The List 8/14: Top 100 Starting Pitchers – Week 20 Fantasy Baseball 2023

Welcome to The List, where I rank the Top 100 SP for Fantasy Baseball every Monday of the year.

Want an earlier update to The List? Join me on Mondays at 2:00 pm ET as I live-stream its creation each week!

Have questions? My “office hours” are on Playback.tv 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:

1. This is 5×5, 12-teamer, H2H format focused. It generally is the same as roto as well, but make sure you adjust accordingly.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
• Highest Added: Chris Sale (40)
• Highest Removed: Nestor Cortes (42), Bryan Woo (58)
• Net Change Inside Top 60:  (+1)
• Please understand how this affects movement across The List.

 

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 True Aces

 

1. Spencer Strider – Aces gonna ace. Yup.

2. Gerrit Cole – Aces gonna ace. Cole deserved that Win so badly.

3. Luis Castillo – Castillo is cooking and there’s no reason to believe it’ll stop.

4. Kevin Gausman – He rebounded this week as expected and everything is business per usual.

 

Tier 2 – AGA We Hope Don’t Fall Off

 

5. Zac Gallen – Gallen isn’t back in the top tier yet as we’ve only seen two starts of him dominating with his four-seamer and curveball again. Hopefully he forces the issue soon.

6. Tyler Glasnow – With Glasnow set to return to the rotation on Monday, there’s little reason to expect anything but production.

7. Zack Wheeler – He’s been on a ridiculous run with a super high floor.

8. Max Scherzer – The Rangers are obviously thrilled to have Scherzer on their side and so should you. Just stay healthy…

9. Blake Snell – The walks have been through the roof and yet Snell still finds a way. You have to think one of those fantastic walk-less starts are inevitable and it’s going to be oh-so-wonderful.

10. Pablo López – He just earned his AGA label after yet another phenomenal start, featuring a 49% CSW four-seamer.

11. Shohei Ohtani – He’s getting skipped for a week and should be back to normal after that, though he falls to the bottom of the AGA crew because of his injury inconsistencies.

 

Tier 3 – Potential AGA

 

12. Brandon Woodruff – One more start away from the AGA tag, per IL rules.

13. Max Fried – Fried’s velocity was up and the results didn’t follow, oddly enough. No reason to panic here.

14. Clayton Kershaw – TATIAGA returned from the IL and didn’t have his best slider…while still producing for your squads. He should get the AGA tag back in two more games.

15. George Kirby – He’s been dominant, though I hate to see the slider take a backseat in his recent outing against the Orioles. I wanted the whiff-heavy pitch to return and without it, I question his sustainability as a strikeout arm. But fine, keep cruising and you have the AGA label, duh.

16. Sandy Alcantara – Alcantara has tallied 32 IP across his last four games. FOUR.

17. Corbin Burnes – The cutter isn’t the pitch of old, simple as that. I’ve been wanting to give him the AGA label, but without that extra push over the wall, Burnes has now fanned just 21 batters in four outings – that’s close to just five per game.

18. Julio Urías – We just saw peak Urías in his start against Rockie Road as the changeup was more than an out-inducer. I had a long discussion about Julio vs. Webb on the Playback stream and settled on Urías given the better team situation + strikeout potential.

19. Logan Webb – Webb’s changeup has carried him through the year and I worry that his WHIP will get worse from its current 1.07 as the season progresses. Obviously you still start, just a little less obvious than the others.

 

Tier 4 – They Feel Like Aces But Aren’t

 

20. Justin Verlander – He’s been solid on your team, but not that stud, you know? The strikeout potential isn’t what it used to be.

21. Yu Darvish – It’s all gone well for Darvish, though I question how sustainable the skills are. Can he simply go sinker/slider/sweeper heavy?

22. Freddy Peralta – Peralta has dominated and yet we still see moments of volatility sprinkled in.

23. Aaron Nola – His four-seamer and curve are getting thrown about 40% of the time and are fantastic and yet…he keeps allowing punishment on the other 20% of his arsenal. It has to stop, right?

24. Logan Gilbert – The slider focus has been real for about a month now and it’s starting to come alive. Problem is, the four-seamer is falling behind and it’s all kinds of annoying. If he has his stud four-seamer and the new slider, we’re golden.

25. James Paxton – His velocity has slightly dropped over the last month, but I’m not too concerned moving forward. He’s still a plug-into-your-lineup-without-thought arm.

