Yoshinobu Yamamoto is part of a top-ranked Dodgers rotation entering October. Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesKiley McDanielSep 21, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency. Has worked for three MLB teams. Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’ Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsWe’re just about a week away from the start of the 2026 MLB playoffs, meaning this year’s top contenders are lining up their rotations with hopes of making a deep October run.With that in mind, let’s rank the starting pitching options for the teams currently in the postseason field (or deep in the mix) with an eye for how they will be used.These rankings are weighted based on how often a team is likely to use its pitchers in a seven-game series. The No. 1 and No. 2 starters have much more impact than the others because the playoffs are often about riding your best pitchers and then figuring out the rest as you go.
There are a couple of pitchers listed as candidates who, due to the nature of the playoffs, probably won’t start but could because of an injury or in a spot-start or bullpen-game situation where an unlikely arm offers a better matchup.I ranked 15 teams with at least a chance of playing in October, so three of the teams listed below won’t end up qualifying for the postseason.1. Los Angeles DodgersThe candidates: Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Justin Wrobleski, Kris BubicYep, the Dodgers are still tops in this category — even with the currently injured Shohei Ohtani likely not pitching again this season — and by a pretty good margin. They could start four arms over a seven-game series that are all better than any one arm on five or six of the teams listed below.Skubal picked up right where he left off following elbow surgery earlier this year; he posted the third-best FIP among starters this season. Yamamoto is essentially in a dead heat with Skubal, with the latter ranking seventh and the former eighth in pitcher WAR.
Snell made only one start before August due to shoulder fatigue and is currently battling a groin issue. He has been fantastic in eight starts in 2026 and was similarly excellent last year over 11 regular-season starts; I’m rounding up due to his pedigree and playoff performances. Glasnow also hasn’t been the most durable arm over the past two years, making 30 starts total, but he has been dealing for the past month or so.2. Milwaukee BrewersThe candidates: Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Dustin May, Kyle Harrison, Robert GasserMisiorowski, the heavy favorite to win the National League Cy Young Award, has pretty clearly been the best pitcher in baseball this year — and without a doubt the most dynamic to watch, too.
Henderson is a strong second option who has been very good in the second half despite a below-average breaking ball: His fastball shape and changeup are excellent. After making some tweaks in the offseason, Harrison was outstanding in the first half, but his walks and homers spiked in the second half. Gasser is an innings-eater type, while May is a bit more dynamic stuff wise and has been more durable the past two seasons.3. Philadelphia PhilliesThe candidates: Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Andrew PainterThe Phillies are perennially high in these rankings as they prioritize having impact starters and power bats in their team-building philosophy.
Luzardo has narrowly been the best of this group, in my opinion, but Sanchez has thrown 15 more innings and has a slightly higher WAR. Wheeler didn’t make his first start of the season until late April following 2025 thoracic outlet surgery but has been right with those two in terms of ace-level, per-inning performance over 20-plus starts; all three are in the top 13 in baseball in xFIP (a better predictor of ERA than ERA itself) among starters. Nola is a solid innings eater type with a strong strikeout rate, and although Painter likely won’t crack that top four for the playoffs, he has been much better in the second half.4. New York YankeesThe candidates: Cam Schlittler, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, Luis GilSchlittler is second in pitcher WAR this season and the odds-on favorite to win the American League Cy Young; he’s the type of pitcher the Yankees can rely on for a potential deep run.
Cole obviously used to be that kind of arm, but at age 36, he doesn’t have the same extra gear he did when the Yankees signed him after the 2019 season. He’s still very good, but he’s not among the handful of best arms in baseball. Fried’s past two seasons at ages 31 and 32 have been among his best; I’d slot him second after Schlittler. Rodon missed some time in the middle of the season with elbow inflammation but is my pick for the fourth starter spot despite his mixed playoff track record.5.
Boston Red SoxThe candidates: Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett, Patrick Sandoval, Brayan Bello, Garrett CrochetThe Red Sox headline this second tier with four strong options, but no true ace-level pitchers at the moment, though some of their starters have shown flashes.Tolle has performed the best of the group, and I’d start him first, but he’s still a rookie, so opinions will differ. Gray is proven and has above-average stuff and command now, but not quite as much strikeout upside as earlier in his career. Suarez has been stellar in 11 playoff appearances (1.48 ERA, better peripherals than the regular season), but his raw stuff and velocity are just OK. Bennett has taken a step forward this year to be an effective innings-eater pitcher with above-average command who is a strong fourth option.6.
Toronto Blue JaysThe candidates: Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Max Scherzer, Jose Soriano, Shane Bieber, Spencer Arrighetti, Michael LorenzenCease has been the rare nine-figure free agent pitcher who has been an immediate hit; his consistent strikeout rate and 32-plus-start streak were clues that he would be. He’s fourth in ERA among starters this season. Yesavage has been out for about six weeks (knee), but his return is impending, and he should continue to be a mid-rotation option. Scherzer’s ERA is in the 6.00’s, but his peripherals have been solid, and he has a long postseason track record, though Soriano is probably more reliable at this point, buoyed by a strong ground ball rate.7.
Tampa Bay RaysThe candidates: Drew Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta, Ian Seymour, Griffin Jax, Nick MartinezThe Rays have a high floor, with five solid rotation options (six if you count the injured Shane McClanahan) headlined by Rasmussen, who has quietly grown into a frontline pitcher with above-average stuff and command. You could argue for several different orders for the two through five options, but I’ve listed them in the order I’d line them up.8. Cleveland GuardiansThe candidates: Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, Foster Griffin, Slade CecconiMessick (building on a strong big league debut late in 2025) and Williams (strikeout rate spike in 2026) have taken steps forward to become one of the better rotation duos in the majors. Bibee was in that tier in his first few seasons, but his velo and strikeout rate have slipped into more of an innings-eater role.
I would lean toward Cantillo over Griffin for the fourth spot, but they are of similar quality.9. Atlanta BravesThe candidates: Chris Sale, Tyler Mahle, Bryce Elder, Martin Perez, Grant Holmes, JR Ritchie, Owen MurphySale is third in starting pitcher ERA and is pretty clearly one of the best pitchers in the game, but his 6.35 career playoff ERA isn’t great, and his peripherals are in line with his regular-season performance. Mahle has been notably better with the Braves in eight starts since being traded from San Francisco, with his season-long WAR the second highest of his career. It’s a bit of a mixed bag behind those two because of injuries; Holmes, Perez an
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