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.
Every day of the 2025 baseball season, I’ve been looking at today and tomorrow’s slate of scheduled starting pitchers and ranking their matchups for your fantasy baseball streams.
Now that we’re in the final week of the season, I decided the most helpful thing I could do is expand my daily rankings to look at each remaining day of the season in one massive reference article.
There’s a lot that goes into this and you can hang out with me on Playback.tv/pitcherlist to talk about the specific ranks as I make them every weekday morning from 10am – 12pm ET. If you have questions about these ranks, please ask during the morning Playback AMA. Those are my office hours as I generally don’t answer comments on the site.
HUGE thanks to Josh Mockensturm for helping put together this week’s tables.
My Ranking Process Outlined
There are four tiers to these rankings with 12-teamers in mind:
Auto-Start – Just do it. Don’t overthink this, start the man. This includes “if I have them rostered, I’m starting them” pitchers.
Probably Start – I’m likely starting these arms, though I recognize there is more risk than we’d like there to be. Either it’s a tough matchup for a good-not-elite pitcher or a weak lineup for a volatile arm. These pitchers have a 50% or greater chance of performing well in my view.
Questionable Start – Think of this tier as “I don’t want to start these pitchers in a vacuum, but you could do worse.” Streamers found in this tier are not pitchers I’m targeting or are sneaky options for deeper leagues. To play it safe with streaming, just start the Probably Start streamers.
Do Not Start – The reward is not worth the risk. Don’t do it. Seriously, these pitchers have a very slim chance of success or sometimes none at all.
Obviously, there will be circumstances where pitchers should move between teams for your situation specifically and these new tiers should act as a little more help than the straight table from last year.
These schedules are going to change.
It’s the biggest concern I have investing the time into a massive article like this as we all know rotations change, injuries happen, starters are pushed back, and rainouts are a thing. It means to take these with a grain of salt, but I believe it’s best to have a plan and adapt rather than starting with no plan at all.
Also keep in mind that my feelings toward some of these starters will be altered by their progression through the rest of the year – for example, Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Aaron Nola may be limited in their final starts to be preserved for the playoffs, or Reese Olson and Hunter Greene, who are expected to return from the IL and may be worthwhile (or not!) by their final starts. The rankings are fluid through the end of the year and I can only make my best estimate now. Make sure to check out my daily rankings for more help in the final weeks.
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.
- Again, these tables are going to change. I’m trying to give a general idea of it, but injured pitchers returning, rainouts, bumped starters, callups, etc. mean the orders are all messed up. It happens, nothing I can do about it.
Pretty straightforward stuff. Let’s take a look at how I’m loosely ranking these matchups for the next two weeks (which, also, will change. These are humans, after all):
Monday 9/22 Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto Starts
Chris Sale vs. WSN – Aces gonna ace.
Freddy Peralta @ SDP – Aces gonna ace.
Nick Pivetta vs. MIL – Aces gonna.
Probably Starts
Justin Verlander vs. STL – He’s done well and facing the Cardinals in Oracle Park seems like an easy choice.
MacKenzie Gore @ ATL – While he’s not at his peak, he’s stretched out and has the stuff to make this worth the risk.
Questionable Starts
Michael McGreevy @ SFG – Our only option for a stream isn’t a terrible one. Don’t expect strikeouts and a Win may be tough opposite Verlander, while the ratios can be solid with his above-average command and wide arsenal.
Do Not Starts
NONE – I don’t place pitchers in tiers just to fill them. YOU DESERVE THAT.
Tuesday 9/23 Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto-Starts
Tarik Skubal @ CLE – Aces gonna ace.
Cristopher Sánchez vs. MIA – Aces gonna ace.
Jacob deGrom vs. MIN – Aces gonna ace.
Shohei Ohtani @ ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Logan Webb vs. STL – Not an ace, but that’s one lovely matchup.
Bryce Miller vs. COL – Rockie Road. @TEA. It’s what you want.
Cole Ragans @ LAA – How long will they let him go? Does it matter?
Probably Starts
Kevin Gausman vs. BOS – He’s been on a roll. It’s hard to say no at this point.
Ryan Pepiot @ BAL – He’s away from Tampa and gets a lineup he can handle. This is the situation Pepiot hasn’t had enough of this season.
