The Major League Baseball (MLB) is filled with talented pitchers who have the ability to put their teams in a position to win each and every game. One of the key metrics that baseball fans use to measure the effectiveness of a pitcher is the quality start. A quality start is defined as a start in which a pitcher completes at least six innings of work and allows three or fewer earned runs. Quality starts are an important measure for pitchers, as they show that the pitcher has given his team a chance to win the game. With that in mind, let’s take a look at who leads the MLB in quality starts in 2021.
Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander
One of the most dominant pitchers in baseball over the past decade, Justin Verlander has been one of the most consistent pitchers when it comes to quality starts. He leads the entire league in quality starts in 2021 with 14, which is two more than the second-place Cleveland Indians’ Shane Bieber. Verlander has been a dominant force for the Houston Astros since joining the team in 2017. He has led the team to the postseason in each of the past three seasons and is once again the ace of the pitching staff. Verlander is currently 11-4 with a 2.86 ERA and has been the key to the Astros’ success this season.
Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole
Verlander’s teammate, Gerrit Cole, is also near the top of the list when it comes to quality starts. Cole is tied for second with Bieber with 12 quality starts on the season. Cole has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Astros in 2018 and his performance this season has been no different. Cole is 11-5 with a 2.73 ERA and has been the key to the Astros’ success this season. Cole has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Astros’ success.
Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish
The third pitcher on this list is Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres. Darvish is having a stellar season for the Padres and is tied for second with Bieber and Cole with 12 quality starts. Darvish has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Padres in 2020 and his performance this season has been no different. Darvish is 9-4 with a 2.93 ERA and has been the key to the Padres’ success this season. Darvish has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Padres’ success.
Jacob deGrom
Jacob deGrom
The fourth pitcher on this list is Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets. deGrom is having another stellar season for the Mets and is tied for fourth with the Indians’ Shane Bieber with 11 quality starts. deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Mets in 2014 and his performance this season has been no different. deGrom is 9-4 with a 2.06 ERA and has been the key to the Mets’ success this season. deGrom has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Mets’ success.
Shane Bieber
Shane Bieber
The fifth pitcher on this list is Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Indians. Bieber is having another stellar season for the Indians and is tied for fourth with deGrom with 11 quality starts. Bieber has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Indians in 2018 and his performance this season has been no different. Bieber is currently 12-4 with a 2.36 ERA and has been the key to the Indians’ success this season. Bieber has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Indians’ success.
Zack Greinke
Zack Greinke
The sixth pitcher on this list is Zack Greinke of the Houston Astros. Greinke is having another stellar season for the Astros and is tied for sixth with the Cardinals’ Jack Flaherty and the Phillies’ Aaron Nola with 10 quality starts. Greinke has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Astros in 2018 and his performance this season has been no different. Greinke is currently 8-3 with a 3.04 ERA and has been the key to the Astros’ success this season. Greinke has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Astros’ success.
Jack Flaherty
Jack Flaherty
The seventh pitcher on this list is Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals. Flaherty is having another stellar season for the Cardinals and is tied for sixth with Greinke and Nola with 10 quality starts. Flaherty has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Cardinals in 2017 and his performance this season has been no different. Flaherty is currently 9-5 with a 2.84 ERA and has been the key to the Cardinals’ success this season. Flaherty has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Cardinals’ success.
Aaron Nola
Aaron Nola
The eighth pitcher on this list is Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies. Nola is having another stellar season for the Phillies and is tied for sixth with Greinke and Flaherty with 10 quality starts. Nola has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Phillies in 2014 and his performance this season has been no different. Nola is currently 6-4 with a 3.10 ERA and has been the key to the Phillies’ success this season. Nola has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Phillies’ success.
Clayton Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw
The ninth pitcher on this list is Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw is having another stellar season for the Dodgers and is tied for ninth with the Blue Jays’ Hyun-Jin Ryu, the White Sox’s Lucas Giolito and the Twins’ Kenta Maeda with nine quality starts. Kershaw has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Dodgers in 2008 and his performance this season has been no different. Kershaw is currently 8-5 with a 2.20 ERA and has been the key to the Dodgers’ success this season. Kershaw has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Dodgers’ success.
Hyun-Jin Ryu
Hyun-Jin Ryu
The tenth and final pitcher on this list is Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Toronto Blue Jays. Ryu is having another stellar season for the Blue Jays and is tied for ninth with Kershaw, Giolito and Maeda with nine quality starts. Ryu has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining the Blue Jays in 2020 and his performance this season has been no different. Ryu is currently 5-4 with a 2.69 ERA and has been the key to the Blue Jays’ success this season. Ryu has been able to limit the damage done by opposing batters, which has been a key factor in the Blue Jays’ success.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Major League Baseball’s top pitchers have been putting in quality starts all season long. Justin Verlander leads the entire league with 14 quality starts, while Gerrit Cole, Yu Darvish, Jacob deGrom, Shane Bieber, Zack Greinke, Jack Flaherty, Aaron Nola, Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu are all tied for second with 12 quality starts. All of these pitchers have been dominant forces for their respective teams and have been key factors in their teams’ success this season.