The Ten Best Starting Rotations For The 2024 MLB Season

As free agency madness has finally seemed to end, it’s time to sit down and look at how some of these teams shape up coming into the 2024 season.

While I will eventually break down every team and their odds of winning the 2024 World Series, today I will focus just on pitching.

Some of the best pitchers in baseball will be wearing new jerseys this year, and some teams really bolstered their staffs in the offseason, so here are my five best starting rotations coming into the 2023 MLB season

1.  Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have the largest payroll in the MLB, and with it comes the best pitching rotation in the MLB this season – even if superstar Shohei Ohtani will not pitch this season.

They also added another budding star in Yoshinobu Yamamoto who signed a 12-year, 325 million contract with the Dodgers. Yamamoto has never appeared in the MLB and comes over from Japan, but he is highly regarded as both a ROY and Cy Young threat.

Walker Buehler has been a consistently strong force in the rotation, and across the board, it's among the best in terms of top-end talent and depth.

2. Philadelphia Phillies

The two-headed dragon of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola have anchored this rotation for the last half-decade, and we expect they will do so again. The only thing this group needs is a sixth option in the case of injuries or simply eating innings to save the best stuff for the playoffs.

All 5 starters will return from last year's unit, a unit that was improved throughout the season but has been susceptible to severe ups and downs – especially at the top end of the rotation.

The Phillies are a great team to watch with this strong pitching rotation and star-studded lineup. You can back the Phillies to win it all this season at (+1500) on Caesars Sportsbook.

3. Atlanta Braves

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The Braves were among the best teams in the MLB last season, winning 104 games and the NL East in the process. They lost their second straight series to the Phillies but should be among the best rotations again this season.

Spencer Strider – who is just 25 years old – immediately became one of the best pitchers in baseball. Max Fried and Charlie Morton are both solid rotational guys. And the addition of Chris Sale could be a massive one if he’s able to stay healthy in 2024.

They get the nod over other teams down the list due to the depth options behind the top-4 and if this unit can stay healthy, they could end up topping the best rotations in baseball this year.

If you're going to back the Braves this season, do yourself a favor and do so with any of these online sportsbook promotions.

4. Seattle Mariners 

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Seattle was a bit of a surprise team last year with the emergence of a couple of young stars, plus the American League’s best ERA at 3.74.

The three-headed unit of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby were ranked in the top-11 starters in the American League in WAR.

Not only that but the back end of the rotation – Bryce Miler and Bryan Woo – were both in the minors to start the year and got some much-needed experience at the big-league level.

Right-handed prospect Emerson Handcock is a guy to watch this season, he is the top-ranked pitching prospect in the Mariners farm system and should see big league action early in the year.

Seattle has a ton of budding stars, and at (+2000) odds on Fanatics Sportsbook they could be a great sleeper pick to win the World Series this season

5. Houston Astros

The Astros have been arguably the best MLB franchise of the last decade and continue to draft, develop, and win. Framber Valdez, Hunger Brown, and Christian Javier are a couple of fantastic examples of this having been strong anchors in the rotation for the last four seasons.

And even though Justin Verlander is now over 40 years old and has shown signs of slowing down, he’s still a stud. This is arguably the deepest rotation in baseball with solid enough top-end talent to round out my top-5 best rotations heading into next season.

The Astros have been basically been sharpied into the playoffs for the better part of the decade, and you can back Houston to do so again at all the best online sportsbooks.

6. Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona won the NL Pennant last year before losing to the Texas Rangers in the World Series, and with a solid rotation anchored by three studs, they’ll look to create that.

Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Eduardo Rodriguez are all experienced, high-level starting pitchers and 25-year-old Brandon Pfaadt got some much-needed experience at the big league level last season.

Outside of the top-4, it looks a bit bleak which could hold this group back – but the top end is very strong and if Pfaadt can settle in, this rotation could shoot up this list and be among the best rotations in baseball in 2024.

7. Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati boasts one of the youngest rotations in baseball and they felt that last season – but they should be improved with age this season.

Hunter Green, Andrew Abbott, and Graham Ashcraft were all significant pieces of the rotation last season – and they’ll need one (or more) to emerge as a legit top-of-the-rotation starter to be this high on the best rotation list come the end of the season.

The Reds added Frankie Montas as well, who could end up being a solid piece but he needs to stay healthy.

8. Minnesota Twins

The Twins have a solid rotation but desperately need to add a piece to solidify them among best in the MLB. Minnesota lost Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda from the rotation last year and may need to rely on a couple of young pieces if they aren’t able to make a trade.

The top end is strong with Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan – both of whom are under 30 and took steps forward last season. Chris Paddack and Bailer Ober have both been solid rotation pieces in the last couple of seasons – and if either of those four can establish themselves as a legitimate top-10 in the MLB guy this rotation could be dangerous.

9. New York Yankees

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Any time you have Gerrit Cole to anchor your rotation you’re going to be a good spot – but outside of him, this Yankees rotation isn’t anything to write home about.

New York added Marcus Stroman this offseason, who is a solid piece but had significant ups-and-down the last two seasons. And if Carlos Rodon can’t find his best stuff after posting a 3-8 record and 6.85 ERA last season after two straight seasons of a sub-3 ERA – this could be a bleak rotation come October.

The Yankees need to get the best out of their guys, and this figures to be one of the most unpredictable rotations in the MLB this season.