Pitching wins championships and that is why good starters are coveted by Major League Baseball’s clubs. Top starting pitching can be at a premium and teams pay top dollar for hurlers they can rely on to get wins. Teams report to spring training in February and the new season is just around the corner. Baseball fans can use the Betway bonus code to wager on all of the games in spring training and during the regular season to bet on their favourite teams.
How important is starting pitching in Major League Baseball in 2020? Four of the top five highest paid players in the big leagues are starting pitchers. New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole is baseball’s second-highest paid player at $36 million in 2020.
Washington Nationals pitchers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg are numbers two and three. They led the Nats to the World Series last season and took home the top prize in Major League Baseball. The Houston Astros’ Zack Greinke is fifth on the list of 2020’s highest paid Major League baseball players.
But are any of these four starting pitchers considered the best Major League Baseball starting pitchers for 2020?
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Gerrit Cole – New York Yankees
Dec 18, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole speaks during a press conference at Legends Club at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
The Yankees ace is the league’s highest paid pitcher for a reason. Cole is considered by pundits and fans to be Major League Baseball’s most outstanding starting pitcher. Cole is fresh off of two seasons with the Houston Astros and was snapped up by the New York Yankees this offseason. The Yankees gave Cole an unbelievable nine-year contract worth a staggering $324 million. Cole is 29-years-old and has a career .644 win-loss percentage. Last season, Cole threw a career-high 212.1 innings and had a career-low 2.50 ERA.
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Justin Verlander – Houston Astros
Astros pitcher Justin Verlander may be 36-years-old, but he is still one of the best hurlers in the big leagues. Verlander topped Major League Baseball in 2019 in wins (21), innings pitchers (223.0), and a number of other 21st century metrics. Verlander also had 300 strikeouts for Houston in 2019 showing just how vital a player he is. With Cole now a New York Yankee, Verlander will be even more important in the Astros’ rotation. Verlander is coming off of his second AL Cy Young Award, so if you don’t think he is one of the top two pitchers in Major League Baseball, you better reconsider just how good he is.
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Jacob deGrom – New York Mets
Sep 25, 2019; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) in the dugout in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
It feels like this offseason has seen a Jacob deGrom bandwagon form. The reason for this bandwagon’s creation is due to many baseball fans realizing just how good deGrom has been on a so-so New York Mets team. Although the Mets were actually good last season, they played in the National League’s toughest division anonly one in baseball to see four teams finish over .500. DeGrom’s credentials are strong. He has won back to back NL Cy Young Awards. Last season, deGrom allowed just 6.8 hits per nine innings and had a 2.43 ERA, the second-lowest in Major League Baseball. DeGrom is the 21st highest paid player in Major League Baseball earning $25.5m in 2020. The Mets have deGrom locked down until after the 2022 season.
