Get ready for a deep dive into the world of baseball and the intriguing stories of three starting pitchers who are aiming to make a comeback in 2026!
The Comeback Trail: Three Starting Pitchers' Redemption Stories
This offseason, many teams made significant moves to bolster their rotations. Some went all-in, signing big-name free agents to raise their team's potential. The Blue Jays acquired Dylan Cease, the Red Sox signed Ranger Suarez, and the Tigers brought in Framber Valdez. On the other hand, some teams focused on maintaining their core and adding depth. The Padres, for instance, signed Griffin Canning, Germán Márquez, and Walker Buehler on cost-effective deals.
While starting pitchers may not experience the same level of volatility as relievers, injuries and inconsistent performances can still lead to challenging seasons. Tonight, we shine a spotlight on three pitchers who are looking to bounce back and reclaim their former glory.
Top Free Agent: Zac Gallen - The Ace in Search of His Prime
Gallen has been a true ace when at his best. From 2022 to 2023, he dominated with a 3.04 ERA over 394 innings for the Diamondbacks. His strikeout prowess was on full display, with a 26.4% K rate, and he ranked highly among starters with an impressive 20.4% K-BB rate. His fWAR of 9.3 ranked him sixth, ahead of Giants ace Logan Webb. As he entered his age-28 season in 2024, expectations were high for Gallen to continue his prime-level performance.
While his numbers in 2024 were still solid, they took a slight dip from his ace-like status. Gallen missed a month due to a hamstring strain but still managed 28 starts with a respectable 3.65 ERA. He improved his groundball rate, but his strikeout and walk rates took a turn for the worse, moving closer to average after two years of exceptional control. Unfortunately, Gallen's struggles continued in 2025. Despite staying healthy and pitching 192 innings in 33 starts, his ERA soared to a career-high 4.83, marking his first below-average season since 2021. His strikeouts dipped further, and his expected stats (4.28 xERA) suggest he wasn't as bad as the surface numbers indicate, but the decline was undeniable.
Gallen entered the offseason as a potential bargain for former aces. MLBTR projected him to land a four-year, $80MM contract, even after his down year. However, his market didn't develop as expected, and he ultimately signed a one-year, $22.025MM deal with the Diamondbacks, matching the team's qualifying offer. Gallen aims to return to his 2022-23 form, and at the very least, he's expected to provide mid-rotation production for 30 starts. The key to his comeback lies in refining his breaking pitches, which struggled in 2025. His curveball, once a weapon, needs to regain its edge, and he must work on increasing his strikeout numbers while keeping the ball in the park, as he allowed the third-most home runs among qualified starters in 2025.
Veteran Starter: Sean Manaea - Luck Runs Out, But Potential Remains
Manaea re-signed with the Mets on a three-year, $75MM deal during the 2024-25 offseason. He had just come off a strong season with a 3.47 ERA in 181 2/3 innings, returning to full-time starting pitching after mostly serving as a reliever for the Giants in 2023. In 2024 with the Mets, Manaea struck out hitters at a 24.9% clip and kept the ball in the park better than his career averages. His .249 BABIP suggested he had some good luck on his side, but even so, he was expected to provide solid mid-rotation value.
Unfortunately, Manaea's 2025 season was a stark contrast to his previous success. He suffered a right oblique strain in March, missing the first three and a half months of the season. Things took a turn for the worse when loose bodies were discovered in his throwing elbow, causing a setback in his recovery. Finally making his season debut on July 13, Manaea made 15 appearances (12 starts) with a disappointing 5.64 ERA. Interestingly, he achieved this high ERA despite striking out a career-best 28.5% of hitters and walking a career-low 4.6%. His expected stats (4.00 xERA and 3.30 xFIP) paint a much better picture, suggesting he was unlucky with his results.
Manaea struggled mightily with the long ball in 2025, allowing 13 home runs in just 60 2/3 innings (1.93 HR/9). He also made a curious decision to abandon his sinker, which was worth 10 runs above average in 2024, instead throwing his four-seamer over 60% of the time. Opponents slugged significantly higher against the four-seamer compared to 2024, when he used it more sparingly. Manaea's sweeper usage also increased, but with diminished results, including a drop in strikeout rate and an increase in slugging against.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza believes that Manaea's mechanical adjustments, combined with his oblique injury, may have contributed to his poor 2025 numbers. In 2026, Manaea aims to regain his pre-injury mechanics, differentiate his fastballs like he did in 2024, and continue to induce chases on his sweeper pitches.
Minor-League Signing: Walker Buehler - A Former Cy Young Contender's Comeback
The current version of Buehler is a far cry from the pitcher who finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2021. Since the end of that campaign, he has pitched just 266 1/3 innings. Buehler missed all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery in August 2022. He returned in 2024 for 16 starts, but the results were underwhelming. Buehler's strikeout rate dropped to 18.6%, while his walk rate increased to 8.1%, and he allowed nearly two home runs per nine innings. His once-dominant four-seamer became his least valuable pitch, grading out at 13 runs below average. However, Buehler found success in the postseason with the World Series-winning Dodgers, which led the Red Sox to take a chance on him with a one-year, $21.05MM deal.
Unfortunately, 2025 proved to be another challenging year for Buehler. He pitched 126 innings in 26 appearances (24 starts) with a 4.93 ERA. His velocity decreased on all pitches except his slider. His strikeout rate plummeted to 16.3%, and his 5.5% K-BB rate ranked among the worst among starters with at least 100 innings pitched. The Red Sox released him in August, and although he performed decently in a small sample with the Phillies, it was clear that his market value had taken a hit.
Now, Buehler finds himself competing for a back-of-the-rotation spot with the Padres. To regain his value, he must make some adjustments. He could start by tweaking his pitch mix. Buehler has already decreased his four-seam usage as it continues to lose velocity. Meanwhile, his sinker was well-regarded by Statcast in 2025, grading out as 6 runs above average. Making the sinker his primary fastball could help him evolve into a soft-contact, groundball pitcher. By building on his strengths, Buehler might be able to prolong his career and find his way back to the top.
These three pitchers, Gallen, Manaea, and Buehler, are all aiming to bounce back and prove that they still have what it takes to excel in the MLB. Will they be able to reclaim their former glory? Only time will tell, but their stories are a testament to the resilience and determination of these athletes. Stay tuned as we follow their journeys throughout the 2026 season!
