Red Sox Rankings: Top 5 strikeout pitchers in MLB
By Jake Ellis
Chris Archer
Chris Archer is never going to lead the league in wins. He is never going to lead the league in ERA. One thing he has consistently done throughout his career is strike players out.
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Archer is a big reason why the Tampa Bay Rays have shocked the baseball world to hang in the race of the very competitive American League East division. While the Rays have slowly been going down since Joe Maddon left, Archer has always been one of the team’s few bright spots in the recent years.
He is not dominating this year by piling up a lot of wins, or producing a low ERA, but he striking out hitters at a higher rate than he ever has. Archer’s 11.0 K/9 is the highest he’s produced since becoming a full-time starter in 2013. His numbers for the 2017 MLB season are as follows; his record this year is 8-6 with a 3.89 ERA. He has a 1.5 WAR and 182 strikeouts this year.
Archer seems to have gotten his pitches more under control this year, and it seems to be paying off. While he might not be able to carry his Rays to the postseason, he will definitely be attractive to other teams looking to contend right now.