Early 2025 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings

An All-Star break tradition, here are my mostly-for-fun 2025 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be 20-game eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with contract options for next year have an asterisk included with their team names.

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Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH

Early 2025 Starting pitcher rankings

2025	Starting Pitchers	Team	2024	July
1	Tarik Skubal	Tigers	3	2
2	Corbin Burnes		7	1
3	Paul Skenes	Pirates	132	25
4	George Kirby	Mariners	2	3
5	Zack Wheeler	Phillies	5	4
6	Logan Gilbert	Mariners	6	5
7	Tyler Glasnow	Dodgers	10	6
8	Cole Ragans	Royals	23	7
9	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	Dodgers	4	53
10	Joe Ryan	Twins	14	8
11	Max Fried		12	11
12	Dylan Cease	Padres	22	10
13	Gerrit Cole	Yankees*	31	16
14	Jacob deGrom	Rangers	126	78
15	Pablo Lopez	Twins	8	9
16	Garrett Crochet	White Sox	189	74
17	Grayson Rodriguez	Orioles	20	32
18	Shane McClanahan	Rays	NR	NR
19	Zac Gallen	Diamondbacks	18	19
20	Chris Sale	Braves	34	15
21	Jared Jones	Pirates	136	48
22	Tanner Bibee	Guardians	16	14
23	Aaron Nola	Phillies	15	12
24	Luis Castillo	Mariners	21	13
25	Spencer Strider	Braves	1	NR
26	Freddy Peralta	Brewers*	26	18
27	Logan Webb	Giants	17	21
28	Framber Valdez	Astros	13	17
29	Justin Steele	Cubs	28	27
30	Luis Gil	Yankees	133	61
31	Shane Baz	Rays	65	68
32	Sonny Gray	Cardinals	58	22
33	Kevin Gausman	Blue Jays	11	20
34	Michael King	Padres	35	31
35	Shota Imanaga	Cubs	37	23
36	Jack Flaherty		96	35
37	Taj Bradley	Rays	92	57
38	Blake Snell	Giants*	40	54
39	Hunter Greene	Reds	32	28
40	Bobby Miller	Dodgers	9	45
41	Shohei Ohtani	Dodgers	NR	NR
42	Bailey Ober	Twins	24	29
43	Nick Lodolo	Reds	54	37
44	Max Scherzer		73	26
45	Mitch Keller	Pirates	33	39
46	Bryce Miller	Mariners	39	33
47	Zach Eflin	Rays	25	24
48	Walker Buehler		36	62
49	Nathan Eovaldi	Rangers*	48	36
50	Ryan Pepiot	Rays	55	51
51	Hunter Brown	Astros	44	38
52	Kodai Senga	Mets	45	93
53	Roki Sasaki	Japan	NR	NR
54	Justin Verlander	Astros*	30	30
55	Sandy Alcantara	Marlins	NR	NR
56	MacKenzie Gore	Nationals	97	50
57	Jeffrey Springs	Rays	142	83
58	Chris Bassitt	Blue Jays	41	42
59	Nestor Cortes	Yankees	62	40
60	Jose Soriano	Angels	60 RP	72
61	Joe Musgrove	Padres	27	71
62	Cristopher Sanchez	Phillies	59	41
63	Jesus Luzardo	Marlins	19	154
64	Ranger Suarez	Phillies	81	34
65	Carlos Rodon	Yankees	43	44
66	Jackson Jobe	Tigers	291	NR
67	Gavin Williams	Guardians	51	46
68	Brandon Woodruff	Brewers	NR	NR
69	Reynaldo Lopez	Braves	75	66
70	Gavin Stone	Dodgers	100	43
71	Brandon Pfaadt	Diamondbacks	63	67
72	Tanner Houck	Red Sox	103	47
73	Reese Olson	Tigers	84	70
74	Jordan Montgomery	Diamondbacks*	50	63
75	Yu Darvish	Padres	38	76
76	Christian Scott	Mets	176	77
77	River Ryan	Dodgers	231	160
78	Bryan Woo	Mariners	83	56
79	Max Meyer	Marlins	129	118
80	Yusei Kikuchi		76	59
81	Luis Severino		60	49
82	Reid Detmers	Angels	61	98
83	Robbie Ray	Giants*	201	99
84	Jose Berrios	Blue Jays	49	52
85	Merrill Kelly	Diamondbacks*	57	91
86	Kutter Crawford	Red Sox	87	75
87	Ben Brown	Cubs	180	109
88	Jake Bloss	Astros	NR	161
89	Cade Povich	Orioles	276	84
90	Matt Waldron	Padres	330	60
91	Eduardo Rodriguez	Diamondbacks	85	85
92	Clayton Kershaw	Dodgers*	131	114
93	Ronel Blanco	Astros	139	69
95	Ryan Weathers	Marlins	162	115
