Having a star hurler in fantasy can often make or break your championship aspirations. And since fantasy is essentially a game of volume, receiving elite production from players who only feature once every five games is absolutely critical. Assembling a good rotation is critical for your chances of success in fantasy, regardless of the format of your league.
There will always be pitchers who will stand out, and others who will be massive disappointments. Injuries will also play a role. But if you’re looking to find out who the best pitchers are ahead of the 2026 fantasy baseball season, these are the top 20 starting pitchers in fantasy ahead of the 2026 MLB campaign.
Top 20 Starting Pitcher Rankings for 2026 Fantasy Baseball
1) Tarik Skubal | Detroit Tigers
2) Paul Skenes | Pittsburgh Pirates
3) Garrett Crochet | Boston Red Sox
We’re stopping at Crochet, but in reality, we’ll touch base on the elite trio of Skubal, Skenes, and Crochet. They’re the three best starters in MLB in terms of fantasy, and it’s not even close, as all three are worthy of being picked in the first round regardless of the format you’re playing. The accolades are there for anyone to see.
Skubal has won the AL Cy Young in each of the last two seasons, Skenes won the NL Cy Young unanimously, and Crochet led the majors in strikeouts in 2025 (255 in 205.1 innings) while posting an elite K/9 (11.2). If you have the chance to draft any of these three players, you’ll have an excellent hurler to open your draft.
4) Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Los Angeles Dodgers
5) Cristopher Sanchez | Philadelphia Phillies
6) Hunter Brown | Houston Astros
7) Bryan Woo | Seattle Mariners
8) Logan Gilbert | Seattle Mariners
Yamamoto and Sanchez might not be first-round picks in most formats, but you couldn’t go wrong if either is the first pitcher for your roster. The same can be said about Brown, who had a 2.43 ERA in 2025, but it’s worth mentioning that Woo and Gilbert, two pitchers who play for the Mariners, are in the top 10. Both are quality hurlers, with Woo posting a 2.94 ERA last season and Gilbert delivering a 3.44 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP.
However, the real appeal for both players lies in the fact that they will pitch their home games at T-Mobile Park, one of the least favorable hitter environments in the majors. That gives them a boost compared to pitchers who don’t happen to have the same advantage.
9) Chris Sale | Atlanta Braves
10) Logan Webb | San Francisco Giants
11) Max Fried | New York Yankees
Fried will open the 2026 season as the ace of the Yankees’ staff, and he’s going to hold down that role until Gerrit Cole is eligible to return to the mound at some point between May and June. Fried has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the majors, posting an ERA below 2.90 in four of the last six seasons.
His first year in the Bronx was a success, as he went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP across 32 starts and 195.1 innings. That’s excellent value for a pitcher who is expected to come off the board around the fourth or fifth round.
12) Jacob deGrom | Texas Rangers
13) Freddy Peralta | New York Mets
14) Cole Ragans | Kansas City Royals
15) Dylan Cease | Toronto Blue Jays
Cease is perhaps one of the most intriguing pitchers to analyze ahead of the 2026 fantasy baseball season. The stuff has always been there, and he has recorded 200-plus strikeouts in five seasons in a row, but the other peripherals have been volatile. The ERA is perhaps the best example of that, as over the last five seasons, that figure has been 3.91, 2.20, 4.58, 3.47, and 4.55, respectively.
Cease will have to adjust to pitching in a new venue, as Rogers Centre is a more favorable hitting environment than Petco Park. But as long as he can stay healthy and deliver close to 200 strikeouts once again, Cease will be just fine in most fantasy formats. With an 11.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and an average velocity of 97 mph in 2025, there are enough reasons to trust Cease in fantasy in 2026 once again.
16) Jesus Luzardo | Philadelphia Phillies
17) Framber Valdez | Detroit Tigers
18) George Kirby | Seattle Mariners
19) Joe Ryan | Minnesota Twins
20) Nick Pivetta | San Diego Padres
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