Gavin Williams vs. DET – Gavin has been making it work despite lacking the polish I was hoping he’d have by now.
Brady Singer vs. PIT – Singer’s sinker/slider attack is looking good + it’s Pittsburgh.
Luis Gil vs. CHW – Gil constantly battles his arsenal, but has made it work more often than not.
Zebby Matthews @ TEX – Zebby has the stuff, but hot dang is he volatile. The good news? It’s in Texas. A great place to pitch.
Hurston Waldrep vs. WSN – Waldrep’s splitter is in-or-out. Fortunately, the Nationals will send a LHB-lineup his way, making the splitter have a wider margin for error.
Cade Horton vs. NYM – It’s the Mets (what does that really mean right now?), yet we can’t deny Horton of another start after the run he’s had.
Questionable Starts
Lucas Giolito @ TOR – We’ve seen Giolito succeed in Toronto this year, though he’s not firing on all cylinders.
Cristian Javier @ ATH – He’s a PEAS and we don’t know what we’ll see. The floor is lower in Sacré Verde, too.
Dean Kremer vs. TBR – Ah yes, Dean Werewolf. He has a higher QS chance than most in the third tier and lower, which can be hard to find in the final week.
Johan Oviedo @ CIN – Oviedo is a PEAS and GABP isn’t a fun place for an inefficient arm.
Jeffrey Springs vs. HOU – Maybe he’s able to find sunshine and rainbows with the changeup against the RHB-heavy lineup? Don’t forget: This is in Sacré Verde.
Brad Lord @ ATL – Lord has shocked us a bit in the last month. Maybe the sinker jams effectively and the secondaries come through.
David Peterson @ CHC – It’s the Cubs and Peterson has been a WHIP killer. We’ve also seen some lovely peaks, though.
Brandon Pfaadt vs. LAD – Pfaadt just had a phenomenal outing that I can’t quite lean into, personally. Throw in the Dodgers and you have yourself a start you’re likely avoiding.
Do Not Starts
Shane Smith @ NYY – It’s the Yankees.
Edward Cabrera @ PHI – We didn’t expect to see ECab back this year and he apparently tossed 50 pitches last week. It’s a Still ILL for now.
Randy Vásquez vs. MIL – Vásquez has a chance, and boy is it boring.
Sam Aldegheri vs. KCR – Oh cool, Aldegheri! Don’t expect much at all here.
Bruce Zimmermann @ SDP – Same with Zimmermann.
Andre Pallante @ SFG – Pallante technically has a higher Win chance and leash, but the floor is lower. Just avoid it.
McCade Brown @ SEA – It’s the Colorado SP.
Wednesday 9/24 Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto-Starts
Garrett Crochet @ TOR – Aces gonna ace.
Paul Skenes @ CIN – Aces gonna ace.
Hunter Greene vs. PIT – Aces gonna ace.
Max Fried vs. CHW – Aces gonna ace.
Blake Snell @ ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Hunter Brown @ ATH – Aces gonna ace.
Jesús Luzardo vs. MIA – I know about his volatility, but it’s the Marlins.
Luis Castillo vs. COL – Take it home, Castillo. Rockie Road is quite the gift.
Sonny Gray @ SFG – He’s been Sonny more than Gray.
Probably Starts
Shane Baz @ BAL – It feels weird to place Baz here and I don’t like this PS tier as much as others this week. Baz velocity returned and pitching in Camden should make this a relatively safe outing.
Tanner Bibee vs. DET – It sure looks like Bibee has found his form with his cutter and change in the final weeks of the season. Can you do it one more time for us, Bibee?
Jack Flaherty @ CLE – Flaherty’s fastball and breakers are still working well. There is a little more risk potential than you’d like, but the odds are in Flaherty’s favor.
Max Scherzer vs. BOS – Scherzer had a silly, ridiculous, dumb bamboozlin’ of a first inning. His stuff is still there, though, and I’m hand-waving that outing. He should be good here.
Matthew Boyd vs. NYM – Boyd hasn’t been getting the same results, though he’s still very capable. It’s been a season of strong performances and I’m banking on the track record over the recent bumps in the road.
Stephen Kolek @ LAA – I don’t quite buy into his whole schtick, but he’s in a rhythm at the moment and the Angels offense… is not.
Tyler Wells vs. TBR – Wells has only been solid since returning from TJS and hosting the Rays in Camden is a solid play in my book.
Questionable Starts
Bryce Elder vs. WSN – Elder’s recent stretch is kinda ridiculous. Maybe he deserves a slot in the second tier, though I just can’t put my fantasy season at risk for Elder.
Dylan Cease vs. MIL – It doesn’t seem right that it’s been so tough this season, and we know he’s capable of double-digit strikeouts. It just hasn’t worked out nearly enough to trust in the final week.
Ryan Weathers @ PHI – He’s still on a limited pitch count and it’s the Phillies.
J.T. Ginn vs. HOU – I like his command and it’s not a bad matchup against a RHB-lineup. Sacré Verde scares me, while the ceiling/floor balance isn’t enough in his favor.
Jonah Tong @ CHC – It’s the Cubs + Tong has shown both sides of the coin.
Ryne Nelson vs. LAD – Why does it have to be the Dodgers?
Yusei Kikuchi vs. KCR – I’m not expecting much from Kikuchi. He’s a strikeout play if that’s what you’re looking for.
Taj Bradley @ TEX – Even in Texas, Bradley is simply too chaotic for me to put him any higher.
Do Not Starts
Chad Patrick @ SDP – I don’t love the matchup, but there’s a chance he could make it work.
Andrew Alvarez @ ATL – He’s a step above the ones below in the tier, but that isn’t saying much.
JT Brubaker vs. STL – He’ll step in with Robbie Ray shutdown for the season. I have no interest in Coffee Cakes with a questionable leash and below-average ability.
Tyler Alexander @ NYY – This doesn’t look like a long outing for the short-armed T-Lex.
Tanner Gordon @ SEA – It’s the Colorado starter. He’s done okay! And it’s not in Coors! And in @TEA! YOU CAN’T.
Thursday 9/25 Starting Pitcher Rankings
Auto-Starts
Yoshinobu Yamamoto @ ARI – Aces gonna ace.
Carlos Rodón vs. CHW – Aces gonna ace.
Shane Bieber vs. BOS – He’s looked like an ace this year.
Nick Lodolo vs. PIT – Lodolo has been pitching great and he finally gets to face a non-elite offense.
Shota Imanaga vs. NYM – Aces gonna ace… but it’s the Mets.
Nolan McLean @ CHC – He’s been unstoppable, though the Cubs could be that team.
Probably Starts
Joe Ryan @ TEX – He should be in the top tier, though I recognize that Ryan hasn’t been himself as of late. I imagine you’re starting him anyway, but there are scenarios where you can play it safe.
Drew Rasmussen @ BAL – It hasn’t been prime Rasmussen in the slightest, but this is the situation you’ve been waiting for.
Framber Valdez @ ATH – He’s been rough. This is the do-or-die moment for the Astros. Valdez’s curveball has to return and I’m going to bet on him stepping up to the occasion.
Parker Messick vs. DET – The Tigers are worse against LHP and Messick has done enough to warrant a start.
Cade Povich vs. TBR – He’s a Toby against a below-average offense in a decent park. That checks out.
Questionable Starts
Brayan Bello @ TOR – Bello has to endure the Jays. Not ideal, but those in need of a QS will likely go for it.
Taijuan Walker vs. MIA – If this is actually Taijuan and not a piggy-back, yes, it’s a decent Win chance. Y’all know I don’t trust the fella, though.
Tyler Mahle vs. MIN – Mahle is stretched out enough to go five full against a poor Twins lineup, though his ceiling isn’t too high.
Zac Gallen vs. LAD – Gallen has improved his odds of a sizeable contract in the off-season with his performance in the second half, but this is the Dodgers.
Emerson Hancock vs. COL – Woo is getting skipped after all, allowing Hancock a start in one of the best matchups possible @TEA. Here’s another sneaky play you’ll likely be able to pick up for a Quality Start and good win chance.
Do Not Starts
Janson Junk @ PHI – He’s fresh off 7+ frames and you’re kinda tempted. I’m skeptical of the JunkBaller and the Phillies make it a tough bet to make.
Davis Martin @ NYY – Martin is awfully boring and it’s the Yankees. There is a shot at six frames here.
