Atlanta’s best arm neglected in MLB’s starting pitcher rankings

The Atlanta Braves’ finest starter is being overlooked by Major League Baseball.

This season has not gone as planned for the Atlanta Braves.

Top starting pitcher Spencer Strider, who left the home opener with elbow soreness and required season-ending elbow surgery, was slated to anchor a rotation regarded as one of the finest in baseball.

Instead, free agent signee Reynaldo López, 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA, has produced some of the finest performances of any starter in baseball. He’s allowed only two earned runs in his first 25 innings (four starts) of the 2024 season, including a thirteen-inning scoreless streak that lasted two full games.

Despite López’s dominance, MLB.com’s Starting Pitcher Power Rankings, which were revised this morning based on staff polling, do not include him among the top nineteen.

And that seems like an omission.

It’s actually the third incarnation of the rankings this season – Spencer Strider was at the top before Opening Day but was removed for obvious reasons – yet López is still not recognized for his domination.

The top ten includes many familiar names, such as 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 piqued my interest was Boston Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, who is new to the list for this edition.

Coming in at number seven, MLB.com writes that he presently leads the majors with a 0.66 ERA. Crawford has made five starts totaling 27.1 innings, giving only three runs (two earned) while striking out thirty and not allowing a home run. MLB.com notes that he has not allowed more than one run in any of his five starts, including shutting out the Orioles and Cleveland Guardians.

Do you know who is second in baseball in terms of ERA behind Crawford? Reynaldo López, who has two shutout outings in four starts and hasn’t allowed more than one run all season.

Still, no recognition.

López did not even make the “others receiving votes” list, which had nine names cited by the thirteen MLB.com voters as they compiled the rankings.

Would you rather have Paul Blackburn of the Oakland Athletics, who has allowed seven runs in five starts, than Reynaldo López right now? What about Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi, who has given up seven runs in 27.2 innings and lost? Seattle’s Bryce Miller has eight runs allowed (seven earned), eleven walks, and five home runs on the season, yet he is receiving votes instead of López.

Make it make sense.