Five best National League West starting pitchers right now

Opponents are hitting just .208 against Pivetta's fastball this season, and his maximum exit velocity against is 115.5, a number that's in the bottom seven percent of all qualified MLB pitchers.

4. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

For all of the drama there has been in the desert this season with injuries and underperformance, Kelly has been a stalwart, posting a 121 ERA+ and 2.1 bWAR through 87.0 innings.

The 36-year-old right-hander has arguably gone under the radar with the signing of Burnes and the potential trade of Zac Gallen dominating the headlines during the first part of the season. However, as the trade deadline draws near, expect there to be buzz around Kelly (who is in the final year of his contract) as well after posting a 3.41 ERA and 1.023 WHIP through his first 15 starts.

3. Robbie Ray, San Francisco Giants

Four years after winning the American League Cy Young Award with the Toronto Blue Jays, Ray is looking every bit like a candidate for the NL Cy Young Award this season.

Ray's overall expected batting average is .203, and teams are hitting just .186 against his fastball through his first 87.1 innings.

After making only eight starts over the last two seasons because of Tommy John surgery, the 33-year-old Ray has seemingly returned to form in 2025.

2. Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants

The combination of Webb and Ray has been a big reason why the Giants are battling near the top of the division.

Webb has been a model of consistency for the Giants over the last three seasons, making 32 or more starts in each year while posting an ERA of 3.47 or less. His 204.2 innings last year led the NL, while his 216.0 innings the previous season were an MLB-best.

This season, opponents are hitting just .202 against his changeup and .121 against his four-seamer, making that a diabolical combination.

1. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers

The 26-year-old right-hander has built upon his MLB debut campaign last year with 14 starts this season, where he has already accumulated as much bWAR (1.8) as he did in his 18 starts in 2024.

With the Dodgers battling numerous starting pitcher injuries, Yamamoto's 148 ERA+ through 78.1 innings has been a big plus for manager Dave Roberts.

A big reason for Yamamoto's success so far this season? Opponents are hitting just .191 against his four-seamer while last year's average against was .266.