The Los Angeles Dodgers landed Tarik Skubal after more than a year of trade speculation, and now the rest of baseball’s got a problem. The league’s best team just added one of its elite arms.
Here’s the thing that’s pretty wild: the Dodgers now have as many combined Cy Young and MVP awards on their roster (10) as the entire rest of the National League. But they’re not the only team with serious starting pitching depth.
Four other clubs rank among baseball’s top five starting rotations right now, and several strong staffs just missed making the cut.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
- Tarik Skubal
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto
- Shohei Ohtani
- Blake Snell
- Tyler Glasnow
When healthy, no team comes close to matching this lineup one through five. Any one of these guys would be the ace on most MLB rosters.
With Snell and Glasnow still on the IL, the rotation’s featured Emmet Sheehan and Roki Sasaki, plus the occasional bullpen game. That’s depth.
Before Skubal arrived, the Dodgers had the league’s fourth-best team ERA at 3.60, according to ESPN. Hitters are batting just .216 against Los Angeles – the MLB’s lowest mark – while allowing only 414 total runs (second-best).
Anything less than a third straight World Series title would be a massive disappointment for this group.
2. New York Yankees
- Max Fried
- Cam Schlittler
- Gerrit Cole
- Carlos Rodon
- Will Warren
While Aaron Judge gets most of the headlines, the Yankees’ pitching staff might be their real strength. They’re carrying the league’s lowest ERA at 3.30, plus the third-lowest opponent batting average of .225.
Gerrit Cole picked up right where he left off after Tommy John surgery. Over his last seven starts, the right-hander’s gone at least five innings while striking out five or more each time.
In front of him, you’ve got Max Fried and young phenom Cam Schlittler. The Yankees are widely considered the AL’s top contender, even sitting 3.5 games behind in the AL East race.
3. Milwaukee Brewers
- Jacob Misiorowski
- Brandon Woodruff
- Kyle Harrison
- Logan Henderson
- Brandon Sproat
The Brewers always seem to come up short despite strong regular seasons, but they consistently put together quality starting rotations. This year, Jacob Misiorowski has emerged as one of baseball’s top arms.
The 24-year-old leads MLB with 190 strikeouts through 21 games (nine per start) while throwing some of the fastest pitches in the modern era.
Brandon Woodruff suffered another injury setback with season-ending shoulder surgery. Kyle Harrison should return soon after a stint on the IL with left forearm tightness.
Logan Henderson and Brandon Sproat – acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade with the Mets – round out a rotation that should propel Milwaukee to another deep postseason run.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
- Drew Rasmussen
- Shane McClanahan
- Freddy Peralta
- Nick Martinez
- Griffin Jax
The Rays have been without Ryan Pepiot all season, and Shane McClanahan picked up another injury after missing the entire 2024 and 2025 campaigns with Tommy John surgery and elbow procedures.
Still, Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez held things together before the team added Freddy Peralta in that trade with the Mets.
Griffin Jax was a bright spot for Team USA at this year’s World Baseball Classic, though the 31-year-old struggled early as a bullpen option. Since moving into the rotation, he’s found his groove. Over his last four starts, Jax has gone more than five innings while recording six-plus strikeouts.
Tampa Bay ranks sixth in ERA across the majors (3.68) with the fourth-lowest opponent batting average (.228).
5. Boston Red Sox
- Garrett Crochet
- Sonny Gray
- Ranger Suarez
- Payton Tolle
- Jake Bennett
The Red Sox round out baseball’s top pitching staffs, even with Garrett Crochet on the IL since April 29 with left shoulder inflammation. No throwing timeline yet.
Boston’s managed the third-lowest team ERA in MLB (3.53) while allowing a league-low 410 runs.
Sonny Gray has been outstanding this season. The veteran’s rekindled his early-career form with a 13-2 record as of August 2nd, trailing only Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez.
Behind Gray sits offseason addition Ranger Suarez, who’s had an up-and-down 2026 (4-3, 3.15 ERA, 105 K’s). The young duo of Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.30 ERA, 110 K’s) and Jake Bennett (6-4, 2.74 ERA, 46 K’s) complete a rotation that’s deeper than expected.
