The Los Angeles Dodgers have an enviable amount of talent in their starting rotation.
From top to bottom, the team is able to feel good about its chances no matter who gets the ball each day.
When healthy, you could argue that any of the Dodgers’ five starting pitchers would be the staff ace on a handful of other MLB teams.
Today, we are going to rank the Dodgers’ rotation arms.
We will only be considering players who are currently in the rotation.
Young stud Dustin May won’t crack the list due to a UCL injury he suffered earlier in this season.
5. Tony Gonsolin
Tony Gonsolin gets the least desirable spot on this list only because his sample size is small.
Gonsolin stepped in as May’s replacement and has been solid so far.
Dave Roberts talks with @kirsten_watson about Tony Gonsolin's effective outing, Edwin Uceta & Victor González in the 8th, and the #Dodgers carrying momentum into a big series in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/WgPBlrVO6V
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 21, 2021
Through three starts, Gonsolin has tossed nine innings of three-run ball.
He hasn’t made it out of the fourth inning in any of his starts yet, but that may be by design, with manager Dave Roberts perhaps wanting to give Gonsolin a few frames each time out before turning it into a bullpen game.
The biggest area of concern for Gonsolin is his command—he has walked eight batters in nine innings to this point.
4. Julio Urias
If you have Julio Urias as your fourth-best rotation option, you’re doing something right.
Urias is having another good season.
He has a 3.54 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP through 14 starts.
He has 90 strikeouts in 84.0 innings and leads the National League with nine wins.
Urias has a career 3.29 ERA and has turned into an extremely reliable big-league pitcher.
He’s in his sixth season with the Dodgers and won’t hit free agency until 2024.
3. Clayton Kershaw
No one on the planet thinks that anyone in the Dodgers’ rotation has had a better career than Clayton Kershaw, but this season, he comes in at third on the list.
Kershaw is having an extremely solid year, boasting a 3.36 ERA, 2.75 FIP, and 1.01 WHIP.
He has had a few rough outings—he’s given up five earned in three different starts—but the lefty still looks like his vintage self more often than not.
Kershaw is a five-time ERA champion who has also led the league in WHIP four times, strikeouts three times, wins three times, and FIP twice.
2. Walker Buehler
Walker Buehler nearly nabbed the top spot here, but he comes in at second instead.
Buehler, who is 7-0, has a staff-best 2.38 ERA, a 3.54 FIP, and an impressive 0.90 WHIP.
He has been even better of late, posting a 1.36 ERA over seven starts since May 17.
Opponents are batting just .196 with a .576 OPS against the righty this season.
He is well on his way to the second All-Star selection of his career.
1. Trevor Bauer
Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer tops the list.
He has been lights-out in his first season with the Dodgers.
Trevor Bauer with the sword ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/eX0WXIFlUO
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) June 19, 2021
Over 15 starts, Bauer has a 2.45 ERA, 3.68 FIP, and 0.94 WHIP.
He leads the league in strikeouts with 119 in 95.2 innings.
Like Buehler, opponents are batting a miserable .170 against Bauer with a .585 OPS.
He will make his next start Wednesday against the San Diego Padres.
NEXT: 3 Worst Injuries For Los Angeles Dodgers So Far In 2021