Three lesser-known pitchers off to dominant starts to 2024 season

We're not even three weeks into the 2024 MLB season and while pitchers seem to be getting injured at an alarming rate, a number of unexpected starters are making waves early on.

Houston's Ronel Blanco has been arguably the biggest surprise and most compelling story of the season thus far, but several other pitchers are also worthy of our attention. With that in mind, here are three lesser-known starting pitchers who are producing in dominant fashion this season. 

Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals

The 26-year-old has started to receive some rightful recognition for his play, but he's still not a household name, though it won't be long until he achieves that status. Ragans, who made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers in 2022, was acquired by Kansas City in exchange for LHP Aroldis Chapman at last season's trade deadline. Although Chapman helped Texas win the World Series, the trade could soon be considered one of the most lopsided deadline deals in recent memory in favor of the Royals.

After primarily pitching out of the bullpen with the Rangers, Kansas City slotted Ragans into its starting rotation, where he's looked every bit like an ace. Since his first start with the Royals last July, Ragans ranks third among qualified pitchers in ERA (2.46), seventh in strikeouts (118) and ninth in WHIP (1.11).

Through four starts this season, Ragans' 29 strikeouts are tied with Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow for the third most in MLB while his 1.93 ERA ranks 15th. As long as Ragans maintains this level of performance, which his Royals tenure suggests will be the case, the left-hander should be a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award. 

Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox

Another converted reliever, Crawford emerged as a solid back-end of the rotation piece once he was recalled from Triple-A in 2023, finishing the season with a 4.04 ERA and 1.11 WHIP over 129.1 innings. Even so, Crawford has not only elevated his game to a high level this season, but he's off to a historic start.

According to Red Sox Director of Baseball Communications & Media Relations J.P. Long, Crawford is the only pitcher in team history to allow one or fewer runs and three or fewer hits in each of their first four starts. Overall, Crawford has posted a 0.42 ERA, the third-lowest in the majors, through 21.1 innings this season while collecting 24 strikeouts. 

Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs 

Although Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto has shown glimpses of why he earned a 12-year $325M contract this past winter, Imanaga's four-year, $53M deal with the Cubs has been the best international free agent signing from the offseason.

The two-time NPB All-Star has enjoyed a seamless transition to MLB, giving up just nine hits, two walks and one unearned run across his first three starts while striking out 16 batters. As pointed out by NBC Sports Chicago's James Neveau, Imanaga is the first Cubs pitcher since King Cole in 1909 to post a spotless ERA through his first three career starts. 

Once Justin Steele and Jameson Taillon return from their respective injuries, the Cubs could have one of the better rotations in baseball. Assuming the crafty left-hander Imanaga's early success isn't just an outlier, he and Steele may prove to be an elite tandem capable of swinging the National League Central division race.