Over on the Skippers View X page, our guys have been releasing their personal top-ten rankings for each position. While researching and compiling my list of the top ten starting pitchers in MLB for the 2026 season, I had the idea of ranking the best overall rotations. Currently, on my X account, I am ranking each team’s starting rotation in their respective division; however, I wanted to create a comprehensive top five starting rotations entering 2026 across MLB for our lovely audience over here on the blog. Alright, enough foreplay; let’s get into the list:
Honorable Mentions:
Tigers and Pirates
I am grouping these two clubs because I had a difficult time ranking them for the same reason: They are incredibly top-heavy because they employ the undisputed best starting pitchers in their respective leagues (Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes), but lack the necessary depth to crack my list. Personally, I am more intrigued by the Pirates’ non-Skenes starters (Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Jared Jones) than I am with the Tigers’ non-Skubal starters (Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, and Troy Melton), but for the sake of this list, they will both reside in the “Honorable Mentions” category.
5. Seattle Mariners
I really love the starting five that the reigning AL runner-ups are trotting out for the 2026 regular season. Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, and Logan Gilbert performed very well in 2025. While George Kirby and Bryce Miller underperformed last season, I have faith in their talent and ability to bounce back this season. Miller performed exceptionally well in his 14.1 IP in the 2025 playoffs, and I believe he will carry over that success into 2026. Where this team lacks depth is beneath their top 5. Emerson Hancock is currently slated as Seattle’s 6th starter, and he was incredibly underwhelming in his 90+ IP last regular season. One or two injuries to the Mariners’ top 5 pitchers could hinder their ability to repeat as AL West champs.
4. Toronto Blue Jays
As much as it pains me to admit this, the Blue Jays are well-positioned in the pitching department for 2026. The reigning AL Champions replaced Chris Bassitt, Eric Lauer, and Max Scherzer with Dylan Cease, a (hopefully) fully healthy Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage in their projected starting five. Where Toronto really has an advantage over other ball clubs is its depth, as Jose Berrios, Eric Lauer, and Cody Ponce are still rostered and expected to give Toronto solid innings if injuries arise. I am not super bullish on this Toronto squad heading into 2026, but there is no denying that the Blue Jays have a dangerous rotation right now.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
It truly speaks volumes that a team could lose such an impactful player as Ranger Suarez in the offseason, make no flashy move to replace him, and still be so well positioned for next season. The Phillies are returning three starting pitchers that finished top ten in NL Cy Young voting the prior year: Christopher Sanchez (2nd in NL Cy Young, 15th in NL MVP), Jesús Luzardo (7th in NL Cy Young), and Zack Wheeler (9th in NL Cy Young). Additionally, Philadelphia is expecting a healthy Aaron Nola (who is only one year removed from an All-Star appearance in 2024), veteran Taijuan Walker, and Andrew Painter to round out their starting rotation. If the Phillies can weather the storm while Wheeler misses time with his shoulder injury, they will hold one of the more dangerous rotations in the MLB come playoff time.
2. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have the deepest starting rotation in the American League and even give our number one team a run for their money in terms of depth. The Red Sox have completely retooled their starting rotation from last season, building around the 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up: Garret Crochet. The Sox added Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez to a rotation that already included Crochet and Bryan Bello. Additionally, the Sox have Kutter Crawford, Patrick Sandoval, and Johan Oviedo available in case of injuries. Last year, arguably the biggest knock on the Sox was their lack of pitching depth behind Crochet, which the front office addressed and then some this offseason.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Like pretty much any MLB power ranking list, the reigning back-to-back World Series Champion Dodgers find themselves on top. The Dodgers have a surplus of riches in the starting pitching department. LA has five elite starters in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, and Shohei Ohtani, all expected to throw 100+ innings in 2026. This does not include 26-year-old Emmet Sheehan, who put up an impressive 2.82 ERA in 12 starts last season. There is not much to say about this Dodgers team except, of course, they are number one!
Thank you for reading, everyone! As always, make sure to subscribe and stay tuned for more content coming soon!
July: Fried-Cole-Rodon-Schlittler-Weathers