Below you’ll find the top-25 starting pitchers for 2025 fantasy baseball drafts, as compiled by the Rotoworld Baseball crew and FSWA Hall of Famer Matthew Pouliot.
In addition to write-ups for all players, you’ll find 2025 projected stats and dollar values (both for mixed leagues, league-only formats, and 2026/2027) for fantasy managers participating in salary cap draft formats.
Other position previews:
Look for more position previews in the days to come leading into fantasy baseball drafts!
2025 Fantasy Baseball Draft Prep: Rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results
Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworld’s preseason fantasy baseball content.
2025 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher (SP) Rankings
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Paul Skenes
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Tarik Skubal
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Logan Gilbert
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Zack Wheeler
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Jacob deGrom
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George Kirby
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Blake Snell
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Dylan Cease
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Garrett Crochet
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Framber Valdez
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Joe Ryan
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Tanner Bibee
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Corbin Burnes
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Chris Sale
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Gerrit Cole
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Max Fried
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Michael King
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Cole Ragans
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Spencer Strider
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Bryce Miller
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Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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Tyler Glasnow
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Justin Steele
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Shota Imanaga
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Logan Webb
2025 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher (SP) Profiles
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1. Paul Skenes |
PIT – SP |
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Throws: R |
Age: 22 |
Mixed 5×5: $38 | NL 5×5: $39 |
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2024: Started: 23 Relieved: 0 |
Mixed 2026: $36 | 2027: $34 |
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Outlook: The Pirates caught some flack for not having Skenes, the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, open last season in their rotation, but they’re used to the gripes by now and things wound up pretty much as they should have anyway; Skenes won Rookie of the Year and claimed his full season of service time despite not debuting until May 11. In 23 major league starts, Skenes allowed just 31 runs, and in spite of the Pirates wanting to protect him, he was efficient enough to go six innings on 16 occasions. He never allowed more than six hits and only struck out fewer than six batters three times (once being Game 161, when he was pulled after two scoreless frames). It would have been a masterful showing even if he weren’t only one year out of college, and Skenes enters 2025 No. 1 on the pitching big board as a result. He’s probably a little riskier than Tarik Skubal in terms of health, but there were no red flags last year. It’d still be difficult to eschew a bat in favor of a pitcher in round one this year, but if anyone is worth it, it’s Skenes. |
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2. Tarik Skubal |
DET – SP |
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Throws: L |
Age: 28 |
Mixed 5×5: $37 | AL 5×5: $38 |
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2024: Started: 31 Relieved: 0 |
Mixed 2026: $33 | 2027: $27 |
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Outlook: Skubal’s 15 starts after returning from… |
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