20. Pablo López, Minnesota Twins

Stats: 32 GS, 11-8, 3.66 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 48 BB, 234 K, 194.0 IP, 3.3 WAR

López ranked second in the AL with 234 strikeouts during his first season with the Minnesota Twins, earning his first All-Star selection and finishing seventh in AL Cy Young balloting. The 27-year-old was acquired during the offseason in a one-for-one deal that sent Luis Arraez the other way, and he inked a four-year, $73.5 million extension in April.

19. Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

Stats: 31 GS, 12-11, 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 57 BB, 200 K, 198.0 IP, 3.2 WAR

Valdez took over the role of staff ace in Houston after Justin Verlander (briefly) departed in free agency, and for the second year in a row, he tallied at least 20 quality starts. The 30-year-old threw a pair of complete-game shutouts and finished third in the AL in innings pitched en route to a ninth-place finish in AL Cy Young voting.

18. Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks

Stats: 30 GS, 12-8, 3.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 69 BB, 187 K, 177.2 IP, 3.8 WAR

One of the most underrated pitchers in baseball, Kelly went 13-8 with a 3.37 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 177 strikeouts in 200.1 innings during an under-the-radar breakout season in 2022. The 35-year-old proved that step forward was for real with more of the same this year, and he capped off his 2023 season with a gem (7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K) in Game 2 of the World Series.

17. Justin Verlander, New York Mets/Houston Astros

Stats: 27 GS, 13-8, 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 45 BB, 144 K, 162.1 IP, 3.5 WAR

Verlander started the 2023 season on the injured list after signing a two-year, $86.7 million deal with the New York Mets during the offseason, but he quickly rounded into form once he returned to action. The 40-year-old had a 3.31 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 68 innings over 11 starts after he was traded back to the Houston Astros at the deadline.

16. Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves

Stats: 32 GS, 20-5, 3.86 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 58 BB, 281 K, 186.2 IP, 3.4 WAR

The MLB leader in wins (20) and strikeouts (281), Strider was virtually unhittable once again when everything was clicking, tallying 11 starts with double-digit strikeouts. The 25-year-old didn't always have his elite stuff, allowing four or more earned runs in 10 of his 32 starts en route to the highest ERA of any pitcher in the top 25, making him one of the tougher players to slot in these rankings.