The Ultimate Guide to the 30 Best Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball in 2025
When it comes to fantasy baseball success, nothing is more important than locking down a reliable pitching staff. Whether you’re playing in rotisserie, head-to-head, or points leagues, a strong group of starting pitchers will anchor your team, keep your ERA/WHIP in check, and provide valuable strikeouts and wins throughout the season.
The 2025 fantasy baseball season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive ever, with young arms breaking into the league, veteran aces still at the top, and intriguing bounce-back candidates. In this guide, we’ll rank the top 30 starting pitchers for 2025, analyzing their skills, projected fantasy performance, and how they fit into your fantasy baseball draft strategy.
The Importance of Drafting Elite Starting Pitching
Before diving into the rankings, it’s important to understand why securing elite pitching is essential in fantasy baseball. While hitters often steal the spotlight, a dominant pitching rotation can set you apart in competitive leagues.
Why You Need Strong Starting Pitching
- Stability in Key Categories: A strong SP can lock down ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, making it easier to take control of your weekly matchups.
- Predictability: Unlike hitters who experience hot and cold streaks, ace-level pitchers tend to be more consistent throughout the season.
- Scarcity: There are only a handful of elite starting pitchers each year. If you don’t draft them early, you’ll be scrambling for mid-tier arms.
- Strikeouts Are King: Pitchers with high k/9 ratios give your team a competitive advantage.
With this in mind, let’s break down the 30 best fantasy starting pitchers for 2025 and how they fit into your draft strategy.
Tier 1: The Fantasy Aces – Must Draft SP1s
These are the top-end starting pitchers who should be drafted early in fantasy drafts. They offer elite stats across the board, including strikeouts, low ERA, and WHIP stability.
- Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 16-6, 2.40 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 225 K
- Why He’s Elite: Skubal won the triple crown last year which is no small feat. He has transformed into a true fantasy ace, leading the Tiger’s rotation with an elite K rate and WHIP.
- Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 15-3, 2.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 210 K
- Why He’s Elite: The number1 overall pick in the 2023 draft did not disappoint in his big league debut. With his triple-digit fastball and nasty slider, Skenes is an elite pitcher and will be among the league leaders in all the major categories.
- Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 15-4, 2.86 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 212 K
- Why He’s Elite: Along with Skubal, Sale won the N.L. triple crown last year as well. While injury is always a concern, Sale should continue to put up monster numbers in all major categories in 2025 as he looks to anchor the Braves pitching staff.
- Zack Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 14-7, 3.34 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 206K
- Why He’s Elite: Wheeler possess a 6-pitch arsenal in which he is able to dominate hitters among all major pitching categories. The Phillies offense is once again loaded as well which will help increase his number of wins in 2025.
- Gerrit Cole (New York Yankees)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 14-8, 3.40 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 221K
- Why He’s Elite: Cole has been one of the most consistent fantasy aces over the past decade. As long as he is healthy, you can count on him to be in top 5 of all major pitching categories again in 2025.
- Blake Snell (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 15-6, 3.32 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 210 K
- Why He’s Elite: When Snell is on, he is a legitimate Cy Young candidate. He now moves to Los Angeles with arguably the best offense behind him in the league. Would not be surprised to find him higher in the rankings once the season ends.
- Corbin Burnes (Arizona Diamondbacks)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 15-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 195 K
- Why He’s Elite: Fresh off a new $210 million contract, Burnes finds a new home in Arizona. Though his K rate has declined slightly in the past few years, he still remains an elite pitcher that you can depend on.
- Dylan Cease (San Diego Padres)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 14-10, 3.58 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 202 K
- Why He’s Elite: Pitching in friendly Petco Park, Cease should enjoy another superb season and find himself among the league leaders in strikeouts and ERA again in 2025.
- Logan Gilbert (Seattle Mariners)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 13-8, 3.47 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 198 K
- Why He’s Elite: Gilbert is a dominant pitcher and has the luxury of pitching at home in a pitcher friendly park. He has been a model of consistency and has been improving his K rate in each of the past 3 years.
- Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 14-9, 3.70 ERA 1.19 WHIP, 200 K
- Why He’s Elite: Nola doesn’t necessarily impress in any major category, but has been a model of consistency the past 4 years. In those past 4 years, Nola failed to hit 200 K’s in only one of them, being last year in which he had 197 Ks. He is a dependable every fifth day starter as they come.
