The 2026 MLB season is almost here, with a full slate of Opening Day games on Thursday, March 26. This time of year, hope springs eternal for all 30 teams.
To have a successful season, MLB teams will need to rely on an elite pitching staff, with many featuring some of the top arms in the league.
Below, we’ll dive into the power rankings of the best pitchers in MLB heading for the 2026 season, with Paul Skenes up top. Let's jump into our pitcher rankings.
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10 Best Pitchers in MLB for 2026 Season: Rankings
Each pitcher on this list is accompanied by their payouts to win the Cy Young in the respective league on PrizePicks Team Picks — a real-money sports prediction market available in 35 states.
Additionally, you'll find each pitcher's 2026 fantasy baseball projections via PrizePicks MLB SZN fantasy baseball game.
Payouts via PrizePicks Team Picks to win the Cy Young are live as of publishing, subject to change.
1. Paul Skenes (SP, Pittsburgh Pirates)
Skenes Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 3.12x ($100 pays out $312) | No 1.29x
Skenes 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 2.83 ERA, 210.5 Ks, 12.5 Wins
Since entering the majors in 2024, Paul Skenes has been as electric a pitcher that the baseball world has seen in quite some time. In less than two full seasons, Skenes has compiled a 21-13 record to go along with a 1.96 ERA, a 0.948 WHIP, and 386 strikeouts in 320.2 career innings.
During the 2025 season, Skenes produced a swinging strike on 13.8% of his pitches, per Fangraphs. Skenes was also aided by the fact that his fastball velocity came in at 98.1 mph (95th percentile), according to Baseball Savant.
Simply put, Skenes has overpowering abilities and can be downright unhittable a large portion of the time.
Skenes has had a remarkable career up to this point, with two All-Star Game appearances, 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner, and NL Rookie of the Year (2024). With the Pirates fielding a solid lineup in 2026, Skenes could be even more dangerous than ever, which is saying something after winning the Cy Young Award last season.
2. Tarik Skubal (SP, Detroit Tigers)
Skubal Payout to Win 2026 AL Cy Young: Yes 3.70x ($100 pays out $370) | No 1.21x
Skubal 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 2.72 ERA, 226.5 Ks, 13.5 Wins
After a lackluster start to his career, Tarik Skubal has developed into one of the most dominant pitchers that the MLB has to offer.
The Tigers left-hander tallied an ERA of 5.63 and 4.34 in each of his first seasons, but has seen that statistic drastically drop in each ensuing campaign. I
n 2025, Skubal produced a 13-6 record, a 2.21 ERA, a 0.891 WHIP, and 241 strikeouts in 195.1 innings. His ERA and strikeouts were both career-highs.
According to Baseball Savant, Skubal recorded an xERA of 2.71 (ranking in the 95th percentile), while also getting batters to chase on 35.1% of his pitches (97th percentile). His commands also proved to be exceptional, as Skubal walked just 4.4% of the batters he faced.
It may be a matter of personal preference when it comes to Skenes or Skubal as baseball’s top pitcher. Still, Skubal is a sensational arm that relies heavily on his changeup and strikes out 32.2% of the hitters that he faces. It’s hard to imagine Skubal not having another strong season in 2026.
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3. Garrett Crochet (SP, Boston Red Sox)
Crochet Payout to Win 2026 AL Cy Young: Yes 4.54x ($100 pays out $454) | No 1.14x
Crochet 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 2.99 ERA, 222.5 Ks, 14.5 Wins
Garrett Crochet had a career year in 2025 with the Red Sox after the franchise acquired the veteran left-hander in an offseason trade with the White Sox. Crochet posted an 18-5 record in addition to a 2.59 ERA, a 1.028 WHIP, and 255 strikeouts in 205.1 innings during the 2025 season.
According to Fangraphs, Crochet registered a 48.3% ground ball percentage in 2025 and also tied a 2.88 xERA. The Red Sox ace forced batters to swing and miss on 13.7% of his pitches.
Crochet is one of the more dominant left-handers in the majors and proved that throughout the 2025 season. In fact, his 255 strikeouts led all of Major League Baseball and helped cement his AL Cy Young Award win.
Look for Crochet to continue his reign of terror as he enters the prime of his pitching career.
4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers)
Yamamoto Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 6.25x ($100 pays out $625) | No 1.08x
Yamamoto 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.32 ERA, 175.5 Ks, 12.5 Wins
After a solid rookie season in 2024, Dodgers SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto took his game to a completely different level throughout the 2025 campaign. Yamamoto had a strong regular season in which he tallied a 12-8 record to go along with a 2.49 ERA, a 0.990 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts in 173.2 innings.
Yamamoto was able to achieve legendary status during the 2025 World Series. He was named World Series MVP after recording three wins, a 1.02 ERA, and 15 strikeouts in three appearances — including closing out the series.
Yamamoto became the first pitcher to win three road games in a World Series. He was also the fourth pitcher in MLB history to win Games 6 and 7 and did so on zero rest.
The Dodgers’ star pitcher carried his team across the finish line to their second consecutive World Series. Yamamoto has certainly placed himself in the upper echelon of starting pitchers in the majors after the 2025 season that he turned in.
5. Cristopher Sanchez (SP, Philadelphia Phillies)
Sanchez Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 7.14x ($100 pays out $714) | No 1.08x
Sanchez 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.22 ERA, 180.5 Ks, 12.5 Wins
Following a rough start to his career, Cristopher Sanchez really came into his own with a breakout campaign in 2024. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Sanchez had a career year during the 2025 season to establish himself as one of the top starting pitchers in the majors.
