To prepare my Top 400 Starting Pitchers for 2025 article, I thoroughly review every team's rotation and write the blurbs you see in February. I usually don't share these publicly until then, but I wanted to give another benefit to those who support us with PL Pro. Y'all are the ones who keep the lights on for us. Y'all rock.
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Huge thanks to Josh Mockensturm for creating these tables and finding video for all these players.
This article was updated on January 13th to add Yusei Kikuchi and remove Davis Daniel.
Expected Starters
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA, LHP) - 1/13 UPDATE
You may look at the final marks and believe that was Kikuchi throughout 2024. Narrator: It was not. I adored his four-seamer adjustments entering the season as a top-half located pitch with elite shape and extension (so flat! Seven feet of extension at 95/96!), while his secondaries were a mess. He leaned into a terrible changeup while the slider went in-and-out constantly. It made me all kinds of stressed believing in his arsenal while the results simply didn't arrive.
However, Kikuchi began to focus on the slider by the end of June and he was so close. There were some poor outings rooted in a few mistakes, but we felt on the precipice of a breakout. Then the phone call. Hey, its the Astros. We'll fix this. And guess what? The first start was fantastic...WITH MORE CHANGEUPS THAN SLIDERS. Wait, what. Yeah, the Astros wanted Kikuchi to go more changeup at first while axing the curve, and while the change eventually fell to the wayside (phew), the curve stayed out of the picture for a heavy heater/slider approach.
I don't fully agree with that choice - Kikuchi's curve is a major stabilizer of a pitch to let his slider and heater do damage instead of being forced to be over the plate - and I have to believe we'll see the curve return when the slider feel isn't quite there in 2025.
In addition, I'm concerned the Angels' coaching staff will not help him calibrate in-season as well as the Blue Jays and Astros did. Kikuchi is not a man of consistentcy. He goes through phases and feel more often than standard Top 100 SP and when those moments occur, the responsibility lies on the coaching staff to help make the necessary fixes to get on the right path. The Angels have a terrible track record for this.
Reading this should make you concerned about Kikuchi for the whole season, though there is a decent chance he comes out firing and keeps that rhythm for a good while. I'm hesitant to lean in hard in my drafts, but I see him as a productive play early who could be a quick drop if he's not in a groove.
Quick Take: There will be highs-and-lows for Kikuchi in 2025, just like every year prior. I'm concerned the Angels will struggle to help Kikuchi recover when he falls out of rhythm, making for more of a "HIPSTER" arm than a "Cherry Bomb" who we can endure. Just have your high heater and reliable slider, please.
Tyler Anderson (LAA, LHP)
| IP | W-L | ERA | WHIP | K% | BB% | H/9 | ICR% | CSW% | PLV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 179.1 | 10-15 | 3.81 | 1.29 | 18.6% | 9.5% | 7.9 | 35.9% | 28.3% | 5.08 |
| 2025 PL Projection | 171.0 | 9-10 | 4.46 | 1.33 | 20.8% | 8.3% | 8.8 | - | - | - |
Nick Pollack
Founder of Pitcher List. Creator of CSW, The List, and SP Roundup. Worked with MSG, FanGraphs, CBS Sports, and Washington Post. Former college pitcher, travel coach, pitching coach, and Brandeis alum. Wants every pitcher to be dope.