26. Framber Valdez – The no-hitter is starting to look like a Dennis and I really hope that’s not the case.

27. Jesús Luzardo – Luzardo did not pitch well against the Yankees, though his clunker against the Rangers was far better than the final line. Here’s to hoping it’s just a temporary valley.

 

Tier 5 – Legit Potential With A Good Floor

 

28. Zach Eflin – He just stumbled despite executing a near-perfect Neckbeard approach. Baseball, man.

29. Kenta Maeda – He finally had a start without his splitter earning whiffs and the slider stepped up in a major way. That may have just been the Tigers being the Tigers, though. I’m hoping the splitter returns next time out.

30. Tarik Skubal – I absolutely adore Skubal’s four-seamer, though he hasn’t commanded it nearly as well in his last few starts. I’m not ready to say it’s gone as the velocity is still there. Stick with it.

31. Bailey Ober – The changeup and slider weren’t as sharp as we normally see in his last start, but I’m not sounding the alarm bells.

32. Bryce Miller – I was stoked to see Miller’s slider precision in his previous outing, but it didn’t return against the Orioles. That said, the four-seamer is still fantastic and we start him each time he tosses the pearl.

 

Tier 6 – The Hollys

 

33. Sonny Gray – Gray is as comfortable as you’ll ever see him. Let’s hope he rides this plateau through the end of the year (he won’t).

34. Kodai Senga – The strikeouts are still alive and after a rough first inning against Atlanta, you have to give him plenty of credit for following it with five shutout frames. The ace of the Mets.

35. Merrill Kelly – Kelly looks back to form and is as sturdy as it gets for your squads, even if the ceiling is a bit limited.

36. Kyle Bradish – Bradish has been on a tear over the last two months as the four-seamer has avoided balls in play and he’s had a stronger slider + curveball lean. Let it ride.

37. Justin Steele – Steele’s command has faltered a bit lately, though I imagine it’ll get tweaked in future starts. Too much over the heart of the plate without the slider landing low and four-seamers (they’re really cutters) hugging edges.

38. Chris Bassitt – Like Kelly, Bassitt is a consistent solid arm. Nothing special, but you start him with an expectation of six frames.

39. José Berríos – Ditto with Berríos. The sinker/curve has been cooking while the four-seamer has appeared when needed from time to time.

 

Tier 7 – Exciting Confusion

 

40. Chris Sale – I’m excited to watch more of Sale, who returned from the IL and dominated in nearly five frames. I originally had him in Tier 5 and brought him down here to play it safe, but I don’t see why Sale can’t flirt with ace-dom down the stretch. After all, he boasts a near 30% strikeout rate.

41. Andrew Abbott – Abbott rebounded in his last start with better pitch separation. I hope we see more of that and less of “I hope this lands in the zone”.

42. Lance Lynn – I heavily doubted the Dodgers would instantly fix Lynn. I was wrong. The bigger lean on four-seamers, the reduction of cutters, and the far better Win chance + defense has worked wonders. You have no choice but to start him these days.

43. Gavin Williams – Our cover athlete for today is Gavin, who I dropped last time out after four starts of just 18 IP total and overall command questions. He’s since dominated two fantastic teams in the Blue Jays and Rays with his four-seamer, even if the breakers weren’t exceptional. That four-seamer foundation is settling in and I doubt any of you are considering benching him moving forward.

44. Bobby Miller – I adore the future of Bobby Miller. I also acknowledge that his secondaries are still a work in progress. Once they get a ton of strikes, though…

45. Grayson Rodriguez – He’s not quite at the point of nailing the BSB routinely, but we did see a start featuring a focus on sliders over changeups and that balance gives me hope he can be in a strong place with all three of his weapons – four-seamer, slider, change – in due time.

46. Eury Pérez – I love Eury’s four-seamer and slider combo. I don’t like that his curveball isn’t always there, the changeup is rough, and that the Marlins are likely keeping him comfortably under 90 pitches each time out.

47. Tanner Bibee – When you watch a Bibee start, how confident do you feel in him? I watched all seven innings of his productive start against the Rays and I was left…skeptical. Bibee’s slider is his most effective pitch, but it was hung and imprecise constantly, while the four-seamer, change, and curve weren’t exceptional (well, the fastball had some great moments, but overall was never suggestive of elite). I’m a little worried about the future outlook, even with the stellar results on paper. I’m not saying you shouldn’t start him, but I have less confidence than others.

