Many new names, but Vandy duo headlines Week Nine pitcher rankings

Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker remain Nos. 1 and 2, but there are lots of newcomers to this week's rankings

Photo: Kirby Connell (courtesy of the University of Tennessee)

Here's our power rankings of the 14 best pitchers in the league so far. Overall ERA, followed by innings pitched, are in parenthesis. (Southeastern Conference stats are considered, but not listed below.)

1. Jack Leiter, Vanderbilt (0.55, 49): Struck out 46% of hitters he's faced. 

2. Kumar Rocker, Vanderbilt (1.88, 48): Even after Georgia bombed him, he's allowing 0.88 runners per inning.

3. Landon Marceaux, LSU (1.89, 47 2/3): One bad start vs. Vandy, and the rest has been golden. 

4. Gunnar Hoglund, Ole Miss (2.57, 49): A 3.0% home run rate is really all you can hold against him. 

5. Kevin Kopps, Arkansas (0.96, 28): Seventy-five of the 81 outs he's registered have come via strikeout or groundout.

6. Landon Sims, MSU (0.42, 21 1/3): His 53% strikeout rate is the league's best. 

7. Cody Greenhill, Auburn (1.83, 39 1/3): A 19% strikeout rate is 10 points lower than anyone else on this, but opponents have a .190 BABIP against him thanks to 42 ground-ball outs. 

8. Brannon Jordan, South Carolina (3.02, 41 2/3): Ranks 10th in league play in ERA (2.66) and innings (23 2/3).

9. Will Bednar, MSU (2.10, 30): Ranks inside the top 12 in league games in ERA (2.74), innings (23) and strikeouts (34). 

10. Dylan Smith, Alabama (2.58, 45 1/3): Overall numbers (wins aside) are terrific, but needs to start lasting longer in league play (three starts between 4 and 4 2/3 innings) to stay on this list. 

11. Chase Lee, Alabama (0.00, 19 2/3): Four wins, four saves and hasn't allowed a run--earned or unearned. 

12. Kirby Connell, Tennessee (1.00, 27): You know him for his hair, but his numbers in league play (13 2/3 IP, 16 Ks, 3 ER, though three unearned, too) have been notable, too.

13. Christian Scott, Florida (1.99, 31 2/3): Allows free passes just 4% of the time, while allowing less than a runner per inning (0.96).

14. Christian MacLeod, MSU (2.72, 36 1/3): An elite arm who gets it done thanks to a 38% strikeout rate, but he's a fly-ball heavy pitcher (33 fly-ball outs vs. 14 ground outs) and that's come as a cost (6% HR).