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 Playback 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.
- Before the notes and rankings, an injury table outlines where players would be relatively ranked if they were 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.
- Second is a table of pitchers outside the Top 100 I considered. Please read this if you can’t find your guy.
- Since this is a 12-teamer, I heavily weigh upside in the back-half of the rankings. The Cherry Bomb players are likely going to underperform those labeled as a Toby across a full season, but it’s in your best interest to chase ceiling vs. floor in many cases. Pick the one that you need most in your situation, of course.
- 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. Injuries are so strange (especially in spring training) and instead of shoving them at random moments on The List, I’ve elected to throw all of them into one table here for you, the wise fantasy manager, to determine if it’s worthwhile to take the injury discount and when.
(OFS) = Out For Season. They usually went under TJS or a similar procedure.
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 – pitchers often 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 last 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, and this rank will likely conflict with our weekly SP To Stash article from Rudy Ropp, though we will be conferring each week.. 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 as spec adds at the very least. 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 = Worthy of a stash right now in 12-teamers.
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 75,000+ word Top 400 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.
- Pitchers in the Top 40 (or so) move less drastically than those from 40-100. Yes, I’m reiterating the last bullet point because I get comments about it each week. The back-half of the List has a ton of movement constantly due to the nature of 12-team leagues. It’s in your best interest to get value now vs. holding onto a fringe arm as a stash for 10 days while you sit them against a tough offense. Yes, this means you’ll see dramatic +15/-20 moves a lot. It’s how it works.
- 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: Gerrit Cole (10), Bobby Miller (23)
- Removed: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (10), Kyle Bradish (15)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+0)
- Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The Remaining Aces
You know they are aces.
1. Zack Wheeler – He just got blown up for four homeruns. It was dumb and silly and it’s in the past.
2. Tyler Glasnow – He’s finally getting Wins! Yay!
3. Tarik Skubal – The changeup is still so dang elite.
4. Chris Sale – I haven’t seen Sale with this kind of command in a long time.
5. Corbin Burnes – He gets the nod over Fried as he hovers a 2.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. Unreal.
6. Max Fried – He had a bump in the road. It happens.
7. Cole Ragans – Ragans’ cutter and slider were more present last time out. You love to see it.
8. Luis Castillo – The heater and slider are still dope.
9. Garrett Crochet – His four-seamer + cutter are one of the best one-two punches in the majors.
10. Shota Imanaga – Imanaga had a start without his four-seamer working and his sweeper stepped up. I’ve been wondering if it would be there for him when he needed it.
11. Paul Skenes – You see Skenes on the docket, you expect him to dominate.
Tier 2 – AGA With Something To Prove
They have the AGA tag, though they all have a quirk that could mean they lose it by June.
12. Gerrit Cole – I struggled to place Cole. One argument is to put him at #1 or in the middle of the Top Tier. Another is outside the AGAs altogether. Given he was at 70 pitches in his Triple-A start, he’s mostly stretched out at this point and even that it is a moot point. Inside the Top 15 is particularly ROS and Cole should be among the top of the ranks before too long. Just showcase that you’re back in full first.
13. Joe Ryan – All good here. His heater is still doing wonderful things.
14. Aaron Nola – Like Wheeler, Nola got bamboozled and it’s dumb. Brush it off and continue to only look to the future.
15. Sonny Gray – Gray’s breakers are locked in. Expect production every time out.
16. Tanner Houck – He survived his gauntlet and has arrived in the AGA tier, like all of the four others below. About dang time, right?
17. Grayson Rodriguez – The four-seamer is sitting upstairs often and while I still want more changeups and sliders down, he’s succeeding despite their locations. Things are cool.
18. George Kirby – HE’S DOING THE THING. Four-seamers are being used outside the zone and returning a 40%+ O-Swing as a result. Meanwhile, he’s using sinkers upstairs and sliders down-and-out to cover the zone instead. It’s the correct approach.
19. Logan Gilbert – Gilbert’s slider and four-seamer are a solid foundation, requiring just one of his cutter or splitter to be the premier #3 pitch on a given night. It’s working.
