The Top 20 Starting Pitchers in Major League Baseball for 2026

As we continue to push out our positional rankings ahead of the 2026 MLB season, we turn our focus to one of the most dominant groups of players in the sport: starting pitchers.

This list is filled with a mix of veteran aces and young faces, both coming together to create a truly spectacular group of pitchers. With back-to-back Cy Young Award winners, breakout stars, and underrated phenoms, this was a tough group of players to rank.

Every pitcher on this list has proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with, whether through consistent dominance, the ability to rise to the occasion in big moments, or a rapid ascent to superstardom.

With that being said, let’s meet the top 20 starting pitchers in Major League Baseball for 2026.

The voting panel for Just Baseball’s 2026 position rankings comprised of editors Ryan Finkelstein, Leo Morgenstern, Eric Treuden, and Joey Peterson, as well as Just Baseball’s Aram Leighton, Peter Appel, and Jack McMullen.

Each panelist ranked players 1-25 and gave those outside of their top 25 a numerical score of 30. The list below reflects the average of those rankings – the lower the mean score, the better.

20. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies

• Average Ranking: 21
• 2025 Stats: 24 GS, 149.2 IP, 2.71 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3.00 FIP, 11.73 K/9, 1.98 BB/9 

It’s hard to fathom Wheeler ranking this low on the list, but he enters the 2026 campaign as a pretty massive health risk.

As it stands, he’s thrown as far out as 120 feet as of Feb. 16, according to manager Rob Thomson. However, that hardly puts him on the brink of live action, let alone pitching deep into an MLB game. Even still, it’s hard to knock Wheeler entirely off the totem pole, given just how dominant he’s been as a Phillie.

Since signing there ahead of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he’s the MLB leader in fWAR. In fact, the gap between him and second is greater than second and eighth on the list. He’s also eighth among starters in that span in ERA, sixth in FIP, and third in innings.

19. Ranger Suárez, Boston Red Sox

• Average Ranking: 21
• 2025 Stats: 26 GS, 157 1/3 IP, 3.20 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.21 FIP, 8.64 K/9, 2.17 BB/9

Following Wheeler is his now former teammate and the newest Boston Red Sox left-hander.

Suárez is one of the best “bang for your buck” arms in baseball, often accumulating a large sum of WAR despite lesser volume. Last year was no different, as the 30-year-old posted 4.0 fWAR and a 3.20 ERA. The snag for Suárez has always been durability, as you can basically bake into every season a month-plus on the shelf.

In his career, he’s never made more than 29 starts (2022) or pitched more than 157.1 innings (2025). Perhaps he can buck that trend with the Red Sox, but only time will tell. There’s no denying his talent, however. His offspeed is especially elite, holding opponents to a .606 OPS against it since 2022.

18. Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies

• Average Ranking: 18.714
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 183 2/3 IP, 3.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.90 FIP, 10.58 K/9, 2.79 BB/9

Back to the Phillies, Luzardo had a very good season despite a high-ish earned run average. In his first year in Philadelphia, it was one of runs for the 28-year-old. In his first 11 starts, he had a 2.15 ERA; 8.04 in his next 10; 2.84 in his final 11.

Overall, he finished sixth among MLB pitchers in fWAR, fourth in K/9, and sixth in FIP. Unfortunately, because of that middle stretch, he finished 28th in ERA. If he can find some consistency wire-to-wire, he can definitely climb these rankings. Until then, he’ll have to settle at 18th.

17. Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays

• Average Ranking: 17.143
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 168 IP, 4.55 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.56 FIP, 11.52 K/9, 3.80 BB/9

Cease is arguably the game’s biggest wild card, having never stacked elite seasons on top of each other. At least not from a run prevention standpoint. Since 2022, he’s had two sub-3.5 ERAs and two higher than 4.5.

He’s one of the game’s best strikeout artists, racking up the most by almost 100 since 2022. That does come at the expense of also being the leader in walks.

There’s no denying his talent is among the game’s best, especially if you work in the Blue Jays front office. They’re banking on the dam eventually breaking positively for Cease. Barring a dramatic regression in stuff, that seems like a worthwhile bet.

16. Framber Valdez, Detroit Tigers

• Average Ranking: 15.286
• 2025 Stats: 31 GS, 192 IP, 3.66 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.37 FIP, 8.77 K/9, 3.19 BB/9

Don’t let the offseason waiting game fool you, Valdez is as steady as they come in this game. The newest Detroit Tiger is dominant, but not in the way we’re used to seeing nowadays.