Michael Lorenzen @ LAA – Lorenzen also went 7+ frames in his last outing, expressing the slim chance he carries each time he takes the mound of granting trusting managers a quality start.
Luis Severino vs. HOU – Sevy may benefit from facing mostly RHB, though he really doesn’t like Sacré Verde. Not that any pitchers actually like it, of course.
Braxton Ashcraft @ CIN – I worry how long he’ll go and if he’ll actually take advantage of the time he does get.
Keider Montero @ CLE – Montero has displayed some production in the past. It’s too low of a ceiling to justify the floor with minimal volume.
Mitch Farris vs. KCR – You don’t want to spin the Farris wheel.
Bradley Blalock @ SEA – It’s the Colorado SP.
Friday 9/26 Starting Pitcher Rankings
MAJOR NOTE: I’ve ranked starters here as if there are no limitations to their starts based on team and final weekend context. The notes I’ve added for each pitcher can help you make your decision later in the week, where those who are not expected to go five frames should be placed below good options with a long leash.
Auto-Starts
Trevor Rogers @ NYY – I initially had him in the second tier given it’s the Yankees, but fine. You’re not going to bench him. How could you, really?
Quinn Priester vs. CIN – The Brewers pushed up Patrick to better set up their rotation, pushing back Priester and Jay Mis a game. It’s the Reds Carpet for a pitcher who doesn’t get beat on sinkers and cutters over the plate. Yes, please.
Brandon Sproat @ MIA – It’s the Marlins.
Probably Starts
Joey Wentz vs. PIT – Wentz is pitching well and it’s the Pirates.
Will Warren vs. BAL – Warren has squeaked by over the last month and I wish I were more confident in his arsenal with a good matchup ahead.
Connelly Early vs. DET – I’m not concerned about his third outing. Tampa is known to throw pitchers off their game and Early’s command was far different than his first two. It makes more sense to me that the park affected Connelly instead of the joyride ending… Early.
Noah Cameron @ ATH – Cameron has constantly proven himself against tough opponents. What’s one more in Sacré Verde?
Kai-Wei Teng vs. COL – Welcome to the weekend of loving the Giants. They get the gift of Rockie Road and Teng’s strikeout ability founded on breaking balls sets him up for a high-impact potential outing on Friday. I’m going for it.
Trey Yesavage vs. TBR – Yesavage had a brilliant debut, then struggled against the Royals. The good news? It’s a far easier matchup hosting the Rays. When looking at his poor outing against the Royals, the outlier was his four-seamer strike rate. Instead of 60-70%, it recorded a 36% clip. Yeaaaaah that’s going to regress positively.
Colin Rea vs. STL – He’s a Toby for a winning club in a good situation. Throw in a starter who isn’t expected to be a part of the post-season mix, and you have a recipe for more production than most across the weekend.
Questionable Starts
George Kirby vs. LAD – Kirby just had two fantastic starts, though they were both against RHB-heavy lineups. Now it’s the Dodgers with many high-quality LHB and an overall better offense than the Angels and Astros. The Mariners may also have already locked up their postseason seed and will be hesitant to push Kirby. Be careful.
Sandy Alcantara vs. NYM – In his first season since getting TJS, Alcantara has already thrown 167.2 innings. Why oh WHY would the Marlins risk Alcantara before the off-season when they intended to deal him? Would one more strong outing really matter that much? And will it actually be any good against the Mets?!
Slade Cecconi vs. TEX – I know, Slade Brigade. You’re upset I have him this low. It’s not in Texas, though, and I still can’t quite put my finger on Slade’s success. The best I could come up with was his wide array of weapons, though the fastballs are the only ones doing significant damage, which are pretty dang average. But sure, Vargas Rule away.
Ian Seymour @ TOR – At least this isn’t in Tampa. I may be overrating the Jays’ offense in general (especially at home), though Seymour’s ceiling isn’t absurdly high, either.
Yoendrys Gómez @ WSN – Gómez hasn’t quite put everything together yet and I worry about Gómez’s attack against LHB.
Jack Leiter vs. CLE – Leiter is a PEAS and he has to deal with the red-hot Guardians.
