After watching Chris Sale and Justin Verlander go at it yesterday in Detroit and then tuning in to see Jon Lester pitch last night, I got thinking about the best pitchers to watch in baseball. Now, I know there are a lot of great pitchers out there right now and this isn’t a list of simply the best ones in the game. This is my personal Top 5 of pitchers that I like to watch go to work. Here it is.
5. Andrew Miller– It would be really easy to throw another reliever, Aroldis Chapman, on this list because of how hard he throws the ball and how dominant he is. But I wanted to represent the bullpen brigade with a guy that I not only think is just as fun to watch pitch, but also respect a lot more. Miller is the ultimate swingman in that he can do it all and will enter the game whenever Terry Francona sees fit. He’ll pitch for multiple innings or just come in for one quick shutdown. Man, I wish the Red Sox never let him get away.
4. Madison Bumgarner– Bumgarner gets the added bonus because I just love to watch him play in general. With the fact that this giant lumberjack steps to the plate and pounds homers like a power hitter, I don’t know how anyone doesn’t enjoy what he does. But Bumgarner to me is still somehow underrated, at least in the regular season. I love tuning in to see what he’s got in store.
3. Clayton Kershaw– Well, he’s the best pitcher in the game bar none. That right there can pretty much speak for itself. But you know what else can speak for itself? His banana-land curveball. That pitch is reason enough to watch this guy.
2. Noah Syndergaard– It was really hard to leave his teammate Matt Harvey off this list. But even though the Dark Knight didn’t make the cut, that doesn’t mean that Thor can’t. Between the fact that he looks like a Norse God, throws absolute cheddar and seems like a genuine badass, I love watching anytime he’s on my television.
1. Chris Sale– Trust me, I’m not a prisoner of the moment. This isn’t just because he’s the Red Sox shiny new toy I swear! But seeing him up close and personal has given me a new appreciation for him that I didn’t have before because I rarely saw the White Sox play. His stuff is filthy, his demeanor is unparalleled and his delivery is scary/beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it and I’m obsessed with the fact that I get to watch him every fifth day. It’s going to be appointment television and I couldn’t be more excited.
Honorable Mention: Marcus Stroman, Matt Harvey, Aroldis Chapman
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