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Ranking the Top 25 Starting Pitchers of the 2024 MLB Season

Ranking the Top 25 Starting Pitchers of the 2024 MLB Season
Joel ReuterNovember 26, 2024

Ranking the Top 25 Starting Pitchers of the 2024 MLB Season

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    DETROIT, MI - JUNE 25:  Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Comerica Park on June 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Phillies 4-1.  (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

    Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images

    It’s time to put a bow on the 2024 MLB season with Bleacher Report’s final positional rankings of the year.

    Throughout the 2024 campaign, we released monthly updates to our position-by-position rankings, selecting the top 10 players at each spot. Now it’s time to finalize that exercise while expanding the list to the 25 best at each position.

    Just like the regular-season rankings, past production and future expectations played no part in deciding the order—this is simply a rundown of the best and brightest of 2024.

    There were no specific qualifications for inclusion, though each player was only eligible to appear in these rankings at one position.

    Now let’s dive into the top 25 starting pitchers of the 2024 season.

Honorable Mentions

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    Blake Snell

    Blake SnellThearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

    These pitchers received strong preliminary consideration but fell short of earning a spot in the Top 25:

    Tyler Anderson, LAA
    José Berríos, TOR
    Tanner Bibee, CLE
    Luis Castillo, SEA
    Nestor Cortes, NYY
    Garrett Crochet, CWS
    Zach Eflin, TB/BAL
    Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
    Erick Fedde, CWS/STL
    Zac Gallen, ARI
    Kevin Gausman, TOR
    Luis Gil, NYY
    Tyler Glasnow, LAD
    Sonny Gray, STL
    Yusei Kikuchi, TOR/HOU
    George Kirby, SEA
    Zack Littell, TB
    Pablo López, MIN
    Tobias Myers, MIL
    Bailey Ober, MIN
    Ryan Pepiot, TB
    Freddy Peralta, MIL
    David Peterson, NYM
    Nick Pivetta, BOS
    Carlos Rodón, NYY
    Joe Ryan, MIN
    Spencer Schwellenbach, ATL
    Luis Severino, NYM
    Brady Singer, KC
    Blake Snell, SF
    Justin Steele, CHC
    Gavin Stone, LAD
    Ranger Suárez, PHI
    Jameson Taillon, CHC
    Michael Wacha, KC

Nos. 25-21

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    Bryan Woo

    Bryan WooSteph Chambers/Getty Images

    25. Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners

    Woo missed roughly three weeks with a hamstring injury just before the All-Star break, but he was a key cog in baseball’s best rotation in his first full season in the majors. The 24-year-old went 9-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 101 strikeouts in 121.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .211 batting average.

    24. Hunter Brown, Houston Astros

    After struggling to a 7.71 ERA over his first nine starts of the season, Brown turned a corner in mid-May and went 10-5 with a 2.31 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 132.2 innings over 22 starts the rest of the way. The 26-year-old’s breakout helped prop up an injury-plagued Houston rotation.

    23. Sean Manaea, New York Mets

    Manaea posted a 4.44 ERA in 117.2 innings with the Giants in 2023, and he settled for a two-year, $28 million deal from the Mets last winter. The 32-year-old ended up being the team’s best pitcher, going 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184 strikeouts in 181.2 innings, and now he is poised to cash in after declining a 2025 player option. He had a run of seven quality starts in eight outings down the stretch while the Mets were chasing a playoff berth.

    22. Reynaldo López, Atlanta Braves

    A starting pitcher early in his career, López pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen in 2022 and 2023. The Braves signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal during the offseason with the intention of shifting him back to a starting role, and he responded with a 1.99 ERA in 135.2 innings.

    21. Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies

    Sánchez took over as Philadelphia’s fifth starter midway through the 2023 season, and that proved to be the jumping off point for a breakout performance. The 27-year-old went 11-9 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 181.2 innings, tossing two complete games, including a three-hit shutout against the Marlins on June 28.

Nos. 20-16

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    Ronel Blanco

    Ronel BlancoTim Warner/Getty Images

    20. Max Fried, Atlanta Braves

    Since the start of the 2020 season, only Zack Wheeler (25.4) and Gerrit Cole (19.9) have produced more combined WAR among pitchers than the 19.1 racked up by Fried, who is now a free agent and set to cash in with a major payday. The 30-year-old dealt with some arm issues in 2023, but returned strong this year, going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings.

    19. Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

    For the sixth consecutive season—excluding the shortened 2020 campaign—Nola made at least 32 starts, kicking off his new seven-year, $172 million contract with the same steady production he has been providing for years. The 31-year-old went 14-8 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 197 strikeouts in 199.1 innings, successfully pitching around a NL-high 30 home runs allowed.

    18. Ronel Blanco, Houston Astros

    Blanco was only part of the Houston rotation to open the season as an injury replacement for Justin Verlander, but he threw a no-hitter in his first start of the season and never looked back. The late-bloomer is already 31 years old, and he dealt with some ups and downs following his stellar start to the year, but he still finished 13-6 with a 2.80 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 167.1 innings.

