2022 MLB playoffs - Ranking this postseason's top aces

Now that the 2022 MLB playoffs are underway, it's time for a postseason-flavored update to my in-season ace rankings.

This is a look at players on teams in this year's playoff and only those currently healthy or projected to be healthy very soon. Instead of projecting for the next season, a potential peak season or a full career, this ranking is based on value for this postseason alone, not considering how deep their teams might go. Here's last year's playoff list and this year's April list.

That means past postseason experience counts more than in a conventional ace ranking (and in many cases will act as a tiebreaker), while 2022 performance is more relevant than a multiseason track record, though having both is even better. Some of the best advice I got from scouts and execs that I ran this list by was to prefer currently healthy arms with a recent run of swing-and-miss stuff rather than focusing on name brands with good full-season stats.

Some teams are heavily featured here and thus some of these pitchers could also be used out of the bullpen, but that doesn't diminish for me what they could do as a starter — if given the shot.

Here are the aces who will rule this October.

1. Justin Verlander, Astros

In a season that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani have rightfully received a lot of attention for incredible seasons, what Verlander is doing deserves to be mentioned right with them.

He made one appearance combined in 2020 and 2021, his age-37 and age-38 seasons, and it seemingly looked like 2022, coming off of Tommy John surgery, would be the winding down of a Hall of Fame career. Instead he's back in the discussion as the best pitcher in baseball, was the unanimous top choice for this list and is set to hit free agency