Even though he fell off a cliff in August, he was having his best season through July.

Valdez isn’t the kind of arm regularly striking out double-digit batters. However, he lives for making opposing hitters look foolish. In his entire career, the southpaw’s worst groundball rate is 54.2% in 2023. Among starters with at least 500 innings since he debuted in 2018, he has a five-percent lead over second place on the leaderboard with a 62.1% groundball rate.

Joining a rotation with the two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner, the pressure isn’t nearly as levied on Valdez going into his age-32 season. As a result, the Tigers are well-positioned to win the AL Central for the first time since 2014.

15. Blake Snell, Los Angeles Dodgers

• Average Ranking: 15
• 2025 Stats: 11 GS, 61 1/3 IP, 2.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2.69 FIP, 10.57 K/9, 3.82 BB/9

Lost in the powerhouse that is the Dodgers roster is a two-time Cy Young winner in Snell.

The southpaw’s first year in Dodger Blue was productive, but short. Sure, he won his first World Series, and posted a 2.35 ERA, but injury limited him to just 61.1 innings in 2025. In fact, his past two seasons he’s combined for fewer innings than his NL Cy Young-winning 2023 campaign with the San Diego Padres.

Since 2018, Snell is 11th among all qualified pitchers in strikeouts-per-nine; fifth among starters. His 31.8% strikeout rate is also 11th in that span.

Volume, as well as this being a loaded era for pitching talent, is holding Snell back from being higher than 15th, but his resume speaks for itself.

14. Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners

• Average Ranking: 14.571
• 2025 Stats: 25 GS, 131 IP, 3.44 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.35 FIP, 11.89 K/9, 2.13 BB/9

The Mariners right-hander is fast becoming one of the most dominant arms in the game. However, last year he missed several starts to injury.

That said, he still posted a 3.44 ERA, a career-high 11.89 strikeouts-per-nine, and a career-high 26.5% strikeout-to-walk rate.

The 28-year-old’s splitter is ridiculous and elevates his arsenal to another level. In 2025, opponents hit just .119 against it with a whiff rate of 50.4 percent. Believe it or not, that’s not the best splitter he’s had. In 2024, opponents hit .104 with a 50.0% whiff rate on it.

His curveball is also elite, and his fastball stays incredibly effective. It’s no surprise the Mariners have one of, if not the best staff in all of Major League Baseball, seeing as he’s not their Ace.

13. Freddy Peralta, New York Mets

• Average Ranking: 14.429
• 2025 Stats: 33 GS, 176 2/3 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.64 FIP, 10.39 K/9, 3.36 BB/9

For what feels like the first time in his career, Peralta gets to pitch without the pressure of feeling like a trade chip. Having been dealt to the New York Mets this offseason, the former Milwaukee Brewers ace faces a new pressure in 2026.

That pressure is pitching in one of the sports world’s biggest markets: New York.

Stuff-wise, there’s no reason to expect him to come up short. Production-wise, he’s got enough of a track record to expect him to thrive. Especially after anchoring an inexperienced Brewers staff that made the National League Championship Series in 2025.

Last year, Peralta posted the seventh-best qualified starter ERA at 2.70. He also ranked tied for 17th in FIP and tied for 14th in fWAR despite coming in a 24th-place tie in innings pitched.

12. Max Fried, New York Yankees

• Average Ranking: 12.714
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 195 1/3 IP, 2.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.07 FIP, 8.71 K/9, 2.35 BB/9

Any rumors of Fried’s demise were wildly overstated entering Year 1 in the Bronx.

After battling injuries, including a bout with left elbow neuritis in 2024, the left-hander entered his inaugural season with the Yankees with some question marks. Add in the injuries New York had in its rotation to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, there was added pressure on his arm.

He met the moment, and then some, in 2025.

In a season he tied for fourth in innings, Fried made a career-high 32 starts, netted his second-best fWAR, and posted a career-high for strikeouts with 189. Additionally, he won a career-high (and league-leading) 19 decisions while finishing top five in Cy Young voting for the third time.

Can he repeat that in Year 2 with the Yankees? Time will tell. But there will be similar pressure on him to repeat it, as New York is still rife with injuries entering 2026.

11. Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds

• Average Ranking: 11.286
• 2025 Stats: 19 GS, 107 2/3 IP, 2.76 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 11.03 K/9, 2.17 BB/9

There’s a world where Greene wins National League Cy Young this season going away. Similar to Suarez, but to the nth power, Greene is so lethal albeit oft injured.

