Ranking Every MLB Playoff Contender's Projected 2026 Postseason Rotation
Pitching wins championships.
While that old adage still holds true, it has taken on a slightly different meaning in today's game, as teams need to successfully utilize their entire pitching staff to make a deep playoff run, rather than simply leaning on two or three starting pitchers to shoulder the load.
Still, a strong performance from the starting staff can give a team a major leg up. The Los Angeles Dodgers were the perfect example of that last October.
Ahead, we've ranked the projected playoff rotations of every postseason contender, focusing on the 13 teams still in the playoff race as the regular season winds down.
Which team's rotation is in the best position heading into the playoffs?
13. Houston Astros
1 of 13
RHP Hunter Brown (6-3, 3.26 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 120 K, 102.0 IP)
RHP Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.50 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 41 K, 54.0 IP)
RHP Peter Lambert (8-10, 3.87 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 153 K, 153.2 IP)
RHP Ethan Pecko (1-0, 4.31 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 21 K, 31.1 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Ronel Blanco, RHP Cristian Javier (out for ALWC)
The Astros have used 19 different starting pitchers this year while navigating a long list of injuries. The fact that reliever AJ Blubaugh ranks third on the team with 95.1 innings pitched speaks volumes.
Ace Hunter Brown was slowed by a shoulder strain in the first half of the season, but he has returned to form with a 3.11 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 66.2 innings since the All-Star break.
With Cristian Javier making an early exit from his start on Wednesday, the rotation behind Brown is entirely up in the air. Hayden Wesneski and Peter Lambert are both capable of tossing a quality start, but they are short on big-game experience and could also be susceptible to a quick hook, shifting the focus to a Houston bullpen that ranks 17th in the majors with a 4.09 ERA.
12. Chicago White Sox
2 of 13
RHP Sean Burke (10-7, 3.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 178 K, 167.0 IP)
RHP Davis Martin (9-7, 3.84 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 121 K, 145.1 IP)
RHP Erick Fedde (8-9, 3.83 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 99 K, 141.0 IP)
LHP Anthony Kay (9-9, 4.53 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 125 K, 153.0 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Luis Castillo, RHP David Sandlin
The White Sox rank 26th in starters' ERA (4.62) and 28th in quality starts (34), so the starting rotation is something they will need to figure out how to navigate in the postseason rather than a strength.
Sean Burke and Davis Martin have accounted for 21 of those 33 quality starts. They will be asked to chew up innings at the top of the rotation, while games outside of their starts will likely be an all-hands-on-deck situation.
Sean Newcomb (58 G, 6 GS, 3.17 ERA, 88.0 IP) and Grant Taylor (59 G, 4 GS, 2.30 ERA, 82.0 IP) are both capable of providing length out of the bullpen, while deadline pickup Luis Castillo has also been shifted to a relief role.
11. Chicago Cubs
3 of 13
LHP Shota Imanaga (11-10, 3.74 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 171 K, 173.1 IP)
RHP Kevin Gausman (4-2, 4.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 57 K, 50.1 IP)
LHP Matthew Boyd (10-5, 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 96 K, 126.2 IP)
LHP David Peterson (6-2, 3.94 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 68 K, 75.1 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Clay Holmes, RHP Javier Assad
The Cubs roll into October with arguably the best offense and best defense in baseball, but questions about their pitching staff hang over their postseason outlook.
Shota Imanaga has a 1.96 ERA and a 23-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 23 innings in September. That should put him in line to be the ace of the staff in October.
Veteran Kevin Gausman's significant playoff experience, including starting Game 2 and Game 6 of the World Series a year ago, should earn him a prominent role in the playoffs. At the back of the staff, Clay Holmes is the obvious candidate to shift to the bullpen given his past experience closing games.
10. Texas Rangers
4 of 13
RHP Jacob deGrom (11-10, 3.86 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 196 K, 158.2 IP)
LHP MacKenzie Gore (8-11, 4.59 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 174 K, 170.2 IP)
RHP Kumar Rocker (6-11, 4.38 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 138 K, 148.0 IP)
RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-10, 4.27 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 141 K, 141.1 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Cody Bradford, RHP Cal Quantrill (out for ALWC)
What role will Nathan Eovaldi play in October? That's the big question for the Rangers, as he's worked exclusively in relief since returning from the injured list on Sept. 12 after missing a month with elbow inflammation.
Ideally, he would join Jacob deGrom and MacKenzie Gore to form a rock-solid 1-2-3 in the rotation, but he can also make a significant impact in a high-leverage, multi-inning role out of the bullpen, as he did once during the Red Sox's run to a World Series title.
