Starting Pitcher provides a nice smooth ride heading into 2025 with a solid upper tier, plenty of mid-tier options, and no shortage of spec picks as one attempts to round out their rotation.  Other than securing several 200=K potential arms from the Top-40, a balanced approach from all areas of the draft provides plenty of great opportunities to build a winning rotation.

 

1. Paul Skenes, PIT – The bar was set high heading into 2024 and he simply blew by it establishing a new one that very few in the game will ever have the opportunity to achieve.

2. Tarik Skubal, DET – We finally got the opportunity to witness a full season of Tarik Skubal and the unanimous AL Cy Young vote proved it was worthy of the wait.

3. Zack Wheeler, PHI – Wheeler is coming off an amazing season, posting career highs in wins, ERA, and WHIP while posting his second-best strikeout and innings pitched totals and one of the Cy Young voters had the gall to give him a 4’th place vote?

4. Logan Gilbert, SEA – The strikeouts soared to 220 and the hit/walk rates dipped resulting in a .89 WHIP. The 27-year-old also tossed 208 2/3 innings, the most in the game last year. 2024 could be the beginning of a dominant run by the 27-year-old righty.

5. Chris Sale, ATL – The trials and tribulations of the past four seasons in Boston are quickly forgotten when you take home the NL Cy Young Award.

6. Corbin Burnes, ARZ – Burnes has averaged 189 IP with 215 strikeouts, and a sub-3 ERA over the past four seasons. The strikeout numbers have been coming down the past couple of years but a floor consisting of a 3.00 ERA, 190 K’s, and 1.10 WHIP makes for a top-tier starter.

7. George Kirby, SEA – In his first 511 2/3 IP, Kirby has allowed a total of 64 walks, including a miniscule 23 in 191 innings in 2024. He now has back-to-back 190 inning seasons under his belt. He might not be the best starter in Seattle, but he’s not far from it.

8. Pablo Lopez, MIN – Pencil in 200 K’s and enjoy the ride!

9. Tanner Bibee, CLE – Bibee followed up his solid rookie campaign with an even stronger sophomore campaign. One more small step up and he’ll join the ranks of the elite starters. I wouldn’t bet against that coming to fruition in 2025.

10. Jacob deGrom, TEX – Jacob deGrom has the skill set to be the best pitcher in the game. He also hasn’t broken the 100-inning mark since 2019.

11. Framber Valdez, HOU – A strikeout per inning with a 3.00 ERA over170 innings is a very strong floor.

12. Michael King, SDP – When you amass 201 strikeouts in 173 2/3 IP over 30 starts with a sub-3 ERA while converting from a relief to starting role, it has been a huge success.

13. Cole Ragans, KCR – Ragans built on the solid debut, cranking up the workload to 186 1/3 innings with 223 strikeouts and a great 3.14 ERA. The three-year contract extension recently agreed to between Ragans and the Royals is a good thing for all concerned.

14. Blake Snell, LAD – Pay for 2022 and hope you stumble into the 2023 stats.

15. Garrett Crochet, BOS – Crochet enjoyed a great 2024, but he didn’t surpass four innings pitched in any one outing after June 30. That’s before the All Star break, right?

16. Gerrit Cole, NYY – When you’re heading into you age-35 season and coming off a season where you were limited to only 17 starts because of nerve inflammation in your elbow, there is considerable risk. Has the run of six career 200+ inning seasons come to an end?

17. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD – Injuries aside, he was pretty much as anticipated. If he can stay healthy and put in 160+ innings, he’ll give the Cy Young a good run for the money.

18. Dylan Cease, SDP – We have now seen four consecutive 200+ strikeout seasons from Cease. Come next Spring odds are very good that string will have reached five consecutive years.

19. Aaron Nola, PHI – Since the 2018 campaign, Aaron Nola has struck out. 224, 229, 223, 235, 202, and 197 batters. A 190 K floor from a #2 starter is very enticing.