    17. Jack Flaherty, Detroit Tigers/Los Angeles Dodgers

    A rising ace in 2019 when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in his age-23 season, Flaherty saw his career derailed by injuries before posting a 4.99 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 144.1 innings in 2023. The Tigers rolled the dice on him during the offseason with a one-year, $14 million deal, and he ended up being one of the biggest prizes of the trade deadline, going a combined 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 194 strikeouts in 162 innings with the Tigers and Dodgers, and winning a World Series ring.

    16. Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox

    After teasing his potential while filling a variety of roles on the Boston staff from starter to closer the last few years, Houck finally turned in a true breakout season for the Red Sox. The 28-year-old posted a 3.12 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 154 strikeouts in 178.2 innings, earning an All-Star selection and giving Boston its best homegrown starter since the days of Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz.

Nos. 15-11

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    Shōta Imanaga

    Shōta ImanagaThearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

    15. Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants

    One of the few true workhorses left in baseball, Webb has now led the NL in innings pitched in back-to-back seasons while tossing a combined 420.2 innings atop the Giants rotation. The 28-year-old was an All-Star for the first time and finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting while going 13-10 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 172 strikeouts in 204.2 innings.

    14. Bryce Miller, Seattle Mariners

    Miller followed up a strong rookie season with a terrific 2024 campaign, going 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 171 strikeouts in 180.1 innings. The 26-year-old still has five years of club control remaining and will not even be arbitration-eligible for the first time until next offseason, making him one of the most valuable arms on this list.

    13. Shōta Imanaga, Chicago Cubs

    Imanaga finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting and fifth in NL Cy Young balloting in his stateside debut, going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings over 29 starts. His final numbers would have looked even better without one horrendous start on 11 hits and 10 earned runs in three innings, as he had a 2.43 ERA in 170.1 innings over his other 28 outings.

    12. Michael King, San Diego Padres

    One of the key pieces that went the other way in last offseason’s Juan Soto blockbuster, King went from effective swingman with the Yankees to rotation standout in San Diego. The 29-year-old went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 201 strikeouts in 173.2 innings, tacking almost 70 innings onto his previous career-high of 104.2 frames. He also struck out 12 batters over seven shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves in his first career playoff start.

    11. Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

    Valdez made his third straight Opening Day start for the Astros in 2024, as he has emerged as a true homegrown ace. The 31-year-old finished 15-7 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 169 strikeouts in 176.1 innings and earned his third straight top-10 finish in AL Cy Young voting, and now he enters a contract year set to secure a hefty new contract.

10. Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds

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    Hunter Greene

    Hunter GreeneJason Mowry/Getty Images

    Stats: 26 GS, 9-5, 2.75 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 57 BB, 169 K, 150.1 IP, 6.3 WAR

    Despite boasting some of the most electric stuff in baseball from the onset of his big league career in 2022, Hunter Greene gave up a surprising amount of hard contact while posting a 4.62 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 237.2 innings during his first two seasons.

    The addition of a splitter as a viable third offering helped take his game to another level in 2024, and he slashed his hard-hit rate allowed from 44.1 to 32.5 percent while pitching like a legitimate ace atop the Cincinnati rotation.

9. Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres

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    NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 16: Dylan Cease #84 of the San Diego Padres in action during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 16, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

    Adam Hunger/Getty Images

    Stats: 33 GS, 14-11, 3.47 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 65 BB, 224 K, 189.1 IP, 4.2 WAR

    The San Diego Padres acquired Dylan Cease as a complementary frontline starter to slot alongside the incumbent duo of Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove, but he wound up anchoring the starting staff for much of the year with those two veterans both missing significant time.

    The 28-year-old is the only pitcher in baseball to record at least 200 strikeouts in each of the past four seasons, and after leading the AL in walks twice during his time with the White Sox, he also quietly logged a career-best 8.5 percent walk rate in 2024.

8. Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles

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    BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 01: Corbin Burnes #39 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches the ball against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of Game One of the Wild Card Series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 01, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

    Greg Fiume/Getty Images

    Stats: 32 GS, 15-9, 2.92 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 48 BB, 181 K, 194.1 IP, 3.4 WAR

    The Orioles plugged the biggest hole on the roster when they acquired Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers last offseason and slotted him into the staff ace role, and he delivered with his usual elite-level performance.

    Now he’s the top pitcher on the free-agent market and likely headed for a contract that will exceed $200 million, and with five straight finishes inside the top 10 in Cy Young voting, he is worth every penny.

7. Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners

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    SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 19: Starter Logan Gilbert #36 of the Seattle Mariners pitches during a game against the New York Yankees at T-Mobile Park on September 19, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 3-2. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

    Stephen Brashear/Getty Images

    Stats: 33 GS, 9-12, 3.23 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 37 BB, 220 K, 208.2 IP, 2.8 WAR

    The Seattle Mariners paced the majors with a 3.38 ERA from their starting rotation, and Logan Gilbert was their most consistent starter while leading the AL with 208.2 innings pitched.

    The 27-year-old was tied for second in the majors with 22 quality starts, and his 0.89 WHIP was the lowest among all qualified starters as he allowed just 148 hits and limited opposing batters to a .196 average.

6. Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals

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    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Cole Ragans #55 of the Kansas City Royals in action against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

    Luke Hales/Getty Images

    Stats: 32 GS, 11-9, 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 67 BB, 223 K, 186.1 IP, 4.9 WAR

    Aroldis Chapman helped the Texas Rangers in the 2023 World Series, but the club paid a steep price to acquire him, sending left-hander Cole Ragans and his club control through the 2028 season the other way.

    After posting a 5.92 ERA in 17 appearances out of the Rangers bullpen, Ragans joined the Kansas City rotation and immediately turned a corner. The 26-year-old then built off last season’s breakthrough with a fantastic 2024 campaign, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting and earning his first All-Star nod.

5. Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals

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    KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 25: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Kauffman Stadium on August 25, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

    Ed Zurga/Getty Images

    Stats: 33 GS, 16-9, 3.00 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 48 BB, 181 K, 206.2 IP, 5.3 WAR

    Teams giving veteran relievers with the stuff to start a chance to join the starting rotation is becoming a trend in free agency, and Seth Lugo immediately becomes the poster child for the best-case scenario of that experiment.

    After pitching almost exclusively out of the bullpen during his time with the Mets, he signed a one-year deal with the Padres in 2023 and showed he had the chops to start. The Royals rewarded him with a two-year, $30 million deal, and that turned out to be one of the best bargains of the 2023-24 offseason.

4. Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

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    PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 28, 2024: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the second inning against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on August 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

    Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images

    Stats: 23 GS, 11-3, 1.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 32 BB, 170 K, 133.0 IP, 5.9 WAR

    If Paul Skenes had broken camp with a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, he might have joined Fernando Valenzuela as the only other rookie in MLB history to also take home Cy Young honors.

    As it stands, he settled for unanimous NL Rookie of the Year, third in Cy Young balloting and an All-Star Game start while taking the league by storm less than a year after he went No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft. The 22-year-old’s future is as bright as any young player in the sport.

3. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies

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    BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JUNE 16: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 16, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)

    Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images

    Stats: 32 GS, 16-7, 2.57 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 52 BB, 224 K, 200.0 IP, 6.1 WAR

    The five-year, $118 million deal that Zack Wheeler signed when he first joined the Philadelphia Phillies is now complete, and it will go down as one of the best nine-figure deals ever given to a starting pitcher.

    He piled up 25.4 WAR during those five seasons, and just had one of the best seasons of his career in 2024. He led the NL with a 0.96 WHIP, paced all of baseball with 26 quality starts in 32 appearances and capped things off with seven scoreless innings of one-hit ball in NLDS start to further add to a fantastic postseason resume.

2. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves

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    MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 28: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on August 28, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

    David Berding/Getty Images

    Stats: 29 GS, 18-3, 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 39 BB, 225 K, 177.2 IP, 6.2 WAR

    There was a strong case to be made that Chris Sale was the best active pitcher to never win a Cy Young heading into the 2024 season, and after posting a 4.30 ERA in 102.2 innings in 2023 on the heels of three straight injury-plagued campaigns, that appeared unlikely to change.

    The Red Sox shipped him to Atlanta in a salary dump move that brought back young infielder Vaughn Grissom, and that will almost certainly go down as one of the most lopsided moves of the last 25 years.

    Sale went on to win the NL Triple Crown, edging out Zack Wheeler for NL Cy Young honors, and the new two-year, $38 million deal he signed in January now looks like a brilliant move by the Atlanta front office.

1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers

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    DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 31:  Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the game against the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park on August 31, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. In this game, Skubal became the first pitcher in the major leagues to reach 200 strikeouts this season. The Tigers defeated the Red Sox 2-1.  (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

    Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images

    Stats: 31 GS, 18-4, 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 35 BB, 228 K, 192.0 IP, 6.3 WAR

    Tarik Skubal hinted at bigger things to come in his return from flexor tendon surgery in 2023, posting a 2.80 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 102 strikeouts in 80.1 innings over 15 starts, and he picked up right where he left off in 2024.

    The 28-year-old won the AL Triple Crown, took home unanimous AL Cy Young honors, finished seventh in AL MVP balloting, and backed up his strong numbers with an AL-best 2.50 FIP that suggests his career year is sustainable.

    Despite swirling rumors, the Tigers opted against trading him at the deadline and he led their furious push up the standings and into the playoff picture down the stretch. Now he enters the offseason as a potential extension candidate with free agency looming after the 2026 season.

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