 

Tier 8 – Arms You Trust, For The Most Part

 

48. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi has been fantastic over the last two months with breakers over the plate and four-seamers helping out. I’ve said this blurb for weeks now and it still rings true. Kikuchi is killing it and arguably deserves to be in Tier 6.

49. Lucas Giolito – Sure, he faced Atlanta and the Rangers, but Giolito isn’t locked in, nor showcasing the skills the other young arms above feature. We’re still holding n all, I’m just not nearly as excited for Giolito’s outings. There was a temptation to put him at the top of Tier 9, though he deserves more love than those in Tier 8, slotting him here.

50. Dylan Cease – He’s the ultimate Cherry Bomb. I dig that Cease elected to go 54% sliders in his most recent outing and I hope he continues to throw his best pitch at least 50% of the time. Doing so also enabled more productive four-seamers out of the zone and I’m crossing my fingers it’s a new trend to help redeem Cease’s season.

51. Jordan Montgomery – I lowered The Bear not for being poor, but because he’s fine. No excitement, just fine. And that’s, well, fine.

52. José Quintana – The only thing I care about with Quintana are his locations and he’s been locked in for a few starts now, including a successful performance against Atlanta. Go get him if you can.

53. Eduardo Rodriguez – He chucked pitches down the middle against the Red Sox. Don’t do that. Okay. See? He knows, he’s fine.

54. Jack Flaherty – We all loved his first start in Toronto, but as expected, the velocity came down in his second outing for Baltimore. I dig the new emphasis on sliders, though I’m not sure we’re past the annoying floor he had in St. Louis.

55. Brayan Bello – The sinker and change are still solid, it’s the slider and four-seamer that just aren’t getting better.

56. Michael Lorenzen – After throwing a no-hitter, I couldn’t leave him in Tier 10, and yet, I don’t think Lorenzen is all that exceptional. He does well against middling teams and you’re going to hang on for as long as this ride lasts. I get it.

 

Tier 9 – Fun And Pain

 

57. Cole Ragans – NICK, COME ON. HE WAS BAD AGAINST ST. LOUIS! The results were, yes. The skills? Not really. Sure, not as incredible as the Red Sox game, but the slider was filthy and he lost some batters here and there. Keep in mind, this ranking also includes the Red Sox start of eleven strikeouts that he absolutely deserved. He’s a special pitcher, y’all, and you really should pick him up. You won’t find upside like him on the wire otherwise and he’s worth the gamble over a Toby you’re starting. He could be a stud through the end of the year – no, I don’t just “stick to my guns” for the sake of it. If Ragans didn’t showcase legit ability in that Cardinals game, I’d have him further down, easily.

58. Hunter Brown – The Astros have said Brown is available from the pen during their early week series against the Marlins, which may spell a skipped start this week…or he tosses an inning as his routine bullpen and then starts over the weekend. Whatever it is, I’m not treating it as a demotion and more of just a quick skip. Needless to say, Brown is still a solid play when he starts and I’d be holding.

59. Brady Singer – Singer’s slider has been fantastic across his last four games and you ride this for as long it lasts.

60. Cristian Javier – Javier finally earned strikes with his slider again, it just happened to come on a night where he had a poor four-seamer. Life. I’m hoping he made a tweak with the breaker that will stick as the four-seamer is sure to recover.

61. Nick Pivetta – The slider command has been legit for a bit now and as long as that’s there, we’re in.

62. Jon Gray – I was hoping Gray would step up against the Giants, beginning his ascension to being a stud once again, and he came through in flying colors. Now we can only hope the four-seamer command sticks as the slider does its job.

63. Dane Dunning – Speaking of demolishing the Giants, Dunning has suddenly been a strikeout fiend after fanning twelve Giants batters. He’s increased his slider and cutter usage, and if that holds, he’s a larger strikeout threat than ever before. We hold and hope for the best.

 

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 10 – The Tobys You’re Rostering

 

64. Seth Lugo – Lugo is solid. Not exceptional, but solid and in a good situation.

65. José Urquidy – We just saw peak Urquidy as he dotted the edges with all five of his pitches, nailing his approach and becoming the apple of my eye. It’s unwise to buy in heavily after just one game, though a start against the Mariners seems like the right time to jump in and see what happens.

66. Marcus Stroman – He’s expected to return from the IL this week and hopefully he can return to being the consistent QS guy we know from the spring.

67. Emerson Hancock – I dug the sinker/cutter/change approach from Hancock last time out and it could spell six innings of production constantly down the stretch.

