, and 447 strikeouts in MLB through the 2021 season.
Blake Snell 11.
Blake Snell, sometimes known as “Snellzilla,” is the following pitcher on our ranking of the top MLB pitchers right now. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
Snell joined the Rays after the draft and made his Major League Baseball debut. He achieved his professional breakthrough in 2018. The All-Star, AL Cy Young Award, AL wins leader, and AL ERA leader are some of his career’s most notable honors.
He is also the youngest pitcher to have won it twice in a row since 2004. Snell, however, had numerous wounds throughout 2019 and repeatedly lost function.
He was dealt by the Rays to the San Diego Padres following the 2020 campaign. Through the 2021 season, he has a 49-36 win-loss record, a 3.42 earned run average, and 818 strikeouts.
Aaron Nola 10.
Aaron Nola is on our ten. He is the Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher in the major leagues. Nola was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2011 MLB draft, but he decided to attend Louisiana State University instead (LSU).
He majored in sports management, and the Phillies selected Nola seventh overall in the first round of the 2014 MLB Draft.
He made his professional debut in the minor league after accepting a contract with the organization for a $3.3 million signing bonus. Then Nola made his major league debut in 2015.
After Pat Combs in 1989, Aaron was the first pitcher to make his season debut shortly after being selected. Nola had an elbow injury before the 2016 season and was subsequently sidelined.
He successfully made a comeback the next year, setting a new mark for the most strikeouts in a season by a Phillies pitcher with fewer than 30 starts.
He is the fourth pitcher in Phillies history to strike out at least 200 batters in a single season, in a similar vein. Through the 2021 season, Nola has a 3.68 earned run average, a 67-49 win-loss record, and 1,145 strikeouts.
Walker Buehler 9.
On our list of the nine greatest pitchers in MLB right now, Walker Buehler is ranked ninth. He is a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft.
With the Dodgers, Buehler agreed to a $1.78 million bonus pact. However, he had to have Tommy John surgery soon after joining. Buehler then made his MLB debut in 2017 after being elevated to the main league roster.
Buehler contributed significantly to the success of the 2020 World Series, which included the championship. Similar to that, he received the honor again in 2021 after receiving it the year prior.
He was also named to the 2021 All-MLB First Team. As of the 2021 MLB season, Buehler had a 40-13 win-loss record, a 2.90 earned run average, and 632 strikeouts.
Hyun Jin Ryu 8.
Hyun Jin Ryu, a South Korean professional pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, is listed as the eighth greatest pitcher in MLB right now on our list. In 2013, he debuted in the MLB.
The South Korean professional baseball team, the Hanwha Eagles, made Ryu their first pick in the second round of the 2006 KBO League draft. Then, through the posting system, he signed up with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013.
He was given a six-year, $36 million contract by the Dodgers, with an opt-out clause after the fifth year provided specific performance goals were met.
Ryu added his first MLB victory in 2019 after being selected as an All-Star. Since then, he has twice been named to the All-MLB Second Team and has led the league in ERA.
Ryu is additionally the first Korean pitcher to take the mound in a World Series match. He signed a four-year, $80 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019.
His MLB career stats include a 73-45 win-loss record, a 3.20 earned run average, and 880 strikeouts through the 2021 season.
Yu Darvish 7.
The following pitcher is Yu Darvish, an Iranian-Japanese pitcher for the San Diego Padres. Darvish had played in the Japanese professional baseball league before making his MLB debut in 2012.
Darvish was assigned to the MLB prior to the 2012 season. In a blind posting bid, the Texas Rangers offered the highest reported proposal of $51.7 million.
He agreed to a six-year, $60 million contract with the Rangers. Darvish was third in the voting for the AL Rookie of the Year during his rookie campaign in the MLB.
He was acquired by the Rangers for the 2012–2014 and 2016–2017 campaigns. He then signed with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. Darvish was exchanged for the San Diego Padres in 2021.
His career highlights include being named to the All-Star team five times, making the All-MLB First Team, leading the NL in wins, and leading the AL in strikeouts. Through the 2021 season, Darvish has a 3.56 earned run average, a 79-97 win-loss record, and 1,591 strikeouts.
Clayton Kershaw, no. 6
Clayton Kershaw is currently ranked as the sixth-best MLB pitcher. He is currently a free agent after spending his whole 14-year MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Dodgers drafted Kershaw as the seventh overall pick and signed him for a $2.3 million signing bonus which was the most for any Dodgers draft pick.
After that, he made his MLB debut in 2008. During his debut, Kershaw was the youngest player in MLB for a full year.
Some of his notable career highlight wins and honors include All-Star eight times, World Series champion, NL MVP, All-MLB Second Team, NL wins leader three times.