Luis Morales vs. KCR – Morales has to deal with Sacré Verde and a solid Royals crew. You know the volatility in here.
Cade Cavalli vs. CHW – Sure, Cavalli got through a start against the Mets. He hasn’t been electric for a while and the SlySox are tougher than the Marlins and Pirates, you know, teams Cavalli couldn’t exploit across the last three weeks.
Jason Alexander @ LAA – Alexander was just trounced by the Mariners, but this is the Angels. One start doesn’t erase the season.
Mitch Keller @ ATL – Keller has the leash to go a full six frames and maybe the sweeper is good enough to take down Atlanta.
Yu Darvish vs. ARI – Does he even deserve to be in this tier? It’s not like he’s come through against poor lineups in September. But FINE, he really should have turned it around by now.
Clayton Kershaw @ SEA – It’s the final regular season start of his career and despite all that extra adrenaline, we can point to his final start in Dodgers Stadium to what that actually adds. Oh, and the Mariners’ offense is kinda great.
Casey Mize @ BOS – Mize is a Toby and this could be good enough. They really need him to crush, after all. He still hasn’t quite figured out his slider, though, and the four-seamer sat 93/94 mph in his last start, not 95/96 mph.
Do Not Starts
Eduardo Rodriguez @ SDP – There’s always a chance with Erod. Not one that I want to chase, but it’s there, espeically if you need a QS.
Zack Littell @ MIL – Who knows with Littell. He’s a Werewolf I’d prefer to ignore.
Walker Buehler vs. MIN – Oh, are they going to let him go at least five?
Bailey Ober @ PHI – After what he just endured, you’d be hard-pressed to find a manager excited for this.
Miles Mikolas @ CHC – Mikolas against the Cubs? With our fantasy seasons on the line? Riiiiiight.
Kyle Hendricks vs. HOU – Oh hey Hendricks. That was some game, eh?
Germán Márquez @ SFG – It’s the Colorado SP.
Saturday 9/27 Starting Pitcher Rankings
MAJOR NOTE: I’ve ranked starters here as if there are no limitations to their starts based on team and final weekend context. The notes I’ve added for each pitcher can help you make your decision later in the week, where those who are not expected to go five frames should be placed below good options with a long leash.
Auto-Starts
Tyler Glasnow @ SEA – I wonder if the Dodgers will actually start Glasnow here or if we’ll see Sheehan pushed up a day or if he’ll get shortened or if some rando pitcher will go instead. But hey, if he’s starting, sure, let him ride.
Logan Gilbert vs. LAD – It’s @TEA and the Dodgers could be taking it easy.
Merrill Kelly @ CLE – Kelly hasn’t done well for his last two and I think the Rangers will give him a long leash to finish on a good note
Michael King vs. ARI – King pitched far better than the line suggested. He’s still stretching out and would be in line for Game 2 of the postseason, making me confident in his workload.
Cam Schlittler vs. BAL – I’m not sure you’ll see this from Cam after getting pushed well over his past workload. If he does start, he should do well. He’s a stud in the making.
Bubba Chandler @ ATL – I’m banking on the Pirates giving Bubba the confidence as a starter in preparation for 2026.
Jacob Misiorowski vs. CIN – This is so clearly a fantastic matchup, but the Brewers are going to be awfully protective of Jay Mis. Don’t expect more than four frames, if even that.
Probably Starts
Spencer Strider vs. PIT – I don’t suggest Atlanta push Strider more in his first season back from TJS. If he goes, we go. It’s the Pirates.
Aaron Nola vs. MIN – I’m expecting a shortened start as a tune-up for the playoffs, but who knows. Maybe Nola needs a full start to feel great heading into October.
Andrew Abbott @ MIL – The Reds are fighting for a playoff spot and may need as much Abbott as they can get.
Trevor McDonald vs. COL – Here’s your super sleeper SP for the weekend. McDonald is a sinker/breaker arm who just tossed 89 pitches of 1 ER ball against the Dodgers. As a RHP against Rockie Road who can nail the outside corner with curveballs, McDonald could be the surprise play of the weekend.
Chad Patrick vs. CIN – It’s the Reds Carpet and my only hesitation is Patrick’s leash. He was limited to just 4.2 IP in his last start, after all.
