Pitcher Leaderboard Fun
After two articles focusing on hitter archetypes, we will examine one of the most fun pitcher profiles for which to scour leaderboards. Today, we are on the hunt for amazing strikeout pitchers. Regrettably, their resumes are not completely clean. These eleven pitchers will deliver a boatload of strikeouts to dynasty teams but need to tweak some things to improve their control. Each pitcher meets the guiding constraints of a 30% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate for their recent career or in a previous season.
The list is sorted by the future value of each player as listed on the FanGraphs Board. And here is a secret you may not know. Just between me and you, right? FanGraphs now has NCAA stats on a 2021 – 2025 leaderboard. Shhh! Let’s dive in!
Trey Yesavage had a 10% walk rate for his NCAA career but had been steadily improving the walk rate over his three years at East Carolina. Yesavage is a physical presence on the bump with a smooth over-the-top delivery that has an average release height of 6’8″. He features three pitches with an above-average grade, with the fastball sitting 93-95 mph. His high three-quarters arm angle emphasizes downward motion, which plays up the diving action of his renowned splitfinger. This allows him to pinpoint pitches in other spots of the zone because the batter will look low and may not be accustomed to increasing their attack angle to catch up to the pitch.
Yesavage was drafted as the 20th pick of the first round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024. It is unclear why he didn’t get any minor league action, but there is no injury to report. In college, he developed a great reputation for punchouts, with eight games of double-digit strikeouts in 2024. Yesavage displays the full starter arsenal as a 21-year-old with three average pitches, one above-average pitch, and above-average command.
Yesavage works out of a semi-elongated stretch and quickens the pace to home when runners are on. The stretch is notable as he may be attempting to generate more torque by slightly orienting his body towards the third base batter box. When he makes it to his first minor league stop, likely Single-A Dunedin, we will want to see even more fluidity with his delivery while maintaining command of his top three pitches. There is likely no more physical growth, but there could be a tick or two increase in velocity. Even if there isn’t velocity growth, Yesavage should reach higher levels with greater command of his arsenal.
During his freshman year as a reliever, Yesavage had poorer numbers, walking over 15% of batters he faced. His walk rate decreased to a slightly high 8.9% in his third year but was outweighed by a ridiculous 40.4% strikeout rate. His mechanics have improved as seen by the reduced number of wild pitches and his stinginess with home runs.
Yesavage has many positive attributes in his favor. His stamina was on full display during his final college season as he worked 93 innings and ten games of over 100 pitches. For 2025, he should be able to ramp up to 130+ innings pitched. In addition, he has already improved his walk rate, so you should be excited about grabbing Yesavage in the first or second round of your 2025 FYPD. We will get a chance to scout Yesavafge as he is a prominent arm listed for the Blue Jays’ Spring Breakout game roster on March 15.
Fingers crossed, the Angels’ pitching development team can preserve the best qualities of George Klassen and his strong three-pitch arsenal. Klassen utilizes a three-quarters arm angle with long-arm deception to play up his fastball velocity that sits at 95-98 mph and can touch 100 mph.
Klassen was the 29th pick of the sixth round for the Phillies in the 2023 draft. He was traded to the Angels in July 2024 in the Carlos Estévez deal. The Angels immediately promoted him to Double-A Rocket City after one game at Single-A. His control evaded him during his time with the Trash Pandas, where he finished with 28 strikeouts against 22 walks over 28.2 innings.
Klassen needs more control over his breaking pitches before he can be called up to the major leagues. He still gets whiffs, but there are many highlights of him unintentionally burying the curveball into the ground. He can sometimes be an easy take by hitters, as seen by 15 wild pitches each in 2023 and 2024. Yet, as long as he can locate the fastball, the curveball will work just fine. Check out the sequence of his final 2024 game, where he struck out 12 batters, mostly on sliders.
Klassen’s 2024 season ended on that high note, but his short tenure with the Angels is not a good omen for trimming the high walk rate. He finished 2024 with a 35.2% strikeout rate and a 12.0% walk rate but walked three or more batters in six of his last eight starts. If the Angels can improve his poor command, Klassen will zoom up on draft boards. On the strength of his three above-average pitches, I drafted him in the final year of a five-year dynasty league, hoping the Angels continue their early promotion ways for their top prospects. Klassen will be a fun watch at the Angels’ March 15th Spring Breakout game.
