2024 Starter Rankings
Picking pitcher valedictorian for MLB second half
D.J. Short and Scott Pianowski debate which pitchers are in the best position to deliver value in the second half of the MLB season.
An All-Star break tradition, here are my mostly-for-fun 2024 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be 20-game eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with contract options for next year have an asterisk included with their team names.
Click to see other other preliminary 2024 rankings:
Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH
Starting pitcher rankings
2024 | Starting Pitchers | Team | 2023 | July |
1 | Braves | 9 | 2 | |
2 | Rays | 4 | 1 | |
3 | 1 | 3 | ||
4 | 11 | 5 | ||
5 | Brewers | 2 | 9 | |
6 | Twins | 22 | 4 | |
7 | Blue Jays | 14 | 6 | |
8 | Braves | 6 | 40 | |
9 | Mariners | 10 | 10 | |
10 | Mariners | 13 | 13 | |
11 | 23 | 14 | ||
12 | 16 | 15 | ||
13 | 24 | 11 | ||
14 | Mets* | 5 | 7 | |
15 | 26 | 8 | ||
16 | Brewers | 7 | 36 | |
17 | Padres | 27 | 16 | |
18 | Marlins | 8 | 23 | |
19 | Rays | 58 | 19 | |
20 | Marlins | 162 | 58 | |
21 | Mariners | 29 | 27 | |
22 | NR | NR | ||
23 | 12 | 31 | ||
24 | Mets | 15 | 12 | |
25 | Astros | 66 | 28 | |
26 | Twins | 31 | 26 | |
27 | 25 | 22 | ||
28 | Giants | 41 | 24 | |
29 | 19 | 18 | ||
30 | Guardians | 213 | 37 | |
31 | Rays | 28 | 17 | |
32 | Marlins | 36 | 35 | |
33 | Yankees | 30 | 30 | |
34 | Pirates | 72 | 29 | |
35 | Padres | 20 | 25 | |
36 | Reds | 33 | 91 | |
37 | Rays | 149 | 46 | |
38 | Rangers | 53 | 20 | |
39 | Dodgers | 124 | 53 | |
40 | Orioles | 85 | 90 | |
41 | Astros | 18 | 21 | |
42 | Blue Jays | 17 | 98 | |
43 | Guardians | NR | 41 | |
44 | Angels | 47 | 42 | |
45 | 39 | 38 | ||
46 | Tigers | 120 | 68 | |
47 | 38 | 99 | ||
48 | Reds | 48 | 101 | |
49 | 46 | 33 | ||
50 | 54 | 32 | ||
51 | Cubs | 110 | 44 | |
52 | Rays | NR | NR | |
53 | Blue Jays | 68 | 45 | |
54 | Mets | 82 | 60 | |
55 | Cubs* | 63 | 39 | |
56 | Paul Skenes | Pirates | NR | NR |
57 | Twins | 75 | 51 | |
58 | Brewers | 44 | 54 | |
59 | Yankees | 32 | 64 | |
60 | 34 | 43 | ||
61 | Mariners | NR | 55 | |
62 | Dodgers | 37 | 118 | |
63 | Mariners | NR | 78 | |
64 | 55 | 48 | ||
65 | Braves | 164 | 52 | |
66 | Giants* | 56 | 50 | |
67 | Guardians | 64 | NR | |
68 | Rangers | 60 | 49 | |
69 | Red Sox | 119 | 73 | |
70 | Andrew Abbott | Reds | NR | 66 |
71 | Guardians | 91 | 59 | |
72 | Guardians | 147 | 67 | |
73 | Nationals | 89 | 70 | |
74 | Dodgers | 50 | 47 | |
75 | Braves* | 52 | 56 | |
76 | Orioles | 98 | 57 | |
77 | Guardians | 21 | 34 | |
78 | Marlins | 142 | 65 | |
79 | 127 | 61 | ||
80 | Orioles | 152 | 151 | |
81 | Braves | NR | 87 | |
82 | Athletics | NR | 103 | |
83 | Dodgers | NR | 80 | |
84 | Tigers* | 93 | 104 | |
85 | White Sox* | 35 | 63 | |
86 | Blue Jays | 49 | 71 | |
87 | Angels | 61 | 76 | |
88 | Yankees | 76 | 82 | |
89 | Orioles | 115 | 72 | |
90 | Braves | 57 | 133 | |
91 | Rangers* | 69 | 79 | |
92 | Diamondbacks | 104 | 77 | |
93 | Padres* | 87 | 83 | |
94 | Red Sox | 67 | 69 | |
95 | Marlins | 219 | 160 | |
96 | Angels | 170 | 84 | |
97 | Phillies | 81 | 74 | |
98 | Phillies | 94 | 85 | |
99 | Astros | 51 | 92 | |
100 | Nationals | 117 | 97 | |
101 | Cubs | 123 | 62 | |
102 | Diamondbacks | 136 | 100 | |
103 | Marlins | 86 | 114 | |
104 | Giants | 168 | 125 | |
105 | NR | NR | ||
106 | Cubs | 65 | 108 | |
107 | Braves | 102 | 94 | |
108 | Blue Jays | 105 | 75 | |
109 | White Sox | 111 | 81 | |
110 | Twins | NR | NR | |
111 | Mets | 71 | 107 | |
112 | Astros | 84 | NR | |
113 | Matthew Liberatore | Cardinals | 153 | 111 |
114 | Giants* | 59 | 93 | |
115 | Brewers | 106 | NR | |
116 | Twins | 216 | NR | |
117 | Giants | 108 | 86 | |
118 | Phillies | 154 | 128 | |
119 | Astros | NR | 89 | |
120 | Yankees | 128 | 96 | |
121 | Marlins | NR | NR | |
122 | Mets | 202 | 106 | |
123 | Padres* | 121 | 88 | |
124 | Rangers | 184 | 117 | |
125 | 77 | 113 | ||
126 | Rangers | 3 | NR | |
127 | Marlins | 80 | 134 | |
128 | Cubs | 73 | 140 | |
