Buster Olney began the third installment of his top ten positional rankings (ESPN Insider) by listing the top ten starting pitchers and relievers in the game heading into the 2017 season. Two St. Louis Cardinals were mentioned, with Seung-Hwan Oh cracking the top ten relievers and Carlos Martinez garnering an honorable mention among starters.
While Olney only briefly mentions Martinez, he notes that “[Martinez] took another step forward in 2016, naturally ascending into the role of the St. Louis ace.” This praise follows a season which saw Martinez lead all St. Louis Cardinals pitchers with 3.