68. Cristopher Sánchez – The stuff is still there for Sánchez as the Phillies have a weak schedule moving forward. With Walker getting skipped and possibly hurt, it may pave the way for consistent starts for the final eight weeks.

69. Kyle Hendricks – The change and sinker are everything they are supposed to be.

70. Dean Kremer – I dig Kremer’s cutter, it’s just a matter of having a good enough heater and he can continue racking up the Wins.

 

Tier 11 – The Actual Cherry Bombs

 

71. Charlie Morton – He’s a HIPSTER and you don’t need to hold onto him. There are Wins and strikeouts to be had, but be prepared for the ratio hits.

72. Chase Silseth – I’m a little discouraged by the lack of splitter and slider whiffs in his last outing, though the Rays are not as scary as they seem to be on paper. I hope he sticks in the rotation once Ohtani returns next week.

73. JP Sears – I love Sears’ four-seamer and sweeper. I hate how hard it is for him to find Wins and his high home run tendencies.

74. Mitch Keller – He’s a Cherry Bomb in every way these days. Who knows.

75. Brandon Williamson – The changeup showed up and was a major addition to his approach. However, is the four-seamer/cutter foundation all that great?

76. Graham Ashcraft – The cutter finally was well spotted as the slider has been grading exceptionally well + he’s mixed in effective sinkers. Maybe it’s a turning point for Ashcraft, or maybe it’s a peak he’s destined to tumble down from.

77. Kyle Gibson – After multiple games of looking on top of his game, the Mariners messed him up in Seattle and we’re back to square one. Fun.

78. Reid Detmers – It’s painful to watch the descent of Detmers, who struggled against the rough Astros offense over the weekend. He’ll get a chance at redemption against the Rays and with his much easier September schedule, I wonder if he’s worth the hold for the potential ceiling against poor lineups.

 

Tier 12 – The Deep League Tobys

 

79. Hyun Jin Ryu – He’s a Toby who could be more if the changeup and curve come through with more time on the bump.

80. Aaron Civale – Don’t let the sub 3.00 ERA fool you – his season-long SIERA is 4.72. I’m not one to quote ERA estimators and call it a day, but it’s a showcase that there’s more going on underneath that suggests Civale isn’t as dependable as the ERA looks. The cutter + curve are solid when thrown about 70% of the time and his two starts with the Rays have dropped that number to 55-60%, featuring more heaters. Can’t say I dig that, but then again, it’s the Rays. I’m sure there’s a reason and I imagine they’ll sort it out.

81. Clarke Schmidt – He’s been good, but seemingly pitching at his peak. It’s hard to endorse a hold right now with a start against Atlanta on Monday night.

82. Wade Miley – I can see myself going after Miley once he’s past his start this week in Coors.

83. Michael Wacha – He’s returning from the IL and could have the command he had prior to injury. Usually it takes a few starts to get back into a groove.

 

Tier 13 – Stream Considerations

 

84. Matthew Liberatore – He’s getting a new shot with the departure of Flaherty and the velocity returned last time out. I wonder if there’s something here, especially with the Athletics on the menu.

85. J.P. France – France is back in the rotation as the Astros are going six-man for a moment and after a brilliant outing with fantastic heaters, a start against Seattle looks awfully appealing.

86. Logan Allen – Allen will head to Cincy before facing the Tigers and I hate one and am okay with the other. There isn’t enough of a wallop in his arsenal.

87. Andrew Heaney – Heaney left his start early due to illness last time out and I’d expect him to be back to his normal “will he, won’t he” self next time out.

88. Kutter Crawford – I adore his heater, I don’t adore the secondaries. I’m still waiting to see something I truly believe in from them.

89. Zack Littell – Littell is a decent play for a cheap Win as he’ll go 5-6 frames for the Rays. If he can execute the BSB and not hang his slider up, it’ll work out.

90. Tony Gonsolin – He’s a decent option against poor teams, but there isn’t enough to chase otherwise.

91. Cole Irvin – Irvin was the guy we remember from early 2022 in his last outing against the Mariners and with a start against the Athletics up next, you may want to consider him for a solid chance at a Win.

92. Ranger Suárez – Suárez had moments to latch onto in his last start that suggested the possibility of a late-season surge as we’ve seen in the past. With the Nationals up next, I may consider taking a shot and see how it goes.

93. Zack Thompson – With Steven Matz hitting the IL on Monday, we’re getting Zack into the rotation, a week after his stunning weekend performance. There is a decent arm in here with mid-90s heaters mixed with good curves and cutters. After throwing 73 pitches, he should be safe to go 80 against the Mets – it’s worth a shot in deeper leagues.

