These are the hottest SP and RP in MLB over the past week:
Starting Pitchers:
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros
Week’s Line: 13.0 IP, 0.69 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 18 K, 12.46 K9, 2 QS
Facing the Toronto Blue Jays, Brown pitched seven scoreles innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out nine batters. This performance extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 24. Twenty-four innings. Then against the Kansas City Royals, Brown continued his dominant week by going 6.0, giving up just one earned, and punching another nine tickets. Brown’s pitch profile is sexy, as he throws six different offerings, highlighted by his fastball variation – a four-seamer with damn good vertical break (currently the most effective pitch in baseball, per Statcast), and a filthy sinker.
Tylor Megill, New York Mets
Week’s Line: 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 19 K, 14.65 K9, 1 QS
This guy has been one of my sleeper faves for a few years, and it makes me happy to see him pitching well in 2025. The fastball/slider combo is just plain dirty, and while it generally was located last week, he was also his inconsistent self (as evidenced by four free passes to the Phils). His ability to induce breaks is what sets him apart – 107 Stuff+, 103 Pitching+ in the two matchups, and elite spin rates. He absolutely mowed down batters last week with a complete disregard for the fact that their families were watching. I mean, check out these numbers from the Phillies start – 18” iVB on the fastball, and 16” of induced drop and run on both the change and the sinker, leading to 10 strikeouts in just over five innings. Like I said – dirty.
Max Meyer, Miami Marlins
Week’s Line: 10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 20 K, 18.00 K9, 1 QS
Sure, Seattle busted him up on Sunday, but so what? He completely DECIMATED the Reds on Monday, and I’m here for it. The slider is just stupid effective (50% whiff and 37.1% put-away), and the rest of his pitches all get a bump as a result. Against Cincinnati, for example, his slider was simply phenomenal (16/21 whiffs – meaning 76% of swings on the pitch were misses), and his changeup (53% CSW) and sinker (33% CSW) both reached an iHB of 21”, which is uber elite. The Marlins are finally letting this kid pitch, and he’s shaping into the pedigree we were promised.
Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins
Week’s Line: 7.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 11 K, 14.14 K9, 1 QS
After what can only be described as a stinker (swings and misses below 20%), Ryan gave a master class on how to pitch a terrible offense. Yes, it was the Angels, but Ryan cooked. The fastball (18/38 – 47%) and the sweeper (6/10 – 60%) did their job en route to a 46% whiff percentage on the day, and a 38% CSW overall. And let’s chat about that sweeper for a minute – 28% usage (primarily down and away from righties) hit a max iHB of 27”, with a max spin rate of 3,050. MY GOD. If you didn’t see it, let me sum it up – absolutely one of the filthiest pitches you’ll ever see. For reals. Go watch it. And he needs his secondary pitches popping like this for his fastball to play. And it so did last week.
Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers
Week’s Line: 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 11 K, 16.50 K9, 1 QS
Pitching+ is an advanced baseball model that attempts to capture a pitcher’s overall effectiveness by combining measurements of their stuff (velocity, movement, etc.), location (where they throw the ball), and overall command. It aims to provide a single number that reflects a pitcher’s ability, with 100 representing league average. I give you this background as prologue – Tarik’s Pitching+ this week was 143 and is sitting at 128 on the year (both numbers pace all pitchers). For comparison, MLB’s 2024 Pitching+ leader was Corbin Burnes at 119. Translation – Tarik Skubal is really good. His start against the Orioles was a Pitching+ showcase – location and stuff (41% CSW, 48% whiffs).
Nick Lodolo, Cincinnati Reds
Week’s Line: 12.2 IP, 2.13 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 13 K, 9.23 K9, 1 QS
A tale of two starts for Lodolo, as Monday (opposite Max Meyer) wasn’t amazing, but he got it done Sunday in Colorado– seven scoreless, three baserunners, and nine strikeouts. The curve is the calling card, and it worked in Coors (6/12 whiffs, 45% CSW), but the rest of the arsenal just lacked. I mean, it wasn’t phenomenal stuff, and was probably more of a case of competition (the Rockies are baaaad, in case you haven’t noticed), but the results are what we’re after here. I just think this kind of effort against a better offense returns a very different result.
Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
Week’s Line: 6.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 9 K, 12.80 K9, 1 QS
Paul Skenes is special. Special. Don’t believe me? Check his Statcast page, or go watch some YouTube on him. Who am I kidding – we all know who he is. And his legend grows with each start. I mean, the stones on this kid to stroll into Dodger Stadium and absolutely handle Shohei and his pals? Impressive. He threw seven pitches, all playing off his ridiculous four-seamer (2,402 spin, 16” iVB and 19” of run, while living at 99+ MPH), which resulted in 36% (18 total – eighteen) swings and misses and 34% CSW on the outing. Interesting nugget – he threw more curveballs in this game (17) than he had all season prior (16), with good results. The Pirates have two must-watch players (Skenes and Cruz), and it’s an exciting time for Pirates fans.
Andrew Heaney, Pittsburgh Pirates
Week’s Line: 6.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.17 WHIP, 9 K, 13.50 K9, 1 QS
Pirates pitchers LOVED their LA road trip this week, didn’t they? We just discussed Skenes, but how about Andrew Heaney against the Halos? His fastball was working (11/22 whiffs), his secondaries all landed well (13/29, 44.8% swings and misses), and it was soft contact city all day (78.1 vs. the change, and 84.3 vs. the sinker). A look under the hood reveals that this is not just a case of pitching against a bad team – Heaney’s pitch profile is generally in the 70th percentile. He’s always had the talent, and his four-seamer is currently one of the most effective pitches in the bigs (+6 run value). Injuries always loom for Andrew, so we’ll enjoy this while it lasts.
Walker Buehler, Boston Red Sox
Week’s Line: 13.0 IP, 2.77 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 12 K, 8.31 K9, 2 QS
Statcast doesn’t love him (except his ability to induce soft contact). His Pitching+ (stuff and location) is below league average. His wins this week came against a below average team (CLE) and “then there’s 50 feet of crap” below average (CWS). So I’m not overly impressed with the pitcher, but featuring him as a function of results. Two quality starts, two wins, great ERA and WHIP, palpable pitch data. It’s just so mehhhh for me.
Brandon Pfaadt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Week’s Line: 12.0 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 11 K, 8.25 K9, 2 QS
Is this the Pfaadt breakout? Is it here? Can we be sure? His command is near-elite, and he induces a good amount of groundballs, which was the book on him coming through MiLB. In fact, maybe he attacks the zone a little too much, which is probably a factor in his hard hit rate (41.9% of batted balls exceed 95 MPH exit velo). The Tampa start was better than the Atlanta start (shocker), but neither were uber impressive from a pitch prolife perspective – 22/94 whiffs (23%), and while the sinker and change had good drop and run, they were still hit too hard (101.3+ average). He has a great defense behind him, so as long as he keeps the ball out of the air, Pfaadt should be just fine. And maybe a little meh.
Relief Pitchers:
Andres Munoz, Seattle Mariners
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 4 K, 12.00 K9, 3 S/H
Not the first time he’s been featured here, and certainly won’t be the last. He’s got strikeout stuff (his slider and fastball are sick), he locates consistently, and his groundball percentage is 99th percentile. Back-to-back closeouts in Fenway, followed up with shutting the door on the Marlins at T-Mobile.
Camilo Doval, San Francisco Giants
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.54 WHIP, 4 K, 9.81 K9, 3 S/H
Ahhhh the Doval rollercoaster. He’s up, and he’s down. Maybe that’s not entirely fair, though, as he’s been really good this season, minus a BS and an L back in early April. The Pitching+ is fantastic, Statcast mostly loves him, and he’s keeping baserunners off the basepaths. The strikeouts are lacking, but I think they’ll be there. At home all week, Doval closed out Milwaukee (3X) and picked up a win against the Rangers. San Francisco clearly trusts him again, so maybe I should as well.
Emilio Pagan, Cincinnati Reds
Week’s Line: 2.25 ERA, 0.50 WHIP, 5 K, 11.25 K9, 3 S/H
You know who else has been really good but has lacked defining consistency? This guy, who’s putting together a nice season so far in Cincinnati. He’s been touched a couple times, yes, but he’s mostly been uber efficient at limiting baserunners (0.50 WHIP). He has been prone to the longball (1.9 HR/9), but in between, he’s done solid work. Solid extension and good command of the zone is backed up by his Pitching+ rating (116 – well above average). He does have swing and miss stuff (elite iVB on the heater), so my guess is – like Doval – those will be there eventually.
