MLB’s Top 10 Pitchers at the 2025 All-Star Break

The MLB second half is about to be electric. Nearly the entire league finds itself in playoff contention. Twenty-one teams are within five games of a playoff spot. For the teams hoping to run deep into October, pitching will be the X-factor.

Heading into the second half of the season, let’s take a look at the top starting pitchers in the MLB thus far:

Make sure you can watch all the MLB action with DIRECTV! 

Top 10 MLB Starting Pitchers at the All-Star Break

1. Tarik Skubal – Detroit Tigers

Record: 10-3 | ERA: 2.23 | WAR: 4.7 (MLB leader)

Skubal holds onto the number one spot because that’s what happens when you’re the reigning Cy Young winner, an All-Star game starter and the presumptive American League Cy Young winner again.

At 10-3 with a 2.23 ERA, Skubal is among the league leaders in strikeouts, WHIP, and batting average against. He also leads the league in strikeout rate with 11.38 K/9 and 9.56 K-to-walk ratio.

The most dominant pitcher in the league stays dominant and his Detroit Tigers sit atop the league standings.

2. Paul Skenes – Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 4-8 | ERA: 2.01 (MLB leader) | WAR: 4.0

The record may not suggest it, but Skenes is a clear number two in his sophomore season. The hardest throwing pitcher in the league, his lopsided record has more to do with the lowly state of the Pittsburgh Pirates than his performance.

Fresh off his second consecutive start in the All-Star Game, Skenes leads the league in ERA and is top three in WHIP and batting average against.

3. Garrett Crochet – Boston Red Sox

Record: 10-4 | ERA: 2.23 | WAR: 4.3

Crochet has gotten lost in the shuffle of more high-profile Boston Red Sox transactions of late. But in his first year with the new squad, he’s off to a terrific start at the All-Star break.

He leads Major League Baseball in innings pitched and 160 strikeouts to go along with a stout 1.04 WHIP and .210 batting average against.

4. Zach Wheeler – Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 9-3 | ERA: 2.36 | WAR: 3.7

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ ace at 9-3 with a 2.36 ERA. He leads the National League in strikeouts and ranks second in the MLB in WHIP and first in batting average against. He is sure to be among the finalists for this year’s NL Cy Young.

5. Max Fried – New York Yankees

Record: 11-3 | ERA: 2.43 | WAR: 2.9

Fried is 11-3 with a 2.43 ERA in his first season with the New York Yankees after spending his first eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves. All he’s done is lead a pitching staff with the lowest batting average against in Major League Baseball.

6. Cristopher Sánchez – Philadelphia Phillies

Record: 8-2 | ERA: 2.50 | WAR: 3.2

Sánchez was snubbed for the All-Star Game. He will not be snubbed again. Top 10 in ERA, WAR and quality starts gets you on this list. He and Wheeler lead one of the National League’s best rotations for the first-place Philadelphia Phillies.

7. Jacob deGrom – Texas Rangers

Record: 9-2 | ERA: 2.32 | WAR: 2.7

It’s never a doubt that deGrom, if he plays, is going to be one of the most dominant starting pitchers in baseball.

Enjoying a healthy first half, deGrom is one of the best pitchers in baseball sitting at the top of the league in WHIP and batting average against. He leads a Texas Rangers rotation with the lowest ERA in baseball.

8. Matthew Boyd – Chicago Cubs

Record: 10-3 | ERA: 2.34 | WAR: 2.7

This is Boyd’s first season with the Chicago Cubs and so far, it’s a career year. A little over halfway through the regular season, Boyd already has career highs in wins. He’s already pitched more innings than he has in any season since 2019. The NL Central leaders hope he can maintain his pace in the second half.

9. Hunter Brown – Houston Astros

Record: 9-4 | ERA: 2.43 | WAR: 3.0

A promising young star in the American League is building off of last year’s breakout campaign. Brown made his first MLB All-Star Game this year and with a strong first half, he and Framber Valdez (more on him later) form a lockdown duo for the Houston Astros.

10. Logan Webb – San Francisco Giants

Record: 9-6 | ERA: 2.94 | WAR: 3.4

Webb continues to be a reliable anchor for a San Francisco Giants rotation that leads the National League in ERA.

