Story by
Does MLB Network have Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal as 2026 No. 1 starting pitcher in baseball?
- Story by
- Does MLB Network have Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal as 2026 No. 1 starting pitcher in baseball?
Does MLB Network have Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal as 2026 No. 1 starting pitcher in baseball? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
On Wednesday night, MLB Network revealed "The Shredder's" top 10 starting pitchers in baseball. The Shredder focuses on statistics and data without any bias. It has a way of surprising fans, though. In fact, San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb , who is one of MLB's most underrated star pitchers, did not even make this year's top 10 pitchers. Unsurprisingly, Detroit Tigers and Pittsburgh Pirates aces Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes were ranked as the top starting pitchers in the game, but who landed at No. 1 overall?
Advertisement
Here are The Shredder's top 10 starting pitchers for the 2026 MLB season, via MLB Network:
-
Tarik Skubal , Detroit Tigers
-
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
-
Zach Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies
-
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies
-
Max Fried, New York Yankees
Skubal, 29, has won back-to-back American League Cy Young Awards. He's led the league in ERA, ERA-plus and FIP in each of the past two seasons. He has also recorded at least 228 strikeouts in each of the past two years.
Skenes is having quite the start to his big league career. The 23-year-old finished third in National League Cy Young Award voting as a rookie in 2024 and took home the award for the first time in 2025. Skenes has never recorded an ERA above 1.97 in his career, and he led the NL in ERA, ERA-plus and WHIP in 2025.
Skubal is The Shredder's top pitcher in MLB for good reason, but Skenes certainly is not far behind. While Skenes is hoping to lead Pittsburgh for years to come, Skubal is a trade candidate heading into 2026 . Whether he spends the '26 campaign in Detroit or elsewhere, Skubal is set to enter free agency next offseason and could receive the most lucrative contract for a pitcher in the history of the sport.
Advertisement
Related: MLB rumors: Mariners, Reds among potential Eugenio Suarez free agency suitors
Related: MLB rumors: Ken Rosenthal says the quiet part out loud about Luis Arraez's free agency
