Sports

7.8k voters

The Best Current MLB Pitchers

Updated April 24, 2020 73.2k votes 7.8k voters 107.2k views116 items

List RulesOnly active pitchers. No minor leaguers or recently retired players

Who are the best current MLB pitchers? Who's the most dominant pitcher of the entire season? That remains to be seen, but for now, these pitchers are among the best. They are also among the best current baseball players. Vote for the current MLB pitchers you believe are the best, vote down any who aren't performing well and feel free to add new potential breakout stars, too. You can also re-rank this list in any order you choose.

Any list of the best current MLB pitchers should include one of the highest paid pitchers in the MLB, Justin Verlander. Other great starters on the list include Clayton Kershaw (one of the best left-handed pitchers), Zack Greinke, and the Phillies' Jake Arrietta. But this list is not limited to the best starting pitchers. Closers like Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, and Trevor Rosenthal deserve as much credit to their teams’s success as anyone on the starting rotation.

That's what this list is about: The MLB pitchers that you think are worth the big bucks, because they are, quite simply, the best. Will any of the current good MLB pitchers on this list ultimately wind up on a list of the greatest baseball players of all time? For now, cast your votes for who you think are the best pitchers in baseball right now.

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1
1,903
903
Jacob Degrom
New York Mets
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: DeLeon Springs, Florida
Bats: Left
2
1,946
659
Justin Verlander
Houston Astros
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Manakin-Sabot, Virginia
Bats: Right
3
1,312
670
Gerrit Cole
New York Yankees
Position: Starting Pitcher
Birthplace: Newport Beach, California
Bats: Right
4
2,090
1,254
Max Scherzer
Washington Nationals
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Bats: Right-handed
More Max Scherzer
#15 of 62 The Most Likable Active MLB Players#19 of 273 The Top Current Baseball Players
5
2,366
1,893
Clayton Kershaw
Los Angeles Dodgers
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Bats: Left-handed
6
1,119
675
Stephen Strasburg
Washington Nationals
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: San Diego, California, United States of America
Bats: Right-handed
7
283
94
Blake Snell
Tampa Bay Rays
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: America
Bats: Left

8
1,081
633
Noah Syndergaard
New York Mets
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Mansfield, Texas
Bats: Right
9
263
113
Aaron Nola
Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Bats: Right
10
1,574
1,449
Chris Sale
Boston Red Sox
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: Lakeland, Florida
Bats: Left
More Chris Sale
#248 of 582 The Greatest Baseball Players Of All Time#22 of 146 The Best Boston Red Sox Of All Time
11
786
517
Aroldis Chapman
New York Yankees
Position: Pitcher
Birthplace: Holguín, Cuba
Bats: Left-handed
12
1,122
1,006
Corey Kluber
Texas Rangers
Position: Starting Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
Bats: Right
13
196
58
Josh Hader
Milwaukee Brewers
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Bats: Left
14
223
89
Trevor Bauer
Cincinnati Reds
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Bats: Right
15
1,076
1,150
Zack Greinke
Houston Astros
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida
Bats: Right-handed
16
347
279
Marcus Stroman
New York Mets
Position: Starting pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: Medford, New York, USA
Bats: right-handed
17
1,213
1,497
Madison Bumgarner
Arizona Diamondbacks
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: Hickory, North Carolina
Bats: Right-handed
18
497
469
Masahiro Tanaka
New York Yankees
Position: Starting Pitcher
Nationality: Japanese
Birthplace: Itami, Japan
Bats: Right-handed
19
462
217
Hyun-jin Ryu
Toronto Blue Jays
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: South Korea
Birthplace: Incheon, South Korea
Bats: Right-handed
20
683
800
Jon Lester
Chicago Cubs
Position: Pitcher
Birthplace: Tacoma, Washington
Bats: Left-handed
21
492
572
Craig Kimbrel
Chicago Cubs
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Huntsville, Alabama
Bats: Right
22
612
773
Dallas Keuchel
Chicago White Sox
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: American
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Bats: Left
23
915
1,283
Jake Arrieta
Philadelphia Phillies
Position: Pitcher
Birthplace: Farmington, Missouri, United States of America
Bats: Right-handed
More Jake Arrieta
#150 of 197 The Greatest Pitchers of All Time#21 of 34 The Most Overpaid Professional Athletes Right Now
24
424
560
Cole Hamels
Atlanta Braves
Position: Starting Pitcher
Birthplace: San Diego, California
Bats: Left-handed
25
87
69
Zach Britton
New York Yankees
Position: Pitcher
Nationality: United States of America
Birthplace: Panorama City, Los Angeles, California
Bats: Left

Jacob Degrom

Masahiro Tanaka

Hyun-jin Ryu