NEWSFLASH - Our starting pitchers are pretty good. Here are their rankings among American League pitchers:
ERA - (3) Verlander (8) Cole (9) Morton (13) McCullers (22) Keuchel
Innings - (2) Verlander (9) Cole (10) Keuchel (16) McCullers (17) Morton
Strikeouts - (2) Cole (4) Verlander (7) Morton (10) McCullers (27) Keuchel
WHIP - (1) Verlander (6) Cole (11) McCullers (12) Morton (33) Keuchel
(Verlander and Keuchel have had 19 starts while Cole, McCullers, and Morton have had 18 starts)
So all five of our starting pitchers are in the top 22 in ERA, top 17 in Innings, top 27 in Strikeouts, and top 33 in WHIP. How do other AL teams compare?
Top 22 in ERA - 5 Pitchers (Houston) 3 Pitchers (Boston, Cleveland) 2 Pitchers (New York, Seattle, Minnesota) 1 Pitcher (Tampa Bay, LA, Oakland, Detroit, Chicago) 0 Pitchers (Texas, Baltimore, Kansas City, Toronto)
Top 17 in Innings - 5 Pitchers (Houston) 3 Pitchers (Cleveland) 2 Pitchers (Boston, Seattle) 1 Pitcher (New York, Oakland, Minnesota, Chicago, Tampa Bay) 0 Pitchers (Texas, LA, Baltimore, Detroit, Kansas City, Toronto)
Top 27 in Strikeouts - 5 Pitchers (Houston) 4 Pitchers (Boston, Cleveland) 3 Pitchers (Minnesota) 2 Pitchers (Seattle, Baltimore) 1 Pitcher (New York, LA, Detroit, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Texas, Toronto) 0 Pitchers (Oakland, Chicago)
Top 33 in WHIP - 5 Pitchers (Houston) 4 Pitchers (Boston, Cleveland) 3 Pitchers (Seattle, Detroit) 2 Pitchers (New York, Oakland, Minnesota, Texas) 1 Pitcher (Baltimore, Chicago, Kansas City, LA, Tampa Bay, Toronto)