
Here are my updated NPB starting pitcher rankings as of August 14, 2025. These are essentially rest-of-season rankings, not power rankings. In other words, I’m ranking pitchers based on where I believe they truly belong moving forward, not just on season-to-date results. Recent performance is a major factor, but track record, underlying metrics, and overall stuff carry more weight in projecting the future. Click here for the full 2025 NPB pitching stats leaderboard.
August 24 Update: I added Natsuki Takeuchi to the injuries list because I forgot to include him.
The Top 25
Player Tags
Key Injuries
Prospects Coming Soon
Complete Rankings
Player Tags
Tag | Description |
---|---|
#WhiffMachine | Whiff rate over 25% |
#GroundballMerchant | Groundball rate over 51% |
#Consistent | Quality Start rate over 75% |
#HomerProne | Home Run rate over 2.0% |
#Wild | Walk rate over 7.5% |
#Loaded | Multiple qualified pitches with CSW rate over 32% |
#Flamethrower | Averages over 94.0 mph on fastball |
#Workhorse | Averages over 7 IP per start |
#DeepMix | Throws 7 or more pitches |
#PlatoonGod | FIP- under 65 against same-handed hitters |
#InjuryProne | Reputation for getting injured often |
#Rookie | Rookie of the Year Award eligible |
The Top 25
#1 Livan Moinelo (SoftBank)
#WhiffMachine, #Consistent, #Loaded, #Workhorse, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
128.1 | 248 | 64 | 27.7 | 5.8 | 43.6 | 31.2 |
#2 Tatsuya Imai (Seibu)
#WhiffMachine, #Loaded, #Flamethrower, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
117.2 | 164 | 66 | 29.1 | 7.2 | 49.1 | 32.2 |
#3 Jon Duplantier (Hanshin)
#WhiffMachine, #Loaded, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
90.2 | 200 | 47 | 32.4 | 5.7 | 47.0 | 33.2 |
#4 Hiroya Miyagi (Orix)
#WhiffMachine, #Consistent, #Loaded, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
116.2 | 111 | 69 | 25.7 | 5.1 | 50.3 | 31.7 |
#5 Foster Griffin (Yomiuri)
#WhiffMachine, #Consistent, #Loaded, #DeepMix, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76.0 | 239 | 56 | 26.1 | 5.4 | 49.2 | 30.9 |
#6 Chihiro Sumida (Seibu)
#Consistent, #Loaded, #Workhorse, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120.2 | 138 | 74 | 22.9 | 4.4 | 48.6 | 30.7 |
#7 Hiromi Itoh (Nippon-Ham)
#HomerProne, #Workhorse, #DeepMix
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
138.2 | 114 | 79 | 24.4 | 3.7 | 41.9 | 29.0 |
#8 Iori Yamasaki (Yomiuri)
#GroundballMerchant
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120.2 | 189 | 79 | 21.6 | 5.1 | 53.8 | 28.0 |
#9 Haruya Tanaka (Lotte)
#WhiffMachine, #Wild, #Loaded, #Rookie
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76.1 | 120 | 82 | 24.4 | 8.5 | 45.4 | 30.8 |
#10 Koki Kitayama (Nippon-Ham)
#Consistent, #DeepMix
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
105.1 | 208 | 71 | 23.9 | 6.1 | 38.6 | 28.2 |
#11 Shoki Murakami (Hanshin)
#Consistent, #DeepMix
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
127.2 | 136 | 85 | 19.5 | 4.2 | 37.7 | 27.6 |
#12 Haruto Takahashi (Hanshin)
#GroundballMerchant, #InjuryProne
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24.2 | 190 | 64 | 19.1 | 4.3 | 63.8 | 29.8 |
#13 Haru Matsumoto (SoftBank)
#PlatoonGod, #Rookie
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
65.2 | 119 | 74 | 24.6 | 6.1 | 49.4 | 29.5 |
#14 Katsuki Azuma (DeNA)
#HomerProne, #Consistent, #Loaded
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
122.1 | 132 | 101 | 19.6 | 3.3 | 43.5 | 31.9 |
#15 Kota Tatsu (Nippon-Ham)
#Consistent, #Loaded, #Rookie