In 2025, Sanchez led the Phillies in ERA (2.49) on a pitching staff that also included the likes of Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and Jesus Luzardo. Sanchez was recently rewarded with a six-year contract extension that guaranteed the star left-hander $107 million through 2032.
Sanchez is the perfect mix of a pitcher who can induce ground balls while also dominating the strike zone. According to Baseball Savant, the Phillies star posted a 58.5% ground ball percentage last season, along with 212 strikeouts, ranking seventh among MLB pitchers in 2025.
The Phillies have Wheeler dealing with a thoracic outlet syndrome and Nola coming off a lackluster season. As a result, Sanchez will be depended upon to be a big-time ace on Philadelphia’s pitching staff once again in 2026.
6. Logan Webb (SP, San Francisco Giants)
Webb Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 12.5x ($100 pays out $1,250) | No 1.04x
Webb 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.31 ERA, 186.5 Ks, 13.5 Wins
Logan Webb doesn’t have overpowering stuff, but his five-pitch repertoire helps to keep hitters off balance.
According to Baseball Savant, Webb throws a 92.6 mph fastball, ranking in just the 23rd percentile among MLB pitchers. Still, the Giants right-hander finished with 224 strikeouts and had the most strikeouts among NL pitchers in 2025.
Webb has posted a career ERA of 3.38 across his seven MLB seasons, and he’s been one of the top-tier pitchers that the MLB has to offer in recent seasons.
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7. Hunter Brown (SP, Houston Astros)
Brown Payout to Win 2026 AL Cy Young: Yes 11.11x ($100 pays out $1,111) | No 1.04x
Brown 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.46 ERA, 186.5 Ks, 3.5 10+ Ks Games
The Astros no longer have starting pitchers like Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander anchoring the top of their starting rotation. Now, Hunter Brown stands to step into the ace role as the 2026 season begins.
Brown had a career year in 2025, with a 12-9 record, a 2.43 ERA, a 1.025 WHIP, and 206 strikeouts in 185.1 innings. The right-hander possesses a five-pitch arsenal and tallied a 28.3% strikeout rate during the 2025 campaign.
Brown significantly limits hard contact, with a 21.8% hard-hit% in 2024 and 28.1% in 2025; that's helped to limit his home runs allowed to less than 1.0 per nine innings in each of the last two seasons.
Brown will get to show off his chops as the Astros ace in 2026. Based on the success he’s enjoyed the last two seasons, it’s likely that Brown will excel atop Houston’s rotation.
8. Shohei Ohtani (SP, Los Angeles Dodgers)
Ohtani Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 12.5x ($100 pays out $1,250) | No 1.01x
Ohtani 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.31 ERA, 186.5 Ks, 13.5 Wins
After not pitching in 2024, Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound in the second half of the 2025 campaign. It’s unclear if Ohtani is expected to still be somewhat limited to start the year, but still have a larger workload this year.
There’s no doubt that Ohtani is among baseball’s top arms when he’s out there.
In 14 starts in 2025, Ohtani posted a 1-1 record to go along with a 2.87 ERA, a 1.043 WHIP, and 62 strikeouts in 47.0 innings. Despite coming off of shoulder surgery, the Dodgers unicorn registered a 98.1 mph fastball velocity, which ranked in the 95th percentile among pitchers, per Baseball Savant.
If Ohtani can return to elite form on the mound with a larger workload, there’s no question that the Dodgers right-hander is among baseball’s top arms, with the ability to move up this list.
9. Bryan Woo (SP, Seattle Mariners)
Woo Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 10x ($100 pays out $1,000) | No 1.04x
Woo 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.38 ERA, 179.5 Ks
Bryan Woo really had a breakthrough season in 2025 and ended up finishing fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. As a result, Woo established himself as one of the sport’s best pitchers.
The Mariners right-hander tallied a 15-7 record, a 2.94 ERA, a 0.927 WHIP, and 198 strikeouts in 186.2 innings. Woo led Seattle in wins, ERA, and strikeouts, despite suffering a pectoral muscle injury late in the season.
Woo is heavily reliant on his two fastballs – a four-seam and a sinker – as he throws those two pitches 73% of the time. Still, Woo finished 13th in the majors in strikeouts, despite a middling average fastball velocity of 95.6 mph.
Even without a ton of speed on his fastball, Woo has greatly improved his slider over the last few seasons (40.7% K% in 2025) to set up his fastball (31.8% K%) and dominate opposing bats.
10. Max Fried (SP, New York Yankees)
Fried Payout to Win 2026 NL Cy Young: Yes 12.5x ($100 pays out $1,250) | No N/A
Fried 2026 MLB SZN Projections: 3.34 ERA, 161.5 Ks, 13.5 Wins
Max Fried has been a model of consistency before the Yankees signed him to a historic contract in free agency during the 2024 offseason. Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract, which was the fourth-largest contract handed out to a pitcher in MLB history.
Fried recorded career highs in wins (19), strikeouts (189), and innings pitched (195.1) in his first campaign in the Bronx. The left-hander ended up finishing fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2025.
Fried has a six-pitch arsenal and mixes those pitches up quite frequently to keep hitters off balance. He produced a ground ball percentage of 52.6%, landing in the 89th percentile among MLB pitchers.
Look for Fried to continue to lead the Yankees rotation for a team that is looking to win its second AL East division title in the last three seasons.
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Make 2026 MLB Predictions on PrizePicks
The 2026 MLB season is about to get underway, and these are the best pitchers who are expected to dominate throughout the campaign.
Ahead of the 2026 MLB season, check out PrizePicks MLBSZN board and PrizePicks Team Picks to make predictions on player and team season-long outcomes.
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