Clay Holmes @ MIA – I’m going to assume The Adobe is following Sean Manaea, replicating their last outing. If this is reversed, we want Manaea, not Holmes.
Joey Cantillo vs. TEX – Cantillo hasn’t had his best command lately, but the matchup is good enough and Cantillo carries a good floor.
Eury Pérez vs. NYM – I’m not sure what to make of the Mets offense at this point. If Pérez has any secondary working to help against LHB, he’ll soar.
Questionable Starts
Kyle Harrison vs. DET – Harrison had a mediocre outing in Tampa, though I haven’t seen a whole lot from him to suggest he’s taken a proper step forward from his time in San Francisco. How long will they let him go, especially with the Red Sox battling for their hold on a playoff spot?
José Berríos vs. TBR – He’s The Great Undulator and needs a legit start to get his ERA under 4.00. It’s possible, y’all. I’m not sure where he slots into the Jays’ playoff plans (Is he their #4 or is Bassitt? Or Yesavage?! Naaaah), which could make for a possible Quality Start.
Sean Manaea @ MIA – If he’s starting, we want Clay Holmes instead. However, if Holmes gets the pearl, you can flip-flop this rank with Holmes’.
Javier Assad vs. STL – It makes sense for the Cubs to let Assad go as long as possible to rest the rest of their arms before the playoffs. He can do just fine against the Cardinals, however boring it may be.
Sean Burke @ WSN – He’s at 96 mph with his heater and the curve has succeeded against LHB at times.
Adrian Houser @ TOR – Chasing a Quality Start? Houser may be the answer.
Caden Dana vs. HOU – I don’t love it, but Dana is one of the rare streamers available with a long leash, and his slider could be enough to deal with the RHB-heavy Astros.
Kyle Freeland @ SFG – SAY WHAT. Hey, he’s away from Coors, throws his heaters just 20% of the time, and has had legit strikeout games in three of his last four games. IT’S POSSIBLE.
Do Not Starts
Simeon Woods Richardson @ PHI – Maybe SWR belongs in the tier above, but I’m scared of the Phillies and he was far more blegh over the weekend than his prior two outings. Stupid splitters…
Michael Wacha @ ATH – Wacha is a low-end Toby with a terrible matchup. Noooooope.
Chris Paddack @ BOS – You really can’t trust Paddack.
Matthew Liberatore @ CHC – I know he just did well and maybe I’m undervaluing this one. He did sit 94.7 mph… But it’s the Cubs. And Liberatore is too dang boring.
AJ Blubaugh @ LAA – I know some of y’all may be interested, but he just tossed three innings and under 35 pitches in relief on Sunday. You can’t expect five frames.
Nabil Crismatt @ SDP – The changeup is cool, but let’s be real.
Tomoyuki Sugano @ NYY – It’s the Yankees and Sugano is not a pitcher to start against solid offenses.
Jake Irvin vs. CHW – He just had his best start in ages. Likely because the Mets are cursed.
Mitch Spence vs. KCR – Spence ain’t looking like the arm I was excited about for a brief moment in March.
Sunday 9/28 Starting Pitcher Rankings
MAJOR NOTE: I’ve ranked starters here as if there are no limitations to their starts based on team and final weekend context. The notes I’ve added for each pitcher can help you make your decision later in the week, where those who are not expected to go five frames should be placed below good options with a long leash.
Auto-Starts
Tarik Skubal @ BOS – Aces gonna ace. He’s only pitching if the Tigers need this Win.
Chris Sale vs. PIT – I’d normally believe Sale gets benched, but then again, he’ll have tossed around 120 innings (assuming at least five on Monday night) and he may want more volume to prepare for next year.
Freddy Peralta vs. CIN – The Brewers are getting a bye, setting the stage for a tune-up outing of four or five innings.
Nick Pivetta vs. ARI – The Padres will be using Pivetta as their Game 1 or Game 2 starter in all likelihood. That makes this start feel out of the question.
Emmet Sheehan @ SEA – Will he pitch Sunday? Or Saturday? Or at all? The Dodgers do their own thing and it’s so hard to figure them out. I’d love to watch Emmet go for one more outing here.
Justin Verlander vs. COL – It’s Rockie Road and I can see a world where Verlander demands he gets another start while pitching as well as he has been (disregarding whatever happens Monday night as I type this hours before he goes).
