Ranking Pitching Rotations for All 30 Teams to Start the 2026 MLB Season

The new MLB season is, finally, almost upon us. With the World Baseball Classic done and dusted, teams are finishing up their spring training slate Tuesday before Wednesday’s Opening Night matchup between the Yankees and Giants kicks off the 2026 regular season.

After a flurry of free agency signings and offseason trades, many teams have some new arms in their starting pitching rotations. As the regular season gets underway, let’s take a look at and rank the projected starting rotations for all 30 MLB teams. It’s important to note, these rankings will not include players who are starting the campaign on the injured list.

30. Colorado Rockies

1. Kyle Freeland
2. Michael Lorenzen
3. Jose Quintana
4. Ryan Feltner
5. Tomoyuki Sugano

The Rockies acquired Tomoyuki Sugano, Michael Lorenzen and Jose Quintana during the offseason, and they’ll bring back longtime starter Kyle Freeland, who will be on the mound for Opening Day, too. The group isn’t ultra talented, and they’ll be plagued by pitching in the hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Opening Day starter: Kyle Freeland

29. St. Louis Cardinals

1. Matthew Liberatore
2. Dustin May
3. Andre Pallante
4. Michael McGreevy
5. Kyle Leahy

As the Cardinals prepare for a rebuild, the team will have some new faces in the rotation this year, including former Dodgers and Red Sox starter Dustin May. Hunter Dobbins will start the season on the 15-day IL, but could be a rotation candidate when he returns.

Opening Day starter: Matthew Liberatore

28. Washington Nationals

1. Cade Cavalli
2. Miles Mikolas
3. Foster Griffin
4. Jake Irvin
5. Zack Littell

The Nationals moved on from former prized prospect MacKenzie Gore this offseason, which leaves them with a less than desirable group of starting pitchers heading into the 2026 campaign. To make matters worse, Trevor Williams and DJ Herz will both start the season on IL.

Opening Day starter: Cade Cavalli

27. Chicago White Sox

Shane Smith, White Sox — 2025 All-Star Shane Smith will be the White Sox’s Opening Day starter. | John Jones-Imagn Images

1. Shane Smith
2. Sean Burke
3. Anthony Kay
4. Davis Martin
5. Erick Fedde

There’s not a ton of talent in the White Sox’s rotation, but Shane Smith impressed as a rookie in 2025, making the All-Star team and pitching to a 3.86 ERA. Former Mets first-round pick Anthony Kay, who hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2023, will also feature in Chicago’s starting rotation.

Opening Day starter: Shane Smith

26. Athletics

1. Luis Severino
2. Jeffrey Springs
3. Aaron Civale
4. Jacob Lopez
5. Luis Morales

Luis Severino will once again headline the Athletics’ pitching rotation in 2026, fresh off an impressive showing at the World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic. At 23, Luis Morales returns for his second season after impressing in 2025.

Opening Day starter: Luis Severino

25. Cleveland Guardians

1. Gavin Williams
2. Tanner Bibee
3. Slade Cecconi
4. Parker Messick
5. Joey Cantillo

Four of the Guardians’ five 2025 starters will return this season, with the exception of Luis Ortiz who is facing a lengthy suspension over alleged gambling. Logan Allen was demoted to Triple A after spring training, opening up a rotation spot for Parker Messick.

Opening Day starter: Tanner Bibee

24. San Diego Padres

1. Nick Pivetta
2. Michael King
3. Randy Vásquez
4. Germán Marquez
5. Walker Buehler

The Padres were unable to re-sign Dylan Cease this offseason, but they managed to keep Michael King in town. The team also added veterans Germán Marquez and Walker Buehler in free agency to round out their rotation.

Opening Day starter: Nick Pivetta

23. Minnesota Twins

1. Joe Ryan
2. Bailey Ober
3. Simeon Woods-Richardson
4. Taj Bradley
5. Mick Abel

Behind Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, the Twins have one of the youngest pitching rotations in baseball, as none of their other three starters are over the age of 26. Mick Abel, who was acquired in the Jhoan Duran trade with the Phillies, figures to hold down a back-end rotation spot, along with Taj Bradley, who was acquired last year for Griffin Jax.

Opening Day starter: Joe Ryan

22. Los Angeles Angels

1. José Soriano
2. Yusei Kikuchi
3. Reid Detmers
4. Ryan Johnson
5. Jack Kochanowicz

The Angels acquired Grayson Rodriguez from the Orioles this offseason, adding a high-upside, young arm to the rotation. Unfortunately, he’ll start the campaign on the IL, with Ryan Johnson and Jack Kochanowicz set to fill out the back-end of the rotation. José Soriano will be on the mound for Opening Day.

