New ace tops latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings

We're about a month into the regular season, and it's time for another edition of Starting Pitcher Power Rankings.

And we have another shakeup at the top. After Spencer Strider topped the Opening Day rankings and Corbin Burnes led the second edition, we have another new starter in the No. 1 spot this week.

To come up with a top 10 list, our panel of MLB.com experts considered 2024 performance, last season's results and career track record in casting their votes.

Here are the latest Starting Pitcher Power Rankings. (All stats are through Tuesday.)

1. Zack Wheeler, Phillies (Last poll: 2)

The Phillies ace continues to be one of MLB's premier workhorses, with a 2.30 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings over his first five starts of 2024. Wheeler is coming off a 7 1/3-inning, one-hit, eight-strikeout scoreless performance against the White Sox. He ranks third in the Majors in K's and is tied for third with four quality starts.

2. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers (4)

Glasnow was at peak form in his most recent start, dominating for eight shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Mets. That's his second double-digit K gem in his last three starts -- Glasnow also pitched seven scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts against the Twins on April 9. It's no surprise that he leads the Majors with 44 K's, and he's 4-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

3. Tarik Skubal, Tigers (5)

Skubal's rise to the top class of MLB aces continues. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings over five starts this season. And he's 10-3 with a 2.54 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 20 starts going back to last season.

4. Corbin Burnes, Orioles (1)

The Orioles' new ace continues to lead the way for the reigning AL East champs, with a 3-0 record, 2.76 ERA and 29 strikeouts in five starts. Burnes has been more solid than electric, so he's been replaced by Wheeler at the top of the rankings, but the former Cy Young Award winner is still worthy of a top-five spot.

5. Dylan Cease, Padres (Not ranked)

Cease hasn't missed a beat since taking over the ace role in San Diego from Cy Young winner Blake Snell. The right-hander is 3-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings over five starts, and he's coming off his best game of the season. Cease went seven innings while allowing just one run on one hit with eight strikeouts and no walks to beat the Rockies at Coors Field.

6. Freddy Peralta, Brewers (NR)

The Brewers have a lot of questions in their 2024 rotation, but Peralta isn't one of them. In the ace role for the first time, Peralta is 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings over his first four starts. He has a 12.5 K/9 and 36.7% strikeout rate, both the best among qualified starters.

7. Kutter Crawford, Red Sox (NR)

Crawford leads the Majors with a 0.66 ERA. The 28-year-old right-hander hasn't allowed more than one run in any of his five starts, including scoreless outings against the Orioles and Guardians, who have two of the top three records in the American League.

8. José Berríos, Blue Jays (NR)

Berríos' resurgence has continued into 2024. After cutting his ERA from 5.23 to 3.65 from 2022 to '23, he's at a sparkling 0.85 through five starts this season, second only to Crawford in the big leagues. Berríos is 4-0, the Blue Jays have won all five of his starts, and all five have been quality starts, tying Berríos with Giants ace Logan Webb for the MLB lead. He also hasn't allowed a run in his last three starts and is on a 21 2/3-inning scoreless streak.

• The 10 longest scoreless-inning streaks

9. Jared Jones, Pirates (NR)

There's an electric rookie pitcher in Pittsburgh not named Paul Skenes. Jones has been sensational in the first five starts of his big league career, with a 2.79 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 29 innings. The 22-year-old right-hander ranks second to Glasnow in the Majors in strikeouts even though the Pirates have limited his innings in the early goings. Jones' 12.1 K/9 and 34.8% strikeout rate are also second-best in the Majors behind Peralta. In his last start, he got 25 swings-and-misses, the most by any pitcher in a game this season.

10. Ranger Suárez, Phillies (NR)

The Phillies are the only team with two starters in the top 10 of this week's power rankings thanks to Suárez, who's having an even better start to 2024 than Wheeler but just doesn't have the track record of his ace teammate. Suárez is 4-0 with a National League-leading 1.36 ERA and 32 strikeouts in five starts. Like Berríos, he's on a three-start scoreless streak, including a shutout of the Rockies on April 16, and has thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings.

Others receiving votes: Logan Webb (Giants), Shota Imanaga (Cubs), Logan Gilbert (Mariners), Tanner Houck (Red Sox), Yusei Kikuchi (Blue Jays), Zac Gallen (D-backs), Ronel Blanco (Astros), Bryce Miller (Mariners), Paul Blackburn (A's)

Voters: David Adler, Brett Blueweiss, Scott Chiusano, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Bryan Horowitz, Brent Maguire, Whitney McIntosh, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Arturo Pardavila, Manny Randhawa, Andrew Simon, Zac Vierra