What Is An Ace In Baseball?

An ace in baseball is a pitcher who is the best in the league. They are the ones who get the big contracts and are the envy of other teams. But what does it take to be an ace?

The Four Aces

There are only four players who have been able to pitch an entire season without surrendering a single loss. These four men are known as the Aces and they have all had Hall of Fame careers. These Aces dominated the game of baseball and will be remembered forever.

Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Detroit Tigers, with whom he spent all 13 of his MLB seasons. A right-handed batter and thrower, Verlander stands 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) tall and weighs 225 pounds (102 kg).

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed starting pitcher, Kershaw has played in the major leagues since 2008, and his career earned run average (ERA) and hits allowed per nine innings pitched are the lowest among starters in MLB history. He has been described throughout his career as a “pitcher’s pitcher” and he consistently rates as one of the game’s best pitchers. The son of former minor league player Ed Kershaw, he was raised in Highland Park, Texas, and played baseball locally until high school, when he was drafted by the Dodgers in the 2006 MLB draft. He played briefly in the minor leagues before making his major league debut in 2008 at 20 years old.

Kershaw was named the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year in 2009 after posting a record of 2–0 with a 0.77 ERA in 19 relief appearances. In 2011, he won his first Cy Young Award after leading MLB with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA, and 272 strikeouts; he finished second for both the NL Most Valuable Player Award and NL Cy Young Award that season. Kershaw followed this up by winning both awards again in 2013––becoming only one of three pitchers to do so multiple times––as well as pitching a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies during a 15–0 shutout win at Dodger Stadium on June 18. In 2014, Kershaw pitched another no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks during an 8–0 victory at Dodger Stadium on June 26; he struck out 15 batters and did not walk any during this game to earn himself NL Pitcher of the Month honors for June. During that season, Kershaw also became one of only five starting pitchers to achieve 300 strikeouts with an ERA under 2.00; his final record was 21 wins with only three losses and an ERA of 1.77––the second-lowest single-season ERA since 1968 when Bob Gibson recorded an ERA of 1.12 during what is now referred to as baseball’s “Year of the Pitcher”. Though often overshadowed by fellow ace pitchers Justin Verlander and Roy Halladay during much of his early career, Kershaw became widely recognized as one of baseball’s best pitchers after his second Cy Young Award win––leading all MLB pitchers in WAR six times between 2011 and 2016 according to FanGraphs––and is regularly mentioned among other all-time greats such as Sandy Koufax or Christy Mathewson when discussing baseball history.

Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole became a free agent after the 2019 season, and he signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees. Cole is originally from California and was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his MLB debut with the Yankees in 2013, but he was traded to the Houston Astros in 2016. Cole won the World Series with the Astros in 2017 and was named an All-Star for the first time in 2018. He finished fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting that year after going 15-5 with a 2.88 ERA and 276 strikeouts. Cole had another strong season in 2019, going 20-5 with a 2.50 ERA and an MLB-leading gerrit cole 351 strikeouts.

Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer, nicknamed “Mad Max”, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has been a member of three World Series championship teams. He has also won three Cy Young Awards, the most in Major League history by a National League pitcher.

The Young Aces

Age is just a number. That’s what they say, at least. You’ve probably heard it a million times, and it’s a saying that’s especially true in baseball. Every year, there are always a few young players who come up and make an impact. These are the players that teams are built around, and they are the players that fans love to watch. They are the aces.

Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom is an American professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays. deGrom bats and throws right-handed and is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) tall and weighs 180 pounds (82 kg). He attended Stetson University, where he played college baseball.

Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber, (born May 31, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB). Bieber was selected by the Indians in the fourth round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2018.

Bieber attended Laguna Hills High School in Laguna Hills, California. He played college baseball at UC Santa Barbara. As a junior, he was named the Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year and a First Team All-American by several publications. The Indians selected Bieber in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB draft, and he signed with them for $285,000.

Trevor Bauer

Trevor Bauer is an American professional baseball player who currently pitches for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. Bauer was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the third overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2012, and was traded to the Cleveland Indians after the 2013 season. Bauer won the American League Cy Young Award in 2020.

Luis Castillo

One of the most promising young talents in baseball right now is Luis Castillo of the New York Mets. The 24-year-old right-hander has been one of the best pitchers in the game over the past two seasons, posting a combined record of 20-6 with a 2.58 ERA and 1.08 WHIP. He’s also struck out 247 batters in just 213 innings pitched.

The Aces of the Future

There’s something about an ace that gets baseball fans excited. They’re the pitcher that every team wants, and they have the potential to change the game. Aces are the leaders of the pitching staff, and they’re often the most dominant pitchers in the league. But what exactly is an ace?

Walker Buehler

Walker Buehler is a right-handed pitcher in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He was the 24th overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft out of Vanderbilt University. Buehler made his MLB debut in 2018 and became a key member of the Dodgers’ pitching rotation, helping them win the National League pennant. In 2019, he was named an All-Star for the first time and finished sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting.

Brandon Woodruff

Brandon Woodruff is a young pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his big-league debut in 2016 and started 2018 in the Brewers’ rotation. Woodruff is considered one of the top prospects in baseball and is expected to be a star pitcher in the majors for years to come.

Lucas Giolito

Lucas Giolito is one of the game’s top young pitchers, and he is just entering his prime. The 6’6″ right-hander has a towering presence on the mound and he has the stuff to match. Giolito throws a heavy sinker that clocks in at 97 mph, and he backs it up with a plus slider and changeup. He also has great control, which allows him to pitch deep into games. In 2019, Giolito threw more than 200 innings for the first time in his career, and he finished with a 3.41 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. He also struck out 228 batters, which was good for ninth in the majors.

Michael Kopech

Michael Kopech is one of the top prospects in baseball. The right-handed pitcher is currently in the Chicago White Sox organization and is expected to make his major league debut sometime in 2018.

Kopech was drafted in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. He was traded to the White Sox in 2016 as part of the deal that sent Chris Sale to Boston.

Kopech has a fastball that has been clocked at 105 mph, making him one of the hardest throwers in baseball. He also has a curveball and a changeup that are both considered plus pitches.

In 2017, Kopech made 26 starts between Double-A and Triple-A. He had a combined ERA of 2.87 and struck out 170 batters in 134 innings pitched.