Foul Territory: Building the Perfect MLB Starting Pitcher

If you could build the perfect starting pitcher, which pitches would you inherit from the best arms on the planet?

MLB organizations are chasing “stuff” and it’s easier nowadays to quantify it, but that can only get you so far. If you can’t locate, your stuff will not play at this level.

The Foul Territory crew looked at building a balanced pitch arsenal using the FanGraphs Stuff+ statistic for four different pitches and add in Location+ to give a well-rounded pitching profile. All pitchers rank first in their category, with the exception that Tarik Skubal is second to Michael Wacha in Changeup Stuff+. We’re still giving Skubal the edge on changeup because of his far superior whiff numbers on that pitch.

Fastball, Changeup: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (Stf+ FB 113, Stf+ CH 123)

The reigning AL Cy Young winner was absolutely dominant in 2025, thanks in large part to his deadly fastball and changeup combination. His four-seamer averaged over 97 MPH with almost 17 inches of movement, while his changeup had a whopping 46.8% whiff rate. Good luck to anyone facing this bulldog. The Tigers don’t seem to value him nearly as much as many other teams do. They have not come close in contract discussions, and Skubal could be traded this offseason.

Sweeper: Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox (Stf+ SL 141)

If you’re looking for a wipeout pitch, look no further than Boston’s horse. Crochet’s sweeper is his best secondary pitch, as its strikeout rate was over 50% during the 2025 campaign.

Curveball: Framber Valdez, Houston Astros (Stf+ CV 128)

When he’s rolling, the Houston southpaw has a devastating curveball that he can throw in any count. Even in what was seen as a down year in 2025, Valdez still managed to generate over a 40% whiff rate with his curveball, thanks to well-above-average vertical and horizontal break on the pitch.

Location: Jesus Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies (Location+ 112)

When it comes to throwing your pitches where they need to be, no one does it better than Luzardo. Per FanGraphs, his Location+ on all four of his pitches is between 7% and 17% above average and narrowly beats out Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes for overall Location+.