95	Clarke Schmidt	Yankees	95	121
96	Aaron Civale	Brewers	46	58
97	Drew Rasmussen	Rays	163	139
98	Seth Lugo	Royals	125	55
99	Erick Fedde	White Sox	158	65
100	Tyler Mahle	Rangers	230	124
101	Yariel Rodriguez	Blue Jays	169	157
102	Spencer Schwellenbach	Braves	NR	81
103	Sean Manaea	Mets*	53	64
104	Jordan Hicks	Giants	116	111
105	Yilber Diaz	Diamondbacks	NR	NR
106	Luis Garcia	Astros	179	129
107	Jordan Wicks	Cubs	137	103
108	Braxton Garrett	Marlins	66	141
109	Frankie Montas		128	123
110	Kyle Harrison	Giants	104	104
111	Andrew Abbott	Reds	79	88
112	Drew Thorpe	White Sox	204	117
113	Jacob Misiorowski	Brewers	240	NR
114	Carson Whisenhunt	Giants	244	173
115	Tony Gonsolin	Dodgers	NR	NR
116	Brady Singer	Royals	119	86
117	Hurston Waldrep	Braves	280	NR
118	Dustin May	Dodgers	225	NR
119	Jake Irvin	Nationals	214	89
120	Chayce McDermott	Orioles	315	170
121	Nick Pivetta		121	95
122	David Festa	Twins	226	116
123	Brayan Bello	Red Sox	82	97
124	Shane Bieber		29	NR
125	Jon Gray	Rangers	98	96
126	Marcus Stroman	Yankees	67	87
127	Cade Horton	Cubs	223	NR
128	AJ Smith-Shawver	Braves	110	133
129	Casey Mize	Tigers	111	108
130	DL Hall	Brewers	94	169
131	Alex Cobb		78	106
132	Triston McKenzie	Guardians	72	140
133	Dean Kremer	Orioles	80	101
134	Spencer Arrighetti	Astros	233	79
135	Jameson Taillon	Cubs	107	82
136	Chris Paddack	Twins	71	131
137	Andrew Painter	Phillies	NR	NR
138	Edward Cabrera	Marlins	115	102
139	David Peterson	Mets	154	122
140	Cade Cavalli	Nationals	282	NR
141	Spencer Turnbull		200	NR
142	Lance Lynn	Cardinals*	89	100
143	Keaton Winn	Giants	150	146
144	Kenta Maeda	Tigers	68	112
145	Tylor Megill	Mets	175	130
146	Justin Wrobleski	Dodgers	NR	NR
147	Hayden Birdsong	Giants	NR	134
148	Ricky Tiedemann	Blue Jays	130	176
149	Charlie Morton		70	80
150	Zebby Matthews	Twins	NR	NR
151	Matthew Boyd		301	NR
152	Michael Wacha	Royals*	153	125
153	Dane Dunning	Rangers	86	137
154	Andrew Heaney		118	119
155	Chase Silseth	Angels	108	144
156	Adam Mazur	Padres	220	143
157	Cody Bradford	Rangers	91	126
158	Noble Meyer	Marlins	NR	NR
159	Jose Butto	Mets	157	150
160	Nick Martinez	Reds*	114	155
161	Griffin Canning	Angels	77	113
162	Simeon Woods Richardson	Twins	391	128
163	Logan Allen	Guardians	88	135
164	Albert Suarez	Orioles	NR	90
165	Eury Perez	Marlins	47	NR
166	James Paxton		74	94
167	Matt Manning	Tigers	101	127
168	Noah Schultz	White Sox	NR	NR
169	Lance McCullers	Astros	170	156
170	Tink Hence	Cardinals	289	NR
171	Zack Littell	Rays	90	92
172	Caden Dana	Angels	NR	NR
173	Joey Cantillo	Guardians	216	NR
174	Kyle Wright	Royals	NR	NR
175	JT Brubaker	Yankees	246	NR
176	Quinn Mathews	Cardinals	NR	NR
177	Kris Bubic	Royals	234	NR
178	Rhett Lowder	Reds	265	NR
179	Emerson Hancock	Mariners	212	NR
180	Quinn Priester	Pirates	313	NR
181	Hayden Wesneski	Cubs	147	152
182	Javier Assad	Cubs	143	145
183	Landon Knack	Dodgers	261	73
184	Joe Rock	Rays	405	NR
185	Bryce Elder	Braves	165	178
186	DJ Herz	Nationals	333	172
187	Andre Pallante	Cardinals	153 RP	175
188	Chase Dollander	Rockies	378	NR
189	Brandon Sproat	Mets	NR	NR
190	Steven Matz	Cardinals	120	NR
191	Keider Montero	Tigers	352	NR
192	Clayton Beeter	Yankees	194	NR
193	Thomas Harrington	Pirates	NR	NR
194	Cal Quantrill	Rockies	410	165
195	Miles Mikolas	Cardinals	134	138
196	Carlos Rodriguez	Brewers	274	NR
197	Ian Anderson	Braves	273	NR
198	Alec Marsh	Royals	185	158
199	Nick Nastrini	White Sox	270	NR
200	German Marquez	Rockies	358	NR