Opening Day starter: José Soriano

21. Miami Marlins

1. Sandy Alcántara
2. Eury Pérez
3. Chris Paddack
4. Max Meyer
5. Braxton Garrett

The Marlins dealt Edward Cabrera to the Cubs this offseason as they continue to rebuild, but they’ll have plenty of young talent in their rotation in 2025. Eury Pérez, Max Meyer and Braxton Garrett are all under 29 years old, though Garrett is the only one to have started more than 30 games in a season.

Opening Day starter: Sandy Alcántara

20. Arizona Diamondbacks

1. Zac Gallen
2. Ryne Nelson
3. Eduardo Rodriguez
4. Brandon Pfaadt
5. Michael Soroka

The Diamondbacks managed to retain Zac Gallen this offseason, which will be critical for the success of the starting rotation. He’ll take the mound on Opening Day as Merrill Kelly deals with back tightness. The team also added former Braves All-Star Michael Soroka to the staff after he spent the ‘25 season with the Cubs and Nationals.

Opening Day starter: Zac Gallen

19. Milwaukee Brewers

1. Jacob Misiorowski
2. Brandon Woodruff
3. Chad Patrick
4. Kyle Harrison
5. Brandon Sproat

Quinn Priester is set to miss three to four weeks with an injury, so he’ll be out of the rotation for the start of the season. After moving on from Freddy Peralta during the offseason, it’ll be Brandon Woodruff spearheading the rotation alongside young phenom Jacob Misiorowski, who’s set to be Milwaukee's youngest Opening Day starting pitcher since Ben Sheets in 2002.

Opening Day starter: Jacob Misiorowski

18. Houston Astros

1. Hunter Brown
2. Cristian Javier
3. Tatsuya Imai
4. Mike Burrows
5. Lance McCullers Jr.
6. Ryan Weiss

The Astros are expected to roll with a six-man rotation in 2026, headlined by ’25 All-Star Hunter Brown. The team added Tatsuya Imai in free agency, welcoming the Japan-born 27-year-old to the organization. Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter, who combined to make 24 starts last year, will all start the season on IL.

Opening Day starter: Hunter Brown

17. New York Yankees

1. Max Fried
2. Cam Schlittler
3. Will Warren
4. Ryan Weathers

The Yankees will be using a four-man rotation to start the campaign, as Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are both on IL to start the season. Offseason acquisition Ryan Weathers will start the season in the rotation in their absences, though he had a disastrous spring. When Cole and Rodon return, the Yankees will undoubtedly have a top-10 rotation, but entering the season, their group lacks a bit of luster.

Opening Day starter: Max Fried

16. Atlanta Braves

Atlanta will be without nearly a full rotation’s worth of starters to open the season, with the likes of Spencer Strider, AJ Smith-Shawer, Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach all expected to be sidelined at least a month, with the latter three not expected back until summer. There's only so much Chris Sale can do in his third season with the Braves; the three arms behind him have seen high highs and low lows over the past several years.

1. Chris Sale
2. Reynaldo López
3. Grant Holmes
4. Bryce Elder
5. José Suarez

Opening Day starter: Chris Sale

15. San Francisco Giants

The Giants signed veteran starter Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle in free agency this offseason, rounding out the rotation behind returning members Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp.

Opening Day starter: Logan Webb

1. Logan Webb
2. Robbie Ray
3. Tyler Mahle
4. Adrian Houser
5. Landen Roupp

14. Baltimore Orioles

Despite some expectation that the O’s would use a six-man rotation in 2026, the team surprisingly optioned Drean Kremer, who led the team in innings pitched last season, to minor league camp. Baltimore acquired Shane Baz in a trade with the Rays after trading Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in a separate deal, and also signed former Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt.

1. Trevor Rogers
2. Kyle Bradish
3. Chris Bassitt
4. Shane Baz
5. Zach Eflin

Opening Day starter: Trevor Rogers

13. Tampa Bay Rays

1. Drew Rasmussen
2. Ryan Pepiot
3. Shane McClanhan
4. Nick Martinez
5. Steven Matz

Shane McClanahan is anticipated to rejoin the Rays’ rotation after missing the last two years with an injury. After trading Baz to Baltimore, the Rays acquired Nick Martinez and Steven Matz fill out their starting corps.

Opening Day starter: Drew Rasmussen

12. New York Mets

1. Freddy Peralta
2. Nolan McLean
3. David Peterson
4. Clay Holmes
5. Sean Manaea
6. Kodai Senga

The Mets are expected to use a six-man rotation to start the season after acquiring Freddy Peralta in a blockbuster deal with the Brewers. Team USA starter Nolan McLean will be on the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, too.

