New ace takes over Starting Pitcher Power Rankings

There are so many electric aces in MLB today, and any given week, any one of them can look like the best pitcher in baseball.

That can mean lots of jockeying at the top of our Starting Pitcher Power Rankings. In the latest edition, there's another new name in the No. 1 spot -- the third different pitcher in four rankings to start the season.

The top 10 starters are voted on by a panel of MLB.com experts, with track record, season-long performance and recent success factored in when picks are made.

Here's the fourth edition of the 2023 Starting Pitcher Power Rankings. (All stats are through Tuesday's games.)

1. Shane McClanahan, Rays (Last poll: 7)

No surprise to see the Rays' ace in the No. 1 spot -- the only surprise might be how long it's taken him to get here. McClanahan is now 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA and 82 strikeouts this season, which puts him in Triple Crown contention. The 26-year-old lefty ranks first in the American League in wins, second in ERA and third in strikeouts.

2. Spencer Strider, Braves (2)

Strider has a case as the most dominant pitcher in baseball. He leads the Majors with 106 strikeouts -- 16 more than second-place Shohei Ohtani -- and those strikeouts have come in 63 2/3 innings, giving Strider a ridiculous 15 K/9. He's on pace to push for the first 300-strikeout season since Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander in 2019.

3. Sonny Gray, Twins (3)

The AL's ERA leader remains in the No. 3 spot for a third straight power rankings. Gray continues to chug along with a 1.94 mark. The crafty veteran mixes six different pitches, he hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start this season, and perhaps most impressively, he's the only qualified starter who hasn't allowed a single home run.

4. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers (9)

The Rangers' ace in Jacob deGrom's absence just completed a monster month -- Eovaldi went 4-0 with a 0.96 ERA in May while averaging nearly 7 2/3 innings per start. He leads the Majors with 74 1/3 innings pitched and two complete games while also boasting a top-five ERA in the AL.

5. Framber Valdez, Astros (not ranked)

Valdez was great last year but sometimes overshadowed by Justin Verlander. Now, he's the ace in Houston -- and pitching like it. Valdez has a 2.38 ERA, fourth-best in the AL, and 77 strikeouts, sixth-most. This is his first time making the Starting Pitcher Power Rankings this season.

6. Luis Castillo, Mariners (not ranked)

Castillo fell off the power rankings in the last edition, but he's right back on this time around. After a few rockier starts earlier in May, the Mariners ace has put together back-to-back scoreless outings, including his first 10-strikeout game of the season against the Pirates his last time out. Castillo's 2.69 ERA and 76 strikeouts both rank in the top 10 in the AL.

7. Bryce Elder, Braves (not ranked)

Elder hadn't made the top 10 in the rankings yet this season, but he's the MLB ERA leader, so it's about time. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 1.92 ERA through 11 starts in his sophomore season, including a 1.72 ERA in six starts in May. With Strider and Elder, the Braves are one of two teams with multiple starters in these power rankings.

8. Marcus Stroman, Cubs (not ranked)

Stroman makes the Starting Pitcher Power Rankings for the first time after his best start of the year -- and maybe the best start by anyone in the Majors this year. The Cubs right-hander pitched a one-hit shutout against the MLB-best Rays on Monday, taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning. That gem lowered his season ERA to 2.59, second-best in the NL.

9. Joe Ryan, Twins (10)

The Twins are the second team with multiple starters in the power rankings in Gray and Ryan. Ryan has been great in his second full season in the big leagues, with a 7-2 record, 2.77 ERA and 76 strikeouts through 11 starts, including three games with double-digit K's.

10. (tie) Zac Gallen, D-backs (1)

The top pitcher in the last rankings, Gallen slides down a little after an eight-run outing on May 19, but he's gotten back on the horse in his last two starts, with just two runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings. Gallen ranks near the top of the NL in all three Triple Crown categories -- he's tied for first in wins (seven), third in ERA (2.72) and third in strikeouts (82).

10. (tie) Shohei Ohtani, Angels (not ranked)

You can't keep Ohtani out of the power rankings for long. He slipped out of the last edition, but he's right back this time after back-to-back excellent starts to wrap up May. Ohtani got his ERA back under 3.00 -- he's sitting at 2.91 -- and he leads the AL with 90 strikeouts, including an MLB-high four games with 10-plus K's.

Also receiving votes: Gerrit Cole (Yankees), Logan Webb (Giants), Kevin Gausman (Blue Jays), Tyler Wells (Orioles), Kodai Senga (Mets), Eduardo Rodriguez (Tigers)

Voters: David Adler, Brett Blueweiss, Paul Casella, Doug Gausepohl, Thomas Harrigan, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Ricardo Montes de Oca, Brian Murphy, Sweeny Murti, Manny Randhawa, Efrain Ruiz, Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru, Andrew Simon, David Venn