• The way I do my monthly rankings is I go team by team and assign a preliminary number to each player I want on the list. Once I’m finished with all of the teams, I click sort and usually get a list of numbers that corresponds pretty well with the top 175 I want to post. The only time this never works is when I’m doing starting pitchers for the way-too-early rankings here. Between all of the exciting prospects and the rehabbing pitchers who will surely be 100 percent next year, that veteran I give the preliminary 110 ranking to, we’ll call him Lance Lynn, is probably going to check in around No. 140 in these rankings. And then, when March comes around and some new injuries strike, some of the rehabbers aren’t looking so great and some of those prospects … well, they’re probably not really getting a chance in May after their team signed three free agents … that veteran invariably ends up back around 110 again. So, yeah, Jameson Taillon isn’t really the No. 135 pitcher for 2025, but he is 135th on the list of pitchers who intrigue me the most at this very moment.

• I also don’t imagine Gerrit Cole will be ranked 13th to open next season, but I’m still worried about the elbow. If he manages to get through September (and October?) healthy, I’ll probably have him in the top five next spring.

• The Dodgers lead the way with 11 pitchers here, though that includes Clayton Kershaw and his player option. I don’t imagine Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Kershaw and Dustin May will ever be healthy at the same time, but they’d love to have that problem. Next are the Rays with nine pitchers, including six of the top 60; I didn’t love doing that, but Taj Bradley and Ryan Pepiot had to be there with the way they’ve pitched this year and Jeffrey Springs was too good before getting hurt not to be in that territory. The Astros, Braves, Giants, Marlins and Yankees got eight starters apiece, though none of the Marlins are in the top 50.

• The one team without any starters is not the Rockies, who squeezed three on to the bottom of the list (Cal Quantrill made it mostly because I’m guessing he’ll be traded). Instead, the A’s placed no one, in no small part because they’re exiting their pitcher friendly park for a hitter’s haven in Sacramento. Luis Medina probably would have made the cut before his elbow injury. Next in line was Mitch Spence.

• Since this is mostly for fun, I declined to list Trevor Bauer and Julio Urías.

• I did sneak in Roki Sasaki at No. 53. It’s unclear if he’ll be posted by Chiba Lotte this winter, but if so, he’s probably going to be in the top 10 on the Opening Day list.