Top 50 2021 MLB Pitcher Contracts

[South Side Hit Men]

Players grouped by current team. Salary, stats and bWAR for entire season, even for traded players.

Philadelphia and the White Sox's Top 50 pitchers collectively did the best this season in terms of production for dollars spent.

Competitive teams without any Top 50 Paid Pitchers: Milwaukee (1st Place N.L. Central) & Tampa Bay (1st Place A.L. East).

Tanking Teams: Baltimore, Cleveland, Colorado, Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Pittsburgh, Texas. 

 

Overall MLB Salary Rank, Player, 10/5/21 Age (Salary, Innings Pitched, Pitching bWAR):

1. Los Angeles Dodgers 106-56 (#1 N.L. Wild Card) $173.0M, 612.1 IP, 16.0 bWAR

• 1. Trevor Bauer 30 ($40.0M, 107.2, 3.0) Out for the season - Domestic Violence
• 6. Max Scherzer 37 ($34.5M, 179.1, 6.0)
• 8. David Price 36 ($32.0M, 73.2, 0.5)
• 9. Clayton Kershaw 33 ($31.0M, 121.2, 2.1) Out for the season - Injury
• 15. Kenley Jansen 34 ($20.0M, 69.0, 2.3)
• 26. Danny Duffy 32 ($15.5M, 61.0, 2.1) Out for the season - Injury

2. New York Mets 77-85 (3rd Place N.L. East) $109.3M, 609.2 IP, 7.0 bWAR

• 3. Jason deGrom 33 ($35.5M, 92.0, 4.4) Out for the season - Injury 
• 18. Marcus Stroman 30 ($18.9M, 179.0, 3.3)
• 33. Carlos Carrasco 34 ($12.0M, 53.2, -0.8)
• 36. Jeruys Familia 31 ($11.7M, 59.1, 0.0)
• 37. Brad Hand 31 ($11.5M, 64.2, -0.3)
• 45. Taijuan Walker 29 ($10.0M, 159.0, 0.5)
• 47. Noah Syndergaard 29 ($9.7M, 2.0, -0.1)

3. New York Yankees 92-70 (#2 A.L. Wild Card) $86.8M, 342 IP, 8.4 bWAR

• 2. Gerrit Cole 31 ($36.0M, 181.1, 5.6)
• 24. Aroldis Chapman 33 ($16.0M, 56.1, 1.5)
• 30. Zack Britton 33 ($13.0M, 18.1, -0.4) Out for the season - Injury
• 40. Corey Kluber 35 ($11.0M, 80.0, 1.4)
• 43. Luis Severino 27 ($10.8M, 6.0, 0.3)

4. Houston Astros 95-67 (1st Place A.L. West) $68.0M, 171.0 IP, 1.2 bWAR

• 4. Zack Greinke 37 ($35.0M, 171.0, 1.2)
• 7. Justin Verlander 38 ($33.0M, 0.0, 0.0) Out for the season - Injury

5. Washington Nationals 65-97 (Last Place N.L. East) $59.4M, 193.1 IP, -1.1 bWAR

• 4. Stephen Strasburg 33 ($35.0M, 21.2, 0.0) Out for the season - Injury
• 11. Patrick Corbin 32 ($24.4M, 171.2, -1.1)

6. Chicago White Sox 93-69 (1st Place A.L. Central) $54.6M, 449.2 IP, 10.6 bWAR

• 20. Dallas Keuchel 33 ($18.0M, 162.0, 0.1)
• 24. Craig Kimbrel 33 ($16.0M, 59.2, 2.5)
• 38. Liam Hendriks 32 ($11.3M, 71.0, 2.6)
• 49. Lance Lynn 34 ($9.3M, 157.0, 5.4)

7. Boston Red Sox 92-70 (#1 A.L. Wild Card) $47.0M, 225.0 IP, 5.6 bWAR

• 10. Chris Sale 32 ($30.0M, 42.2, 1.0)
• 21. Nathan Eovaldi 31 ($17.0M, 182.1, 4.6)

8. Philadelphia Phillies 82-80 (2nd Place N.L. East) $44.5M, 576.0 IP, 13.5 bWAR

• 12. Zack Wheeler 31 ($22.5M, 213.1, 7.6)
• 32. Aaron Nola 28 ($12.3M, 180.2, 2.4)
• 47. Kyle Gibson 33 ($9.7M, 182.0, 3.5)

9. Saint Louis Cardinals 90-72 (#2 N.L. Wild Card) $40.7M, 163.0 IP, -1.6 bWAR

• 21. Miles Mikolas 33 ($17.0M, 44.2, -0.1)
• 33. Andrew Miller 36 ($12.0M, 36.0, -0.2)
• 35. Carlos Martinez 30 ($11.7M, 82.1, -1.3) Out for the season - Injury