Tier 2: High-End SP1s with Some Risk
- Cole Ragans (Kansas City Royals)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 12-8, 3.62 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 190K
- Why Draft Him?: Ragans came out of nowhere in 2024 and blossomed into a true ace for the Royals. We shall see if he can continue to impress here in 2025 or if 2024 was an outlier. He has the stuff to be a dominant ace in this league.
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 10-5, 3.48 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 160 K
- Why Draft Him?: Yamamoto’s rookie season got off to a rough start in 2024 but quickly rebounded to show the dominant form that the Dodger’s signed him to be. He should be 100% healthy now for the start of the season, and should anchor a deep Dodgers rotation.
- Garrett Crochet (Boston Red Sox)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 10-6, 3.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 178 K
- Why Draft Him?: Crochet’s strikeout ability is as elite as it gets. He would be rated higher on this list if we believed he could pitch 175+ innings this year. If he does, you have yourself a top 5 starting pitcher in fantasy.
- Michael King (San Diego Padres)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 11-7, 3.40 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 186 K
- Why Draft Him?: After being traded from the Yankees last year in the Juan Soto deal, King flew massively under the radar in fantasy drafts in 2024. That will not be the case here in 2025. Pitching in a pitcher friendly ballpark, King has the tools to build off his 2024 campaign.
- Pablo Lopez (Minnesota Twins)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 12-8, 3.88 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 196 K
- Why Draft Him?: Even in a not so terrific 2024 season, Lopez still managed to strike out 198 batters with a 1.19 WHIP. Expect him to rebound here in 2025 as he has worked on improving his mechanics.
- George Kirby (Seattle Mariners)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 11-8, 3.58 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 168 K
- Why Draft Him?: Kirby is excellent at not letting men on base. He lead the league in walk percentage last year. If he is able to pick up his strikeout rate a little here in 2025, he will move higher up on this list.
- Framber Valdez (Houston Astros)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 13-9, 3.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 170 K
- Why Draft Him?: While his ceiling isn’t very high, Valdez offers up a very safe floor in all major pitching categories. He is also dependable, so you can look forward to him taking the hill every 5th day while anchoring this Astros pitching staff.
- Shota Imanaga (Chicago Cubs)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 12-8, 3.58 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 166 K
- Why Draft Him?: Imanaga was terrific in his first season in the big leagues. We can expect some regression in his second year as big league hitters get used to hitting against him. However, Imanaga should still continue to excel in all major pitching categories in 2025.
- Bryce Miller (Seattle Mariners)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 14-10, 3.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 176 K
- Why Draft Him?: Going in the late early rounds, Miller offers exceptional upside. He took a huge step forward in his second year in the big leagues, and will once again look to compete among the league leaders in ERA and WHIP.
- Spencer Schwellenbach (Atlanta Braves)
- 2025 Projected Stats: 11-6, 3.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 185K
- Why Draft Him?: Schwellenbach possesses a 6 pitch arsenal and is effective with using them all in any pitch count. Look for him to become a star here in 2025 as he builds off his 2024 rookie campaign.
Tier 3: Strong SP2s with Breakout Potential
- Jacob Degrom (Texas Rangers)
- Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants)
- Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee Brewers)
- Max Fried (New York Yankees)
- Tyler Glasnow (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Luis Castillo (Seattle Mariners)
- Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds)
- Sonny Gray (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Hunter Brown (Houston Astros)
- Zac Gallen (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Key Fantasy Baseball Draft Strategies for Pitchers
- Draft an Ace Early
- If you don’t secure a top-tier SP1, you’ll be at a disadvantage
- Mix Upside with Stability
- Draft a combination of elite, stable arms and younger, high-upside pitchers
- Watch for Innings Limits
- Young pitchers often have innings caps, meaning you’ll need depth in your rotation.
- Target Strikeout Specialists Late
- Late-round pitchers who rack up Ks can boost your overall fantasy ranking
The 2025 fantasy baseball season is filled with elite pitching talent, but knowing which arms to draft early and which sleepers to target late can make all the difference. With Tarik Skubal emerging as a fantasy ace and Paul Skenes bringing electric stuff to Pittsburgh, the pitching landscape in 2025 is stacked with talent. If you draft wisely, manage your rotation efficiently, and stay ahead of injuries and matchups, you’ll be well on your way to fantasy baseball dominance in 2025!