David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP, 5 K, 15.00 K9, 3 S/H
Turns out all you need to get back on track is to be sent back down for a few outings. Because, damn. Bednar has been virtually unhittable since his return on 04/19 (two hits, one walk in four stanzas). He’s already worked his way back to a high-leverage guy, collecting three saves/holds this week. I don’t love the pitch profile, per se, but he didn’t ask (and doesn’t need) my opinion on that when he went into Dodger Stadium and closed it out by inducing two swinging strikeouts (Will Smith, Michael Conforto).
Griffin Jax, Minnesota Twins
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 7 K, 21.00 K9, 2 S/H
One of my favorite relievers in the league, it was good to see him right the ship this past week. He still has an ERA north of 8.00 on the season, and a WHIP of almost 2.00, but it appears he’s turned a corner and all that is behind him. All it takes is three outings against terrible offenses, right? Sigh. Anyway. I do think he’s been a bit unlucky, as revealed by a quick peek under the hood (95th percentile on chase %, whiff %, and K %, with a Pitching+ of… checks notes… can that be right… of 141). He’s been one of the best set-up guys for years, and he’s back on track.
Will Vest, Detroit Tigers
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.30 WHIP, 5 K, 13.51 K9, 2 S/H
Up next is household name Will Vest. Ok, maybe you know him and maybe you don’t. Either way, he had himself a damn good week for the Tigers. And based on the flux in the Detroit bullpen, he’s entrenched himself as one of the main high-leverage guys. His ERA and WHIP are both south of 1.00 on the season, he commands the zones well (113 Location+), and the fastball/slider combo cooked this week (8/18 whiffs – 44%). Of particular interest is the slider, which he’s throwing harder (89.3 this season vs. 86.9 in 2024) with spectacular results (61.1% whiffs vs. 29.7%). Truly, the same could be said for the fastball – throwing it harder with improved results.
Ben Casparius, Los Angeles Dodgers
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.47 WHIP, 9 K, 12.80 K9, 2 S/H
If you read my Hottest Starting Pitchers article (thank you, btw), you may recall how I doted on Tarik Skubal’s Pitching+ (sitting at 143 for the week – swoooooon.) You know who’s right behind him on that list at 131? This guy. Stuff+ at 120 (actually better than Tarik), and Location+ at 115. His Statcast is glorious, and the movement he induces on his heater and his slider is elite. He’s transitioning from RP to SP (thanks, Tyler Glasnow), so unless that changes, don’t expect to see him here again this season. Though you may see him featured elsewhere if he keeps pitching like this.
Josh Hader, Houston Astros
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 4 K, 18.00 K9, 1 S/H
Another horse that’s been featured here in past weeks, Hader, appears to have put last season’s inconsistency in the rearview. His Stuff+ is very respectable at 118, and I don’t hate the location. Statcast is still blood-red (and atop the percentile leaderboards, I might add), and the induced movement is just ridiculous – 20”iVB on the sinker against the Blue Jays Tuesday (good for 4/7 – 57% whiffs). He’s one of the most fun pitchers to watch, and he routinely looks like he has batters utterly baffled.
Hunter Gaddis, Cleveland Guardians
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 4 K, 18.00 K9, 2 S/H
For the third week in a row, I’m featuring Hunter Gaddis – mainly because he’s just so steady. He’s the unquestioned main set-up guy, and – like Tuesday night against the Yankees (Judge, Bellinger, Chisholm, Volpe) – is often facing the meat of the opponent’s order. The slider is cooking, but I honestly think the changeup is his best pitch – 16”+ of drop and run. He just needs to throw it more. Not that he needs my advice – through 12 appearances, he still hasn’t allowed a single run.
Cole Henry, Washington Nationals
Week’s Line: 0.00 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 7 K, 15.75 K9, 0 S/H
Not all relievers lock down saves or holds, but they still have a job to do. Whether it’s as the bridge, as an innings eater, or to come in and stop the bleeding, these unsung heroes are an integral piece of the bullpen picture. Cole Henry did his job last week, and he did it well. So I’m going to feature him. Case in point – on Thursday against the Orioles, Cole was tasked to come in and hold the line, and did he. 4/10 swings and misses (40% whiffs), a CSW rate of 38%, and four punchouts over two innings – striking out Mullins, Rutschman, and Mountcastle in the eighth before adding Kjerstad to that list in the ninth. If he keeps pitching this way, he could carve out a role similar to Hunter Gaddis.
