#starting-pitchers

#starting-pitchers

Kershaw is one of the Dodgers' four starters lined up to start against the Giants in Los Angeles, a series that could decide their season. After avoiding being swept by the Diamondbacks, the Giants begin a four-game set by facing the three starters they saw last week: Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Thursday, Kershaw on Friday and Tyler Glasnow on Saturday. Shohei Ohtani would've been lined up to pitch the series finale after tossing five no-hit innings on Tuesday, but Sunday's start will go to Emmett Sheehan.

The complete game is all but dead -- no pitcher has more than one nine-inning complete game this season. One hundred pitches is now viewed as the top limit for a pitch count, with pitchers rarely exceeding 110 -- Randy Johnson had more 110-pitch outings just in 1993 than every starter combined in 2025. Pitchers get more days off between starts. And the list goes on.

Another winnable game. Another starter pulled early. Another game given up by the bullpen. If you've been watching the Marlins this season, the script is starting to feel all too familiar. A starting pitcher cruises through six innings, and just when he gets into a little bit of trouble, manager Clayton McCullough trots out from the dugout-and hands the game over to the overworked bullpen. The result? More often than not, a narrow lead turns into a frustrating loss, just like Thursday night's 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves are expected to activate ace lefty Chris Sale from the 60-day IL this weekend. The veteran southpaw has been sidelined since June due to a fracture in his ribcage, but prior to that he had been firmly in the conversation to win a second consecutive NL Cy Young award with a 2.52 ERA, a 2.69 FIP, and a 30.8% strikeout rate.

Colton Book's impressive stats don't guarantee a top spot here, as the rankings focus more on current ability rather than pure statistics.