Similarly, Kershaw is also the recipient of Cy Young Awards three times, Gold Glove Award, Roberto Clemente Award, five times NL ERA leader, three NL strikeout leaders, and a thrown no-hitter.
Kershaw’s 2021 MLB statistics read 185-84 win-loss records, 2.49 earned run averages and 2,670 strikeouts.
5. Max Scherzer
Max Scherzer is a professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted him as the 11th overall choice in the 2006 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2008.
In his debut game, Scherzer made his debut as a reliever. Since then, he has played with several teams like the Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Similarly, he has the MLB record tied for the most strikeout in a 9-inning game, tied for most consecutive seasons with 250 strikeouts. Likewise, Scherzer also possesses the record for most perfect innings pitched.
Nicknamed “Mad Max” for his fire and aggressiveness, he was the fifth pitcher to start an All-Star Game for both the American and National Leagues.
Additional to his statistics, Scherzer is an All-Star eight-times, World Series champion, All-MLB First Team two times, etc.
The Mets signed this three times Cy Young Award holder in 2021 on a three-year, $130 million contract. This has an average annual value of $43.3 million, the most in MLB history.
Scherzer’s MLB statistics through the 2021 season read 190-97 win-loss record, 3.16 earned run average, and 3,020 strikeouts.
4. Trevor Bauer
On our number 4 among the greatest pitchers in MLB right now is Los Angeles Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer. The Arizona Diamondbacks chose him in the third overall in the 2011 MLB draft and he debuted the following year.
After his debut in MLB, Bauer played for Cleveland Indian and Cincinnati Reds. Before joining with the Dodgers, Bauer was a free agent. He had rejected down an offer from the New York Mets to sign with the Dodgers in a three-year, $102 million pact.
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Some of his outstanding achievements and awards include an All-Star, All-MLB First Team, NL Cy Young Award, NL ERA leader, Golden Spikes Award, and National Pitcher of the Year Award.
In 2021, Bauer’s MLB statistics read 83-69 win-loss records, 3.79 earned run average, and 1,416 strikeouts.
3. Gerrit Cole
We are heading to the end of our list. On our number 3, we have Gerrit Cole, who plays professionally for the New York Yankees. The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted him as the first overall selection in the 2011 MLB draft.
After his draft, Cole made his debut in 2013. In his inaugural season, he won the NL Rookie and NL Pitcher of the Month.
He played for the Pirates until 2017, following which he played for the Houston Astros. In 2019, Cole signed a nine-year contract worth $324 million with the Yankees, which is the highest deal signed by a pitcher.
Some of his notable career highlight wins and honors include All-Star four times, All-MLB First Team two times, All-MLB Second Team, AL ERA leader, MLB strikeout leader, and AL wins leader.
Similarly, this power pitcher has the MLB record for most straight strikeouts without issuing a walk. Cole’s MLB record through the 2021 statistics read 117-63 win-loss record, 3.20 earned run average and 1,673 strikeouts.
2. Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber is the professional pitcher for the Cleveland Guardians/Indians. The Indians drafted him in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB draft and made his debut in 2018.
After his draft by the Indians, Bieber was added to the main league roster in 2018 and made his debut.
Some of his significant highlights victory and honors include All-Star two times, All-MLB First Team, AL CY Young Award, Triple Crown, AL wins leader, AL ERA leader, and AL Strikeout leader.
Bieber’s MLB statistics through the 2021 season were 41-18 win-loss record, 3.29 earned run average, and 633 strikeouts.
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1. Jacob DeGrom
And our number 1 on our ranking of the top pitchers in the MLB right now goes to “The deGrominator,” Jacob DeGrom. He plays for the New York Mets, which drafted him in the ninth round of the MLB draft.
DeGrommade his MLB debut in 2014 and proved to be a terrific rookie. He was selected the NL Rookie of the month twice and named the Rookie of the year in 2014. He became the first Met to get the distinction since Dwight Gooden in 1984.
Some of his notable career wins and highlights include All-Star four times, NL Cy Young Award two times, NL ERA leader, and NL strikeout leader two times.
DeGrom is largely considered as one of the best contemporary pitchers in baseball. In 2021, he set an MLB record for most strikeouts in the first four starts of a season with 50.
DeGrom’s MLB statistics through the 2021 season read 77-53 win-loss record, 2.50 earned run average, and 1,505 strikeouts.
Conclusion
MLB has long boasted about excellent players. These pitchers we have included on the list are also the top ones among many.
Eagle-eyed fans and critics all have their sharp eyes on them. Therefore, we can only hope that these players will continue to perform their best.