Every MLB season seems to always have a few breakout players.
That is no different this year, especially when it comes to pitchers in the National League.
Some of the big-name stars are having down years, which has opened the door for new names at the top of the leaderboards.
Taking a look at the NL ERA leaders, there are four names that many people did not expect to be there.
According to Baseball Reference, the NL ERA leaders are Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, Bryce Elder, and Michael Wacha.
2023 NL ERA Leaders:
Marcus Stroman (2.42)
Justin Steele (2.65)
Bryce Elder (2.69)
Michael Wacha (2.89)All Leaders: https://t.co/bhTidacoFX pic.twitter.com/PhgtUVY8dr
—Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) June 15, 2023
If you took a poll of who would lead the NL in ERA this year it is doubtful any of these names would be mentioned.
Yet, each of these pitchers is having a fantastic season.
Stroman and Steele are leading the Cubs’ pitching staff, as both are looking to set career marks in ERA.
Stroman is having the best season of his career, leading the league in ERA, games started, and ERA+.
He is a contender for the NL Cy Young Award.
The most interesting name on this list is Wacha.
That is because this is the best he has pitched since his All-Star season in 2015.
Wacha has found a home in San Deigo, as he has started 13 games and has a 7-2 record.
Even though ERA is not the most important of stats, it does have some indication of how a pitcher has performed.
It will be interesting to see who ends up taking the ERA crown at season’s end.
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