2026 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings: Tarik Skubal Leads the Top 5 Aces

The debate at the top of 2026 fantasy baseball drafts begins on the mound, and for the second consecutive preseason the industry consensus is clear: Detroit left-hander Tarik Skubal is the first starting pitcher worth selecting. Over his last 77 regular-season starts Skubal has fashioned a 38-13 record, a 2.39 ERA, a 0.904 WHIP and 571 strikeouts, hardware that includes back-to-back Cy Young awards and the inside track on a third. His 2025 ledger—2.21 ERA, 0.891 WHIP, 228 strikeouts—was elite across every roto category, and a first-pitch strike rate of 71.3 percent underscores the command that separates him from the pack.

Yet the margin is shrinking. Four other arms enter 2026 with legitimate claims to ace status, each offering a slightly different path to profit.

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh’s 6-foot-6 right-hander, owns a career 1.96 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine through 55 starts, but wins have been elusive; the Pirates scored three runs or fewer in 18 of his 2025 outings. If the 23-year-old pushes his first-pitch strike rate from 60.8 percent toward 67 percent, 250-plus strikeouts—and perhaps 300—are within reach.

Garrett Crochet posted the No. 1 FPGscore (10.35) among all pitchers last summer, leading the American League in innings (205.1) and strikeouts (255) while tying for the league lead with 18 victories. A dominant second half—10-1, 2.90 ERA, 111 K in 90.1 IP—cemented his status as Boston’s workhorse, though a slight velocity dip and back-to-back innings spikes create mild durability questions.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s first Dodgers campaign was interrupted by a triceps strain, yet over his final 40 regular-season and postseason innings he recorded a 1.45 ERA, 0.777 WHIP and 33 strikeouts. A swing-and-miss split-finger (.128 BAA) and plus four-seamer should play up with a full season of hitter-friendly Chavez Ravine matchups, making 15-plus wins and a sub-3.00 ERA reasonable projections.

Cristopher Sánchez quietly joined the 200-inning club in 2025, setting career bests in opponent average (.227) and strikeout rate (9.4 per nine) while walking just 1.2 batters per nine over his final 13 turns. The 28-year-old lefty’s heavy ground-ball profile (58.3 percent) and devastating changeup (.168 BAA, 130 K) provide a sturdy floor for ratio hunters seeking volume.

Skubal’s blend of elite ratios, swing-and-miss stuff and a manageable innings load keeps him perched atop the board, but the quartet behind him offers paths to league-winning upside. Whether fantasy managers chase Skenes’ historic K-rate, Crochet’s win potential, Yamamoto’s Dodgers bump or Sánchez’s steady 200-frame floor, securing one of the top five arms lays the groundwork for a championship rotation.