Ranking the NL West Starting Rotations for the 2025 MLB Season
Grant White
Host · Writer
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Potentially hot take alert: The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitching wasn't a strength last season. That's a scary thought, considering how dominant their rotation looks this year.
Dodgers' starters finished 2024 with the 19th-ranked ERA (4.23). Injuries limited some of their top arms, so the Dodgers went out and built an even better rotation for this season. Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki signed in LA this offseason, complementing the existing trio of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the recently re-signed Clayton Kershaw.
Tony Gonsolin should be back in the fray, and Dustin May will eventually be ready to rejoin the rotation. All that is done without even considering Shohei Ohtani as a potential starter. LA could have bought itself championships for years to come.
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5. Colorado Rockies
Victims of their own environment, it will be another long season for the Colorado Rockies' starting rotation.
It's a no-win situation for Rockies' starters. They are tasked with eating innings in the most hostile ballpark in baseball. Those issues are compounded by having two southpaws in the rotation, who inevitably get hit hard at home.
At least, that much is reflected in last year's stats. Colorado's starting pitchers combined for the worst ERA, opponents' batting average, and home runs, resulting in the fewest wins in the MLB. A similar result is expected in 2025.
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4. San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are running it back with virtually the same starting rotation as last year, looking to improve their disappointing results.
Justin Verlander is the only new addition this offseason, but he'll be asked to recapture his vintage form in San Francisco. Otherwise, Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, and Jordan Hicks form the bulk of the rotation, leaving Hayden Birdsong and Kyle Harrison to compete for starts on the back end.
The Giants' starting pitching should have been better than last year. That places the burden squarely on J.P. Martinez's shoulders as he embarks on his first year as the Giants pitching coach. We'll see if they outperform expectations.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a sneaky good starting rotation, albeit one that lacks the same depth as the top two teams in the division.
Zac Gallen has recorded at least 12 wins in three straight seasons; however, his metrics point toward potential regression in 2025. His ERA, FIP, and WHIP have climbed in the three preceding campaigns, implying that he might be outperforming his record. Nevertheless, with Corbin Burnes now penciled in as the ace, Gallen might not have to recapture his Cy Young-contending form.
There's room for improvement for Arizona's starters, who finished last year with the fourth-worst ERA in the MLB. If Burnes stabilizes the front, the other starters can slot into a more natural rotation at the back.
2. San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres featured two of the best pitchers in the NL in 2024. Dylan Cease and Michael King finished in the top seven in Cy Young voting and can easily replicate that success again this season.
While Cease and King remain the unstoppable duo at the top of the rotation, San Diego features incomparable depth. Yu Darvish, Matt Waldron, and Randy Vasquez will continue to be regular contributors, with Joe Musgrove, Kyle Hart, and even Jhony Brito competing for turns in the rotation.
The Padres feature one of the deepest groups in the league. They should build on their 54 wins last season.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Potentially hot take alert: The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitching wasn't a strength last season. That's a scary thought, considering how dominant their rotation looks this year.
Dodgers' starters finished 2024 with the 19th-ranked ERA (4.23). Injuries limited some of their top arms, so the Dodgers went out and built an even better rotation for this season. Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki signed in LA this offseason, complementing the existing trio of Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the recently re-signed Clayton Kershaw.
Tony Gonsolin should be back in the fray, and Dustin May will eventually be ready to rejoin the rotation. All that is done without even considering Shohei Ohtani as a potential starter. LA could have bought itself championships for years to come.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
5. Colorado Rockies
Victims of their own environment, it will be another long season for the Colorado Rockies' starting rotation.
It's a no-win situation for Rockies' starters. They are tasked with eating innings in the most hostile ballpark in baseball. Those issues are compounded by having two southpaws in the rotation, who inevitably get hit hard at home.
At least, that much is reflected in last year's stats. Colorado's starting pitchers combined for the worst ERA, opponents' batting average, and home runs, resulting in the fewest wins in the MLB. A similar result is expected in 2025.
Swing for the Fences with SportsGrid’s free daily MLB Game Picks and MLB Prop Picks.