129 | Guardians | 217 | NR | |
130 | Tigers | NR | NR | |
131 | Reds | 112 | 137 | |
132 | Yankees | NR | NR | |
133 | NR | NR | ||
134 | Red Sox | 116 | 135 | |
135 | Braves | 97 | 141 | |
136 | Pirates | NR | 148 | |
137 | 103 | 102 | ||
138 | Cardinals | NR | NR | |
139 | Cardinals | 74 | 150 | |
140 | Cubs* | 145 | 119 | |
141 | Orioles | 133 | 112 | |
142 | Tigers | NR | 116 | |
143 | Dodgers | 167 | NR | |
144 | Blue Jays | 194 | NR | |
145 | Athletics | 175 | 122 | |
146 | Cubs | NR | 154 | |
147 | Dodgers | 146 | NR | |
148 | Red Sox | 173 | 109 | |
149 | Royals | 62 | 145 | |
150 | 126 | 120 | ||
151 | 99 | 95 | ||
152 | Cardinals | 95 | 115 | |
153 | Orioles | 155 | NR | |
154 | Rays | 43 | 105 | |
155 | Jared Jones | Pirates | NR | NR |
156 | Giants* | 92 | 132 | |
157 | Giants | NR | NR | |
158 | Pirates | 101 | 146 | |
159 | Angels | 196 | NR | |
160 | Royals | NR | NR | |
161 | Orioles | NR | NR | |
162 | Pirates | 158 | 123 | |
163 | Phillies | NR | NR | |
164 | White Sox* | 96 | 130 | |
165 | Yankees | NR | NR | |
166 | Rays | 40 | NR | |
167 | Brewers | NR | NR | |
168 | Guardians | 132 | NR | |
169 | Red Sox | 156 | NR | |
170 | Giants | NR | NR | |
171 | Pirates | 185 | 143 | |
172 | Dodgers | 205 | NR | |
173 | Mets | 114 | NR | |
174 | NR | 153 | ||
175 | Padres | NR | NR | |
176 | Phillies | 215 | 131 | |
177 | Rays | NR | NR | |
178 | Royals | 157 | 136 | |
179 | Tigers | NR | NR | |
180 | 151 | 129 | ||
181 | Mariners | 45 | NR | |
182 | Athletics | 118 | NR | |
183 | Dodgers | NR | NR | |
184 | Royals | 176 | NR | |
185 | 191 | 149 | ||
186 | Angels | NR | 152 | |
187 | Brewers* | 172 | 121 | |
188 | Tigers | 160 | NR | |
189 | Cardinals | 148 | NR | |
190 | Yankees | NR | NR | |
191 | Cubs | NR | NR | |
192 | Patrick Monteverde | Marlins | NR | NR |
193 | Reds | NR | NR | |
194 | Diamondbacks | 141 | 155 | |
195 | Tigers | 130 | NR | |
196 | Padres | NR | NR | |
197 | Yankees | NR | NR | |
198 | Padres* | 107 | 79 RP | |
199 | Mets | NR | NR | |
200 | Yankees | 192 | 157 |
Of course, there’s a lot of stuff here I’ll wildly change my mind about prior to next season, but the top 40 here seems even more uncertain than usual. Even the top five could undergo some major changes. Shane McClanahan has the same ERA as last season, but his 26% K rate and 10% BB rate pale in comparison to his 30% K and 6% BB from last year. His groundball rate is down as well. Corbin Burnes clearly isn’t quite the same guy, either, but there’s a decent chance he’s looking at a change of scenery that might help his cause. I’d probably have lowered Shohei Ohtani some if I thought he were staying with the Angels, but odds are that he’ll be in a better situation for pitchers next year.
I’m putting Paul Skenes, the first pick in the 2023 draft, at No. 56 for now. If he looks good next spring and opens up in the Pirates rotation, he’ll probably crack the top 40. I worry about the injury risk for arms like his on the first year out of college, but it’s easy to imagine him excelling right away in the majors.
Dustin May , Triston McKenzie, Mason Miller, Kyle Wright and Lance McCullers Jr. are among the pitchers here who are getting dinged in the rankings because of questions about their arms. Some guys who didn’t make the cut because surgery should sideline them for much of the year include Luis Garcia , Tyler Mahle , Cade Cavalli , Matthew Boyd and German Marquez .
My high Cardinals starter is Matthew Liberatore at No. 113, so I’d say they have some work to do. The one guy I probably would have a little higher than that is Andre Pallante , but I decided against betting on a return to the rotation. If the Cardinals had it to do over again, though, I imagine they would have left him as a starter. He had a 3.98 ERA over 54 1/3 innings in 10 starts as a rookie last year. He hasn’t excelled as a middle man this year, posting a 4.60 ERA, but that’s partly because the Cardinals’ infield defense isn’t what it was. He possesses a ridiculous 74% groundball rate.