94. Johan Oviedo – The slider is cool, the four-seamer is not. It breaks the Huascar Ynoa rule – you need one more great pitch if your best offering is a slider – and I won’t lean into this Cherry Bomb any longer

95. Bryce Elder – He’s a streaming option, even if he didn’t fare well last time out. The pitch separation as there with his sinker and slider and I’d consider it against weak teams like the Yankees.

96. Jameson Taillon – He was cruising with solid command until his last outing against the Jays where everything was over the heart of the plate. It’s a solid schedule ahead, but I worry that he won’t be able to get back on the horse.

97. Tyler Anderson – The changeup has been fantastic and the Rays are not so tough these days.

98. Johnny Cueto – There’s always a chance for some Cueto magic.

99. Griffin Canning – He’s back in the rotation this week and after soaring with breakers before his IL stint, we can only hope he picks up where he left off. Maybe wait a start first, though.

100. Javier Assad – He just went seven dominant frames against the Jays and even though I’m not too convinced, there could be something here with his inside-sinker approach mixed with a decent cutter and curve.

 

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.

 

Hunter Greene – There’s speculation Greene is returning on Sunday against the Jays. I’d have him around the 50s with the other high-upside plays, though that first start is obviously a Still ILL.

Michael Soroka – I don’t expect Atlanta to continue with Yonny Chirinos, which opens the door for Soroka to start this week against the Giants. I’m all for picking up Soroka if that’s the case, and would have him in Tier 11 if confirmed.

Noah Syndergaard – I can’t believe he earned any four-seamer whiffs against the Blue Jays and have little faith in what he brings to the table.

Braxton Garrett – One of the very last ones out. I don’t think his cutter and sinker are good enough to trust regularly at the moment.

Taijuan Walker – He’s getting skipped this week and rightfully so after sitting 90/91 mph on his fastballs. Jump off this train, it’s been real.

Alek Manoah – He’s been demoted to Triple-A. Oooof.

Garrett Whitlock – He’s back (and throwing 96!) but it’s out of the pen and we likely don’t see him leave it. Also, that velocity is probably because he was able to air it out.

Allan Winans – The same goes for Winans – both Soroka and Winans could steal that rotation spot and are an add as a stream against San Francisco.

Paul Blackburn – I want to believe the slider and change are good enough and with the already depreciated Win chance, he needs to prove it more than others.

Alex Cobb – His splitter has returned whiffs just once since returning from the IL on June 30th. Once.

MacKenzie Gore – Since June 3rd, Gore has a 5.64 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, and 24% strikeout rate. You can’t trust the man.

Luis Medina – The breakers haven’t been what we wanted them to be for two starts now.

Freddy Tarnok – I was so excited to watch Tarnok get his shot at 70-80 pitches for the Athletics on Tuesday as he features elite vertical break on his 95/96 mph heater and…he hit the IL Monday afternoon with a calf strain. THAT’S BASEBALL, SUZYN.

Nick Martinez – With the return of Michael Wacha, it looks like Martinez is getting the boot. IT’S NOT FAIR Y’ALL.

Ryan Yarbrough – Now that Clayton Kershaw has returned, the Dodgers no longer need the Fratty Pirate. AND YOU CAN’T STEAL RAGANS’ ROTATION SPOT.

Josiah Gray – He had success executing the Canibal McSanchez and then it went away as we can’t trust his command. You’re better off not taking the chance.

Ross Stripling – He had a decent slider and changeup and survived the Rangers and yet…I don’t want to roster him. I don’t think he’s doing enough.

Colin Rea – He didn’t have the sweeper working as I had hoped. He’s a rare streamer at best.

Matt Manning – He’s not at 95 mph – he’s at 92.5 mph. Ouch.

Edward Cabrera – Demoted as he’s struggling to find his command. Maybe the blister is to fault a bit, but this was an innate problem for Cabrera for a while.

Emmet Sheehan – Demoted by the Dodgers. Hopefully he’ll return in the future with an improved secondary core.

Joan Adon – He’s a deep streaming option and not a guy to chase in 12-teamers. Sadly the fastball/breaker combo isn’t all that great.

Domingo Germán – Was placed on the restricted list as he went to a rehab clinic. Drop him.

