Just days after losing Alex Bregman to the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox responded by signing Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million deal per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. This deal came out of nowhere, as rumors surrounding Suarez were fairly minimal, and the expectation was that Boston would look to add offense after losing Bregman.
Suarez has been a consistent regular-season performer for several years now, is coming off his best season, and has been even better in October. He might not be the No. 2 starter Red Sox fans were dreaming of, but he, obviously, makes their rotation much better, and among the best in the American League. Here's how they rank compared to their competitors.
Where Red Sox rank among best projected AL Opening Day rotations
8. Detroit Tigers
Tigers Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | LHP Tarik Skubal |
2 | RHP Jack Flaherty |
3 | RHP Casey Mize |
4 | RHP Reese Olson |
5 | RHP Drew Anderson |
The Detroit Tigers have the best pitcher in baseball leading their rotation (for now), so they should rank higher than the seventh-best rotation in the American League, but it's hard to fully buy into anyone else in this rotation.
Jack Flaherty followed up a breakout 2024 campaign with a disappointing 2025 season. Casey Mize finally stayed healthy this past season, but he's nothing more than a decent mid-rotation arm. Reese Olson has some upside, but health has been an issue. As for Drew Anderson, perhaps he can prove his KBO breakout can translate to MLB. It's hard to believe that without seeing it, though.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
Rays Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | RHP Drew Rasmussen |
2 | RHP Ryan Pepiot |
3 | LHP Shane McClanahan |
4 | RHP Joe Boyle |
5 | LHP Ian Seymour |
The Tampa Bay Rays have perhaps the most underrated starting rotation in the American League. When healthy, Drew Rasmussen is a frontline starter. Ryan Pepiot showed a lot of upside this past season. Shane McClanahan could receive Cy Young votes if he can find a way to stay healthy. That trio is as good as it gets in the league. The issue is the back-end of the rotation.
Joe Boyle has impressive strikeout stuff, but can he throw enough strikes to stick in the rotation? Ian Seymour pitched well in his first taste of big league action, but he's far from proven at this level. There's a lot to like, but durability concerns and uncertainty keep the Rays out of the top six.
6. Texas Rangers
Rangers Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | RHP Jacob deGrom |
2 | RHP Nathan Eovaldi |
3 | RHP Jack Leiter |
4 | RHP Kumar Rocker |
5 | LHP Jake Latz |
The Texas Rangers might have the best duo in the American League with Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi leading the way. deGrom is still one of the best pitchers in the league, and Eovaldi might've been an AL Cy Young finalist had he stayed fully healthy in 2025. The rest of the rotation holds this staff back, though.
Jack Leiter proved he belongs in the Rangers' rotation, but who will round out this rotation? Kumar Rocker has upside, but he had an ERA below 6.00 in 14 starts in 2025, and while Jake Latz pitched pretty well, he worked mostly in relief. The top is as good as it gets, but it's hard to believe in the rest of the Rangers' staff.
5. New York Yankees
Yankees Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | LHP Max Fried |
2 | RHP Cam Schlittler |
3 | LHP Ryan Weathers |
4 | RHP Will Warren |
5 | RHP Luis Gil |
Put a massive asterisk here. The New York Yankees' Opening Day rotation is not elite, but it's worth noting that Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt are all expected to begin the season on the IL. Once those guys get healthy, this rotation is one of, if not the best in the league, and even without them, there's a lot to like.
Max Fried is a legitimate ace. Cam Schlittler showcased his immense upside down the stretch and should be a difference-maker for New York. New acquisition Ryan Weathers has outstanding stuff from the left side and could be a breakout candidate if he can stay healthy. Will Warren looks like a decent back-end starter, and while Luis Gil had a rough 2025, he's only a year removed from a Rookie of the Year campaign.
4. Kansas City Royals
Royals Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | LHP Cole Ragans |
2 | RHP Michael Wacha |
3 | LHP Kris Bubic |
4 | RHP Seth Lugo |
5 | LHP Noah Cameron |
We've arrived at the first truly complete rotation in the American League. The Kansas City Royals' staff does not feature an established ace like Skubal, deGrom or Fried, but it has five really solid options for Matt Quatraro to turn to.
Cole Ragans had an injury-riddled 2025 season, but he has ace upside. Michael Wacha doesn't ever get talked about, but he's as steady as ever in the middle of the Royals' rotation. The same can be said about Seth Lugo, even with a rough second half to 2025 in mind. Kris Bubic broke out this past season and could be even better in 2026. Noah Cameron had a sub-3.00 ERA in 24 starts and finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2025. Again, these are five exciting starters, but their lack of an ace keeps them out of the top three.
3. Boston Red Sox
Red Sox Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | LHP Garrett Crochet |
2 | LHP Ranger Suarez |
3 | RHP Sonny Gray |
4 | RHP Brayan Bello |
5 | RHP Johan Oviedo |
An already solid Red Sox rotation got even better with the Suarez addition. Again, I'm not sure he's the No. 2 starter Red Sox fans were hoping for, but he's been consistent even with declining velocity, and his postseason resume speaks for itself. There's a lot to like from top to bottom.
Garrett Crochet obviously has a lot to do with that, as he's one of the three best starters in the game. Sonny Gray is an established veteran who should do good things, and both Brayan Belllo and Johan Oviedo boast a lot of upside. Knowing guys like Peyton Tolle, Connelly Early and Patrick Sandoval loom as depth options, it's hard not to love the lengthy list of starters in the Red Sox's organization. The only reason this rotation only ranks third is because of their lack of a clear No. 2 guy. I'm not sure Suarez or Gray fits that bill, and I'm not sure the Red Sox will get someone else who does at this point.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
Blue Jays Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | RHP Kevin Gausman |
2 | RHP Dylan Cease |
3 | RHP Trey Yesavage |
4 | RHP Shane Bieber |
5 | RHP Jose Berrios |
Kevin Gausman might not be as good as Crochet, but the duo of Gausman and Dylan Cease outranks that of Crochet and Suarez in my view, and there's a good chance Trey Yesavage will be better than Sonny Gray after how well he pitched as a rookie. That Toronto Blue Jays trio should be so fun to watch and has the potential to do some special things.
Admittedly, there's a lot of risk with the back-end of this rotation. Will Shane Bieber be healthy and the Bieber we've come to expect come Opening Day? That remains to be seen. What version of Jose Berrios will we see? That's another mystery. Will Cody Ponce factor into the rotation? Perhaps. We might even see Bowden Francis re-emerge. There's a great combination of starpower and depth, and that should lead to this rotation being almost the cream of the crop in the league.
1. Seattle Mariners
Mariners Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
1 | RHP Bryan Woo |
2 | RHP Logan Gilbert |
3 | RHP George Kirby |
4 | RHP Luis Castillo |
5 | RHP Bryce Miller |
The Seattle Mariners have had an elite starting rotation for a while now, and I expect that to be no different in 2025 as they project to run back the same group that's been thriving for years now.
Bryan Woo might be the best bet in the league to get you a quality start in any given game. Logan Gilbert is a top 10 pitcher in the American League, if not better. George Kirby's command is as good as anyone's, and while he's coming off a down year, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in All-Star form. Luis Castillo isn't the ace he once was, but he's a rock-solid No. 4 starter, especially when he pitches at home. Bryce Miller had an underwhelming 2025, but he looked better in the playoffs and could be in for a big year. It'd take a major addition for the Red Sox or anyone else to overtake Seattle at the top of the pecking order.
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