MLB Player Grades — Season Leaderboard

Hitters Starting pitchers Relief pitchers

Qualified: 1 inning per team game (46 players). Show everyone · 2026

Jacob Misiorowski

Milwaukee Brewers · SP

98.9+41.6 runs

Cam Schlittler

New York Yankees · SP

96.7+35.8 runs

Chris Sale

Atlanta Braves · SP

94.6+32.7 runs

#	Player	Team	Season	Runs	Grade
1	Jacob MisiorowskiSP · MIL	Brewers	174.2 IP · 1.80 ERA · 252 K	+41.6	98.9
2	Cam SchlittlerSP · NYY	Yankees	193.2 IP · 1.95 ERA · 239 K	+35.8	96.7
3	Chris SaleSP · ATL	Braves	162.2 IP · 2.16 ERA · 200 K	+32.7	94.6
4	Dylan CeaseSP · TOR	Blue Jays	169.0 IP · 2.40 ERA · 239 K	+30.4	92.4
5	Cristopher SanchezSP · PHI	Phillies	207.0 IP · 2.91 ERA · 231 K	+28.4	90.2
6	Drew RasmussenSP · TB	Rays	172.0 IP · 2.67 ERA · 174 K	+28.2	88.0
7	Jesus LuzardoSP · PHI	Phillies	179.2 IP · 2.86 ERA · 221 K	+28.0	85.9
8	Reid DetmersSP · LAA	Angels	185.0 IP · 3.36 ERA · 211 K	+24.5	83.7
9	Parker MessickSP · CLE	Guardians	186.1 IP · 2.56 ERA · 193 K	+23.6	81.5
10	Yoshinobu YamamotoSP · LAD	Dodgers	185.0 IP · 2.53 ERA · 182 K	+21.2	79.3
11	Jacob deGromSP · TEX	Rangers	162.2 IP · 4.20 ERA · 201 K	+17.8	77.2
12	Cade CavalliSP · WSH	Nationals	169.2 IP · 3.02 ERA · 200 K	+16.7	75.0
13	Zack WheelerSP · PHI	Phillies	162.0 IP · 3.00 ERA · 193 K	+16.7	72.8
14	Paul SkenesSP · PIT	Pirates	174.1 IP · 3.82 ERA · 200 K	+16.0	70.7
15	Bryan WooSP · SEA	Mariners	173.0 IP · 4.01 ERA · 175 K	+15.4	68.5
16	Sonny GraySP · BOS	Red Sox	169.0 IP · 2.72 ERA · 149 K	+14.1	66.3
17	Gavin WilliamsSP · CLE	Guardians	184.1 IP · 3.76 ERA · 248 K	+13.8	64.1
18	Braxton AshcraftSP · PIT	Pirates	165.1 IP · 3.65 ERA · 173 K	+12.8	62.0
19	Trevor RogersSP · BAL	Orioles	169.2 IP · 4.03 ERA · 157 K	+11.6	59.8
20	Nolan McLeanSP · NYM	Mets	179.2 IP · 3.16 ERA · 194 K	+10.7	57.6
21	Taj BradleySP · MIN	Twins	178.1 IP · 3.73 ERA · 205 K	+9.1	55.4
22	Sean BurkeSP · CHW	White Sox	172.1 IP · 3.34 ERA · 185 K	+8.2	53.3
23	Shane BazSP · BAL	Orioles	179.2 IP · 4.11 ERA · 154 K	+7.3	51.1
24	Eduardo RodriguezSP · ARI	Diamondbacks	189.2 IP · 2.89 ERA · 143 K	+7.1	48.9
25	Noah CameronSP · KC	Royals	177.1 IP · 4.11 ERA · 158 K	+6.8	46.7
26	Andre PallanteSP · STL	Cardinals	162.0 IP · 3.83 ERA · 110 K	+6.8	44.6
27	Kevin GausmanSP · CHC	Cubs	177.2 IP · 4.51 ERA · 184 K	+6.4	42.4
28	Nick MartinezSP · TB	Rays	180.0 IP · 3.10 ERA · 109 K	+5.9	40.2
29	Jose SorianoSP · TOR	Blue Jays	177.1 IP · 3.91 ERA · 169 K	+5.4	38.0
30	Sandy AlcantaraSP · MIA	Marlins	214.0 IP · 3.87 ERA · 153 K	+4.4	35.9
31	Foster GriffinSP · CLE	Guardians	172.2 IP · 3.60 ERA · 158 K	+4.2	33.7
32	MacKenzie GoreSP · TEX	Rangers	173.0 IP · 4.58 ERA · 174 K	+4.0	31.5
33	Logan GilbertSP · SEA	Mariners	186.0 IP · 3.73 ERA · 205 K	+3.8	29.3
34	Michael KingSP · SD	Padres	185.0 IP · 3.21 ERA · 159 K	+1.4	27.2
35	Framber ValdezSP · DET	Tigers	174.0 IP · 4.03 ERA · 135 K	+0.8	25.0
36	Michael WachaSP · KC	Royals	200.2 IP · 3.32 ERA · 158 K	−0.8	22.8
37	Michael McGreevySP · STL	Cardinals	168.2 IP · 3.95 ERA · 115 K	−2.1	20.7
38	Freddy PeraltaSP · TB	Rays	169.0 IP · 4.42 ERA · 156 K	−3.0	18.5
39	George KirbySP · SEA	Mariners	174.2 IP · 4.33 ERA · 148 K	−3.1	16.3
40	Shota ImanagaSP · CHC	Cubs	174.1 IP · 3.77 ERA · 174 K	−5.2	14.1
41	Tanner BibeeSP · CLE	Guardians	188.0 IP · 4.36 ERA · 148 K	−5.6	12.0
42	Seth LugoSP · KC	Royals	172.1 IP · 5.17 ERA · 134 K	−8.2	9.8
43	Robbie RaySP · SD	Padres	165.2 IP · 3.59 ERA · 140 K	−9.0	7.6
44	Aaron NolaSP · PHI	Phillies	175.1 IP · 4.67 ERA · 177 K	−12.6	5.4
45	Andrew AbbottSP · CIN	Reds	166.0 IP · 4.61 ERA · 131 K	−12.9	3.3
46	Merrill KellySP · ARI	Diamondbacks	162.0 IP · 4.94 ERA · 113 K	−19.9	1.1

