Every fifth day, starting pitchers in the MLB are summoned to perform one of the most difficult balancing acts in all of sport: shutting down an opposing club while leading their own team to victory. Their importance cannot be overstated. One brief lapse in judgment can shift the outcome of a game entirely.
It’s an exhausting gig with ridiculously high stakes — and yet, some guys just make it look easy. Here are the top ten starting pitchers in all of baseball.
10. Max Fried, New York Yankees
After Gerrit Cole went down for the season, the outlook for the Yankees’ rotation looked incredibly bleak. Then Max Fried took the mound.
Though he’s cooled slightly from his blazing start, the left-hander has still dazzled, posting a 2.43 ERA and 1.01 WHIP through his first 20 starts in pinstripes.
9. Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
Hunter Brown has steadily improved in each of his first four seasons. And at just 26 years old, he’s blossomed into one of the top starters in the game.
Despite a bumpy July, the righty still wields a 2.57 ERA and 0.99 WHIP through 20 starts while racking up the fourth-most strikeouts in the majors (144).
8. Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have emerged as serious title contenders, and their rise wouldn’t be possible without left-hander Matthew Boyd.
The 11-year veteran has thrived in his first year in Chicago, posting the fifth-best ERA in all of baseball (2.34), a number that’s down to just 1.79 over his last ten starts. He’s complemented the mark with a 1.03 WHIP and 102 strikeouts on the year.
7. Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners
Seattle is home to one of the most underrated arms in baseball.
The epitome of consistency, Bryan Woo is the only pitcher with at least 15 starts to deliver six or more innings in every outing — doing so 19 times. The Mariners’ right-hander owns a 2.91 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 115 strikeouts, and he put an exclamation point on his magnificent first half by carrying a no-hit bid into the eighth inning against the New York Yankees on July 10.
6. Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
Not the only Phillie on this list, Cristopher Sanchez has bolstered one of the most dominant rotations in baseball, complementing a 2.50 ERA, 3.2 fWAR, and 122 strikeouts with some of the nastiest offspeed stuff in the game.
As MLB.com’s David Adler pointed out, the 28-year-old lefty has been practically untouchable since the start of June, turning in eight straight quality starts with a 1.63 ERA and 52 strikeouts.
5. Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers
After years of battling injuries, Jacob deGrom is turning back the clock and putting up some of the best numbers of his career.
The two-time Cy Young winner, limited to just nine starts over his first two seasons with the Texas Rangers, now holds the fourth-best ERA (2.32) and WHIP (0.91) in the majors. And if hitters manage to get on base, chances are they’re not going very far; deGrom leads the league with an 87.4% left-on-base rate.
4. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
A two-time Cy Young runner-up after last season, Zack Wheeler has been a man on a mission in 2025.
The ace of a stacked Phillies rotation boasts a 2.36 ERA and 0.86 WHIP through 19 starts, and is one of just three pitchers to eclipse 150 strikeouts so far, leading the National League with 154. He ranks fourth among starters in fWAR (3.7), second in pitching run value (29, per Statcast), and first in batting average against (.181).
3. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Most 23-year-olds are trying to land their first job out of college — Paul Skenes just started the All-Star Game for the second time in his career.
It’s hard to fathom the meteoric rise of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ right-hander. Armed with a blazing fastball and otherworldly breaking stuff, Skenes is in the midst of an outstanding sophomore campaign, one highlighted by a 4.0 fWAR, 131 strikeouts, and a league-leading 2.01 ERA.
2. Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox knew they were getting an ace when they acquired Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox last winter, but no one could have predicted just how dominant he’d become.
Through 21 starts, including his first career shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 12, the left-hander has posted a 4.5 fWAR while producing a career-best 2.19 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Oh, and he’s also pacing the majors with 165 strikeouts.
1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
If you still weren’t convinced that Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher in the game, how does 6.2 innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts — propelling the Detroit Tigers to their league-leading 60th win — sound?
His latest gem, twirled Sunday against the Texas Rangers, only added to what has been an unparalleled season for the flamethrowing southpaw. Skubal owns a 2.19 ERA with 164 strikeouts through 20 starts, leading the majors in WHIP (0.81), fWAR among pitchers (5.2), and pitching run value (39).
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