Fantasy baseball managers are gearing up for draft day and leagues everywhere are starting to take form. Managers will arrive at their draft location to meet a group of buddies with a wide range of Uber Eats selections. Alternatively, they might choose to compete independently through one of the many online platforms offering fantasy baseball leagues.
Regardless of how a fantasy league is configured, it helps to arrive on draft day with a wish list and a plan. One general rule that fantasy baseball managers normally implement is to refrain from selecting a pitcher in the first round. The only exception to this, of course, would be Shohei Ohtani.
Aside from everyone’s Average Draft Position (ADP) number one being assigned to Ohtani, here is a list of starting pitchers ranked one through 12. There is certain to be a debate or just plain outrage over some omissions. However, fantasy baseball managers will project to do very well if any of these pitchers were to take the ball every fifth day. Here we go…
Sophomore seasons have, more often than not, been among the best statistically for the game’s greats. Paul Skenes wants to print his stamp as the very best of that group. Dwight Gooden’s second season comes to mind as a comparable projection. It could be a historic season for the 22 year-old phenom.
Skubal presents another difficult decision for fantasy baseball managers. With an ADP of three in virtually all 2025 fantasy baseball mock drafts, he is sure to go immediately after Skenes. In a typical 12-team league, the common sense approach is to commit to taking a star hitter and offensive leader in round one. Assuming everyone in fantasy leagues is using this approach, then go ahead and take Skubal in round two if he is available.
Wheeler appears stronger and more durable than ever before in his career. The Phillies are bound to be in contention and provide their ace pitcher with tight defense and steady run support. Zack Wheeler hits the mark in every statistical category. Fantasy baseball managers should be thrilled to have him take the ball every fifth day.
Burnes has again moved from one playoff contender to another. Corbin Burnes has an ADP of around six for all pitchers, including closers. He is about as sure of a bet for consistency and elite numbers as any of the top pitchers in the game. The new ace of a revamped Diamondbacks team that is looking to put serious pressure on the Dodgers.
Cole was sidelined for half of the 2024 season. He returned in typical Gerrit Cole form and fulfilled the needs of fantasy baseball managers to close out the season. There doesn’t appear to be any reason for concern this time around. This means that the Yankees ace will most definitely be among the Cy Young frontrunners when 2025 is all said and done.
When healthy, there aren’t many pitchers more electrifying than the flame-throwing McClanahan. Many are writing Tampa Bay off in 2025, but with health on their side, they can be a juggernaut of a team in the AL East. Look for McClanahan to compete for the American League strikeouts crown, along with Cole and Crochet.
At the age of 29, Michael King’s ceiling seems to continue rising. With an ERA of under three and over 200k, it seems impossible that King would still fly under the fantasy baseball radar. With an ADP of 15-18 on most draft boards, he would be a round 3 or 4 steal.
At 35, Sonny Gray remains an automatic wishlist draftee for fantasy baseball managers. His ADP has dropped slightly from year to year. That might be due to where he has been playing. The Cards have underperformed for some time now, but not Gray. Sonny Gray is one of the best pitchers in the game, and he will not disappoint fantasy baseball managers.
Cease has recovered from the NLDS heartbreak and shellacking at the hands of the Dodgers. Managers can pick which Padres ace they prefer. Cease will once again be at the top of every statistical metric upon the season’s end. His team is in a bit of a precarious position, having lost a couple of impact players. If the Padres can’t keep up with the firepower that is sure to be exhibited by the other teams in the NL West, then Cease could be packaged off to another contender.
The Giants have had a successful offseason and are once again playoff contenders. Logan Webb will benefit most from their transition out of mediocrity. 200 innings is all but certain, and managers would have to believe that at the age of 28, Webb would stand to gain by having Justin Verlander competing alongside him.
The Mets are quite simply stacked, and with every great team, there is an ace pitcher steering the ship. Manaea will be returning to fill that role for the foreseeable future. His ADP is further down the list than the others. It would seem difficult to think that anything short of a career year lies ahead for the left-hander.
The Red Sox now have a starting rotation, one through four, that is one of the strongest in baseball. Their depth actually offers the potential for a six-man rotation at times if Alex Cora wishes to implement a system of load management for pitchers Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Lucas Giolito. This will allow for Crochet to come out hot and rested for each and every outing. Fantasy managers might want to consider load management and reduced innings when compiling their draft board.
The game has seen an abundance of elite starting pitchers in recent years. There are definitely some glaring omissions from this list that might leave fantasy managers scratching their heads. For example, the entire Seattle Mariners starting rotation, led by Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, are absolutely sound picks and should be among the top of your starting pitchers’ wish list. There is also reigning NL Cy Young winner and Comeback Player of the Year, Chris Sale of the Braves. To each their own, and there will be practical as well as sentimental reasons for taking one ace pitcher over another. Here’s hoping for a healthy and prosperous fantasy baseball season for our starting pitchers in 2025!
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