MLB · 10 hours ago

Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers for 2026: Rankings & Statistical Breakdown

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

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1. Tarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers
For the second straight year, Skubal is the gold standard. In 2025, he notched new career-bests in every major category, becoming the first AL starter since Pedro Martinez (1999-2000) to reach this level of back-to-back dominance.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 13-6, 31 GS, 195.1 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.21 / 0.89
- K/BB: 11.10 K/9 / 1.52 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.45 FIP, AL Cy Young Winner
Top 10 Starting Pitchers for 2026: Elite Aces & Rising Workhorses
The landscape of starting pitching in 2026 is a blend of veteran resurgence and unprecedented young dominance. Selecting a true "ace" remains the most critical component of a winning fantasy rotation, and the current top tier offers historical strikeout rates and elite efficiency.

Whether you prefer the high-volume workhorses who eat innings or the high-K specialists who provide a weekly advantage, the following ten arms represent the gold standard of the mound. These rankings are built on 2025 performance data, health trends, and advanced metrics like FIP and ERA+.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.
10. Bryan Woo – Seattle Mariners
Woo completely broke out in 2025, taking his game to new heights with clean mechanics and elite command. He earned his first All-Star nod and finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting, largely by limiting unnecessary damage through a minuscule walk rate.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 15-7, 30 GS, 186 2/3 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.94 / 0.93
- K/BB: 9.55 K/9 / 1.74 BB/9
- Advanced: 3.47 FIP, 4.9% Walk Rate
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9. Hunter Brown – Houston Astros
Brown solidified his status as one of the game's best arms in 2025, becoming one of only four starters to post an ERA+ over 170. His four-seam fastball recorded an elite Run Value of 16, helping him finish third in AL Cy Young voting.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 12-9, 31 GS, 185.1 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.43 / 1.03
- K/BB: 10.00 K/9 / 2.77 BB/9
- Advanced: 3.14 FIP, 170+ ERA+
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8. Jacob deGrom – Texas Rangers
Silencing doubters regarding his durability, deGrom delivered a fully injury-free campaign in 2025. At age 37, he earned an All-Star nod and a top 10 Cy Young finish, marking his first season with over 100 innings since 2019.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 12-8, 30 GS, 172 2/3 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.97 / 0.92
- K/BB: 9.64 K/9 / 1.93 BB/9
- Advanced: 3.64 FIP
7. Chris Sale – Atlanta Braves
Sale followed up his 2024 Cy Young win with continued dominance, proving that age is just a number. Despite being limited to 20 starts, he recorded over 3.5 fWAR for the second consecutive season, maintaining an elite strikeout rate.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 7-5, 20 GS, 125 2/3 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.58 / 1.07
- K/BB: 11.82 K/9 / 2.29 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.67 FIP
6. Logan Webb – San Francisco Giants
The definition of a workhorse, Webb led the league in innings for the third straight season. He is one of the most reliable arms in baseball, becoming just the second pitcher since 2020 to start 34 or more games in a single season.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 15-11, 34 GS, 207 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 3.22 / 1.24
- K/BB: 9.74 K/9 / 2.00 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.60 FIP
5. Cristopher Sánchez – Philadelphia Phillies
Sánchez was the NL Cy Young runner-up in 2025, cementing his status as an elite arm. He joined an exclusive club of only three pitchers to record more than 6.0 fWAR and tied for the league lead in HR/9.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 13-5, 32 GS, 202 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.50 / 1.06
- K/BB: 9.45 K/9 / 1.96 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.55 FIP, 6.0+ fWAR
4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Los Angeles Dodgers
Yamamoto’s 2025 culminated in World Series MVP honors after a historic postseason run. He became the first pitcher since 2001 to throw back-to-back complete games in the playoffs, proving his mettle as the ultimate big-game pitcher.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 12-8, 30 GS, 173.2 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.49 / 1.22
- K/BB: 10.42 K/9 / 3.06 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.94 FIP
3. Garrett Crochet – Boston Red Sox
In his first year in Boston, Crochet led all of baseball with 255 strikeouts. He pitched over 200 innings of dominant ball, making his six-year, $170 million extension look like one of the best value contracts in the sport.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 18-5, 32 GS, 205.1 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.59 / 1.03
- K/BB: 11.18 K/9 / 2.02 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.89 FIP, 255 K (MLB Leader)
2. Paul Skenes – Pittsburgh Pirates
Skenes is off to the most dominant start in MLB history, leading the sport in ERA, ERA+, FIP, and HR/9 in 2025. He is the first qualified starter since 2022 to post a sub-2.00 ERA and has already secured an NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year award.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 10-10, 32 GS, 187.2 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 1.97 (MLB Leader) / 0.95
- K/BB: 10.36 K/9 / 2.01 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.36 FIP, 2nd Consecutive All-Star Start
1. Tarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers
For the second straight year, Skubal is the gold standard. In 2025, he notched new career-bests in every major category, becoming the first AL starter since Pedro Martinez (1999-2000) to reach this level of back-to-back dominance.

2025 MLB Stats
- Record: 13-6, 31 GS, 195.1 IP
- ERA/WHIP: 2.21 / 0.89
- K/BB: 11.10 K/9 / 1.52 BB/9
- Advanced: 2.45 FIP, AL Cy Young Winner
Top 10 Starting Pitchers for 2026: Elite Aces & Rising Workhorses
The landscape of starting pitching in 2026 is a blend of veteran resurgence and unprecedented young dominance. Selecting a true "ace" remains the most critical component of a winning fantasy rotation, and the current top tier offers historical strikeout rates and elite efficiency.

Whether you prefer the high-volume workhorses who eat innings or the high-K specialists who provide a weekly advantage, the following ten arms represent the gold standard of the mound. These rankings are built on 2025 performance data, health trends, and advanced metrics like FIP and ERA+.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.

Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers for 2026: Rankings & Statistical Breakdown

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

2025 MLB Stats

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