20. Ranger Suárez – There’s no denying this run any longer. I’m tempted to call it an AGA run for the full year like a one-hit wonder, with expectations that he’ll be massively overvalued entering 2025. Maybe I should call guys like Suárez “Baja Men” ?
21. Logan Webb – Webb does what he does. Maybe I should remove the ace tag and put him as the lead for Tier 4. But he doesn’t get strikeouts. Except he’s 81st percentile in strikeouts. VOLUME BAYBEEEE.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They don’t have the AGA tag and could earn it before July.
22. MacKenzie Gore – Gore, like all of the top five guys here (maybe six with Blanco?), is on the verge of AGA if they dazzle across a few more starts. His set-back against the Mets was frustrating, but he obliterated Atlanta and the Marlins. Give me one more.
23. Jack Flaherty – Flaherty returned from his back injury and gave managers a solid line against the Astros, but his breaking balls weren’t nearly as precise as they were prior. I’ll give him a pass given the lengthy rest prior and hopefully he was just shaking off some rust.
24. Bobby Miller – He’s returning from the IL this week for the Dodgers and let’s make sure he’s back to normal before granting him the AGA tag again.
25. Luis Gil – Gil still makes me a little afraid that his command will disappear randomly, featuring low strike rates and walks up the wazoo. That said, he’s been an absolute steal of an arm this year. His heater and changeup have become villains for many batters.
26. Justin Steele – Steele is beginning to look like himself again and with a few more outings of four-seamer and slider dominance, he could earn the AGA tag.
27. Ronel Blanco – Two King Cole awards in a row for Blanco as he’s spotted heaters and sliders, while his changeup is still awfully hard to hit. Now showcase you can handle tough opponents, too.
28. Freddy Peralta – The next six arms are a mini-tier of TIARA arms. They all can be aces but will they get into the groove they’ve shown in the past? As for Freddy, his four-seamer dominance goes in and out and it’s not as clear cut as we want it to be.
29. Kevin Gausman – Gausman’s four-seamer gets hit too hard and his splitter isn’t missing enough bats to nullify it. Until the splitty returns to full form, he’ll be on the outside looking in.
30. Jared Jones – The heater simply isn’t missing as many bats. I’m a bit startled by his outing against the Twins, where his formerly ~17″ of iVB was under 14″ and replicated once again in Coors – which can often happen at higher altitudes. That Twins start is the scary one to me and if Jones isn’t dominating with his heater (it should, though!), then we’ve got a problem.
31. Dylan Cease – Cease lost his mechanics in his last start and the cutter is there to save him. It’s hard to predict how often he’ll return to those valleys moving forward, but for now, we stick him in our lineups and hope for the best.
32. Ryan Pepiot – I was tempted to raise Pepiot above the others, but he wasn’t close to his best in his last outing. I love the ceiling here if Pepiot can consistently land his heater.
33. Pablo López – He’s not locked in across his arsenal. I have no qualms with anyone wanting to put Pablo as low as Tier 6 at the moment. Personally, I believe from this point moving forward, we’ll see a better version of López. It may not be there in his next start or the one after, but you should rely on the track record that he’ll figure it out.
Tier 4 – Hard Rock Café
I don’t think they’ll get the AGA tag this year, but hot dang are they stable 6+ inning arms for all-around production.
34. Reynaldo López – The dude has a 1.69 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. The obvious HOTEL metrics tell us that his 6.2% HR/FB and 86% LOB rate are not going to last and yet, we love his four-seamer and pair of breaking balls. We’re riding this out.
35. Bailey Ober – Ober’s changeup is legit and he just paired it with his premium four-seamer upstairs. Yes, it was the Athletics, but the dude is locked in.
36. Michael King – I see a legit QS machine moving forward, packed with a whiffable sweeper and changeup + a stupid well commanded sinker.
37. Kutter Crawford – He just survived against both the Phillies and Yankees. The three-pitch mix of elite iVB heaters, sweepers, and kutters are a strong foundation, while the spliter and curve help when they can.
