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MLB · Top Players · 2026

Top Players season 2026Pitchers

Who are the top MLB pitchers in 2026 — and are their mega-contracts worth it? This board tracks Shohei Ohtani, Zack Wheeler, Jacob deGrom, Framber Valdez and every other qualified star on a $10M+ deal: Spotrac average annual value (AAV) vs WAR, ERA, cost per WAR, and our Peer Value Index (1–10 vs peers on this page). The scatter chart and tabs show who looks overpaid and who is a bargain among baseball's biggest names. Updated daily during the season.

132
Qualified
2026
Season
$46.1M
Top AAV
0.38
Median WAR/$1M
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

Contract vs performance

Dashed line = fair deal at league median WAR per $1M.

Better valueOverpaidFair deal0.01.02.03.04.0$0M$10M$20M$30M$40M$50MWARAAV (CONTRACT)
Green ring = best value on chartFair deal lineRed ring = overpaid vs peers

Sorts the player cards and table below — the chart above always shows everyone.

2
Aaron Nola
PHI · P
$24.6M AAV
WAR 0.8
ERA 5.87
Peer VI
3.7
WAR/$M
0.03
3
Robbie Ray
SF · P
$23.0M AAV
WAR 0.5
ERA 3.45
Peer VI
3.3
WAR/$M
0.02
4
Sean Manaea
NYM · P
$22.0M AAV
WAR 0.6
ERA 5.16
Peer VI
3.5
WAR/$M
0.03
5
Tatsuya Imai
HOU · P
$18.0M AAV
WAR 0.2
ERA 6.06
Peer VI
2.9
WAR/$M
0.01
6
Shohei Ohtani
LAD · TWP
$46.1M AAV
WAR 3.0
ERA 1.79
Peer VI
4.9
WAR/$M
0.07
7
Zack Wheeler
PHI · P
$42.0M AAV
WAR 2.4
ERA 2.28
Peer VI
4.6
WAR/$M
0.06
8
Jacob deGrom
TEX · P
$37.0M AAV
WAR 2.3
ERA 3.49
Peer VI
4.8
WAR/$M
0.06
9
Tarik Skubal
DET · P
$32.0M AAV
WAR 1.7
ERA 3.06
Peer VI
4.5
WAR/$M
0.05

Better deals nearby

Monthly ERA trend

Most overpaid contracts

#PLAYERTEAMAAVWARERAPEER VI ▾WAR / $1M
1Framber ValdezFramber ValdezDET$36.6M1.04.293.50.027
2Aaron NolaAaron NolaPHI$24.6M0.85.873.70.033
3Robbie RayRobbie RaySF$23.0M0.53.453.30.022
4Sean ManaeaSean ManaeaNYM$22.0M0.65.163.50.027
5Tatsuya ImaiTatsuya ImaiHOU$18.0M0.26.062.90.011
6Shohei OhtaniShohei OhtaniLAD$46.1M3.01.794.90.065
7Zack WheelerZack WheelerPHI$42.0M2.42.284.60.057
8Jacob deGromJacob deGromTEX$37.0M2.33.494.80.062
9Tarik SkubalTarik SkubalDET$32.0M1.73.064.50.053
10Nathan EovaldiNathan EovaldiTEX$25.0M1.34.024.40.052

Showing 10 of 34 filtered players

Team payroll vs performance

Includes every team with at least one qualified player in the current filter.

EfficientOverpaidCombined WARFair efficiency02468$0M$60M$120M$180M$240M$300M$360M$420MSPOTRAC PAYROLL (CBT)

Top MLB pitchers & contract value — what this page shows (2026)

People search for top MLB players — Shohei Ohtani, Gerrit Cole, Jacob deGrom, Zack Wheeler, Max Scherzer and the rest of the league's stars — and want to know who is worth their paycheck. This is a contract value board: we take Spotrac average annual value (AAV) for every qualified pitcher on a $10M+ deal and compare it to on-field output (WAR, ERA, dollars per WAR).

Peer Value Index (1–10) scores each player against other $10M+ pitchers on this page — not the whole league. Seven or higher means strong value for the salary; below five means the contract is lagging production. Use the scatter chart (salary vs WAR), Overpaid / Best value tabs, and Better deals pairs to see who looks overpaid.

Season stats refresh once per day from our database sync; Spotrac contract amounts update weekly. Adjust filters for minimum innings pitched, team, or AAV tier. Power Rankings (team-level monthly grades) lives under the same Top Players menu.

Teams Standings · All pitchers