Kumar Rocker and Cody Bradford are both candidates for bulk work behind an opener, or a piggyback outing together, so expect things to get creative once the Rangers are forced to look beyond their top arms.
9. San Diego Padres
5 of 13
RHP Michael King (12-10, 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 159 K, 185.0 IP)
RHP Nick Pivetta (3-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 42 K, 34.2 IP)
RHP Walker Buehler (9-6, 4.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 128 K, 150.0 IP)
LHP Robbie Ray (3-2, 5.02 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 33 K, 43.0 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Casey Mize, RHP Randy Vรกsquez
The Padres rank fourth in the majors and top among projected playoff teams with 666.0 innings of work from their bullpen. That relief corps, anchored by Mason Miller and Adrian Morejรณn, will be a major factor in October.
Michael King is the clear ace of the staff. Nick Pivetta has pitched well since returning on Sept. 7, with 11 hits and three earned runs allowed in 14 innings over three starts.
Behind them, Walker Buehler is the logical Game 3 candidate, given his postseason resume and 3.15 ERA over 45.2 innings in his last nine starts. Deadline pickups Robbie Ray and Casey Mize have struggled since coming to San Diego and could be X-factors if they advance beyond the Wild Card Round.
8. Cleveland Guardians
6 of 13
RHP Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.63 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 244 K, 181.0 IP)
LHP Parker Messick (12-9, 2.55 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 191 K, 183.1 IP)
RHP Tanner Bibee (6-15, 4.35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 142 K, 182.0 IP)
LHP Joey Cantillo (11-9, 3.62 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 171 K, 159.0 IP)
Other Candidates: LHP Foster Griffin
Gavin Williams leads the AL with 244 strikeouts and Parker Messick has a 2.27 ERA in 71.1 innings since the All-Star break, giving the Guardians a legitimate one-two punch to lead the way in the postseason.
Opening Day starter Tanner Bibee has struggled, posting an 8.24 ERA over 19.2 innings in September, but his track record still makes him the most likely candidate to start Game 3.
The question then becomes who gets the nod between Foster Griffin and Joey Cantillo. Griffin has a 5.19 ERA in nine starts since he was acquired at the trade deadline, while Cantillo has better surface-level results but has issued an AL-leading 81 walks in 159 innings.
7. Atlanta Braves
7 of 13
LHP Chris Sale (14-9, 2.16 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 200 K, 162.2 IP)
RHP Tyler Mahle (4-1, 1.99 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 48 K, 54.1 IP)
RHP Grant Holmes (10-5, 3.47 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 114 K, 147.2 IP)
RHP JR Ritchie (1-4, 4.79 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 66 K, 67.2 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Bryce Elder, RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, LHP Martรญn Pรฉrez (out for NLWC)
Starting pitching was expected to be a glaring issue for the Braves when Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and AJ Smith-Shawver all began the season on the injured list.
Instead, Chris Sale has put together a Cy Young-caliber season, while journeyman veterans Martรญn Pรฉrez and Grant Holmes have combined for a 3.26 ERA in 289.2 innings spanning 55 starts. However, Pรฉrez was just placed on the injured list with lower back inflammation, making a bullpen game the likely approach to fill the fourth starter role if they advance to the NLDS.
Deadline pickup Tyler Mahle has given them the No. 2 starter they still lacked, while a healthy Bryce Elder could be an X-factor if they advance deeper into October.
6. Milwaukee Brewers
8 of 13
RHP Jacob Misiorowski (15-5, 1.86 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 247 K, 169.1 IP)
RHP Logan Henderson (11-3, 2.47 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 110 K, 98.1 IP)
LHP Robert Gasser (5-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 94 K, 103.1 IP)
RHP Dustin May (2-2, 5.61 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 33 K, 33.2 IP)
Other Candidates: LHP Kyle Harrison, LHP Shane Drohan
Jacob Misiorowski pitched out of the bullpen for the Brewers last October, posting a 1.50 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 12 innings across three appearances. He is now poised to lead their staff this postseason.
Rookie Logan Henderson has not allowed more than three earned runs in any of his 18 starts this season. He is 8-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 70 innings since the All-Star break.
Left-hander Robert Gasser has a 1.71 ERA in 26.1 innings over his last five appearances. He will be a significant part of manager Pat Murphy's plan of mixing and matching innings behind Misiorowski and Henderson.
5. Boston Red Sox
9 of 13
RHP Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 149 K, 169.0 IP)
LHP Ranger Suarez (8-5, 3.22 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 140 K, 148.1 IP)
LHP Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 171 K, 148.2 IP)
RHP Brayan Bello (6-7, 4.49 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 90 K, 112.1 IP)
Other Candidates: LHP Jake Bennett, LHP Patrick Sandoval
Few offseason additions have made a bigger impact than Sonny Gray, who has 20 quality starts in 29 games this year and is on track for his fourth career top-10 finish in Cy Young voting for four different teams.