Tyler Wells – A bit shocking to see the demotion to the minors. The Orioles should get another arm at the deadline to take his spot, though Wells is sure to return at some point before the season ends. Likely not worth the stash til then, but he’s a grab the moment he returns.

Taj Bradley – He was demoted just an hour before publication to make room for Civale. His command turned him into a Cherry Bomb we couldn’t trust and when he does return, he’ll be worth the pickup simply for the strikeout potential.

Touki Toussaint – Yes, he’s pitching again. If that curveball is actually fantastic, maybe there’s a chance.

Mike Clevinger – He returned from the IL and the results were good, but I don’t love the repertoire. It’s too meh for me.

Tommy Henry – He finally embraced the slider again in his last start and then hit the IL. Bummer.

Reese Olson – There is hope over time for Olson with a strong slider and a potential plus changeup. He had a great start last time out and yet, I don’t buy it.

Ken Waldichuk – I’m curious to see how he develops the rest of the year as there is something there with a possible BSB once he refines his secondaries.

Brandon Pfaadt – His four-seamer earned seven whiffs and sadly, it came without any change of shape. Meanwhile, the slider and change were worse, and I’m not interested.

Alex Faedo – I won’t rule out the shot at his slider working out, but there’s too low of a floor here, especially considering the slider did appear and it still wasn’t enough.

Luis Severino – Sigh. You can’t roster Severino anymore. Something is legit wrong as his pitches aren’t fooling anyone and I’m not exactly sure why. Hopefully he finds the tweak but you shouldn’t stash him until then. It might not come soon, if at all this season.

David Peterson – With Scherzer gone, Peterson returned to the rotation after working out of the pen across the last two weeks. I’m not seeing enough growth to consider him and would wait for something major to appear before rostering him.

Tylor Megill – Megill is back in the rotation with Scherzer and Verlander dealt at the deadline and sadly I’m not seeing much from his slider and changeup to encourage a spot on The List.

Lyon Richardson – He tossed three frames with a hard heater that failed to return a single whiff. No thanks.

Luke Weaver – He’s trying something new with increased velocity and a Canibal McSanchez approach. Let’s see if he can do it again.

Dakota Hudson – Along with Liberatore, Hudson may get a chance or two to start if the rotation empties this week. He’s a desperate quality start play and I heavily recommend against it…unless his slider turns into the legit pitch he had very brief flashes of in the past.

Ryan Weathers – He’s with the Marlins now and I don’t have much faith this will work out.

Xzavion Curry – There’s no way he’s going to 90%+ strikes on his slider again and even then, it was five decent (not elite) innings. He’s generally much more choatic.

Sean Manaea – He’s had flashes of success as a follower across four frames or so and it’s just not worthwhile in my book.

Jhony Brito – He’s in the rotation with Domingo Germán unlikely to return this year and Carlos Rodón + Nestor Cortes hitting the IL. I don’t love his low ceiling and think you should chase other options.

Randy Vasquez – The same goes for Randy, who has a rotation spot and I wouldn’t chase it in the slightest.

Will Warren – …or maybe it’s Warren who has made twelve starts in Triple-A for the Yankees this year. He’s a 92/93 mph sinkerballer with a sweeper that gets whiffs and I wouldn’t trust him in his first start out of the gate.

Tristan Beck – Came in for four frames in relief for the Giants, but it was under 50 pitches and I wasn’t too impress with his fastball, cutter, sweeper approach with a few curves. Fun note that shouldn’t be applied to fantasy: He does look like Wheeler (mechanically speaking) without a good fastball.

Yonny Chirinos – I don’t love his arsenal in the slightest, but there’s a weird chance it works. After all, he has a decent Win chance with Atlanta, but that’s all you’re really chasing. I also wonder if Atlanta will replace him in the rotation this week.

Alec Marsh – The four-seamer isn’t as good as we want it to be, even if I kinda dig the slider. It’s really hard to suggest rostering him after that atrocious start against the Yankees.

Mark Fidrych -This one is for Mat Kovach, the PL Historian, as Fidrych would have celebrated his 69th birthday today. Thanks for reading the notes! As a token of my thanks, here’s $20 off PL+ Yearly. Use code THEBIRD at checkout.

Michael Kopech – I don’t see a good reason to roster him at the moment, but if he can string a start or two, then we’re golden.

Ryne Nelson – The changeup is supposed to be the #2 pitch now (I guess) and it’s not reliable. The cutter showed up recently and I’m not buying that yet.

Brandon Bielak – The Astros sent Bielak back to Triple-A and we’re not in until the matchups are solid and even then…we’ll see.

