MLB Top 50 Starting Pitchers For 2025: #10-1
Who is the best pitcher in baseball?
Introduction
This article is a continuation of my Top 50 Starting Pitchers for 2025. Please refer to the first article for more information about my methodology.
Let’s continue the ranking!
10) Blake Snell
Blake Snell, 1 year removed from a NL Cy Young Award, looks to continue his otherworldly 2024 2nd Half with the Dodgers. His strikeout numbers are gaudy and his ability to prevent damage is methodical. The upside is tantalizing, but the health risks are apparent, and the Dodgers may opt for a 6-man rotation which will limit Snell’s production.
9) Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease is a workhorse, having not missed a start since the end of his rookie season in 2019. In that time, he has returned elite strikeout rates and steadily improving walk rates. His combination of stuff and durability slots him into a prestigious group that gives him a stable floor and a sky-high ceiling reminiscent of his 2022 Cy Young Finalist season.
8) Cole Ragans
Cole Ragans is the closest comparable to Tarik Skubal in MLB currently. They are both lefties who wield similar 5-pitch mixes highlighted by high-velocity and disgusting changeups. Ragans doesn’t have the same level of control, posting below average BB% in his career thus far. He has all the tools to be a Cy Young candidate, and hopefully he can refine his command to give him a boost.
7) Chris Sale
Chris Sale returned his first full season since 2019, and he won his first Cy Young Award handily. His calling card is his vicious slider which returned a jaw-dropping +24 Run Value. His side-arm delivery and whip-like arm action gives batters conniptions they struggle to connect with his pitches. Projections remain fairly optimistic that he repeats his 2024 success, but similar to deGrom, the health risks hamper his upside.
6) Jacob deGrom
Jacob deGrom presents the interesting case study into per inning dominance in regard to projecting the value of a starter. He hasn’t eclipsed 100 innings since 2019, but it is inarguable that he has been the best pitcher in baseball when healthy. Now fully recovered from Tommy John Surgery and a full offseason to ramp up, deGrom has an optimistic projection of 150+ IP that lines him up for an extremely productive season. His stuff still screams ace, and his command hasn’t missed a beat. His profile is risky, but he has a newly reconstructed elbow. His brief showcase in September gives me enough confidence that he still has the upside to be the best pitcher in baseball, and that cannot be ignored.
5) Corbin Burnes
Corbin Burnes’ cutter is my favourite pitch, and it underwent a handful of variations in 2024, including a return to its prior Cy Young Form in September where it was married with his sweeper. Burnes’ declining strikeout rate is concerning, but he remains an ace who uses an elite cutter to induce weak contact and generate whiffs with a medley of secondaries. He has a skillset that should age well, and the durability to be a Top 10 pitcher for years to come.
4) Garrett Crochet
Garrett Crochet’s first season as a starter in MLB was a grand success as he led all starters with an absurd 29.6 K-BB%. His 2nd half was marred by innings restrictions and poor HR luck, but those will likely be left in the rearview mirror in Boston. His 4-Seam Fastball and cutter combo can shutdown the best of offenses and he supplements that with strong secondaries and phenomenal command. On a per inning basis, Crochet may be the best pitcher in baseball, but questions about his volume have me slotting his at #4.
3) Zack Wheeler
Although projections aren’t as favourable to Wheeler despite the stretch of dominance he has exhibited throughout his 30s, he belongs in the conversation as a Top 3 Pitcher in baseball entering 2025. His combination of volume, production, and stuff makes Wheeler a force to be reckoned with in the NL as the ace of the Phillies powerful rotation.
2) Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal had a dominant Cy Young winning season in 2024, posting a 2.39 ERA and 2.49 FIP across 192.0 IP. Consistency was the name of the game for Skubal as he tossed fewer than 5 Innings just once. He propelled the Tigers to the playoffs with an emphatic September and kept up his production through the ALDS. His 5-Pitch Mix, highlighted by his whiff-generating changeup and elite command, makes him a surefire favourite for the 2025 AL Cy Young Award.
1) Paul Skenes
Paul Skenes was arguably the best pitcher in baseball during the 2024 season and his case for the NL Cy Young Award was held back due to a lack of innings. His rookie campaign was highlighted by a phenomenal 1.96 ERA and 2.44 FIP in 133.0 IP where he developed the best pitch in baseball in his “splinker”. The Pirates had no qualms about Paul Skenes tossing deep into games, and Skenes himself was unfazed as he maintained his 100+ MPH velocity. Skenes will have a full set of starts and a fresh offseason to refine his already elite arsenal and command and prove he is the best.
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