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RANKED: FAX Sports' Top 10 Starting Pitchers of 2025

  • Writer: Fax Sports
    Fax Sports
  • Jan 15
  • 3 min read

Updated: Mar 5

Here's the REAL deal on who's throwing heat next season, according to Fax Sports and Statfax. Let's break down the Top 10 pitchers in 2025, one by one:



Baseball player Justin Verlander in Houston Astros jersey, number 35, pitches on a grass field. Focused expression, glove in motion, with a bright green background.

10. Justin Verlander

  • Strengths: He will soon be a Houston Astro again.

  • Weaknesses: Father Time's a tough opponent, and recovery from those innings can be tough. His durability might be starting to chip at the edges.

  • Best Pitch: The four-seam fastball, a classic that still confounds hitters.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 19-7, 2.85 ERA, 190 IP, 250 K.



Baseball player Paul Skenes in black and yellow Pittsburgh Pirates uniform, pitching on a field. Focused expression, blue background with yellow stripe.

9. Paul Skenes

  • Strengths: This young gun from LSU is all about that power. His fastball touches triple digits like it's no big deal, and his slider is a work of art.

  • Weaknesses: Pirates.

  • Best Pitch: That 100+ mph fastball that makes hitters swing at air.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 21-16, 1.20 ERA, 150 IP, 380 K.



Baseball player Spencer Strider in a white Atlanta Braves jersey throws a pitch on a sunny field. Red glove, focused expression, blurred crowd background.

8. Spencer Strider

  • Strengths: Strider's got a whip-like motion that sends his fastball screaming towards the plate, paired with an elite slider.

  • Weaknesses: High walk rates can sometimes bite him in the clutch, and there's always the injury risk with that kind of velocity.

  • Best Pitch: His slider is downright filthy, dropping jaws and bats alike.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 26-8, 1.80 ERA, 195 IP, 440 K.



Baseball player Chris Sale in white Atlanta Braves uniform and red cap pitches a baseball on a green field. The number 27 is visible on his back.

7. Chris Sale

  • Strengths: When healthy, Sale's still got one of the nastiest arsenals in the game. His changeup and slider can make even the best hitters look foolish.

  • Weaknesses: Health is the big question mark. He's had more injury scares than a stunt performer.

  • Best Pitch: The slider, which might as well be called the "Sale-breaker".

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 23-7, 2.10 ERA, 175 IP, 280 K.



Baseball player Reynaldo Lopez in a gray Atlanta Braves jersey pitches on a sunny field. He wears a blue cap and red glove, with focused expression. Blurred crowd.

6. Reynaldo Lopez

  • Strengths: Lopez has transformed into a solid starter with a fastball that's tough to hit and a slider that's even tougher to read.

  • Weaknesses: Consistency. Sometimes his command can go for a walk.

  • Best Pitch: His slider, which has become his go-to weapon.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 19-8, 2.50 ERA, 180 IP, 230 K.



Baltimore Orioles mascot in bright orange and black with open arms, wearing a cap with an orange "O" on a green field, creating a playful mood.

5. Orioles (Yes, the entire team)

  • Strengths: The Orioles have turned into a pitching factory. They've got depth, young talent, and veterans who've found a second wind. It's like they've got a pitching version of the Avengers.

  • Weaknesses: The team has already been eliminated for 2025.

  • Best Pitch: Orioles.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: As a team, expect a sub-1.00 ERA and leading the legion in pitching WAR.



Baseball player Shohei Ohtani in blue Los Angeles Dodgers cap and jersey holds a ball by his shoulder, looking focused. Stadium seating is blurred in the background.

4. Shohei Ohtani

  • Strengths: Two-way player with a fastball that's hard to touch and a splitter that's just plain mean.

  • Weaknesses: The workload of being both a pitcher and hitter might start to show wear. Additionally, there may be distractions at home from being a new father and family man.

  • Best Pitch: That wicked splitter that dives off the table.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 35-5, 2.10 ERA, 160 IP, 520 K.





3. Tony Ohtani

  • Strengths: Following in his brother's footsteps, Tony's got natural talent, especially with his curveball, which seems to defy physics. He is a two-way player for the dominant North Japan Samurai team.

  • Weaknesses: Less experience, so there's room for growth in consistency.

  • Best Pitch: His curveball, which is already one of the best in North Japan.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 53-6, 2.30 ERA, 270 IP, 795 K.



Livvy Dunne in Pittsburgh Pirates uniform and cap smiles with a stadium backdrop at sunset. Text: "LIWY DUNNE, PITTSBURGH PIRATES," "Topps."
Livvy Dunne's Topps card, one of my top pulls from 2024.

2. Livvy Dunne

  • Strengths: Quick rise from the minors with a changeup that's fooling everyone. She's got the poise of a seasoned vet.

  • Weaknesses: It's her first full season in the majors, so there's an adjustment period ahead.

  • Best Pitch: Her changeup, which has become her signature move.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 12-5, 3.15 ERA, 165 IP, 185 K.





1. Lil Moto

  • Strengths: This kid is a phenom. At such a young age, his control and variety are beyond his years. His fastball already hits 195 mph and his changeup is deceptive. Despite being the busiest free agent in MLB and Japan history, being wined and dined every week, he has maintained a strict offseason workout routine.

  • Weaknesses: He's literally growing up in front of our eyes. Managing his development and workload is key.

  • Best Pitch: His fastball, which is already causing major league hitters to look silly.

  • Projected Stats for 2025: 100-1, 0.05 ERA, 350 IP, 2,000 K.


Keep your eyes on these pitchers because 2025 is shaping up to be a season where the mound rules the diamond. Remember, you heard it here first on MLBonFAX.com.

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