Opening Day starter: Freddy Peralta

11. Cincinnati Reds

1. Andrew Abbott
2. Nick Lodolo
3. Brady Singer
4. Rhett Lowder
5. Chase Burns
6. Brandon Williamson

The Reds will deploy a six-man rotation to start the 2026 season, with prized youngsters Chase Burns and Brandon Williamson both expected to make starts for the team. Hunter Greene will start the season on the IL, likely sidelined until July. This could easily be a top-10 unit when Greene is up and running again, though.

Opening Day starter: Andrew Abbott

10. Kansas City Royals

1. Cole Ragans
2. Michael Wacha
3. Kris Bubic
4. Seth Lugo
5. Noah Cameron

The Royals will run it back with what is effectively the same five-man rotation they used last year. Michael Lorenzen left to join the Rockies, but Cole Ragans will be back at full strength after an injury-riddled season in 2025.

Opening Day starter: Cole Ragans

9. Pittsburgh Pirates

1. Paul Skenes
2. Mitch Keller
3. Braxton Ashcraft
4. Bubba Chandler
5. José Urquidy

Jared Jones will start the year on the IL but could be back in late May. Pittsburgh traded Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox this offseason, but will have young starter Bubba Chandler in the rotation to help fill his absence. Reigning NL Cy Young Paul Skenes will headline the rotation, looking to add more hardware to his trophy case.

Opening Day starter: Paul Skenes

8. Chicago Cubs

1. Matthew Boyd
2. Cade Horton
3. Shota Imanaga
4. Edward Cabrera
5. Jameson Taillon

The Cubs have one of the deepest rotations in the league after acquiring Cabrera from the Nats. Justin Steele should join the mix in May or June as he works his way back from an elbow injury.

Opening Day starter: Matthew Boyd

7. Toronto Blue Jays

1. Kevin Gausman
2. Dylan Cease
3. Cody Ponce
4. Max Scherzer
5. Eric Lauer

The Blue Jays made a massive splash by signing Dylan Cease to the biggest pitching contract given out this offseason, and they’ll also welcome back Max Scherzer in 2026. Trey Yesavage will start the season on the IL after sustaining a right shoulder impingement, which opens up a back-end rotation spot for Eric Lauer.

Opening day starter: Kevin Gausman

6. Texas Rangers

1. Nathan Eovaldi
2. Jacob deGrom
3. MacKenzie Gore
4. Jack Leiter
5. Jacob Latz

After acquiring MacKenzie Gore in the offseason, the Rangers have one of the best starting pitching trios in all of MLB, with Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom set to spearhead the rotation. deGrom started 30 games last season, his most in a campaign since 2019. Jordan Montgomery will start the season on the 60-day IL.

Opening Day starter: Nathan Eovaldi

5. Los Angeles Dodgers

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
2. Tyler Glasnow
3. Shohei Ohtani
4. Emmet Sheehan
5. Roki Sasaki

The Dodgers will be without Blake Snell and Gavin Stone to start the season. Roki Sasaki struggled throughout spring training but he’ll be in the starting rotation to open the campaign. Shohei Ohtani will be in the starting rotation out of the gate after only returning to pitching duties last June.

Opening Day starter: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

4. Philadelphia Phillies

1. Cristopher Sánchez
2. Jesús Luzardo
3. Aaron Nola
4. Taijuan Walker
5. Andrew Painter

Zack Wheeler will start the season on IL, and it’s possible Philadelphia will turn to a six-man rotation when he returns to the mix. All-Star Cristopher Sánchez will headline the group after finishing as the runner-up for Cy Young last season.

Opening Day starter: Cristopher Sánchez

3. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox will have three new starters behind Garrett Crochet after acquiring Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Johan Oviedo during the offseason. Boston also has Kutter Crawford, who missed all of 2025, and Tanner Houck working their way back from injuries.

1. Garrett Crochet
2. Sonny Gray
3. Ranger Suárez
4. Brayan Bello
5. Johan Oviedo

Opening Day starter: Garrett Crochet

2. Detroit Tigers

The Tigers welcomed back Justin Verlander this offseason and also acquired two-time All-Star Framber Valdez in free agency, giving the Tigers a formidable one-two punch atop the rotation. Reese Olsen will miss the entire season while Jackson Jobe starts the season on the 60-day IL.

1. Tarik Skubal
2. Framber Valdez
3. Jack Flaherty
4. Justin Verlander
5. Casey Mize

Opening Day starter: Tarik Skubal

1. Seattle Mariners

Blessed with MLB’s deepest pitching rotation, the Mariners will bring back their complete core for 2026. Bryce Miller will likely start the season on the 15-day IL, but he could return in late March or early April.

1. Bryan Woo
2. Logan Gilbert
3. Luis Castillo
4. George Kirby
5. Emerson Hancock

Opening Day starter: Logan Gilbert