While bullpens and openers have become all the rage in the age of analytics, the ace starting pitcher is still inherent in baseball. That’s why, despite this shift in philosophy, there’s still no better feeling for a manager than handing the ball to his ace and getting out of the way.
So with the start of the regular season around the corner, let’s take a look around The Show and rank each team’s starter who is projected to take the ball on Opening Day and would most likely earn a Game 1 starting assignment if the playoffs started today. Players who are currently injured are not included.