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
67.2 | 189 | 75 | 23.3 | 5.1 | 46.7 | 28.6 |
#16 Hiroto Saiki (Hanshin)
#Wild
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
121.1 | 178 | 90 | 19.3 | 7.9 | 41.2 | 26.9 |
#17 Haruto Inoue (Yomiuri)
#HomerProne, #Loaded
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
92.1 | 85 | 102 | 22.9 | 3.1 | 41.9 | 29.4 |
#18 Andre Jackson (DeNA)
#Consistent, #Wild, #Flamethrower
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
111.0 | 144 | 99 | 18.1 | 7.8 | 50.9 | 27.7 |
#19 Ryuhei Sotani (Orix)
No Applicable Tags
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
98.2 | 76 | 94 | 21.5 | 5.6 | 45.2 | 29.4 |
#20 Kosei Shoji (Rakuten)
#GroundballMerchant, #Loaded, #PlatoonGod
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27.1 | 103 | 87 | 23.6 | 7.3 | 61.1 | 26.5 |
#21 Hiroto Takahashi (Chunichi)
#WhiffMachine, #GroundballMerchant, #Flamethrower
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
127.1 | 102 | 103 | 19.2 | 7.5 | 54.5 | 26.7 |
#22 Atsuki Taneichi (Lotte)
#HomerProne
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
109.0 | 85 | 115 | 20.0 | 7.3 | 47.7 | 27.1 |
#23 Anthony Kay (DeNA)
#GroundballMerchant, #Consistent, #Flamethrower
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
117.0 | 146 | 93 | 19.7 | 6.8 | 55.6 | 27.8 |
#24 Tomohisa Ohzeki (SoftBank)
#Consistent
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
117.2 | 193 | 96 | 17.8 | 5.7 | 41.5 | 26.9 |
#25 Takato Ihara (Hanshin)
#DeepMix
IP | ERA+ | FIP- | K% | BB% | GB% | CSW% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
87.0 | 141 | 76 | 18.6 | 5.6 | 45.9 | 26.9 |
Key Injuries (relative rank if healthy)
Shunpeita Yamashita (Orix) – Back (1-10)
Injured in the spring. Now rehabbing on the farm.
Ruei Yang Gu Lin (Nippon-Ham) – Oblique (10-20)
Injured on June 3. Yet to make a rehab appearance.
Keiji Takahashi (Yakult) – Lower Body (30-40)
Injured on July 5. Yet to make a rehab appearance.
Natsuki Takeuchi (Seibu) – Leg (30-40)
Injured on August 5. Expected back in early September.
Carter Stewart Jr. (SoftBank) – Abdomen (30-40)
Injured in the spring. Yet to make a rehab appearance.
Kodai Umetsu (Chunichi) – Shoulder (30-40)
Injured in the spring and underwent surgery. Out for the season.
Yuji Nishino (Lotte) – Forearm (60-70)
Injured on June 11. Now rehabbing on the farm.
Taichi Yamano (Yakult) – Unspecified (70-80)
Injured on June 6. Now rehabbing on the farm.
Takahisa Hayakawa (40-50) and Shoma Kanemura (40-50) are not injured but were removed from the list. Hayakawa was demoted to the farm while Kanemura was moved to the bullpen.
Prospects Coming Soon (farm stats)
Ren Mukunoki (Orix) – Age 25, 114 ERA+, 22.2 K-BB% in 44.1 IP
Hayato Tsunehiro (Hiroshima) – Age 23, 69 ERA+, 5.8 K-BB% in 76.1 IP
Ren Fukushima (Nippon-Ham) – Age 22, 136 ERA+, 13.5 K-BB% in 67.0 IP
Yuta Matsukihira (Chunichi) – Age 22, 103 ERA+, 8.7 K-BB% in 76.0 IP
Yi-Lei Sun (Nippon-Ham) – Age 20, 205 ERA+, 18.5 K-BB% in 47.2 IP
Kyosuke Saito (Orix) – Age 20, 63 ERA+, 2.4 K-BB% in 56.1 IP
Kaisei Toumatsu (Orix) – Age 20, 146 ERA+, 16.1 K-BB% in 35.0 IP
Reo Shibata (Nippon-Ham) – Age 19, 176 ERA+, 23.5 K-BB% in 13.2 IP
Hibiki Shinohara (Seibu) – Age 18, 160 ERA+, 14.2 K-BB% in 59.1 IP
Here are 85 pitchers who have made at least two NPB starts in the past 30 days and/or currently hold a rotation spot, ranked. The change column indicates their movement from the previous list made on July 8.
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