Who Are the Top 10 Starting Pitchers In the 2026 World Baseball Classic?

Updated Feb. 19, 2026 9:20 a.m. ET

One might mistake the list of pitchers participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for an MLB All-Star Game roster — but this isn't a prank. 

The 2026 WBC is bringing out MLB's best position players and pitchers across the board. After ranking the top-10 hitters that will star in the tournament, we're taking a look at the top-10 pitchers in the 2026 WBC.

Note: Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is playing for Japan, but won't be pitching. Minnesota Twins RHP Pablo Lopez (Venezuela) has an elbow injury that threatens his 2026 availability, hence his exclusion from this list.

[2026 WBC: Full World Baseball Classic Broadcast Schedule]

10. Philadelphia Phillies LHP Jesus Luzardo (Venezuela)

Jesus Luzardo recorded a career-high 216 strikeouts in 2025. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Following an injury-shortened 2024 campaign, Luzardo, who posted a 3.48 ERA with the Miami Marlins from 2022-23, got back on track in his debut season with the Phillies last year. Recording a 3.92 ERA, 3.9 wins above replacement and a career-high 216 strikeouts, the southpaw was a rock in Philadelphia's 2025 starting staff. Luzardo posts strikeouts at a high clip and consistently deploys five pitches: four-seamer, sweeper, changeup, sinker and slider.

9. Minnesota Twins RHP Joe Ryan (USA)

Joe Ryan was an All-Star for the first time in his MLB career last season. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)

Ryan has become an ace. Last year, the Twins' right-hander posted a career-best 3.42 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 4.5 wins above replacement and 194 strikeouts across 171 innings pitched in 31 appearances (30 starts), helping Ryan earn his first career All-Star nod. He primarily relies on his four-seamer, while mixing in a sweeper and sinker, among other pitches. Over the past two seasons (2024-25), Ryan has recorded a combined 3.50 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.

8. Miami Marlins RHP Sandy Alcántara (Dominican Republic)

Sandy Alcantara has thrown 12 complete games, including six in 2022. (Photo by Jasen Vinlove/Miami Marlins/Getty Images)

The only reason why Alcántara, a two-time All-Star, isn't higher on this list is because of an elbow injury that forced him to miss 2024 and a bumpy start to the 2025 season. When healthy and at his best, Alcántara is one of the best pitchers in the sport. Alcántara, who won the 2022 National League Cy Young Award, pitches deep into games and has a consistent five-pitch arsenal: sinker, changeup, curveball, four-seamer and slider. Over Alcántara's past 12 starts in 2025, he looked more like his stellar self, posting a combined 3.13 ERA over 77 2/3 innings pitched.

7. Philadelphia Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (Dominican Republic)

Cristopher Sanchez boasts a career 3.24 ERA. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

In a short period of time, Sanchez has become an indispensable member of Philadelphia's starting rotation. Last season, the left-hander posted a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, an NL-high eight wins above replacement and 212 strikeouts across 202 innings pitched (32 starts). The year prior (2024), Sanchez recorded a 3.32 ERA in 31 starts. Sanchez leans on his sinker and changeup, while mixing in a slider. He has also answered the bell for the Phillies in the postseason, posting a combined 2.79 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across four career postseason starts.

6. Boston Red Sox LHP Ranger Suarez (Venezuela)

Ranger Suarez signed a five-year, $130 million deal with the Red Sox this offseason. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)

Suarez is a stud. The veteran left-hander, who signed a five-year deal with the Red Sox this offseason after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Phillies (2018-25), throws five pitches with frequency: sinker, changeup, cutter, curveball and four-seamer. He owns a career 3.38 ERA, has habitually evaded damage and established himself as one of the best left-handers in the sport. It's all about his health, as Suarez hasn't made 30 starts in a single season in his MLB career due to a slew of back, hamstring and elbow injuries, among others.

5. Seattle Mariners RHP Luis Castillo (Dominican Republic)

Luis Castillo is a three-time All-Star. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Castillo has consistently been one of the best starting pitchers in the sport. Over his three-plus seasons with the Mariners (Castillo was acquired by the Mariners during the 2022 season and previously spent five-plus seasons with the Cincinnati Reds), Castillo sports a combined 3.46 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Moreover, he owns a combined 2.38 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with the Mariners across four postseason starts/five postseason appearances. Castillo, a three-time All-Star, continues to find success by relying on his four-seamer and mixing in a sinker, slider and changeup.

4. San Francisco Giants RHP Logan Webb (USA)

Logan Webb won a Gold Glove in 2025. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images)

Webb is one of the West Coast's best-kept secrets, as the career-long Giants' right-hander is among MLB's elite starting pitchers. He led the NL in innings pitched and finished top-six in NL Cy Young voting in each of the past three seasons, while totaling a career- and NL-best 224 strikeouts in 2025. Webb's go-to pitch is his sinker, with a sweeper and changeup on standby. Webb, a two-time All-Star who owns a career 3.38 ERA, was sensational for the Giants in his two starts during the 2021 playoffs, recording a mere 0.61 ERA and 0.68 WHIP across 14 2/3 innings.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Japan)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the 2025 World Series MVP. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Yamamoto has been exceptional for the Dodgers across his first two seasons in the sport (2024-25). Last season, he recorded a 2.49 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 4.9 wins above replacement and 201 strikeouts in 173 2/3 innings pitched (30 starts). Yamamoto brings the heat with his four-seamer and makes hitters look silly with his split-finger fastball and curveball. Then, the right-hander put on a show for the ages in the postseason, which saw him throw two complete games and later appear in three games for the Dodgers in the 2025 World Series — including 2 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Game 7 — and ultimately win MVP honors for the series.

2. Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (USA)

Paul Skenes started for the National League in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, which was the right-hander's rookie season. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

What has Skenes done in his first two seasons in the show? The better question is, what hasn't he done? The hard-throwing right-hander followed up winning 2024 NL Rookie of the Year honors by winning the 2025 NL Cy Young Award in a season that saw Skenes post a 1.97 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 216 strikeouts, a 217 ERA+ and 7.7 wins above replacement across 32 starts. He overwhelms hitters with his four-seamer, and they bite at his off-speed offerings. Skenes is already among the elite of the elite and sports a career 1.96 ERA. One could argue that no pitcher in the 21st century has emerged on the big-league scene and been this great this quickly.

1. Detroit Tigers LHP Tarik Skubal (USA)

Tarik Skubal will make a record $32 million next season with the Tigers after a salary arbitration hearing. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Skubal is the man. He's won each of the past two American League Cy Young Awards, while leading the AL in ERA, ERA+ and wins above replacement among pitchers in both seasons, as well. Skubal, who totaled a career-high 241 strikeouts in the 2025 regular season, was a menace for the Tigers in his three postseason starts last year, recording a 1.74 ERA, 0.68 WHIP and 36 strikeouts across 20 2/3 innings. The southpaw logs strikeouts at a high rate, seldom surrenders baserunners and finds success by primarily leaning on his changeup and four-seamer. He's MLB's best pitcher.

Honorable mentions: