Clayton Kershaw used to be the unquestioned best pitcher in the game, but recurring back issues have created a murky outlook moving forward, leaving the mantle now open for debate. Max Scherzer, Luis Severino, Justin Verlander, Corey Kluber, and Jacob deGrom are among the names that crop up these days, all of whom are enjoying fantastic seasons. But it’s Boston ace Chris Sale who might have the most compelling argument of all.

Following his 10th victory last night, Sale now leads the league in strikeouts (188), while holding a pristine 2.23 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. Among qualified starters, he also carries the best marks in SIERA (2.38), strikeout rate (37.2%), and soft-hit rate (28.5%). It’s made all the more impressive when you consider these numbers have all come while dealing with the DH in the American League (he only has one start in a National League park).

This all sounds great, but the scary thing is Sale has only grown more dominant as the season has gone on. After displaying lower velocity in April, he’s cranked it up since early May and is now showing the best velocity of his career, even exceeding his marks as a relief pitcher in 2011. Following a pair of rare missteps around the start of June, he’s been unstoppable over his last seven starts, posting a 0.94 ERA, 0.69 FIP, 43.1% strikeout rate, and 5.5% walk rate. And while he’s never been known for inducing a ton of groundballs, he’s even putting up a 56.8% groundball rate over that span. He hasn’t allowed a single home run during this stretch as well.

Can Sale keep up this torrid pace? Well, he’s going to give up a dinger again at some point, and it’s a tall ask to expect him to keep striking out guys at a 40% clip. For context, that would be the equivalent of being able to roll out teammate Craig Kimbrel for six or seven innings, minus the walks. Still, that’s a scary thought for opposing batters, and as long as he’s maintaining this newfound velocity, the sky could be the limit for Sale. He’s checking all the right boxes, and could very well be the new king of the mound in 2018.

Let’s check in some other guys in the midst of brilliant seasons as we count down the days to the All-Star break.

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Jose Ramirez already has 27 home runs and 19 stolen bases

Ramirez was taken outside the top 20 in most drafts, which is sure beginning to look silly at this point. Ramirez was already a five-category contributor in 2017, but he’s taking it to a whole new level this season.

It’s only July, but Ramirez’s 27 home runs are only two off last year’s total, and he’s already bested himself in stolen bases with 19. We could be looking at the rare 40-30 campaign, which was accomplished by Ryan Braun in 2012 and Alfonso Soriano in 2006. That alone would make for a historic fantasy season, but he’s also hitting for average (.293), and is top-10 in both runs (63) and RBIs (65).

And there’s little reason to expect Ramirez to slow down. Regarding the home runs, he’s producing a 39.9% hard-hit rate and 45.7% fly-ball rate, along with an uptick in average exit velocity. He’ll never be confused for J.D. Martinez or Aaron Judge, but those are still ideal marks for slugging more dingers. Furthermore, in an age when punchouts are on the rise, he isn’t selling out for that power either, displaying his trademark plate discipline in a stellar 11.2% strikeout rate and 13.4% walk rate. If all that wasn’t enough, his .416 wOBA is top-five in the league and is supported by a fantastic .405 xwOBA.

Amazingly, his batting average could actually improve moving forward too, as he’s showing a lower than expected .270 BABIP, and has hit .315 across the past two seasons. Ramirez is hardly the quickest guy in the league, but he’s only been caught stealing twice this year and has a solid 79.6% career stolen-base percentage. As long as he can continue to be efficient on the basepaths, he should have the green light.

Ramirez will have some competition from fellow five-category studs like Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor — plus some guy named Mike Trout — but he has a genuine chance of finishing as this year’s best overall fantasy hitter. He’s neither the strongest, nor the fastest, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him slow down his pace, but it’s hard to poke many holes in the overall package. If nothing else, he’s already proven to be an excellent value at his draft day price and looks to be a sure first-rounder in 2019.

All-Star snub Blake Snell has posted a 1.10 ERA over his last nine starts

In a baffling turn of events, Blake Snell was left off the American League All-Star team, angering many baseball fans, and leading teammate Chris Archer to call the whole thing “a joke.” Snell ranks second in the American League in ERA (2.09), and over his last nine starts, he’s posted a sparkling 1.10 ERA. What’s a guy have to do for some recognition?

Snell sometimes gets himself into trouble with a high walk rate (9.6%), but he’s made great strides in strikeout rate (28.8%) and swinging-strike rate (13.6%), helping him quickly rise up the pitching ranks. A .234 BABIP and 88.2% strand rate suggest some good fortune has gone into that pristine ERA, and a 3.59 SIERA may better reflect his performance. Still, that remains plenty good, and even with some natural regression in the second half, it’s hard to complain about what Snell has done as a guy who was barely drafted in the top 200 of most formats.

Hopefully Snell sneaks into the All-Star Game as an alternate, but even if he doesn’t, the future looks bright for the 25-year-old hurler. Don’t expect a 2.00 ERA the rest of the way, but you should be more than happy to have Snell on board.

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Kenyatta Storin is a featured writer with FantasyPros. For more from Kenyatta, check out his archive and follow him @kenyattastorin.