In four big-league seasons, the 26-year-old’s career high for innings is just 150.1 and starts is just 26. However, he’s posted a 2.76 ERA in 45 starts the past two seasons. He also made the NL All-Star team and finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2024.

Among starters with at least 200 innings pitched the past two seasons, Greene is tied for 18th in fWAR, but sixth in ERA and ninth in expected ERA despite being 74th in innings. He possesses one of the most explosive fastballs in baseball, which placed in the 97th percentile for run value in 2025.

Opponents hit .199 against his four-seam last year, while also hitting just .156 against his slider. Thus, marking the second consecutive season both pitches yielded sub-.200 batting averages against. If he can buck the injury trend in 2026, as well as return his splitter to 2024 marks, he absolutely could walk home with Cy Young honors this season.

10. Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners

• Average Ranking: 11
• 2025 Stats: 30 GS, 186 2/3 IP, 2.94 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 9.55 K/9, 1.74 BB/9

After showing a lot of promise through 22 starts in 2024, Bryan Woo completely broke out and took his game to new heights in 2025. Often praised for his clean mechanics, Woo is must-watch TV when he takes the mound in Seattle.

As a result of his tremendous season, Woo was named to his first All-Star team and finished fifth in AL Cy Young voting. Few pitchers in baseball limit walks at the same rate as Woo, as he finished the year with a walk rate of just 4.9%, a metric that helped him limit unnecessary damage in each of his starts.

His achievements didn’t end there, either. Woo recorded a stretch of 25 games where he threw a quality start, tying the second-longest streak in MLB history. If he carries this success into 2026, Woo has a good chance to move even further up this list.

9. Hunter Brown, Houston Astros

• Average Ranking: 9.286
• 2025 Stats: 31 GS, 185.1 IP, 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 3.14 FIP, 10.00 K/9, 2.77 BB/9

If there’s one thing the Houston Astros consistently excel at, it’s developing talented starting pitchers at seemingly every opportunity. This success has continued with right-hander Hunter Brown, as he solidified himself as one of the game’s best arms in 2025.

Last year, Hunter Brown was one of only four starting pitchers to post an ERA+ over 170, joining an elite club that featured multiple Cy Young winners. Not only this, but Brown’s ERA of 2.43 ranked third in baseball, finishing above talented arms such as Garrett Crochet, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and more.

Brown’s four-seamer recorded an astonishing Run Value of 16, a number that only 13 pitchers were able to reach in 2025. Finishing third in AL Cy Young voting last season, Brown has a legitimate chance to repeat his dominance in 2026.

8. Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers

• Average Ranking: 8.571
• 2025 Stats: 30 GS, 172 2/3 IP, 2.97 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 3.64 FIP, 9.64 K/9, 1.93 BB/9

When Jacob deGrom first signed his five-year, $185 million deal with the Texas Rangers back in 2023, the one concern that surrounded him was his injury history and whether the team would get a fully healthy season out of him. In 2025, deGrom delivered, dominating in an injury-free campaign.

The 2025 season marked the first year since 2019 that deGrom had thrown 100 or more innings, which shows just how impressive this season was for the right-hander. At age 37, deGrom earned his first All-Star nod and top 10 finish in the Cy Young race since 2021.

With deGrom seemingly having much more in the tank than it previously appeared, the Rangers are now looking at a potential cornerstone for their rotation for the next few years. His resurgence not only validated their investment but also silenced doubt as to whether or not he’d ever be the same dominant pitcher he once was again.

7. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

• Average Ranking: 8.429
• 2025 Stats: 20 GS, 125 2/3 IP, 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 2.67 FIP, 11.82 K/9, 2.29 BB/9

After winning his first career Cy Young Award during his first season with the Braves in 2024, Chris Sale continued his dominance into last season. Despite being limited to just 20 starts, Sale proved that his 2024 campaign was far from a fluke.

One of the most impressive feats Sale accomplished in 2025 was that he still managed to record nearly 3.6 fWAR despite facing injuries. In fact, this was the first time Sale had accumulated more than 3.5 fWAR in back-to-back seasons since 2018 to 2019.

With Sale set to turn 37 years old in 2026, he’s proving that age is still just a number.

6. Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants

• Average Ranking: 5.429
• 2025 Stats: 34 GS, 207 IP, 3.22 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.60 FIP, 9.74 K/9, 2.00 BB/9

Over the past couple of years, Giants right-hander Logan Webb has molded into one of the more consistent starting pitchers in all of baseball. 2025 was no different, as the 28-year-old registered yet another stellar run of outings.