Moisés Chace has no issue locating the fastball. It’s the offspeed pitches that have been an issue for him. The velocity is easy, and the delivery is smooth with a shorter arm action that keeps his approach angle low. The slider is the slightly better secondary pitch, but the changeup does its job of keeping hitters from timing up the fastball.
Initially signed by the Orioles out of Venezuela in 2019, Chace was traded to the Phillies in a 2024 deal that involved Gregory Soto. The Phillies started him in High Single-A for two games before he pitched four games in Double-A. With his new team, Chace put up 48 strikeouts against 10 walks over 28.1 innings pitched.
In his 13-strikeout game on August 31, he relied on the fastball early before turning to the breaking and offspeed stuff the second and third time through the order.
So far, his tenure with Philadelphia has been tremendous as he has posted an 8.9% walk rate against a 42.9% strikeout rate over 28.1 innings pitched with hitters only managing a .200 average against him. For Chace to reach his full potential, he needs to continue to reduce those free passes. In his 2025 spring training debut, his velocity was down to 94 mph over a small sample of ten pitches. I hope he shows better at the Phillies’ March 14th Spring Breakout game.
Chayce McDermott has had poor walk rates for his entire career. Nevertheless, the future is bright if McDermott can master command of his vast five-pitch arsenal.
McDermott was selected as a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2021 draft by the Astros. The Orioles received him in a 2022 deal involving Trey Mancini, where they started him in High Single-A and then Double-A. After another year and a half in the minor leagues, Baltimore promoted him for his debut in July 2024.
He threw five different pitches in his debut at Miami. The slider grades out strong on the Stuff+ model at 116. The fastball has slightly more rise than the average major league fastball sitting 93-95 mph. His curveball is an effective pitch that has a tad more drop than average. His changeup runs fairly far away on the arm side but was missing the edge for most of this game and became an easy take. He was nibbling all over the shadows of the zone, often missing with the slider or sweeper. Despite the so-so outcome in his debut, he did post a 60% ground-ball rate and could have gotten out of his roughest inning earlier with better defensive alignment. He did not get another chance to prove himself as he was sent down after the game.
With over 400 career innings thus far, I would like to see more polish on the command of his arsenal. Yet, there are good signs for McDermott’s future with the two finishing breaking pitches, a mid-90s fastball with rise, and a developing changeup. On the negative side, McDermott will likely start the 2025 season on the injured list with a lat injury that has prevented him from a normal throwing progression this spring.
Jurrangelo Cijntje is a natural lefty who has shown more promise as a right-handed pitcher. Reviewing Cijntje (pronounced “saint-cha”) is akin to analyzing two pitchers since the arsenal is quite different out of each hand. From the right side, Cijntje gets the four-seam fastball up to 95-97 mph with a nice zip. The shorter arm action plays up a little deception that allows him to mix in an average slider and changeup. From the left side, he pairs a lovely sweeper with a fastball that sits 91-94 mph.
Cijntje was chosen by the Seattle Mariners in the 2024 draft as the 15th pick of the first round. He has yet to make a minor league appearance so we are eagerly awaiting how Seattle utilizes their dual-handed pitcher. It is uncertain how long the Mariners will allow him to switch-pitch, but the benefits of doing so could lengthen his stint in an individual game or for the week as he can spread the pitch count out amongst both arms.
The selection of Cijntje is a slight cheat code, as he has already improved the walk rate over the year. Yet, he will have to demonstrate that ability in the minor leagues from both arms. We will hopefully get our first view of Cijntje at the Mariners’ Spring Breakout game on March 14.
The most immediate movement noticeable about Gage Jump’s delivery is the hitch in his arm action. Jump keeps his elbow tucked before pushing off the mound and launching the ball to the plate almost like he is tossing a javelin. Unsurprisingly, he had Tommy John surgery in 2023 during a shortened freshman season. He transferred over to LSU and pitched very well. Although he also improved his walk rate to fall under 10% for his two-year career, he had five wild pitches and nine HBP during the 2024 season.
The southpaw was initially drafted by the Padres in 2021, but he hurt his elbow during the same year. The Athletics then took him in the 2024 draft as a Competitive Balance Round B pick. Jump did not see any minor league action in 2024, but has been throwing in relief during spring training.
Jump utilizes a three-quarter arm angle from the left side. His curveball appears to be his money pitch as he uses it on back-to-back throws as well as at the start or finish of an at-bat. The fastball sits in the low 90s and seemed to fool enough college hitters to get them from sitting on the curveball.
With the 73rd overall pick, the Oakland Athletics selected LHP Gage Jump. FB up to 97 with ride and run through the zone. SL and CB are distinct in shape, though he has more of a feel for the SL – which is also the better of the two. Intriguing CH. pic.twitter.com/O9T5TZ1PEc
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) July 15, 2024
Unless a new delivery is utilized in the minor leagues, Jump is a player that is hard to recommend for long-term dynasty plans as there is an elevated injury concern. Despite the pessimistic tone, Jump has demonstrated an ability to throw deep into games with five turns of 6 or more innings at LSU. The pinnacle was a 14-strikeout complete-game masterpiece against Missouri that speaks to the high point he could reach.
Folks may have prospect fatigue on Jack Leiter, but he has never really had time to shine in the major leagues. Leiter grades out as having two above-average pitches and one average cutter. During his minor league tenure, he featured late-breaking sliders and curveballs. Leiter has displayed pinpoint control while playing along the shadows of the zone. He pairs those breaking pitches with a mid-90s four-seam fastball with zip but minimal movement.
The fastball could be an issue if it has no movement and is not mixed well with breaking pitches. An area to watch is whether or not he can get the fastball up high since most of his breaking pitches hit the lowest third of the zone. His fastball has average rise, but visually, it appears straight as an arrow and catches way too much of the middle of the plate.
Leiter was selected as the second pick of the 2021 draft by the Texas Rangers. The highly-touted Vanderbilt righty was dropped into Double-A where he did not meet the hype. He got his first cup of coffee in early 2024 but once again did not rise to the occasion as a starter by giving up multiple runs in every appearance.
Leiter has had a strong start to 2025, with only two runs allowed over 8.2 innings pitched on one walk against eight strikeouts. The velocity is up on all of his pitches, with the four-seam fastball averaging 96.4 mph and touching 99.6 mph. With more experience under his belt and a vast arsenal, this is a good time to buy the dip on Leiter.
Emiliano Teodo has a snappy, over-the-top delivery that maximizes power every pitch. His name has always been mentioned as a closer or reliever candidate for the Rangers. On the other hand, Teodo had a stretch in Double-A where he pitched five or more innings for 10 out of 12 starts, so he is being given plenty of room to grow into the starter role.
Teodo was acquired as an international free agent in 2020 by the Rangers. He excelled in the Rookie League and is steadily rising level-by-level each year. Although he is gaining some steam as a closer option in a Texas bullpen without a declared closer, he will likely be promoted to Triple-A to start 2025.
Teodo has a fantastic three-pitch mix. His fastball touches 102 and sits in the upper 90s. The high arm angle plays up the diving action on the slider. His changeup is extremely effective for getting hitters to swing and miss as they gear up for the fastball. Given that he exerts tremendous effort on each pitch from his smaller frame, he will be continually linked to reliever status until he demonstrates endurance at higher levels.
His prospect familiarity grew when Teodo dominated as a reliever in the 2023 Arizona Fall League. He was named Reliever of the Year after posting 11.0 shutout innings on a 0.55 WHIP with three walks and 19 strikeouts. I am buying into the profile as either a middle-of-the-rotation starter or a dominant reliever, as I drafted him in the fifth round of a recent first-year player draft. Be on the lookout for his dominant stuff at the Rangers’ March 15 Spring Breakout game.
Yoniel Curet has developed into a reliable innings eater, assuming he can limit the free passes. He faced twenty or more batters in 16 of his 26 starts in 2024. Although fantasy folk often note ratio improvements for Curet’s promotion to Double-A for strikeout rate, walk rate, and WHIP, they may not see some hidden downsides from the game log. In three of his five Double-A starts, he walked three or more batters. In his first Double-A start, he gave up two home runs and hit a batter despite zero walks. The game logs show that there is something about his control that varies from game to game and may be more exposed once he moves up to Triple-A.
Signed as an international free agent in 2019, Curet had to wait until 2021 to make his minor league debut in the Dominican Summer League. Tampa Bay has slowly brought him up to Double-A with a few appearances in spring training.
Curet displays an easy delivery from a lower three-quarters arm angle. The fastball sits in the mid-90s with a nice zip. The breaking ball is his money pitch, but he also has a finishing slider.
Hyped to see Yoniel Curet pitch tomorrow❗️ pic.twitter.com/bDg0MhlE9A
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) February 25, 2025
There are two distinguishing features of his delivery. Curet utilizes a yo-yo pullback when finishing his pitches. This snap motion could lead to over-exertion as it necessitates unneeded movement. He should also work to eliminate a glove tap on pitches, which could tip his pitches or unnecessarily complicate his delivery.
Cam Schlittler is a tall righty with a smooth delivery. At 6’6”, Schlittler utilizes a high three-quarter arm angle to fall into his follow-through each pitch. He has built up a solid three-pitch arsenal while developing another two pitches. His role for 2025 will be to build up innings and maintain command for longer durations.
The Yankees selected Schlittler with the 24th pick of the seventh round in 2022. In 2024, they jumped him through three levels as a starter the entire way. He got his first taste of the big leagues in spring training and will likely return to Triple-A to start 2025.
Schlitter’s best pitch is the curveball, which has a big drop. He featured the pitch in spring training as a balance to the mid-90s four-seam fastball. The curveball is a setup and a finishing pitch. The slider has decent glove-side run. He seems to put a lot of faith in his cutter, as he throws it often when behind in the count. Schlittler will likely work to develop a changeup to keep hitters from timing up his fastball and as a backup if he loses feel for his other pitches.
Cam Schlittler is one of the #Yankees top pitching prospects, and he looked NASTY in his two scoreless innings of work 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QS9IP1kOiA
— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) February 23, 2025
One concern is that his curveball arm action appears more violent than his other pitches and has been described by scouts as a “ripping” movement. If he throws his best pitch more often, he may be destined for elbow issues or shorter stints as a reliever. Let’s see how Schlittler takes care of business at the Yankees’ March 15th Spring Breakout game.
Cade Smith has an amazing slider that really pops upon watching film. He can throw it to all parts of the zone, which frustrates opposing hitters. The slider has a significant late break to the glove side. Furthermore, Smith easily repeats his lower release point for all pitches. The lower release point plays up the induced vertical break of his 92-94 mph four-seam fastball. The curveball is a suitable breaking pitch.
Smith was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round as the 28th pick in 2023. Smith was the main Mississippi State starter for his last two years but did miss a month due to an undisclosed injury in his final season. Sadly, he finished the 2024 season on the 60-day injured list with another undisclosed injury.
Smith appears on the mound like a more polished pitcher, so it is expected that more growth will come with his command over time. In 2024, games fell off for him when he lost control of the fastball. Despite the command loss, he has demonstrated the ability to throw deep into games with two outings each of 7 innings and 6 innings pitched.
Cade Smith has the third-best K% in Single-A (38.8%) and struck out 11 batters over six shutout frames last night.
FULL BREAKDOWN: https://t.co/NnBSSK0rjq pic.twitter.com/amOUDciyFz
— Ryan Garcia (@RyanGarciaESM) May 3, 2024
Overall, Smith has displayed the full range of outcomes during his minor league career. The lack of a fastball velocity and command are concerning signs that he could become a reliever, but we will give him one more season at Double-A to see progress. It will be interesting to see if Smith makes an appearance at the Yankees’ March 15th Spring Breakout game after finishing the season on the injured list.
Photos by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire and master1305/Freepik | Featured Image by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)