Cole Ragans @ ATH – PEW PEW PEW. He’ll be stretched out around 80 pitches here and I’d imagine the Royals want him to get comfortable back on the mound before ending the year. It really does mean a lot for a pitcher to get those few starts returning from injury instead of waiting until April next year.
Kyle Bradish @ NYY – I know he just took them down. He also pitched his best game since returning, which doesn’t have enough of a track record to expect exact replication. Then again, the Yankees may not be slotting in their starters… Okay, you’re likely just going for it.
Kevin Gausman vs. TBR – Gausman has been rolling. If the Jays have a bye, this will likely be a short tune-up. If they are the #3/4 seed, there’s no way Gausman goes.
Ranger Suárez vs. MIN – Suárez just had a poor outing, which makes me believe the Phillies will let him go a little longer than other tune-ups, just to give him some extra confidence entering the first round.
Probably Starts
Gavin Williams vs. TEX – The only way Gavin pitches is if this game means something. Otherwise, Gavin will be saved for the first round of the playoffs OR I imagine the Guardians would save some bullets and give the ball to someone else.
David Peterson @ MIA – It’s the Marlins and Peterson could be going a full six given how things are looking for the Mets right now.
Jameson Taillon vs. STL – Taillon has tossed under 125 frames thus far and I imagine he’ll want to go at least five to stay in rhythm.
Lucas Giolito vs. DET – I don’t see Giolito going long or at all if this game doesn’t matter. If he does go, this seems okay.
Luis Gil vs. BAL – Gil’s command is in question, but he’ll have a standard workload given his limited starts this year. They need him to get all the reps he can.
MacKenzie Gore vs. CHW – If it’s terrible on Monday night for Gore, maybe we pull him down a tier. I imagine it won’t be enough to steer clear of a good matchup. However, he’ll be over 160 innings and it may be best to give him some extra rest. Then again, it’s the Nationals and WHO KNOWS.
Questionable Starts
Cristian Javier @ LAA – Javier is a PEAS. The Astros may be playing for a playoff spot here, granting Javier a decent leash if he’s rolling. However, even against the Angels, we don’t know what his command will look like.
Shane Smith @ WSN – Smith was a great option in the first half and slowed down a bit in the second. His kick-change could sing against a slew of LHB, though the White Sox may elect to cut his season short after adding a ton of innings to his career.
Brady Singer @ MIL – The Reds are still in the thick of playoff race and Singer should have the freedom to go six. That said, he’s a bit of a HIPSTER and quality isn’t guaranteed.
Zebby Matthews @ PHI – I’m believing in Zebby against the Rangers, but I’m scared to trust him for the Phillies, even if they may be resting starters on the final day.
Bryce Miller vs. LAD – I’m happy it’s @TEA, but I hate it’s the Dodgers. Miller needs the reps (especially if Woo is out for long) and hopefully guys like Ohtani and Freeman get the day off.
Brandon Pfaadt @ SDP – Pfaadt had a phenomenal start a week ago, but I don’t expect him to replicate it against a good offense.
Do Not Starts
Patrick Corbin @ CLE – Maybe he’s deserving of a spot in the third tier. Cleveland is worse against LHP and Corbin has been far better featuring just 10% fastballs in his last two starts. Sneaky, sneaky.
Jeffrey Springs vs. KCR – It’s hard to find sunshine and rainbows in Sacré Verde.
Joe Boyle @ TOR – If you’re in corner on Sunday and salvaging every strikeout you can find, Boyle is one to target. That said, his control is always in question and may disappear completely, leading to four innings or even fewer.
Michael McGreevy @ CHC – This is the dire QS play that could work if the Cubs are resting starters.
Edward Cabrera vs. NYM – I wonder what his pitch count will be. He tossed 50 last week and gets the Phillies on Tuesday. That’ll give us a better idea of this one, which could push him into the third tier.
Sam Aldegheri vs. HOU – You shouldn’t expect much of anything from Aldegheri.
Mike Burrows @ ATL – The Pirates have severely limited his workload and I don’t expect that to change on the final day.
McCade Brown @ SFG – It’s the Colorado SP.
Good luck. You can do this.
Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
