Creating the Ultimate MLB Pitcher with players from the 2010s
Pitching in the major leagues might be one of the most stressful jobs in sports. So much relies on any starting, or relief pitcher, as they can lose or win the game purely on their performance.
If a starting pitcher comes out throwing great, his team’s offense has breathing room to work within a close game. When a pitcher starts slow, allowing early runs, it changes the game completely, making batters change how they swing and try to get all the runs back as early as possible. High-leverage relief pitchers hold the balance of the game in their hands. Often, if they give up one run, the game could be over.
Each pitcher has its strength and weakness, but what if you could make one in a lab with no flaws? Using pitchers from the 2010s, that ultimate pitcher might be made of the strengths of these five.
Let’s check the latest MLB lines, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for MLB Pitcher with players from the 2010ss. We’ve plenty of MLB spreads for you to consider.
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Brain: Justin Verlander
The argument for Justin Verlander to not be one of the best players of the 2010s decade is nearly impossible. He is a two-time Cy Young winner during the decade, winning in 2011 and then in 2019. Verlander also won the 2011 MVP. He has led the league in starts and strikeouts four times, and innings three times. His ability to come back makes him one of the strongest mental pitchers, along with almost being a second pitching coach for the Houston Astros. From 2010 to 2013, Verlander won 72 games to just 34 losses with a 2.95 ERA with the Detroit Tigers. Injuries and age started to catch up with him as he struggled through the middle of the decade. Verlander joined the Astros in 2017, regaining his form and once again becoming one of the best pitchers in baseball.
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Arm: Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole, during the decade, became one of the better arms and was a leader in the foundation of how pitchers now pitch. His pitch mix of a high fastball to set up the sliders was something he learned from Verlander, but he may have perfected it. While pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates, he pitched well, but he exploded when he was traded to the Astros. Since 2018, his fastball has sat at an average speed of over 96 MPH, while his slider and changeup clock in around 88 MPH with insane movement, making Cole incredibly hard to hit. The thing that makes Cole’s arm so unique is that he can keep his velocity up for an entire start while also pitching a lot of innings throughout the year.
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Fastball: Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman, often referred to as the “Cuban Missile,” has the fastest pitch recorded in an MLB game at 105.8 MPH. Being a closer and relief pitcher does give Chapman the leeway that he needs to throw his hardest on every pitch, but it is still something few pitchers can reach. To put that into context, since 2008, keep in mind he entered the league in 2010, Chapman has thrown the most pitches over 103 MPH with 273. The next closest is 69 pitches in that category. On top of that, he had the eight fastest pitches since 2008. Chapman was one of the few pitchers at the time reaching 100 MPH regularly, making him a terror when he entered the game.
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Movement: Max Scherzer
For a better part of the 2010s, Max Scherzer has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB, with a massive part of that due to the movement on his pitches. He has never had one of the fastest fastballs, still better than most, but his movement was always able to get batters out. From 2016 to 2018, Scherzer led the MLB in strikeouts in three straight seasons for the Washington Nationals, winning two Cy Young awards and coming in second place in the other season. Vertically or horizontally, his movement on every pitch always set him up for strikeouts throughout his career.
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Off-Speed: Clayton Kershaw
By the time Clayton Kershaw retires, he may go down as one of the best pitchers in MLB history. He has won three Cy Youngs and an MVP within four years. He also had the lowest ERA in four straight seasons and led the MLB in strikeouts. His curveball has been his go-to strikeout pitch throughout his career and is a significant testament to his success. With an already elite fastball and slider, Kershaw’s curveball is one of the deadliest off-speed pitches in the 2010s decade.
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