20. Freddy Peralta, MIL – As good as Peralta has been for the Brewers, I always perceive him to be under-achieving and still hold out hope for the one monster season that has thus far alluded him.

21. Max Fried, NYY – Over the past five years Fried has posted a 2.25, 3.04, 2.48, 2.55, and 3.25 ERA. The strikeout rates are a bit low for an “ace”, but more than acceptable as a strong #2 starter.

22. Luis Castillo, SEA – Castillo was shut down September 8 with a Grade Two left hamstring strain and still managed to toss 175 innings of strikeout-per-inning ball with a mid-3 ERA. There’s still a lot to like heading into 2025.

23. Bryce Miller, SEA – He limited the hits and walks and boosted the workload up to 1801/3 innings resulting in a huge breakout campaign. Miller makes the 4’th M’s starter in our Top-25.

24. Shota Imanaga, CHC – 15 Wins to go along with a 2.91 ERA wasn’t on my Bingo card last year. Neither was the combined no-hitter with Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge, the first thrown by the Cubs in 52 years. I think it’s fair to say Imanaga’s debut campaign was a success.

25. Shohei Ohtani, LAD – The highly anticipated return from TJS is now just around the corner. The Dodgers won’t overwork Ohtani, wanting that quality stuff to be available in October, but 110-to-120 innings of strikeout-per-inning ball still holds value.

26. Joe Ryan, MIN – 2024 was looking like a true breakout for the 28-year-old righty and then came the Grade 2 teres strain that cost him the last two months of the season. A 175 inning season could find Ryan moving up in the rankings very quickly.

27. Hunter Greene, CIN – Greene took a huge step forward last year finally hitting the 150-inning mark. Will 2025 be the year that he closes in on 180 IP?

28. Tyler Glasnow, LAD – On August 11, 2024 Glasnow had tossed a career high 134 innings. At the end of September he was still sitting at 134 innings. Plan for a very good 120 innings and have Plan B at the ready for when it’s required….as it most certainly will.

29. Jack Flaherty, DET – Flaherty might not be as good as he was in 2024 but he also won’t be as bad as what we witnessed in 2023.

30. Seth Lugo, KCR – 2023 was a good year. 2024 a great one, as he set career highs in innings pitched, wins and strikeouts while finishing second to Tarik Skubal in the AL Cy Young voting. He might not prove to be 2024 good this year, but it should be close enough to warrant our attention.

31. Zac Gallen, ARZ

32. Hunter Brown, HOU

33. Logan Webb, SFG

34. Spencer Schwellenbach, ATL

35. Sandy Alcantara, MIA

36. Justin Steele, CHC

37. Reynaldo Lopez, ATL

38. Bailey Ober, MIN

39. Carlos Rodon, NYY

40. Kodai Senga, NYM

41. Sonny Gray, STL

42. Jared Jones, PIT

43. Grayson Rodriguez, BAL

44. Roki Sasaki, LAD

45. Bryan Woo, SEA

46. Taj Bradley, TBR

47. Ryan Pepiot, TBR

48. Spencer Strider, ATL

49. Erick Fedde, STL

50. Luis Gil, NYY

51. Kevin Gausman, TOR

52. Shane McClanahan, TBR

53. Nick Pivetta, SDP

54. Zach Eflin, BAL

55. Jackson Jobe, DET

56. Brandon Pfaadt, ARZ

57. Spencer Arrighetti, HOU

58. Nathan Eovaldi, TEX

59. Jose Berrios, TOR

60. Ronel Blanco, HOU

61. Cristopher Sanchez, PHI

62. Shane Baz, TBR

63. Yusei Kikuchi, LAA

64. Brandon Woodruff, MIL

65. MacKenzie Gore, WAS

66. Tanner Houck, BOS

67. Clarke Schmidt, NYY

68. Yu Darvish, SDP

69. Max Scherzer, TOR

70. Robbie Ray, SFG

71. Bowden Francis, TOR

72. Ranger Suarez, PHI

73. Sean Manaea, NYM

74. Drew Rasmussen, TBR

75. Jeffrey Springs, OAK