Drew Smyly – He’s been demoted to the bullpen, though it may be for a limited time. That said, Smyly still has to prove he can be consistent enough with his curveball before we bring him back onto The List.

Patrick Sandoval – It brings me no joy to remove The Irish Panda. He’s too inconsistent with his change and slider failing to take over games.

Rich Hill – He sometimes works in his weird way and let’s just be happy the 43-year-old can still do it from time to time.

Joey Wentz – Welp, the nine-strikeout game wasn’t real. We move on.

Zack Greinke – Greinke does what Greinke does.

Miles Mikolas – What are you chasing? This is not worth it.

Zach Davies – On the IL and not worth the stash at all, even if he returns this week.

Dallas Keuchel – No.

Osvaldo Bido – You’re looking for something stable and Bido is far from it. There will be brief moments, but he’s not the arm you need.

Hogan Harris – Demoted to Triple-A by Oakland. He’s a crafty lefty who has a small chance of making it work each time he pitches.

Ronel Blanco – Blanco may be a 50% slider guy and I wonder if he’ll get more chances in the future. Be aware that he could be a decent spot start if given the chance.

Trevor Rogers – He’s expected back soon(ish. We think?) and I’m excited to see what he does.

Michael Grove – There’s potential and it’s cool to see him earn a ton of whiffs when the curveball was introduced. It does suggest there is a Guardians approach with two stellar breakers that could work for Grove over time.

Carlos Carrasco – The schedule is blegh and Carrasco doesn’t do enough. For example, eight innings of shutout ball returned just four strikeouts. I’m not interested.

Martín Pérez – He’s in the bullpen now with the Rangers acquiring two starters at the deadline.

Bailey Falter – The Pirates are letting him start and I wouldn’t rule out some days of production as he ramps up. Atlanta is up next, so it may take a moment.

Marco Gonzales – He’s hurt and I’ll need to see the same command when he comes back before returning to The List.

Jake Irvin – There was some intrigue here, but the velocity came down and the curve isn’t developing enough.

Alex Wood – He’ll hopefully go five productive frames at the risk of destroying your week. No thanks.

Patrick Corbin – Ha, that was a fun four-start ride, wasn’t it?

Jordan Lyles – He’s come through once when the matchup was good. ONCE.

Trevor Williams – He hasn’t been fantasy relevant for a while.

Ty Blach – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.

Chris Flexen – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.

Peter Lambert – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.

Austin Gomber – Look, I get it. Gomber has returned 2 ER or fewer in eight of his last nine starts. Many in Coors! And he just had a poor outing (but still 2 ER!) against the Dodgers! It’s wild. It’s bonkers. It’s…not going to continue. 16% strikeout rate in that time. Please don’t.

Kyle Freeland – It’s Coors and far too risky on any night.

Slade Cecconi – He is far from looking like a reliable starter for fantasy teams.

Adam Wainwright – You know better than this. The Cardinals are letting him start as he’s currently at 198 Wins and hoping to seal #200 before season’s end.

Andre Jackson – The Pirates seem to be letting him start. Okay.

Quinn Priester – It’s slow sinkers and meh secondaries. Nope.

Jesse Scholtens – He’s gone 12 IP and 3 ER in his last two starts combined and I sadly don’t buy it.

Adrian Houser – Naaaaaaah. Yes, not even after the ten-strikeout game.

Chris Murphy – The Red Sox are letting him pitch in games and that’s all there is to say about him. Hey, you just wrote that? Is it wrong?

 

 

SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES

 

