Nothing against Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal, Boston Red Sox LHP Garrett Crochet or Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes, but these excellent fellows were supposed to be rotation anchors in fantasy baseball this season. Each was among the top starting pitchers in ESPN ADP for good reasons and, while they produced fantastic statistics for managers in standard points formats and roto/categories leagues alike, they were not “draft-day bargains.”
However, Seattle Mariners RHP Bryan Woo — on average a 16th-round selection — was quite the bargain. He gets our nod for fantasy starting pitcher MVP. Woo, 25, emerged as a solid fantasy option during the 2024 season, when he went 9-3 with a 2.89 ERA and an 0.90 WHIP, but he did so for only 22 starts (121⅓ innings), and his below-average strikeout rate scared potential investors.
Woo performed better this season, shaking off durability questions by making 30 starts, and he raised his strikeout rate from 21.4% to 27.1%. He whiffed 198 hitters and won 15 games. Woo nearly matched the exalted Skenes for value, regardless of format. He pitched like a fantasy ace, the fourth Mariners starting pitcher off the draft board, but easily No. 1 for fantasy value. Plus, he’s the No. 4 starting pitcher (omitting Shohei Ohtani) on the season-ending Player Rater.
Other MVP pitcher candidates
-
Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers: Woo and deGrom were selected around the same point of ESPN ADP, but Woo delivered better numbers. Still, it was great to see deGrom, 37, start 29 games — his most since the 2019 season with the New York Mets. He had outstanding fantasy numbers, though with a lesser strikeout rate than in seasons past. Rangers teammates Nathan Eovaldi (1.73 ERA in 22 starts) and Merrill Kelly (acquired from the Diamondbacks) also excelled in comparison to tempered expectations.
-
Nick Pivetta, San Diego Padres: Pivetta, long a tease in fantasy circles for underperforming based on attractive metrics, delivered his best season after turning 32 years old. Pivetta finished among the top 10 starting pitchers by winning 13 games, striking out 190 hitters and fashioning an impressive 2.87 ERA and an 0.99 WHIP. San Diego is the third stop in his career and it’s where he finally became a fantasy ace.
-
Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs: Let’s give some love to this resurrected left-hander who was among the top 10 starters for much of the season, before a rough final six weeks altered the narrative just a bit. Still, Boyd won 14 games with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Boyd, 34, once struck out 234 hitters with the 2019 Tigers, but injuries have kept him below 100 innings in each season since. He had never won double-digit games in any season. He was an afterthought in most 2025 drafts but ended up as the No. 18 SP on the final Rater.
Honorable mention: Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies; Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees; Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays; Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles; Quinn Priester, Milwaukee Brewers.
Relief pitcher MVP
Aroldis Chapman, Red Sox: Chapman, in his age-37 season and with his seventh MLB organization, delivered one of the best seasons of his career, posting a 1.17 ERA and 32 saves. He finished atop the Player Rater for relief pitchers. Some may forget today, but Chapman was hardly a lock to close games for the Red Sox back in March. RHP Liam Hendriks was also in play for saves, and Chapman hadn’t saved as many as 15 games in a season since 2021. He dominated for much of 2025, including a 50-batter stretch over 17 appearances when he did not permit a base hit.
Honorable mention: Carlos Estevez, Kansas City Royals; Abner Uribe, Brewers; Cade Smith, Cleveland Guardians; Adrian Morejon, Padres
Starting pitcher LVP
Cole Ragans, Royals: Ragans was one of the top surprises of the 2024 season, striking out 223 hitters and posting a 3.14 ERA in his first year as a full-time, MLB starter. He’s still waiting for a second full season. Ragans made just nine starts before hitting the IL due to a strained groin. When he returned a few weeks later, he allowed five runs to the Cardinals, spiking his ERA to 5.18. He went back on the IL prior to his next outing as a result of a rotator cuff strain before returning again in mid-September.
The fifth starting pitcher off the board and a fourth-round selection in ESPN ADP was supposed to perform better than three wins, 61⅔ innings and a 4.67 ERA. Ragans was hardly the lone starting pitcher to deal with significant injury this season, but at least Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Corbin Burnes and Padres RHP Michael King pitched well when they pitched. Ragans finished No. 162 among starting pitchers on the Player Rater.
Dishonorable mention: Aaron Nola, Phillies; Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves; Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins; Bryce Miller, Mariners; Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks
Relief pitcher LVP
Devin Williams, Yankees: Williams, acquired in the offseason from the Brewers, entered the 2025 season with a 1.83 career ERA and a clear role as Yankees closer. He permitted three earned runs in three different April outings, losing the closer role until he regained it and then lost it again, with David Bednar ultimately assuming the role. Fantasy managers made Williams the No. 2 relief pitcher (after then-Athletics RHP Mason Miller) and they got a 4.79 ERA and 18 saves. He was the No. 40 relief pitcher on the Player Rater.
Some may wonder if Miller, who was traded to the Padres, and Guardians RHP Emmanuel Clase, whose season ended in late July when he was placed on leave as the league conducted a sports-betting investigation, warrant attention in this category. Miller saved only one game for the Padres, but he continued to miss many bats (104 strikeouts) and prevent runs, finishing as the No. 15 relief pitcher on the Rater. In addition, he earned 10 holds, and those count in ESPN points formats. Clase saved 24 games with a 3.23 ERA.
Dishonorable mention: Ryan Walker, San Francisco Giants; Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals/Mets; Jose Alvarado, Phillies; Griffin Jax, Twins/Rays
