(RADIO.COM Sports) With Opening Day nearly upon us, we take a look at the top 10 right-handed pitchers for the upcoming 2021 season.
10. Zack Greinke, Houston Astros
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Greinke posted a 4.03 ERA in 12 games a season ago, though his 2.80 FIP suggested that his numbers would've evened out over the course of a normal 162-game season. As recently as 2019, Greinke made 33 starts and posted a 2.93 ERA, and he's such a savant that he could easily remain a frontline starter into his early 40s. It would be best for Greinke to have an All-Star-caliber season in 2021, as he can become a free agent after the season.
9. Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
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The White Sox fleeced the Nationals in December 2016 when they acquired Giolito in a deal that sent Adam Eaton to Washington. Now, Eaton is back in Chicago, and he'll play in right field behind Giolito, who has a 3.43 ERA in 249 innings over the past two seasons.
8. Trevor Bauer, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Bauer was dominant in 2020, when he won the National League Cy Young award and then signed a three-year, $102-million contract with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Bauer will now be looking to build off of a campaign that saw him post a 1.73 ERA in 11 starts. However, wedged in between his excellent 2018 and 2020 seasons was a 2019 that was a mixed bag. The 30-year-old Bauer has a career 3.90 ERA and 3.85 FIP. No one's doubting that Bauer will help the Dodgers in their attempt to fend off the San Diego Padres, but it is fair to wonder if he'll ever match what he did in 2020.
7. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
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To this point, the 36-year-old Scherzer has held off any real dip in velocity. As he enters the final year of one of the most successful free-agent deals in sports history, he hopes he can do it again. At this stage of his career, Scherzer may no longer be a pitcher who will throw more than 220 innings in a season like he has done on several occasions, but he still figures to be an All-Star candidate.
6. Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds
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After an offseason in which the Reds slashed payroll, Cincinnati fans don't have a ton to be excited about in 2021. But even after losing Bauer in free agency -- among other notable departures -- the Reds still employ one of the best right-handed pitchers in baseball. Over the past two seasons, Castillo has a 3.35 ERA and 3.41 FIP in 44 games. He may well become the hottest trade target in late July -- but not before he likely makes his second All-Star Game appearance.
5. Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers
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Buehler's regular season in 2020 was actually underwhelming compared to what he had done in prior seasons, as he posted a 4.36 FIP and 0.5 fWAR. That said, he was dominant in the postseason, posting a 1.80 ERA in five starts during the Dodgers' championship run. Given that the 26-year-old Buehler is just two seasons removed from being graded as one of the 10 best pitchers in the sport, we're going to bet that he has a monster 2021 season, potentially one that allows him to contend for the NL Cy Young award.
4. Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
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Following a dominant 2018 campaign, Nola had some regression in 2019. He bounced back in 2020 though, posting a 3.28 ERA in 12 starts. Nola, 27, has become one of the most steady pitchers in the sport. All that he needs to fix are his struggles late in the season, as he has a 4.28 ERA in 27 career starts in September/October. As the Phillies look to reach the postseason for the first time in a decade, they expect a big year from him.
3. Shane Bieber, Cleveland
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Bieber followed up a breakout 2019 season by solidifying himself with one of the most dominant arms in the sport in 2020. En route to winning the American League Cy Young award, Bieber posted a minuscule 1.63 ERA, 2.07 FIP and 3.2 fWAR in just 12 starts. Cleveland dealt Francisco Lindor to the New York Mets but between Bieber and José Ramírez, manager Terry Francona's club still possess quite a bit of star power.
2. Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
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Cole had a strong first season with the Yankees, but FanGraphs graded him as just the 23rd-best pitcher in baseball. Considering he was the third-best pitcher between 2018 and 2019, the Yankees hope for even more in the second season of Cole's nine-year, $324-million pact. From here, he's the odds-on favorite to win the AL Cy Young award.
1. Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
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At 32, deGrom is building a compelling Hall of Fame case. Over the past three seasons, deGrom has gone on a historic run, posting a 2.10 ERA, 2.31 FIP and 18.7 fWAR. He's unquestionably one of the most dominant pitchers of this era, and with a few more peak years, he'll cement his place in Cooperstown.
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