I’ll be dipping into my Rotoworld player projections from time to time for HBT posts. Here’s the first of this year: my ranking of each five-man rotation as we head into 2014.

Before actually posting my 1-30, I’ll start with my raw ERA rankings by league. A couple of qualifications: I’m only using the top five for each team, so depth beyond that is being ignored. Of course, the teams with quality depth outside the top five are going to do pretty well here anyway. On the other hand, this method does help teams that still have rotation spots to be decided. For example, I have the Yankees fifth starter as David Phelps, but he’s projected for just 106 innings at the moment. If he were projected at 180 instead, the rotation’s collective ERA would be higher. The Mariners are also overrated here, since Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are responsible for 48 percent of the 857 innings in the sample below.

AL

Tigers: 3.38 in 991 IP

Rays: 3.40 in 919 IP

Mariners: 3.59 in 856 2/3 IP

Athletics: 3.65 in 912 IP

Yankees: 3.73 in 895 IP

Indians: 3.75 in 862 1/3 IP

Angels: 3.78 in 871 1/3 IP

Red Sox: 3.80 in 951 IP

Rangers: 3.83 in 812 2/3 IP

White Sox: 3.85 in 897 2/3 IP

Royals: 3.94 in 940 IP

Blue Jays: 4.06 in 847 IP

Orioles: 4.10 in 845 1/3 IP

Twins: 4.16 in 804 2/3 IP

Astros: 4.34 in 893 2/3 IP

NL

Dodgers: 3.306 in 958 1/3 IP

Nationals: 3.312 in 1002 2/3 IP

Cardinals: 3.369 in 940 1/3 IP

Braves: 3.371 in 918 1/3 IP

Reds: 3.509 in 977 1/3 IP

Padres: 3.513 in 894 IP

Giants: 3.52 in 941 2/3 IP

Pirates: 3.60 in 865 2/3 IP

Marlins: 3.63 in 863 2/3 IP

Phillies: 3.68 in 895 2/3 IP

Mets: 3.77 in 875 1/3 IP

Diamondbacks: 3.78 in 929 2/3 IP

Brewers: 3.939 in 930 IP

Cubs: 3.945 in 940 IP

Rockies: 4.15 in 872 1/3 IP

There were a bunch of virtual ties on the NL list, requiring the extra digit. The Nationals came in just behind the Dodgers, but that’s with an extra 44 innings. The Cardinals and Braves were also in pretty much a dead heat for the third spot.

Using those ERAs as a guideline and adjusting for league, defense, ballpark and my own personal whims, here’s how I’m ranking the rotations:

1. Tigers

2. Nationals

3. Dodgers

4. Cardinals

5. Rays

6. Reds

7. Braves

8. Red Sox

9. Giants

10. Athletics

11. Padres

12. Yankees

13. Indians

14. Mariners

15. Pirates

16. White Sox

17. Marlins

18. Diamondbacks

19. Angels

20. Rangers

21. Phillies

22. Royals

23. Mets

24. Rockies

25. Blue Jays

26. Orioles

27. Brewers

28. Cubs

29. Twins

30. Astros

Some thoughts:

– The Tigers elevated the Nationals from fifth to second by gifting them Doug Fister, yet still had the artillery to claim the top spot. I’m expecting much better from Rick Porcello because of his improved K rate and the much better infield defense behind him. I also don’t see Drew Smyly dragging them down very far in his new role.

– The top three NL teams are all close, and I’d swing the edge over to the Cardinals if I were considering a team’s entire rotation picture. With Carlos Martinez and Joe Kelly likely in reserve, they’re going to be able to weather any storm. Of course, the Nationals aren’t bad there either with Taylor Jordan, Tanner Roark and Nathan Karns behind Ross Detwiler. And the Dodgers have Chad Billingsley potentially on the way back from Tommy John surgery in May or June.

– I love the Braves’ upside if Brandon Beachy stays healthy and Alex Wood can hang in the rotation most of the year. Those are question marks, though.

– Pre-Tanaka, the Yankees probably would have come in 20th or so.

– The Rangers are down about four spots because of Derek Holland’s knee injury.

– The Mets’ rotation is plenty intriguing, but the only one of their five starters I have throwing 190 innings is the guy I expect to be the weakest of the bunch, Dillon Gee. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Jenrry Mejia can do, assuming he wins the fifth spot.

– I don’t buy the idea that the Twins’ shopping spree is going to do them a lot of good. They would have actually fared better here had they passed on re-signing Mike Pelfrey and traded Kevin Correia.

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