How MLB grades work

An MLB grade measures runs above an average player. Every way a plate appearance can end has a run value: what it does, on average, to the runs a team can expect to score in the rest of the inning. A home run is worth about 1.39 runs, a double 0.75, a single 0.47, a walk 0.32, and an out costs 0.27. We worked these out from every play of the 2023 to 2025 seasons, the years since the pitch clock and the shift ban. A player is credited with how far his results beat what an average player would have done in the same plate appearances, and parks are taken into account: a hitter at Coors Field has it harder to stand out than one at T-Mobile Park.

Hitters are graded on every plate appearance except intentional walks and sacrifice bunts, plus stolen bases and times caught stealing. Reaching on an error counts as the out it should have been.
Pitchers' game grades count everything the batters they faced did. Season grades count strikeouts, walks, hit batters and home runs in full but balls in play only a quarter for how they turned out, because over a season those depend mostly on the fielders and on luck. Tested on 2022 to 2025, that blend predicted the next season's runs allowed almost as well as ignoring balls in play entirely, and far better than a pitcher's own runs allowed did.
Season grades rank runs above average per game a player's team has played, so they count how much he plays as well as how well, against this season's qualified players in his role: hitters with 3.1 plate appearances per team game, starters with an inning per team game, relievers with 40 innings over a full season.
Game grades need 3 plate appearances or batters faced, and rank one game against every such game of the regular season. Starters are ranked against starts and relievers against relief outings.
Defense isn't in it. The play-by-play we use names fielders only in words, so a great shortstop's glove doesn't show.

How NFL grades work →

Scores, box scores and play-by-play from ESPN. The run values and park factors behind the grades were worked out from Retrosheet's play-by-play: the information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at www.retrosheet.org.