Rookie Payton Tolle has been the team's most consistent starter behind Gray this year and will factor into the playoff rotation, while high-priced offseason signing Ranger Suarez has a 1.09 ERA over 24.2 innings in September.
The X-factor could be Brayan Bello after he threw a gem (8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 11 K) on the road against the Rays on Sept. 19. He has a 2.28 ERA over 51.1 innings while working mostly out of the bullpen since returning from a minor league demotion before the All-Star break, but he is stretched back out to start.
4. Tampa Bay Rays
10 of 13
RHP Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 174 K, 172.0 IP)
RHP Nick Martinez (15-5, 2.94 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 108 K, 177.1 IP)
RHP Freddy Peralta (4-2, 3.60 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 39 K, 50.0 IP)
RHP Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 115 K, 109.1 IP)
Other Candidates: LHP Ian Seymour, LHP Shane McClanahan (out for ALDS)
Few organizations do a better job fully utilizing the entire pitching staff than the Rays, but this October they have three legitimate rotation anchors who can get them deep into games in Drew Rasmussen, Nick Martinez and deadline pickup Freddy Peralta.
That group gets even deeper if Shane McClanahan returns to action, though he has already been ruled out for the ALDS. Even if he's not able to return, reliever-turned-starter Griffin Jax has also been quietly excellent this season with a 3.23 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 100.1 innings over his 22 starts.
They could still opt to utilize an opener when it makes sense, or piggyback one of their starters with left-hander Ian Seymour if the situation arises. This isn't a staff that needs to lean on multiple bullpen games to get through a series.
3. Philadelphia Phillies
11 of 13
LHP Cristopher Sรกnchez (18-6, 2.93 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 221 K, 200.0 IP)
RHP Zack Wheeler (13-5, 3.06 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 188 K, 156.0 IP)
RHP Aaron Nola (7-11, 4.54 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 177 K, 174.1 IP)
LHP Jesรบs Luzardo (14-5, 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 221 K, 178.2 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Andrew Painter
Jesรบs Luzardo played catch earlier this week as he works his way back from shoulder inflammation, though his postseason status remains up in the air. There's a chance he will be limited to bullpen work early in the playoffs.
Veteran Aaron Nola has hit his stride of late, posting a 2.45 ERA in 66 innings over his last 11 starts, so he can fill the void behind the dynamic one-two punch of Cristopher Sรกnchez (7.7 WAR, 1st among all SP) and Zack Wheeler (5.6 WAR, 8th among all SP).
The Phillies rank second in the majors with 73 quality starts and 869.1 innings from their starting staff, so they are poised to lean on their starters as hard as anyone in October.
2. New York Yankees
12 of 13
RHP Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 239 K, 193.2 IP)
LHP Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 104 K, 112.2 IP)
RHP Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 131 K, 127.0 IP)
LHP Carlos Rodรณn (7-3, 2.67 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 91 K, 84.1 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Will Warren
With AL Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler and three established veteran starters capable of frontline production in Max Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodรณn, the Yankees rotation is capable of making a major impact in October.
Schlittler logged a 1.26 ERA over 14.1 innings last October, including eight scoreless frames against the rival Red Sox in the Wild Card Round. He will now be asked to shoulder a heavier load.
It remains to be seen who the odd-man out would be in a series that calls for a three-man staff, though Rodรณn has made his case with a 1.42 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 25.1 innings in September.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
13 of 13
RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (14-9, 2.53 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 182 K, 185.0 IP)
LHP Tarik Skubal (4-2, 2.95 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60 K, 55.0 IP)
LHP Blake Snell (4-1, 1.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 52 K, 38.2 IP)
RHP Tyler Glasnow (5-2, 3.53 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 98 K, 74.0 IP)
Other Candidates: RHP Emmet Sheehan, LHP Justin Wrobleski
The Dodgers have once again navigated much of the regular season without Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, but they are healthy rolling into October and poised to round out the playoff rotation alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto and deadline pickup Tarik Skubal.
The starting rotation logged a 2.68 ERA over 104 innings last postseason, with Yamamoto, Snell and Glasnow starting 13 of 17 games and the rest going to Shohei Ohtani, who will be limited to DH duties but has been sufficiently replaced by a two-time Cy Young winner in Skubal.
Right-hander Emmet Sheehan has a 0.53 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 17 innings in three September starts. He will serve as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.
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