10. San Francisco Giants 107-55 (1st Place N.L. West) $40.7M, 306.2 IP, 6.0 bWAR

• 14. Johnny Cueto 35 ($21.8M, 114.2, 0.8)
• 18. Kevin Gausman 30 ($18.9M, 192.0, 5.2)

11. Atlanta Braves 88-73 (1st Place N.L. East) $39.0M, 380.1 IP, 6.8 bWAR

• 27. Charlie Morton 37 ($15.0M, 185.2, 4.2)
• 30. Will Smith 32 ($13.0M, 68.0, 1.8)
• 40. Drew Smyly 32 ($11.0M, 126.2, 0.8)

12. San Diego Padres 79-83 (3rd Place N.L. West) $33.1M, 295.0 IP, 2.8 bWAR

• 13. Yu Darvish 35 ($22.0M, 166.1, 1.4)
• 39. Blake Snell 28 ($11.1M, 128.2, 1.4) 

13. Los Angeles Angels 77-85 (4th Place A.L. West) $24.1M, 163.1 IP, 4.5 bWAR

• 27. Alex Cobb 33 ($15.0M, 93.1, 1.7)
• 50. Raisel Iglesias 31 ($9.1M, 70.0, 2.8)

14. Toronto Blue Jays 91-71 (4th Place A.L. East): 15. Hyun Jin Ryu 34 ($20.0M, 169.0, 1.7)

15. Arizona Diamondbacks 52-110 (Last Place N.L. West): 17. Madison Bumgarner 32 ($19.0M, 146.1, 1.4)

16. Seattle Mariners 90-72 (2nd Place A.L. West): 21. Yusei Kikuchi 30 ($17.0M, 157.0, 1.7)

17. Chicago Cubs 71-91 (4th Place N.L. Central) : 29. Kyle Hendricks 31 ($14.0M, 181.0, 0.9)

18. Oakland Athletics 86-76 (3rd Place A.L. West): 40. Trevor Rosenthal 31 ($11.0M, 0.0, 0.0)

19. Cincinnati Reds 83-79 (3rd Place N.L. Central): 44. Sonny Gray 31 ($10.2M, 135.1, 3.4)

20. Minnesota Twins 73-89 (Last Place A.L. Central): 45. Michael Pineda 32 ($10.0M, 109.1, 1.5)

[Two-Gun Pete]

On 10/5/2021 at 11:46 PM, South Side Hit Men said:

Overall MLB Salary Rank, Player, 10/5/21 Age (Salary, Innings Pitched, Pitching bWAR?

5. Washington Nationals 65-97 (Last Place N.L. East) $59.4M, 193.1 IP, -1.1 bWAR

• 4. Stephen Strasburg 33 ($35.0M, 21.2, 0.0) Out for the season - Injury
• 11. Patrick Corbin 32 ($24.4M, 171.2, -1.1)

6. Chicago White Sox 93-69 (1st Place A.L. Central) $54.6M, 449.2 IP, 10.6 bWAR

• 20. Dallas Keuchel 33 ($18.0M, 162.0, 0.1)
• 24. Craig Kimbrel 33 ($16.0M, 59.2, 2.5)
• 38. Liam Hendriks 32 ($11.3M, 71.0, 2.6)
• 49. Lance Lynn 34 ($9.3M, 157.0, 5.4)

Ok, I'm trying to understand what we're looking at here. I get that the individual players are ranked by salary.

But what are the team rankings? I guess I'm not understanding why Washington, with negative bWAR, are ranked ahead of the SOX with 10.6 bWAR?

 

EDIT: So the teams are also ranked by spending on pitching, yes? I think that jetlag, coupled with the blurb about Philly & the SOX doing best on a $/bWAR basis, confused me... I mean, if we're discussing contract efficiency by organization, why not rank the clubs thusly?

 

Also, doesn't fangraphs already do this in one of their blogs every year?

Edited October 8, 2021 by Two-Gun Pete

[South Side Hit Men]

3 hours ago, Two-Gun Pete said:

Ok, I'm trying to understand what we're looking at here. I get that the individual players are ranked by salary.

But what are the team rankings? I guess I'm not understanding why Washington, with negative bWAR, are ranked ahead of the SOX with 10.6 bWAR?

EDIT: So the teams are also ranked by spending on pitching, yes? I think that jetlag, coupled with the blurb about Philly & the SOX doing best on a $/bWAR basis, confused me... I mean, if we're discussing contract efficiency by organization, why not rank the clubs thusly?

Also, doesn't fangraphs already do this in one of their blogs every year?

Thanks for reading. Not familiar with fangraph blogs.

Listed in total pay order, let the reader make their own conclusions about efficiency and the types of pitchers (Sox, Mets and Yankees the three teams with two intentional relievers (aka not converted injured or ineffective starters).

Edited October 8, 2021 by South Side Hit Men