Pitching remains to be one of the most important cornerstones of baseball. In the MLB sports,
pitchers are very important as they dictate how the game flows in baseball. However, as
important as they are, only a few stand out among their peers. The following players have
shown excellence in how they throw the ball and conduct themselves to be professionals.
Here are the top 5 best pitchers in the league right now.
Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers
Jacob deGrom is valued by his team even though he has suffered numerous injuries. Last
September, he returned with three starts after undergoing surgery in June 2023, his first
season with the Rangers.
deGrom has not thrown more than 100 innings in a season since 2019, but no starter has been more dominant whenever he’s on the mound. From 2020 to 2024, deGrom has thrown around
265 1/3 innings with a 2.10 ERA and 1.80 FIP. He also struck out a staggering 411 batters
compared to a measly 42 walks. deGrom is healthy this spring, and he’s gearing up for a
pivotal season. If good health awaits him, he might make a huge splash, especially in the 2025
MLB season.
Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
Of course, this wouldn’t be a list of the best pitchers in the MLB today if Zack Wheeler isn’t
here. Wheeler has been consistent over the years since he signed with the Phillies. After
dealing with multiple injuries and inconsistencies during his time with the Mets, Wheeler has
been a durable innings-eating ace for the Phillies.
In his five seasons with the team, he has tossed 829 1/3 innings just in the regular seasons and
has an ERA of 2.94. Also, Wheeler finished within the top 10 in the Cy Young Award in three of
the last four seasons. You can check his and other players’ statistics on a sportsbook’s Pitcher
Performance Props page of a sportsbook.
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
It’s quite surprising that he didn’t win his first Cy Young award until he was 35, but what’s
even more surprising is that he returned to that form after some time. After battling injuries
during his last four years in Boston, he was traded to Atlanta before the 2024 season and won
the Cy Young Award for the Braves.
Sale won the pitching Triple Crown with a 2.38 ERA and 18 wins. During his peak years from
2012 to 2018, Sale dominated with his mid-90s heater and did a changeup to generate a 32.1
percent strikeout rate, which is pretty nasty. It’s no wonder he’s one of the best pitchers in
the league today.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
It took quite a while for Paul Skenes to justify himself as the over-no. 1 pick during the 2023
draft. However, less than a year after being drafted, he showed his peers he was one of the
best and immediately established himself as one of MLB’s top pitchers. Skenes tossed 133
innings with an ERA of 1.96, the highest among pitchers with at least 100 innings. He struck
out a whopping 170 batters and 33.1 percent of opposing hitters while still showing off his
excellent control, which shows that he is an elite pitcher.
Of course, this resulted in Skenes winning the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finishing third
for the Cy Young Award just 498 days after he was drafted. Skenes is remarkable thanks to his
reliance on a 98.8 average four-seamer and his 94 mph trademark splinter, which he also
mixes with a curveball, changeup, sweeper, and slider. More of them are expected to come
during this spring; he was seen flashing a cutter.
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
And of course, here’s Tarik Skubal. According to his peers, it has been a meteoric rise for him,
who was voted to be the best pitcher in the MLB today. After undergoing flexor tendon
surgery in August of 2022, Skubal returned the following July and has been the league’s best
pitcher since. According to Detailed MLB Player Profiles, across 272 1/3 innings since July
2023, Skubal had an ERA of 2.51 and 330 strikeouts compared to a walk of only 49.
“He almost single-handedly won that [ALDS] series for them. He went out three times and did
his thing three times. There’s only one pitch he regrets, and everything else was
untouchable,” said an outfielder during an interview. Everyone would say the same with him
taking home the American League pitching Triple Crown.
Final Words
From seasoned veterans like deGrom to rising stars like Skenes and Skubal, these pitchers
show remarkable strength, endurance, and skill to rise to the top and earn the praise of their
peers. As we head into the 2025 season, don’t be surprised if these names pop up often in
conversations, as whenever they play, they give it their all despite the odds. The 2025 MLB
season will be even more exciting with these players.
