MLB Postseason: Ranking the Starting Rotations

1) Los Angeles Dodgers

Starters xFIP: 3.69 (Rank among postseason teams: 1st)

Starters SIERA: 3.77 (1st)

Strikeout Minus Walk Rate (K-BB%): 17.4% (1st)

Projected Rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda

Even with the best pitcher on the planet limited to a mere 21 starts this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers take the top spot in ranking the postseason rotations by virtue of leading pacing baseball in starters xFIP, SIERA, and strikeout-minus-walk rate.

Kershaw's well-known -- and over exaggerated -- bugaboo of postseason struggles are well documented. In the playoffs, he is a mere 2-6 with a 4.59 ERA over 66 2/3 innings pitched. Four of those six losses are to the St. Louis Cardinals, who won't be participating this offseason.

Hill, the mid-season acquisition this year from the Oakland Athletics (along with Josh Reddick), has been fantastic yet again this year. Over 110 innings pitched, he has recorded a 3.26 SIERA and 29.4% strikeout rate.

Maeda, the last member of the trio, has been the most durable of the three. He recorded 32 starts this year in his MLB debut and recorded a strong 3.69 SIERA. Perhaps the only concern with Maeda is a dip in strikeout rate in the second half (down 1.7%) and a slight rise in hard hit rate (up 1.0%).

The Dodgers have mulled over whether phenom Julio Urias will start Game 4, but the 25-year-old's 25.0% strikeout rate only adds to the rotation's firepower.

While Kershaw and Hill have seen some injury issues in 2016, the Dodgers' strong peripherals and the best pitcher on the planet pitching twice in a short series gives them the top spot.