Webb led National League starts in innings pitched (125.2) and the entire MLB in quality starts (15) in the first half. He also ranked in the top 10 for runs allowed per nine innings.

Honorable Mentions

Framber Valdez – Houston Astros

Record: 10-4 | ERA: 2.75 | WAR: 3.0

Valdez is a model of quality consistency. He’s pitched at least 175 innings in the last three seasons while being among the league leaders in all major pitching categories. So far this season, he leads all starters in complete games.

MacKenzie Gore – Washington Nationals

Record: 4-8 | ERA: 3.02 | WAR: 3.1

Gore has established himself as one of the premier young pitchers in the league. Don’t let the record fool you—he just plays for the Washington Nationals who are not one of those many teams contending for a playoff spot.

He’s top three in strikeouts per 9 innings at 11.24. With 12 quality starts in 19 appearances, Gore looks like the front end of a rotation for years to come.

Bryan Woo – Seattle Mariners

Record: 8-4 | ERA: 2.75 | WAR: 2.3

Woo has 14 quality starts in 18 appearances. The 25-year-old in his third season is off to his strongest campaign yet and has the Seattle Mariners in playoff contention. He has been a standout performer for one of the league’s best rotations.

Sonny Gray – St. Louis Cardinals

Record: 9-3 | ERA: 3.5 | WAR: 3.0

Gray has had a standout year for the Cardinals, punctuated by a complete game against the Cleveland Guardians where he allowed one hit, struck out 11, and didn’t walk anyone. Gray leads a surprising St. Louis Cardinals team just a game and a half out of the playoffs entering the second half.

Statistical Leaders by Category

ERA Leaders (Top 10)

1. Paul Skenes (PIT) – 2.01
2. Garrett Crochet (BOS) – 2.23
3. Tarik Skubal (DET) – 2.23
4. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – 2.32
5. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – 2.34
6. Zach Wheeler (PHI) – 2.36
7. Hunter Brown (HOU) – 2.43
8. Max Fried (NYY) – 2.43
9. Kris Bubic (KC) – 2.48
10. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – 2.50

Strikeout Leaders (Top 10)

1. Garrett Crochet (BOS) – 160
2. Zach Wheeler (PHI) – 154
3. Tarik Skubal (DET) – 153
4. Logan Webb (SF) – 139
5. MacKenzie Gore (WSH) – 138
6. Hunter Brown (HOU) – 137
7. Paul Skenes (PIT) – 131
8. Robbie Ray (SF) – 128
9. Framber Valdez (HOU) – 125
10. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – 122

WHIP Leaders (Top 10)

1. Tarik Skubal (DET) – 0.83
2. Zach Wheeler (PHI) – 0.86
3. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – 0.91
4. Joe Ryan (MIN) – 0.91
5. Paul Skenes (PIT) – 0.93
6. Bryan Woo (SEA) – 0.93
7. Hunter Brown (HOU) – 0.96
8. Max Fried (NYY) – 1.01
9. Nick Pivetta (SD) – 1.02
10. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – 1.03

Batting Average Against Leaders (Top 10)

1. Zach Wheeler (PHI) – .181
2. Paul Skenes (PIT) – .189
3. Hunter Brown (HOU) – .189
4. Tarik Skubal (DET) – .193
5. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – .194
6. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – .194
7. Joe Ryan (MIN) – .196
8. Robbie Ray (SF) – .198
9. Freddy Peralta (MIL) – .199
10. Bryan Woo (SEA) – .205

Wins Leaders (Top 10)

1. Max Fried (NYY) – 11-3
2. Freddy Peralta (MIL) – 11-4
3. Garrett Crochet (BOS) – 10-4
4. Tarik Skubal (DET) – 10-3
5. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – 10-3
6. Framber Valdez (HOU) – 10-4
7. Zach Wheeler (PHI) – 9-3
8. Hunter Brown (HOU) – 9-4
9. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – 9-2
10. Robbie Ray (SF) – 9-3

© 2025 Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.

DIRECTV Insider brings you our views on what’s happening in streaming, t.v., movies and sports. Companies and persons mentioned are not necessarily associated with and do not necessarily endorse DIRECTV. We will disclose sponsored content on our site when we show it to you, and some of the links on the site may be ads or affiliate links which means DIRECTV may earn compensation from your purchases.