MLB Top 50 Starting Pitchers For 2025: #20-11
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!
20) Tyler Glasnow
Tyler Glasnow slots into the Jacob deGrom enigma where his per inning results mirror that of a Top 5 arm, but the injury concerns are too evident to ignore. Glasnow tossed a career high 134.0 IP last season and he didn’t pitch after August 11 due to an elbow injury. Another knock on Glasnow is that the Dodgers will likely utilize a 6-man rotation which will limit his innings even if he pitches his first full season of his career. There are many aspects of Glasnow’s profile to love, but the risks drag down the reward to the point that I can longer call him a Top 10 Pitcher in MLB.
19) Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was as advertised in his first MLB season. His stuff didn’t light the world on fire, but the command was pristine. He ability to pinpoint pitches on the edge of the strike zone was fascinating to watch and equally frustrating for batters. He unfortunately only tossed 90.0 IP in 2024 due to injury, and with a projected ~150 IP he will struggle to pitch enough to let his great ratios thrive. Despite the volume concerns, Yamamoto has the upside of a Top 10 pitcher with an extremely safe floor if his health holds up.
18) Max Fried
Max Fried is fresh off signing an 8 Year deal with the Yankees after posting an excellent season. His results have been akin to a frontline starter in his career thanks to top notch command and a seemingly never-ending arsenal. His lack of strikeouts limits his ceiling while forearms issues pose a risk to his floor. He has remained consistently superb throughout his career, and there are no signs that will change in 2025.
17) Pablo López
Pablo López’s 2024 season was one of peaks and valleys. His 1st half was marred by an ugly 5.11 ERA despite encouraging peripherals in his 3.84 FIP and 22.6 K-BB%. He righted the ship in the 2nd half with a 2.77 ERA and 3.40 FIP across 81.1 which saw his HR/FB% drop back down to league average levels. While I believe López is closer to his 2nd Half results, I am more bearish on him entering 2025 as we saw a drop in tjStuff+ in 2024 and he struggled to maintain his elite whiff rates. Even if his production slips to a #2/3 starter, he should have the volume to place him amongst the most valuable pitchers in baseball.
16) Gerrit Cole
Gerrit Cole’s 2024 season started off on a sour note after he suffered an elbow injury in March and did not make his season debut until June. After his return, there was an obvious decline in stuff. His velocity was down ~1 MPH and his whiff rate dipped. It took him a handful of starts to get back into the swing of things where he ended the season looking like a frontline starter. Although his metrics were down across the board in the regular season, he had strong playoffs were his velocity rebounded to his 2023 levels. Steamer projects Cole as a high 3 ERA and FIP pitcher, which I think is much too harsh. I do believe his time as a top tier pitcher is most likely done, but he is still a very good arm.
15) Michael King
Michael King’s first season as a starter was a resounding success as he posted an outstanding 2.95 ERA and 3.33 ERA across 173.2 IP. Concerns about his workload and reliability were quickly laid to rest. He showed no signs of fatigue, and his production gradually improved as the season progressed. His changeup and sinker combo returned elite results, and he supported his arsenal with a flurry of secondaries. There does not seem to be a flaw in King’s game which warrants his high ranking, but his lack of high-end strikeout upside and volume keep him from slotting into the upper tiers.
14) George Kirby
George Kirby starts a stretch of innings eaters whose results have been great each of the last 3 seasons. Kirby is the command king and pitching half his games at T-Mobile Park lets strike zone pounding tendencies flourish. He hit a few speed bumps in 2024, most notably allowing a whopping 14 HR on his 4-Seam and struggling to generate whiffs on his secondaries. His command gives him such a lofty floor that any improvements to his jam-packed arsenal is the cherry on top.
13) Logan Webb
Logan Webb is the hungriest pitcher since 2022, tossing a whooping 613.0 IP while posting an excellent 3.05 FIP. His 100th percentile usage is very valuable, but his substandard K% and decline in changeup production make me more bearish than his counterparts.
12) Framber Valdez
Framber Valdez follows Webb in the innings eater lineage. Valdez doesn’t possess the same volume as Webb, but he is more proficient are generating whiffs while being one of the most prolific groundball pitchers in MLB. Valdez’s ability neutralize batters with his sinker and curveball combo is a treat to watch and buoys his floor.
11) Logan Gilbert
Logan Gilbert caps off the stretch of innings eaters. Gilbert gets the edge over the others thanks to his deep arsenal, stellar command, and fantastic home park. Not to mention that Gilbert led all qualified pitchers with a 0.89 WHIP. His profile gives him an outstanding floor with his stuff pushing his ceiling upward.
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As a Mariners fan, I really wanted to see someone make it into the top 10, but I can't complain too much about the entire starting staff making this overall list. These are a fun read, thanks!