The 2025 fantasy baseball rankings for starting pitcher just took a major hit with the news that Gerrit Cole will miss significant time due to an elbow injury. The Yankees’ ace, a perennial Cy Young contender and a staple in fantasy rotations, is now off draft boards as he faces an uncertain recovery timeline.
To make matters worse for the Yankees, Luis Gil is also set to miss time with a lat injury, further weakening their rotation depth. With both Cole and Gil sidelined, the Yankees’ pitching staff suddenly looks far less imposing, and fantasy managers will need to look elsewhere for stability.
With Cole’s absence, the top tier of starting pitchers has shrunk by one, leaving a group of 13 elite arms at the forefront of fantasy drafts. If you were planning to build your rotation around Cole, it’s time to adjust your strategy and pivot to another ace.
The New Tier 1 of Starting Pitchers for 2025
Here at RotoProspects, we provide 2025 fantasy baseball rankings position-by-position rankings and projections, broken into tiers. Here’s a quick look at the first tier below. You can check out the entire list of the top 236 starting pitchers, with where they slot into eight tiers, by clicking here (subscription required).
Tarik Skubal (DET, 28 years old) – Emerging as the new SP1, Skubal projects for a 2.81 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 222 strikeouts over 192 innings. His elite control and strikeout ability make him the safest ace on the board.
Paul Skenes (PIT, 23) – The Rookie of the Year brings ace-level dominance with an 11.3 K/9 and a 2.67 ERA, making him a high-upside target early in drafts.
Zack Wheeler (PHI, 35) – The definition of a workhorse, Wheeler is projected for 199 innings, a 3.24 ERA, and 213 strikeouts, making him one of the most reliable aces in fantasy.
Logan Gilbert (SEA, 28) – A model of consistency, Gilbert offers 196 innings, 203 strikeouts, and a 1.04 WHIP, making him a great balance of volume and efficiency.
Chris Sale (ATL, 36) – If healthy, Sale still has ace-level stuff, with projections of 201 strikeouts, a 3.13 ERA, and a 1.09 WHIP over 167 innings.
Garrett Crochet (BOS, 26) – One of the biggest risers in fantasy, Crochet is projected for a 3.11 ERA, 202 strikeouts, and an 11.7 K/9, giving him breakout potential.
Jacob deGrom (TEX, 37) – The ultimate high-risk, high-reward option, deGrom is still elite per inning (3.03 ERA, 11.2 K/9) but has durability concerns.
Corbin Burnes (ARI, 30) – His strikeout rate has dipped slightly, but Burnes remains a top-tier starter with 187 innings, 186 Ks, and a 3.48 ERA.
Blake Snell (LAD, 32) – The NL Cy Young winner in 2023 still has dominant strikeout ability (11.6 K/9), but his 3.9 BB/9 makes him a volatile option.
Dylan Cease (SD, 29) – Another high-strikeout arm (218 Ks, 10.6 K/9), but like Snell, control issues can limit his ceiling.
George Kirby (SEA, 27) – The best control pitcher in this tier, Kirby’s 1.3 BB/9 and 6.5 K/BB ratio make him an analytics darling. His 3.39 ERA and 1.07 WHIP give him a high floor.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD, 26) – The highly touted Japanese ace is projected for 157 innings, 164 Ks, and a 3.42 ERA in his second MLB season.
Tyler Glasnow (LAD, 31) – Durability remains a concern, but Glasnow’s 11.0 K/9 and 3.18 ERA make him one of the best per-inning pitchers in baseball.
| No. | TIER 1 (Player, Team) | Age | W | ERA | IP | SO | WHIP | K/9 | BB/9 | K/BB |
| 1 | Tarik Skubal, Det | 28 | 15 | 2.81 | 192 | 222 | 1.01 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 5.2 |
| 2 | Paul Skenes, Pit | 23 | 14 | 2.67 | 173 | 217 | 1.05 | 11.3 | 2.5 | 4.5 |
| 3 | Zack Wheeler, Phi | 35 | 15 | 3.24 | 199 | 213 | 1.07 | 9.7 | 2.3 | 4.2 |
| 4 | Logan Gilbert, Sea | 28 | 13 | 3.28 | 196 | 203 | 1.04 | 9.4 | 1.9 | 4.9 |
| 5 | Chris Sale, Atl | 36 | 14 | 3.13 | 167 | 201 | 1.09 | 10.8 | 2.4 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Garrett Crochet, Bos | 26 | 13 | 3.11 | 156 | 202 | 1.10 | 11.7 | 2.6 | 4.5 |
| 7 | Jacob deGrom, Tex | 37 | 10 | 3.03 | 132 | 160 | 1.00 | 11.2 | 2.1 | 5.5 |
| 8 | Corbin Burnes, Ari | 30 | 13 | 3.48 | 187 | 186 | 1.17 | 8.9 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| 9 | Blake Snell, LAD | 32 | 12 | 3.30 | 159 | 204 | 1.18 | 11.6 | 3.9 | 3.0 |
| 10 | Dylan Cease, SD | 29 | 13 | 3.41 | 185 | 218 | 1.16 | 10.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
| 11 | George Kirby, Sea | 27 | 13 | 3.39 | 161 | 153 | 1.07 | 8.6 | 1.3 | 6.5 |
| 12 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD | 26 | 12 | 3.42 | 157 | 164 | 1.12 | 9.3 | 2.4 | 3.8 |
| 13 | Tyler Glasnow, LAD | 31 | 10 | 3.18 | 138 | 168 | 1.07 | 11.0 | 2.7 | 4.1 |
How Fantasy Managers Should Adjust
With two key Yankees starters (Cole and Gil) sidelined, fantasy managers must rethink their draft strategies:
- Elite pitching is at even more of a premium. With Cole removed from Tier 1, grabbing a top-tier arm early in drafts becomes even more critical.
- Skubal, Skenes, Wheeler and Gilbert should be prioritized as elite SP1s. These three have the best combination of workload, strikeouts, and ratios.
- High-risk, high-reward arms (deGrom, Snell, Glasnow) now carry even more importance. If you miss out on a surefire ace, you might need to take a chance on these injury-prone but elite talents.
- The Yankees’ rotation is now full of question marks. With Cole and Gil both injured, the Yankees will likely open the season with a rotation led by Max Fried, followed by Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren.