Welcome to The List, where I rank the Top 100 SP for Fantasy Baseball every single Monday of the year.
Want an earlier update to The List? Join me on Mondays at 2:00pm ET as I live-stream its creation each week!
Have questions? My “office hours” are on Twitch 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday – Friday + the aforementioned stream of The List.
For each edition of The List, I have a set of rules to outline my thought process and how to best use these rankings. Please take note:
- This is 5×5, 12-teamer, H2H format focused. It generally is the same as roto as well, but make sure you adjust accordingly.
- We have two tables to review before the notes and rankings. First is an injury table that outlines where players would be relatively ranked if fully healthy. It’s the best way to tackle how to value players on the IL.
- If a player is on the IL or not confirmed inside the rotation, they aren’t on the List. That includes injuries and guys in the minors, but there are exceptions for players who are expected to be in the rotation but are being skipped this week.
- Updated 6/6 – I am now adding an “Honorable Mentions” at the end of The List to cover all the other SP who are off The List. It replaces the “Others I Considered” table.
- Since this is a 12-teamer, I heavily weigh upside in the back-half of the rankings. Tier 10 is likely going to underperform those in Tier 11 across a full season, but it’s in your best interest to chase Tier 10’s ceiling vs. settling for Tier 11’s floor.
- I’ve made a decision to limit labels to just one label per player, with few exceptions for a second. It streamlines the process much better and hopefully gives you a more targeted understanding of the player.
- The notes outline oh-so-much to help your team. Please read the notes if you can instead of just scrolling to the bottom.
Let’s get to the tables. First are all of our injured compatriots:
I made a decision last year: I removed the “Preseason tiers” and changed “tiers” to “Relative Rank” as it’ll be more consistent week-to-week — Tiers change while their relative rank does not.
Please understand that “70-80” does not guarantee the player will be exactly in that range when they return. Rankings are 100% relative to the landscape and while this table reflects where they would sit in a vacuum, it’s a fluid creature. Sometimes there are oh-so-many options, sometimes I want to see them healthy and stretched out again, and others we’re starving for pitchers and they jump higher than “70-80”. It’s a loose reference point and why it’s called “relative ranking.” It’s difficult to update this week-to-week and I apologize if the ranking is different when the player actually returns from the IL. I hope it helps!
One last point about that – oftentimes pitchers need an extra week or two to ramp up once they do return to the majors. It’s why Still ILL exists and the “relative rank” you see is when those guys have shaken off their rust. Will they be back to normal in their first start or will they need a few? I have no idea! Those ranks are to show what I’d expect once they are fully back to normal.
I added something new to The List this season. It’s a small table of the prospects I’m personally excited about who would jump up The List quickly if they were confirmed in the rotation. Please don’t read too much into these, there are far better prospect analysts out there than me. Still, I think this table will help you quickly stay on top of who should be on your radar.
They are ordered by my general preference/focus on those guys right now. If any of these are called up, they should be added to your 12-teamers ASAP. Some guys aren’t here and that’s due to my own belief they aren’t as pressing as the ones below. I could be very wrong there.
Colors: Green = Most excited about. Yellow = Solid but not as urgent. Orange = Will likely take some time.
Lastly, I heavily recommend you follow my daily SP Roundup that outlines all pitcher performances through the season, as each week’s update will reflect the comments and findings from those daily articles. If you’re unfamiliar with some of the players listed, I highly recommend that you read my 45,000+ Top 300 Starting Pitchers from February. Many things will have changed, but the root of my perception of these players is outlined there.
Let’s get to it.
Ranking Notes
- This is your reminder to please read these notes as they’ll tell you plenty about why “someone moved up” or “why is he at #X?!”
- Seriously. Read the notes.
- I know there are going to be a ton of comments about I hate how much these rankings change each week and I’m going to get out ahead of them here.
- These rankings mostly change in the back half of The List as that’s your waiver wire. Those aren’t the players you hold onto throughout the year like your SPs 1-4, which means we’re going to be a bit more chaotic and roll with the waves more aggressively. If I see elements that suggest a pitcher could be a Top 40 arm, I’m going to move up a ton from the 80s to the 60s. Shazam, there we go.
- As is tradition, I need to tell you about the guys who were removed and added from the Top 60, so you have context for the ranking shifts.
- Added: None
- Removed: None
- Please understand how this affects movement across The List. Okay, there are none of these this time around, but in the future please be mindful!
I’ve changed the notes this year to have a small blurb on everyone. Much easier to write and follow along in my view and it matches the formatting of the streamers. Please leave your feedback on this change – is it better or worse?
Tier 1 – The Workhorses
1. Shane McClanahan – He gets the top spot as the favorite for the AL Cy and as your fantasy ace this year. It’s a bit because of Strider and Cole taking a step back, but let’s give McShane his moment.
2. Spencer Strider – I wanted to lower Cole, but I can’t give it to Strider after his recent blowup. Fun fact: his four-seamer is the #1 PLV four-seamer in baseball. Okay that’s obvious, but still.
3. Gerrit Cole – The problem is his slider. The pitch has a 13% SwStr rate this year when it was 25% in previous years. He’s failing to get it down and without it, he’s great, but not elite. And yet, I still have him at #3 because I believe he’ll get it back. And no, it’s not sticky stuff – it’s the same movement and spin from previous years.
4. Luis Castillo – The four-seamer is elite and he’s found his groove + the summer is coming. We all know how well Castillo performs in the hot weather.
5. Kevin Gausman – He had a stumble over the weekend with his splitter returning a sub-50 % strike rate and we have to just brush it off and move on.
6. Shohei Ohtani – Something has been off with Ohtani and while I wanted to ignore it before, I’m paying attention now that he went sub-20% sweepers in his last outing. That pitch is everything for Ohtani and while I believe it’ll return, I have to lower him for now.
Tier 2 – AGA Without The UNREAL factor
7. Corbin Burnes – Burnes looked like his best self in his last outing. Now we wait to see if it’s a legit tweak to return back to his top-tier self.
8. Zack Wheeler – He’s been so good in two of his last three games and yet that dang clunker against Washington messed things up. It’ll correct itself over time.
9. Clayton Kershaw – It’s TATIAGA and without an injury in sight. Sorry for the jinx, but I’m just appreciative of it.
10. Max Scherzer – Speaking of lack of injuries, Scherzer terrified us with his health comments and has since been fantastic.
11. Cristian Javier – The slider has been off for about five starts now and while that should feel like a removal of the AGA label, 1) He’s still produced plenty and 2) I expect it to return.
12. Tyler Glasnow – He just got his AGA label and now he gets Oakland. This will be fun…though I can’t raise him too high because of his health track record and innate volatility in his command.
13. Joe Ryan – He’s lost his splitter and slider as of late. I believe they’ll improve, but I have to drop him a bit for now.
14. Zac Gallen – The 1.5 tick velocity drop is scary, but moreso is his inability to flirt with his April dominance. The skills are there, he just needs to find the lane again.
15. Framber Valdez – I regret granting him the AGA tag before a start against the Jays, but with that out of the way, we should be smooth sailing.
Tier 3 – Potential Aces
16. Sandy Alcantara – The problem with Sandy is his changeup and he just went seven glorious frames (few strikeouts) as the changeup failed to land in the zone…which may have prevented the damage he’s allowed on it. The fastballs are still elite and with those as a foundation, I’m still buying low. The changeup and slider will lock in suddenly and we’re off to the races.
17. Justin Verlander – Despite the blowup against Atlanta, I think he sported fantastic command with high heaters and low sliders, with his rare mistakes getting punished.
18. Pablo López – López recovered from his few clunkers (he always rebounds) and I’m excited to see how high this peak goes.
19. Aaron Nola – Nola isn’t as bad as it seems – he simply needs to axe out the sinker usage in favor of throwing more four-seamers. Half of his hits in his latest struggles came off the sinker, despite dramatically lower usage on the pitch. He’s almost there and could be great with just four-seamers/curves/changeups.
20. Logan Gilbert – He didn’t have his four-seamer or his splitter in his last outing and paired with the Yankee start from before, you’re scared. Don’t be, every pitcher has these moments.
21. Bobby Miller – I have such adoration for Miller, even if his sinker doesn’t get whiffs. He commands the strikezone super well with the pitch, while the slider has blossomed to be a legit whiff pitch at a 22% SwStr clip. There’s room for improvement with his changeup and curve becoming more dependable weapons, but with his high velocity, great locations, and vicious breaker, Miller has the tools to create a high floor while retaining the electric upside.
22. Joe Musgrove – He’s getting better with each start as he’s come into his own with curves, cutters, changeups, and sliders. We’ll be talking about Musgrove “starting May 26th” in the off-season.
Tier 4 – Stability And Excitement
23. Nathan Eovaldi – He’s been a fantasy ace for many this year, though he stumbled last time out and will likely regress as the season progresses. That said, you’re starting him and loving it.
24. George Kirby – His four-seamer still misses a ton of bats, I just wish I saw a secondary that also gets whiffs. The slider is awfully dependable inside the zone, though.
25. Logan Webb – The slider hasn’t taken off as much as I hoped, but he’s also dealt with Coors. The changeup is looking so good, too.
26. Chris Bassitt – You’re starting Bassitt and not thinking twice about it. That’s a fun thing.
27. Hunter Brown – The upside is legit with Brown and in some cases higher than anyone else in this tier. However, there is a touch more volatility for the young arm, making him sit square in the middle of the tier. The called strike focus with his four-seamer pairs well with his breakers when he’s able to get them low enough.
28. Marcus Stroman – The super high groundball rate is feeding into the elite Cubs infield defense, though I wonder how long that will last – he’s carrying the highest loLoc% on the sinker of his career and that may wane with time, bringing his groundball rate from 60%+ closer to the career 50% mark.
29. Yu Darvish – Command is always an issue with Darvish and I still dream of a day when he simplifies his approach to 3/4 pitches and has an outing focusing on pitch separation, regardless of batter. One day. Until then, we start Darvish regardless of opposition.
30. Mitch Keller – After a few disappointing outings, Keller returned to dominance against the Mets and instead of this being a Dennis, I think he’s made an adjustment that will help him deal with the blowups better moving forward.
31. Zach Eflin – The cutter + sinker + curveball combo is pure gold for Eflin and with the Rays behind him, he’s become a rock for your fantasy teams. This is likely as high as you’ll see Eflin, though, and I won’t rule out one of these pitches (possibly the cutter) failing him in due time.
Tier 5 – Some Stability, Some Potential
32. Freddy Peralta – It’s been rough for Peralta (4 ER against the Athletics?!) and yet I still believe in his skills. The slider has found many strikes (the curveball went 3/11 strikes in that Oakland game and I’m still fuming about it) and the four-seamer is still returning whiffs at 94/95 mph. Be patient.
33. Hunter Greene – You may want to lower Greene because of his ratio volatility and I get it. While I normally insist that Hard Contact is a better focus (Hard hits / Total Plate Appearances), for Greene, it’s about recognizing that his .353 BABIP is somewhat deserved with a .393 xwoBACON and a 47th percentile barrel rate (batted ball events denominator, not total plate appearances). The strikeouts sure go far for you though, and his dominant outings can win your weeks at times. He’s the premium Cherry Bomb.
34. James Paxton – The four-seamer was great for 15 whiffs last time out…even if nine of those whiffs came against the same batter. I think there’s more room to grow with Paxton (there is for everyone inside this tier!) but with each start I think he gets better. Just throw heaters in the upper half of the zone and good things will happen.
35. Jon Gray – I was literally just typing this blurb when I found out that Jon Gray will miss his next start due to a blister. Fortunately, it’s not an IL spot but hot dang I jinxed the man, especially when I was so thrilled that not a single pitcher was removed from the list due to injury this week. Why did it have to be Gray? Anyway, he’s been as studly as they come as of late and seeing his changeup take form while spotting fastballs beautifully has been a joy to watch, granting Gray the weapons he needed to support his elite slider. I’m still a little skeptical of its longevity (he’s had peaks before and fallen) but we ride until it ends.
36. Bryce Miller – I’m not counting out Bryce just yet. Nothing has changed since last week as his Sunday start got pushed back to today and I’m thrilled he’ll be able to get his confidence back against the Marlins.
37. Dylan Cease – The four-seamer and curveball came through in his last start as the slider failed to go 60% strikes. I don’t quite buy that path to success (his slider is supposed to be the rock, with the four-seamer and curve hopefully doing enough), though it feels like just a small adjustment to get the slider a little more elevated and clipping the edge of the zone. If he does that, he’ll be the ace you remember.
38. Jesús Luzardo – He finally had a start an all-around stud start as he’s on a journey to lower his WHIP to a respectable level. The stuff is still great and his four-seamer locations are everything you want.
39. Triston McKenzie – I deeply regretted my ranking of Triston last week that very evening, noticing he was facing Houston up next + I was buying too heavily into a single start, even if it was the best I’ve ever seen him. That said, McKenzie has a four-seamer and curve that can dominate if located well, while the slider…will likely take a while to be harnessed properly.
40. Lucas Giolito – Despite dropping two ticks and not having his best changeup, Giolito had excellent locations and dominated. I think we’re out of purgatory here: Giolito is a solid arm who will likely not be an ace, but has enough command to be worthwhile. Also, I wonder where he gets traded to at the deadline. There’s hope another team unlocks his full potential in the second half.
Tier 6 – Legit Ceiling With Questions
41. Luis Severino – The velocity has been down for two starts now, and yet there have been no reports of an injury. Let’s hope it’s just a funk.
42. Tyler Wells – Wells keeps climbing up The List and will continue to do so with each successful outing. The man has figured out his potential.
43. Sonny Gray – The repertoire was far better in his last outing and I won’t rule out a redeeming few weeks ahead as the volatile nature of Sonny goes both ways.
44. Tanner Bibee – I’ve been a little disappointed with Bibee as he entered the league with a strong four-pitch mix and has recently been mostly four-seamer/slider without a dependable change or curve, save for some magical nights. Over time, I anticipate he’ll get there with all four offerings, but it may be a bit of a frustrating experience.
45. Shane Bieber – We finally saw strikeouts from Bieber in his last start – nine in seven frames – but I’m concerned that the slider only earned five whiffs. I don’t believe he can rely on his four-seamer and cutter each returning 40%+ CSW marks in the future.
46. Merrill Kelly – He looked like a Toby last time out and I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt that it was just a bad night.
47. Taj Bradley – I worry about Taj’s command, but the four-seamer truly is an elite pitch. I wonder if he should be more like Bryce and throw it more than 45% of the time. Regardless, he doesn’t locate well and it makes me concerned about the season outlook. That said, the strikeouts will be plentiful and rostering Bradley is for the potential of a Cristian Javier-esque adjustment that turns him into a star.
48. Braxton Garrett – The schedule is glorious up ahead and Garrett’s new cutter was the last piece of the puzzle, allowing him to use his hittable sinker sparingly. That 12 ER game was the best thing that happened to him (and you as you could pick him up after it).
49. Blake Snell – He’s fresh off 12 strikeouts in Coors (and a bruised ankle that should be fine), but while watching the start, I saw a lot more of the flaws of Snell than a reflection of his Cy Young self. He could quickly relapse against the Rays next if he doesn’t get his four-seamer in the upper half of the zone & spot his curveball better.
Tier 7 – Hollys + A Little Risk
50. Eury Pérez – I’m scared that the Marlins are going to demote him soon after seeing this tweet from Craig Mish. I love his ability and when he does return, I’ll be over it, but considering this is still speculation, we have to hold and keep starting Eury.
51. Louie Varland – Now that the rough schedule is (mostly) behind him, I’m excited to roster Varland with his strong four-seamer and well-located cutter & slider.
52. Garrett Whitlock – He has sparkling matchups in front of him and is fresh off a game with fantastic command against the Yankees with all three of his pitches. You may see Whitlock rise even more next week if he keeps this up.
53. Bailey Ober – I believe in Varland’s four-seamer and secondaries a little more than Ober’s, but I have to give Oberizzi credit for his fastball precision. Here’s to hoping the slider is better than it was last game.
54. Charlie Morton – I don’t know what to do with Morton anymore. He’s a Cherry Bomb that can be awfully sweet for a long time or blow up against the easiest matchups. Do what you want.
55. Domingo Germán – The curveball is looking like an elite offering with a fastball and changeup that have done their job well, even if they aren’t anything special.
56. Tony Gonsolin – We got our first taste of the expected Gonsolin regression last time out, though he’s still worthwhile in your 12-teamers. Just anticipate some turmoil without a boatload of strikeouts.
57. Jack Flaherty – He’s trending upward and I liked the spots he hit in his last outing. I want to believe.
58. Michael Kopech – The four-seamer has been dominant while his slider has found the zone and Kopech has carved up weak opponents. Now the tough schedule is here and it’s awfully hard to resist. We take a shot and hope for the best.
59. José Berríos – The Great Fundulator is continuing his road of redemption with the four-seamer taking a backseat to the sinker. It’s wonderful to see.
60. Michael Wacha – His last seven starts have been ridiculous and you have to Vargas Rule this at the very least. The changeup is elite.
Tier 8 – Are We On Or Off The Cliff?
61. Brayan Bello – I want to buy into Bello more, but I need to see more from the slider and changeup first. The sinker is impressing me, though.
62. Logan Allen – He’s solid, but nothing special. There will be flashes of brilliance, but without his slider destroying batters, it’ll be a challenge each time.
63. Alex Cobb – I’m settling for calling Cobb a Toby as his splitter should be there more times than not.
64. J.P. France – He just allowed six walks and I can’t believe that’s a normal thing. We ignore it and continue using France like a solid play against all but tough lineups.
65. Bryce Elder – I think this was a Vargas Rule for Elder who seemingly hit that wall, but I’ll give him one more chance to redeem himself before sending him down the ranks.
Here is where prospect pitchers would appear if they are called up as I feel those in Tier 9 and below could be off your teams next week (or now?) in 12-teamers.
Tier 9 – The Cherry Bombs To Chase
66. Edward Cabrera – He left his last game with a blister and there’s some haze as to how long he’ll go moving forward. It was all kinds of frustrating since he finally was throwing fastballs for strikes. Why did it have to be this start that he had to get removed early?
67. Reid Detmers – We saw production from Detmers against the Cubs, but he’s not quite there nailing down the three-pitch mix. He’ll be 24 years old in about a month and you have to think he gets better with time.
68. Bryan Woo – I liked what I saw against the Angels with Woo leaning heavily on his four-seamer and trying to work in the slider as best as he could. I need to see more of the breaker in the future to raise him on The List, but if you think of that start as his proper MLB debut, then you can recall that other rookies have relied on their sliders more in future outings as well. Hold onto him for the start against the White Sox and take it from there.
69. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi now has two starts of getting curves and sliders over the plate with his four-seamer dancing around the zone. This works, I just doubt the consistency. For now.
70. Drew Smyly – He’s still doing mostly the same stuff of the BSB with sinkers and curves, but he’s making more mistake pitches than usual. Hopefully that gets rectified soon.
71. AJ Smith-Shawver – His command worries me a little, but he’s also just 20 years old and made just two appearances in the majors. With Atlanta needing legit arms at the moment, we may see a long leash for AJSS if he’s able to avoid the clunkers. Don’t judge his first two games heavily.
72. Lance Lynn – Lynn is as Cherry Bomb as it gets these days and I’m terrified of the tough matchups ahead.
73. Andrew Abbott – I wasn’t too impressed with Abbott in his first two outings and it’s tough to endorse a roster spot for him with a date against the Astros up next. Is his four-seamer + curve that good when he pitches for Cincy?
Tier 10 – The Tobys With A Vargas Rule
74. Ranger Suárez – The command has returned across his repertoire and the matchups are good enough to pick him up for a start or two.
75. Jordan Montgomery – He’s a Toby alright and I really hope he has both the change and curve moving forward.
76. Julio Teheran – It’s a Vargas Rule that we all know won’t last too long. But hey, it’s Oakland up next.
77. Clarke Schmidt – I worry that Schmidt doesn’t have a putaway pitch, but he’s been able to go 5+ innings with a decent Win chance frequently and that’s fine.
78. Tanner Houck – I like the ceiling of Houck more than Schmidt, but Houck has struggled with his command a bit more. If he smooths it out, there’s a legit talent here with sinkers, splitters, and a lovely slider.
79. Rich Hill – Oddly enough, Hill has been great in all but four outings this year, mostly against squads you’d obviously avoid. The schedule is great ahead and this may be the time for a pickup.
80. JP Sears – He earned just four whiffs against the Brewers and I don’t love starting him against the Phils.
Tier 11 – The Actual Cherry Bombs
81. Kodai Senga – It’s all about the forkball. Good luck figuring out when it’ll return a 25%+ SwStr rate and a CSW above 30%.
82. Andrew Heaney – He needs to get the slider and changeup down. The fastball is doing its part, the others aren’t.
83. Johan Oviedo – It’s all about getting strikes inside the zone without punishment. With starts against the Brewers and Cubs up next, I can see this working out…he just needs to not have so many wasted pitches up-and-armside.
84. Griffin Canning – I love Canning’s reliance on secondaries and he’s been able to skirt by without tossing his fastball more than 35% of the time. Play the matchups well and there’s value to be had.
85. Brady Singer – He’s the same guy he’s always been – a Cherry Bomb.
86. MacKenzie Gore – I don’t trust the Nationals to help bring out the best of MacKenzie over the course of the season, but he’ll have those games where everything seemingly comes together.
87. Luis Ortiz – He doesn’t know where the slider and fastball are going a bunch of the time and it’s hard for us to rely on him for quality outings, even if the stuff is well above average. That’s a PEAS if I’ve ever seen one.
Tier 12 – Stream Considerations
88. Aaron Civale – He’s fine. He’ll get the Red Sox again and if you’re hurting for innings, Civale can do that with 65%+ cutters and curves.
89. Taijuan Walker – The man just sat 2.5 ticks harder on his sinker while going 40%+ splitters against the Dodgers for a successful Sunday. Yeah, it’s all kinds of weird but I have to acknowledge how cool this was. It likely won’t stick around, but hey, it’s the Athletics next. That’s gotta be okay…right?
90. Patrick Sandoval – Despite earning a Golden Goal with 20 whiffs and a 40% CSW, I don’t trust Sandoval after that Mariners start. Why? Because it was all about changeup dominance, not the combination of his slider and changeup. With just one pitch working on a given night, it meant Sandoval held a near 9.00 ER and 2.00 WHIP for the night. This ain’t it.
91. Martín Pérez – He faced the Rays and didn’t do well. You roster Pérez for the easy matchups, not the hard ones like Toronto ahead.
92. Michael Lorenzen – He’s a streamer through and through. The stuff just isn’t good enough to warrant anything else.
93. Kyle Gibson – You don’t know what you’re going to get from Gibson on a given night and the ceiling isn’t high enough to justify a roster spot.
94. Reese Olson – I kinda like what Olson does, but now isn’t the time for an add as he gets Atlanta next. Maybe for his start against the Twins, though.
95. Zach Davies – If the changeup is there against the Phils or Guardians this week, Davies could produce for you. The floor is horrid, though, and I hate how binary his starts are.
96. Dane Dunning – I don’t have a whole lot of love for Dunning’s arsenal and with mediocre matchups ahead, I’d prefer just to stream him when the time comes.
97. Paul Blackburn – He did well against the Brewers and may be of value a decent amount this year as an option for six frames on a given night.
98. Kyle Bradish – We all want Bradish to harness his breakers and figure out how to use his fastballs effectively, but our desires don’t make it a reality.
99. Matthew Boyd – He had the nine-strikeout game and was unable to replicate the four-seamer command while the slider earned just two whiffs. I won’t rule out a return to form as soon as next start, so if you must stash him, go ahead. I’d prefer not to.
100. Kutter Crawford – I didn’t realize how good his four-seamer was until I did a mini-dive on him during Monday morning’s Twitch stream. His four-seamer is a Top 5 PLV four-seamer in the majors as its SwStr rate is above 18% and he’s massively increased its hiLoc% this season. His slider is infrequently used and yet it also grades out incredibly well with PLV, and an adjustment this year to move on the rubber toward first base clearly had an impact. That said, the Red Sox haven’t stretched him out this season and it waits to be seen if they intended to let him toss more than 60 pitches in a game, let alone 80. We can only hope.
Honorable Mentions
You’re getting little blurbs on everyone else I can think of. I can’t help myself. This is not in ranking order.
Hogan Harris – Was a fun moment, but the craft lefty was shaky against the Marlins and has a bad schedule ahead.
Brandon Bielak – He didn’t have his changeup against the Guardians and it makes for a desperate streamer at best as he hosts the Reds next.
Jared Shuster – He failed to earn a single strikeout against the Nationals. Yeah.
Justin Steele – There’s a chance he returns this week and if he were confirmed, he would likely sneak into Tier 8. Probably a Still ILL though if he gets the Orioles.
Dean Kremer – The ceiling isn’t high enough and even against weak teams, he can flounder.
Mike Clevinger – He doesn’t have an elite pitch and the schedule is getting harder.
Miles Mikolas – It’s just so boring. He had two great outings and regressed to his normal self after.
Cole Irvin – He may become a streaming option soon enough, though tossed just 75 pitches in his first start back. It may be a moment before we circle his start for a stream.
Ben Lively – The slider is gone and the schedule is tough.
Graham Ashcraft – So. Many. Runs. No command.
Michael Soroka – He’s in the minors now.
Jhony Brito – If the Yankees call him up, I’m still out as the ceiling is too low.
Ronel Blanco – He may be a streamer for the Astros if the right spot starts arrive. Nothing more.
Daniel Lynch – If the new slider is legit, then I’ll add him to The List. Time will tell.
Trevor Rogers – He’s expected back soon and I’m excited to see what he does.
Luis Medina – Medina failed to come through against the Marlins and we move on.
Mike Mayers – The low slider and change weren’t there and the fun ends.
R.A. Dickey – Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer. Thanks for reading the notes y’all.
Hayden Wesneski – I want to see him dominate once before I get excited again. Keep your eye on him as he replaces Steele in the rotation.
Anthony DeSclafani – His command has been wonky and the schedule is far worse now.
Josiah Gray – The command just isn’t good enough and the fastball/cutter situation isn’t what we want it to be. Too risky without enough reward.
Randy Vásquez – I kinda dug what Vásquez did with his fastballs to earn outs, but he’s likely out of the rotation now. Not the worst spot-start streaming option if the time comes again.
Sean Manaea – He’s throwing a loopier slider and it could be what he needs, but the Giants aren’t letting him start. Sit back and monitor.
Matthew Liberatore – The four-seamer/curve aren’t enough. We need the slider to wake up.
Michael Grove – He had a great start against the Yankees and I’m curious if he can replicate his four-seamer and slider locations. Dodgers aren’t starting him over Thor…yet.
Carlos Carrasco – The schedule is blegh and Carrasco doesn’t do enough.
Kyle Hendricks – I need to see the curve come back in full + changeup whiffs before trusting Hendricks again.
Marco Gonzales – He’s hurt and I’ll need to see the same command when he comes back before returning to The List.
Alek Manoah – He’s been demoted to their Florida complex. Don’t stash.
Patrick Corbin – Ha, that was a fun four-start ride, wasn’t it?
Brandon Williamson – The cutter makes for some nights of survival, but you want a better life.
Jaime Barría – Slider and change can be good, but the ceiling feels awfully low.
Tommy Henry – Hey, maybe the change and curve can be there for a stream in front of the great Arizona defense?
Tylor Megill – I need to see something new in his repertoire before signing on again.
Adam Wainwright – He hasn’t been fantasy relevant for a while.
Noah Syndergaard – He hasn’t been fantasy relevant for a while.
Ryne Nelson – The secondaries let him down each time. Wait for them to return before jumping in.
Roansy Contreras – I hate his four-seamer even if it’s still a solid slider, and now he’s out of the rotation.
Colin Rea – He has these ridiculous nights out of nowhere. There are worse dart throws.
Yonny Chirinos – He’s been on a solid stretch, but the sinker/slider combo is sooooo mediocre.
Austin Voth – He didn’t come through against the Guardians and we pass for now.
Joey Wentz – Fantasy relevance isn’t really his thing.
Zack Greinke – Greinke does what Greinke does.
Jordan Lyles – He’s come through once when the matchup was good. ONCE.
James Kaprielian – When he has his four-seamer and slider in the zone, things can actually work for those needing a desperate stream.
Dylan Covey – I wonder who the Phillies will replace him with at the deadline.
Jake Irvin – The stuff just isn’t good.
Trevor Williams – He hasn’t been fantasy relevant for a while.
Dinelson Lamet – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.
Connor Seabold – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.
Chase Anderson – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.
Austin Gomber – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.
Kyle Freeland – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.
Matt Strahm – Is he stretched out? Are the Phillies actually going to lean on him? Highly unlikely and sadly I don’t think he’s a guy to chase.
Ryan Weathers – Absolutely not.
Trevor Richards – Not stretched out and would be off The List even if he were.
SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES
| Rank | Pitcher | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane McClanahanT1 | Aces Gonna Ace | +2 |
| 2 | Spencer Strider | Aces Gonna Ace | - |
| 3 | Gerrit Cole | Aces Gonna Ace | -2 |
| 4 | Luis Castillo | Aces Gonna Ace | +2 |
| 5 | Kevin Gausman | Aces Gonna Ace | - |
| 6 | Shohei Ohtani | Aces Gonna Ace | -2 |
| 7 | Corbin BurnesT2 | Aces Gonna Ace | +5 |
| 8 | Zack Wheeler | Aces Gonna Ace | -1 |
| 9 | Clayton Kershaw | Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk | +4 |
| 10 | Max Scherzer | Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk | +1 |
| 11 | Cristian Javier | Aces Gonna Ace | -2 |
| 12 | Tyler Glasnow | Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk | +4 |
| 13 | Joe Ryan | Aces Gonna Ace | -3 |
| 14 | Zac Gallen | Aces Gonna Ace | -6 |
| 15 | Framber Valdez | Aces Gonna Ace | -1 |
| 16 | Sandy AlcantaraT3 | Ace Potential | -1 |
| 17 | Justin Verlander | Ace Potential | - |
| 18 | Pablo López | Ace Potential | - |
| 19 | Aaron Nola | Ace Potential | - |
| 20 | Logan Gilbert | Ace Potential | - |
| 21 | Bobby Miller | Ace Potential | +5 |
| 22 | Joe Musgrove | Ace Potential | - |
| 23 | Nathan EovaldiT4 | Quality Starts | - |
| 24 | George Kirby | Quality Starts | - |
| 25 | Logan Webb | Quality Starts | -4 |
| 26 | Chris Bassitt | Quality Starts | +1 |
| 27 | Hunter Brown | Ace Potential | +1 |
| 28 | Marcus Stroman | Quality Starts | +4 |
| 29 | Yu Darvish | Quality Starts | -4 |
| 30 | Mitch Keller | Quality Starts | +4 |
| 31 | Zach Eflin | Quality Starts | +14 |
| 32 | Freddy PeraltaT5 | Ace Potential | -3 |
| 33 | Hunter Greene | Ace Potential | -3 |
| 34 | James Paxton | Ace Potential Injury Risk | +2 |
| 35 | Jon Gray | Ace Potential | +7 |
| 36 | Bryce Miller | Ace Potential | -3 |
| 37 | Dylan Cease | Ace Potential | -2 |
| 38 | Jesús Luzardo | Ace Potential | -1 |
| 39 | Triston McKenzie | Ace Potential | -8 |
| 40 | Lucas Giolito | Quality Starts | +9 |
| 41 | Luis SeverinoT6 | Ace Potential | -3 |
| 42 | Tyler Wells | Quality Starts | +1 |
| 43 | Sonny Gray | Quality Starts | +4 |
| 44 | Tanner Bibee | Ace Potential | -5 |
| 45 | Shane Bieber | Quality Starts | +1 |
| 46 | Merrill Kelly | Quality Starts | -2 |
| 47 | Taj Bradley | Ace Potential | -6 |
| 48 | Braxton Garrett | Quality Starts | +4 |
| 49 | Blake Snell | Cherry Bomb | +11 |
| 50 | Eury PérezT7 | Ace Potential | -10 |
| 51 | Louie Varland | Quality Starts | +3 |
| 52 | Garrett Whitlock | Quality Starts | +17 |
| 53 | Bailey Ober | Quality Starts | +5 |
| 54 | Charlie Morton | Cherry Bomb | -4 |
| 55 | Domingo Germán | Quality Starts | +11 |
| 56 | Tony Gonsolin | Quality Starts | -8 |
| 57 | Jack Flaherty | Cherry Bomb | +8 |
| 58 | Michael Kopech | Cherry Bomb | +9 |
| 59 | José Berríos | Quality Starts | -3 |
| 60 | Michael Wacha | Quality Starts | -3 |
| 61 | Brayan BelloT8 | Toby | +9 |
| 62 | Logan Allen | Toby | -9 |
| 63 | Alex Cobb | Toby | - |
| 64 | J.P. France | Toby | -9 |
| 65 | Bryce Elder | Toby | -14 |
| 66 | Edward CabreraT9 | Cherry Bomb | -5 |
| 67 | Reid Detmers | Cherry Bomb | -3 |
| 68 | Bryan Woo | Cherry Bomb | +6 |
| 69 | Yusei Kikuchi | Cherry Bomb | +6 |
| 70 | Cherry Bomb | -2 | |
| 71 | AJ Smith-Shawver | Cherry Bomb | +2 |
| 72 | Lance Lynn | Cherry Bomb | -10 |
| 73 | Andrew Abbott | Cherry Bomb | -14 |
| 74 | Ranger SuárezT10 | Toby | +UR |
| 75 | Jordan Montgomery | Toby | +5 |
| 76 | Julio Teheran | Toby | +23 |
| 77 | Clarke Schmidt | Toby | +17 |
| 78 | Tanner Houck | Toby | +UR |
| 79 | Rich Hill | Toby | +UR |
| 80 | Toby | -8 | |
| 81 | Kodai SengaT11 | Cherry Bomb | +3 |
| 82 | Andrew Heaney | Cherry Bomb | +1 |
| 83 | Johan Oviedo | Cherry Bomb | +2 |
| 84 | Griffin Canning | Cherry Bomb | +2 |
| 85 | Brady Singer | Cherry Bomb | -3 |
| 86 | MacKenzie Gore | Cherry Bomb | -15 |
| 87 | Luis F. Ortiz | Cherry Bomb | +1 |
| 88 | Aaron CivaleT12 | Streaming Option | +1 |
| 89 | Taijuan Walker | Streaming Option | +UR |
| 90 | Patrick Sandoval | Streaming Option | +5 |
| 91 | Martín Pérez | Streaming Option | -12 |
| 92 | Michael Lorenzen | Streaming Option | -15 |
| 93 | Kyle Gibson | Streaming Option | - |
| 94 | Reese Olson | Streaming Option | +6 |
| 95 | Zach Davies | Streaming Option | +UR |
| 96 | Dane Dunning | Streaming Option | -18 |
| 97 | Paul Blackburn | Streaming Option | +1 |
| 98 | Kyle Bradish | Streaming Option | -2 |
| 99 | Matthew Boyd | Streaming Option | -18 |
| 100 | Kutter Crawford | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
How can you have R.A. Dickey so low!?! ;)
Great list as usual, all the many Thank Yous.