Rank	Pitcher	Badges	Change
1	Spencer StriderT1	Aces Gonna Ace	-
2	Gerrit Cole	Aces Gonna Ace	-
3	Luis Castillo	Aces Gonna Ace	-
4	Kevin Gausman	Aces Gonna Ace	-
5	Zac Gallen T2	Aces Gonna Ace	-
6	Tyler Glasnow	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk	-
7	Zack Wheeler	Aces Gonna Ace	-
8	Max Scherzer	Aces Gonna Ace	-
9	Blake Snell	Aces Gonna Ace	-
10	Pablo López	Aces Gonna Ace	+5
11	Shohei Ohtani	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk	-1
12	Brandon Woodruff T3	Ace Potential	-1
13	Max Fried	Ace Potential	-1
14	Clayton Kershaw	Ace Potential	-
15	George Kirby	Ace Potential	+3
16	Sandy Alcantara	Ace Potential	+4
17	Corbin Burnes	Ace Potential	-4
18	Julio Urías	Ace Potential	+7
19	Logan Webb	Ace Potential	+2
20	Justin Verlander T4	Ace Potential	+3
21	Yu Darvish	Ace Potential	+1
22	Freddy Peralta	Ace Potential	+4
23	Aaron Nola	Ace Potential	+1
24	Logan Gilbert	Ace Potential	+10
25	James Paxton	Ace Potential	-6
26	Framber Valdez	Ace Potential	-10
27	Jesús Luzardo	Ace Potential	-10
28	Zach Eflin T5	Quality Starts	-1
29	Kenta Maeda	Quality Starts	-1
30	Tarik Skubal	Quality Starts	-1
31	Bailey Ober	Quality Starts	+1
32	Bryce Miller	Ace Potential	+1
33	Sonny Gray T6	Quality Starts	+5
34	Kodai Senga	Quality Starts	+5
35	Merrill Kelly	Quality Starts	+5
36	Kyle Bradish	Quality Starts	+15
37	Justin Steele	Quality Starts	-7
38	Chris Bassitt	Quality Starts	-2
39	José Berríos	Quality Starts	-4
40	Chris Sale T7	Cherry Bomb	+UR
41	Andrew Abbott	Cherry Bomb	-
42	Lance Lynn	Cherry Bomb	+6
43	Gavin Williams	Cherry Bomb	+16
44	Bobby Miller	Cherry Bomb	-1
45	Grayson Rodriguez	Cherry Bomb	-
46	Eury Pérez	Cherry Bomb	-2
47	Tanner Bibee	Cherry Bomb	-
48	Yusei Kikuchi T8	Quality Starts	+12
49	Lucas Giolito	Quality Starts	-18
50	Dylan Cease	Cherry Bomb	-1
51	Jordan Montgomery	Quality Starts	-14
52	Jose Quintana	Quality Starts	+11
53	Eduardo Rodriguez	Quality Starts	-1
54	Jack Flaherty	Quality Starts	-4
55	Brayan Bello	Quality Starts	-2
56	Michael Lorenzen	Quality Starts	+10
57	Cole Ragans T9	Cherry Bomb	+12
58	Hunter Brown	Cherry Bomb	-12
59	Brady Singer	Cherry Bomb	+8
60	Cristian Javier	Cherry Bomb	-5
61	Nick Pivetta	Cherry Bomb	+12
62	Jon Gray	Cherry Bomb	+8
63	Dane Dunning	Cherry Bomb	+27
64	Seth Lugo T10	Toby	-10
65	José Urquidy	Toby	+34
66	Marcus Stroman	Injury Risk Toby	+UR
67	Emerson Hancock	Toby	+UR
68	Cristopher Sánchez	Toby	-6
69	Kyle Hendricks	Toby	-5
70	Dean Kremer	Toby	-5
71	Charlie Morton T11	Cherry Bomb	-15
72	Chase Silseth	Cherry Bomb	-4
73		Cherry Bomb	-16
74	Mitch Keller	Cherry Bomb	+1
75	Brandon Williamson	Cherry Bomb	+UR
76	Graham Ashcraft	Cherry Bomb	+7
77	Kyle Gibson	Cherry Bomb	-6
78	Reid Detmers	Cherry Bomb	-6
79	Hyun Jin Ryu T12	Toby	+1
80	Aaron Civale	Toby	-3
81	Clarke Schmidt	Toby	-3
82	Wade Miley	Toby	-3
83	Michael Wacha	Injury Risk Toby	+UR
84	Matthew Liberatore T13	Streaming Option	+UR
85	J.P. France	Streaming Option	+UR
86	Tony Gonsolin	Streaming Option	+3
87	Logan Allen	Streaming Option	-11
88	Andrew Heaney	Streaming Option	-6
89	Kutter Crawford	Streaming Option	-2
90	Zack Littell	Streaming Option	+7
91	Cole Irvin	Streaming Option	+UR
92	Ranger Suárez	Streaming Option	+UR
93	Zack Thompson	Streaming Option	+UR
94	Johan Oviedo	Streaming Option	-20
95	Bryce Elder	Streaming Option	-14
96	Jameson Taillon	Streaming Option	-3
97	Tyler Anderson	Streaming Option	-9
98	Johnny Cueto	Streaming Option	-6
99	Griffin Canning	Streaming Option	+UR
100	Javier Assad	Streaming Option	+UR

 

Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)