Top 5 Pitchers from the 2025 Season
1) Paul Skenes
Skenes posted a league-best 46 ERA-, supported by a league-best FIP- 58 as well. This, paired with 6.5 cumulative fWar on the season, puts him squarely in the best pitcher conversation for this season. While some of the underlying metrics, like xFIP, had him at a posted 74, which could be a slight, slight cause for concern, but let's be serious, Skene’s is probably gonna be on pace for a top 5 pitcher in baseball again next year. His 23.7% K/BB was the third-best across the league, and his 0.53 HR/9 was the lowest amongst all qualified pitchers.
2) Tarik Skubal
Skubal likely would have been an easy choice for top pitcher in baseball if there wasn’t a man named Paul Skenes. Skubal’s 54 ERA- was second in the league, and his 58 FIP- was tied for first with Skenes. His 27.8 K/BB% was a league-wide best, as well as his SIERA at 2.71. An easy choice for number 2. Skubal also posted a league-best 6.6 fWAR for all pitchers.
3) Christopher Sanchez
One of the sneakier seasons in a Phillies rotation that has a plethora of great pitchers. His 58 ERA- was also 3rd this season, and his 3.02 SIERA was also 3rd in the league this year. His FIP- at 61, also has him squarely in 3rd as well. His 6.4 fWAR also has him right there alongside the elite of the elite top-end starters.
4) Garrett Crochet
The league's leader in strikeouts at 255, Crochet dominated in his true breakout year, and he would have won the Cy Young a lot of other years if it weren’t for Skubal. Also, one fun stat to note is that he was 3rd in pitches thrown (at 3151) this year, citing his durability. His xFIP- was actually a league best 63, citing that he may have actually gotten unlucky on some outcomes; maybe being from Fenway has something to do with their short porch in left. Lastly, his 5.8 fWAR was 4th-best in the league for pitchers.
5) Logan Webb
Lastly, Webb outmatched Yamamoto for my 5th-best pitcher this year. Webb’s 5.3 fWAR was the 5th best amongst pitchers, and that wasn’t my only determinant of value, but it did happen to work out this way. His ERA- was actually 16th best at 78, way higher than Yoshinobu’s 59 ERA-. However, almost all of the other underlying metrics favor Webb of Yamamoto. His FIP- was 4th best at 66; his FIP and xFIP were both 4th best in the league as well, at 2.60 and 2.78, respectively. Lastly, his SIERA at 3.14 was 5th best behind all of the guys in front of him on this list now.
