Ranking the Best Rotations of the Division Series

Even with how much the game has changed over the last few years, having a dominant starting rotation is still one of the best ways to book yourself a trip to the postseason. With rotations crunched due to the nature of playoff baseball, having a reliable frontline ace becomes even more valuable and can make or break a side in a critical game.

8. Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins v Cleveland Indians / Jason Miller/Getty Images

The Twins got into this thing by being able to mash home runs with the best of them, not due to their starting pitching. Jake Odorizzi is an All-Star but not a No. 1 starter, Jose Berrios is promising but is simply above average right now, and the rest of the rotation (Michael Pineda, Kyle Gibson, Martin Perez) have waffled between average and ineffective. Minnesota's staff needs to bend but not break and hope that deep lineup mashes enough to win some games.

7. New York Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays v New York Yankees / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The reason the Yankees aren't the No. 1 team in the AL right now has been a problematic starting rotation. You never know what you'll get from start to start with Masahrio Tanaka, and Luis Severino is a complete wild card as he comes back from injury. The formula that won them plenty of games this season is James Paxton and company giving them enough of a cushion to turn things over to the bullpen. Only time will tell if that will work in October.

6. Atlanta Braves

Philadelphia Phillies v Atlanta Braves / Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Braves, who shockingly decided to leave Julio Teheran off of the NLDS roster, will still have enough pitching to get by, thanks to one of the best rookies in the game in Mike Soroka and another promising youngster in Max Fried. The key in the NLDS will be Mike Foltynewicz, who had an extremely up-and-down season in 2019, and how he will fare against a deep Cardinals lineup.

5. St. Louis Cardinals

St Louis Cardinals v Chicago Cubs / Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

On the back of Jack Flaherty's historically dominant second half, the Cardinals snuck into the playoffs. Flaherty and fellow young player Dakota Hudson are the yin to the veteran yang supplied by Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas, and the two have worked together perfectly to give the Cardinals the boost they were looking for. We'll learn more about this group when they face Ronald Acuña, Freddie Freeman, and a deep Braves lineup a minimum of three times.

4. Tampa Bay Rays

Tampa Bay Rays v Toronto Blue Jays / Mark Blinch/Getty Images

The Rays have a trio of starters that, when healthy and playing at their best, can compete with any rotation in baseball. The three-headed monster of Charlie Morton, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow will hope to lead the Rays past the Astros. Morton led the team past the A's on Wednesday, and while Snell and Glasnow both lack postseason experience, they still make for a fearsome group of hurlers. And even without a starter on the hill, the Rays have found a ton of success utilizing openers in 2019.

3. Washington Nationals

Wild Card Round - Milwaukee Brewers v Washington Nationals / Rob Carr/Getty Images

No. 1 through No. 3 could really be interchangeable, as the Nationals have arguably the most dominant pitcher in the game on any given night in Max Scherzer, and can follow him with Stephen Strasburg, who would be an ace on more than half of the teams in the league, and star free agent acquisition Patrick Corbin. For all the glitz and glamour Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto bring, that rotation is what is going to carry the Nats in October.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers v New York Mets / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Clayton Kershaw, for all his struggles in the playoffs, remains one of the greatest pitchers ever, and warrants all the intimidation that seeing the southpaw on the mound can instill in a lineup. Throw in Hyun-Jin Ryu, who led all of baseball with a 2.32 ERA, and young flamethrower Walker Buehler to go along with Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda, and you have a rotation that could help Cody Bellinger and a deep Dodgers lineup get to the World Series for a third consecutive season-- and hopefully win it this time around.

1. Houston Astros

Seattle Mariners v Houston Astros / Tim Warner/Getty Images

The Astros rotation isn't just great, it's historically great. Houston has arguably three of the ten best pitchers in the game. Either Justin Verlander or Gerrit Cole will win the AL Cy Young Award, while Zack Greinke remains as befuddling to square up as any pitcher in the league. With Wade Miley and his solid 3.98 ERA as the fourth starter, this team is built to ride their starters until the wheels fall off. That approach won them a championship in 2017 and has them positioned to do so again this year.