"Scouts see aces as a tier of trusted starters, not 30 Opening Day starters of various ability, but the cutoff of this tier is not clear at all and varies widely from evaluator to evaluator."
"This is a huge season for Skubal, who is headed to free agency after the year and headlines the rotation of a contender with some real postseason expectations."
"Skenes was shelled in his first start and there were some slight differences in his pitch shapes, but his velo was basically the same."
The starting pitcher remains a crucial element in baseball as the 2026 season approaches. Evaluations of top MLB starters are based on insights from scouts and executives. Aces are seen as a tier of trusted pitchers, typically numbering 10 to 12, though opinions on rankings can vary. Young pitchers like Chase Burns, Nolan McLean, and Jacob Misiorowski are expected to emerge as potential aces. Notable pitchers include Skubal, who is aiming for a Cy Young three-peat, and Skenes, who had a rough first start but retains potential.
Read at ESPN.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]