If there’s one word that could be used to define Webb, it’s workhorse. 2025 marked the third straight season Webb has pitched over 200 innings, as he’s consistently led the league in innings pitched. He also became just the second pitcher to start 34 or more games since 2020.

With Webb consistently being one of the league’s most reliable arms, he’s quietly molded into one of the best pitchers in the game.

5. Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies

• Average Ranking: 5
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 202 IP, 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 2.55 FIP, 9.45 K/9, 1.96 BB/9

After a breakout 2024 campaign, Cristopher Sánchez truly took a massive step forward and cemented himself as one of the game’s best pitchers in 2025. The left-hander was arguably the most underrated arm in the sport, and he was a huge reason for the Phillies’ success.

Sánchez joined Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal as the only pitchers to record more than 6.0 fWAR during the 2025 season. This wasn’t the only place where he found himself in elite company, either. He tied Skenes for the league lead in HR/9, and finished as a top-five starter in ERA.

Although Sánchez didn’t make his second All-Star team in 2025, he did finish as the NL Cy Young runner-up, while also placing 15th in NL MVP voting. If he repeats his impressive campaign, Sánchez could very well capture his first Cy Young award in 2026 and further solidify his status as one of the elite pitchers in the game.

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers

• Average Ranking: 4
• 2025 Stats: 30 GS, 173.2 IP, 2.49 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 10.42 K/9, 3.06 BB/9

To say the least, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first two seasons in major league baseball have been an absolute whirlwind. From signing the largest starting pitching contract in MLB history to winning two-straight World Series titles, his MLB career is off to an incredible start.

In 2025, Yamamoto capped off a tremendous campaign with postseason heroics that rivaled some of the greatest performances in playoff history. He became the first pitcher to throw back-to-back complete games since Curt Schilling in 2001, and he also recorded the eight outs of World Series game seven.

Eventually earning World Series MVP honors, Yamamoto showed the baseball world the type of big-game pitcher he was capable of being. When he’s at his best, look out.

3. Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox

• Average Ranking: 3.571
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 205.1 IP, 2.59 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 2.89 FIP, 11.18 K/9, 2.02 BB/9

Despite only spending two seasons as a starting pitcher, Garrett Crochet has already cemented himself as a top-three starter in the sport. His first year in Boston did not disappoint, as he churned in quite the campaign.

After never throwing more than 146 innings in a single season, Crochet pitched 205.1 innings of 2.59 ERA baseball during the 2025 season. He led baseball with 255 strikeouts and put together a legitimate argument to be the AL Cy Young winner, yet ultimately lost out on the award to left-hander Tarik Skubal.

Seeing the contracts teams have recently handed out to front-line aces, Crochet’s six-year, $170 million extension is quickly becoming one of the best contracts in the sport. If he continues at this pace, he’ll be a dominant ace for years to come.

2. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

• Average Ranking: 1.714
• 2025 Stats: 32 GS, 187.2 IP, 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 2.36 FIP, 10.36 K/9, 2.01 BB/9

Despite being just two years into his big league career, Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes is having arguably the most dominant start to a pitcher’s career in MLB history.

Skenes finished the year with a 1.97 ERA, the lowest mark in the sport. In fact, this was the first time since Justin Verlander in 2022 that a qualified starting pitcher had posted an ERA under 2.00. He didn’t stop there, as he also led baseball in ERA+, FIP, and HR/9.

In just his first two seasons, Skenes has already taken home the NL Rookie of the Year Award, an NL Cy Young Award, and started two consecutive All-Star Games. After all of this, the question now becomes: how much better can Paul Skenes get?

1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

• Average Ranking: 1.286
• 2025 Stats: 31 GS, 195.1 IP, 2.21 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 2.45 FIP, 11.10 K/9, 1.52 BB/9

For the second straight year, Tarik Skubal takes home the top spot on our starting pitcher rankings, and he does it with relative ease. Skubal has become a monster on the mound, as the left-hander regularly sets down the league’s best hitters with ease.

In 2025, Skubal notched new career-bests in fWAR, strikeouts, FIP, ERA, ERA+, and BB/9, among numerous other statistics. As a result of his heroics on the mound, Skubal became the first American League starter since Pedro Martinez in the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

As we look to 2026, Skubal remains the gold standard for starting pitchers in the game. With his continued evolution and a seemingly endless ceiling, there’s no telling just how high he can climb in the ranks of pitching greatness. If he stays on this trajectory, Skubal could end up as one of the most dominant left-handers of his generation, while also landing him one of the largest starting pitcher contracts in history once he hits the open market.