38. Carlos Rodón – Rodón got into trouble with his secondaries after a start of dominating with them. He’s all good.
39. Framber Valdez – Valdez is making me tempted to slow him into Tier 6 with the Cherry Bomb types. JUST SAYIN’.
40. Nick Pivetta – Maybe Pivetta belongs there too…he needs to get back into a groove with his cutter, allowing his curve and sweeper to live off the plate.
Tier 5 – The Local Diner
This is the late night food that’s always there for you. Their names never change and you should get something you enjoy.
41. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi had a rough outing, but his heaters are hovering 96 mph, splitters are getting whiffs, and his cutter is generally effective.
42. Seth Lugo – The dude just featured eight different pitches to squirm through the Dodgers lineup. You have to love that, though I don’t believe in the strikeout potential of those above in Tier 4.
43. Tanner Bibee – Bibee is starting to wake up with his slider and changeup while spotting four-seamers upstairs according to his plan. I’ll always be a little skeptical of Bibee due to his command, but he’s righting the ship.
44. Bryan Woo – This whole injury debacle is something else. Now that he’s fully cleared, let’s hope he can go a little later into games and get back on the path of developing his secondaries.
45. Yusei Kikuchi – I wish Kikuchi’s slider feel were better than it has been over the last month, but hot dang, his four-seamer is cookin’! He’s locating it better than ever and he could explode if the slider earns strikes once again at 20%+ usage.
46. Gavin Stone – Stone took down the Yankees and deserves a ton of credit for that. He also holds an 18% strikeout rate that should get better, but not that much better – it’s a 22% clip across his last five starts.
Tier 6 – The Firecrackers
We can all see how these pitchers become aces, though they still have questions to answer before then.
47. Taj Bradley – Our featured pitch of the week is Bradley, a man who has seemingly figured it out after going essentially two-pitch against the Cubs, via four-seamers and splitters each returning 70% strikes. This ranking certainly doesn’t suggest he’s an ace and reliable moving forward, but I can’t ignore a 31% strikeout rate with two clunkers acting as obnoxious anchors to his season-long perception. But Nick, you were OUT on Bradley! You didn’t trust his command! And I still might not. That said, when a guy is dominating more times than not, at some point you have to recognize he may be making it work. If I were fully convicted, he’d be well inside the Top 40.
48. Cristopher Sánchez – Will the changeup be there on a given night? That’s really all that matters here and I’m willing to believe it will for a southpaw on a winning club.
49. Walker Buehler – Buehler had legit command last time executing a sub-par plan. I think we see a different approach moving forward and simply showcasing that he can locate once again is a major step in the right direction. Just use more four-seamers and sliders, okay?
50. Nick Lodolo – I’m not sure if this is the right spot for Lodolo. His four-seamer (it’s really a sinker) has a solid floor that has allowed him to get through starts when he has his changeup working, but he’s dependent on his curveball missing bats to make it through to the end with production. There’s potential for a ridiculous run along the way, too, giving him bonus points on The List.
51. Bryce Miller – I really want to rank Miller higher. The four-seamer is elite and without a stable #2 pitch, he’s been reliant on a sub .200 BABIP (and -8 Hit Luck) to carry the ratios he has today. I’m not sure Bryce can develop a consistent cutter or slider for strikes (sweeper is 54% strikes, slider is thrown just 7% of the time) and the splitter is only saved for LHB in two-strike counts. He needs one more thing to make him a proper stud.
52. Hunter Greene – The heater is still great, but the slider isn’t the most dominating of breakers and there’s nothing else in the tank. He’s in Cherry Bomb purgatory.
Tier 7 – Brown Suits
These are the Toby types who aren’t as elite as those in Tier 4, but are far safer than the waiver wire.
53. Nestor Cortes – He’s going deep often for the Yankees, but hasn’t turned the corner to be a reliable dominant starter. And that’s fine.
54. Justin Verlander – His last start was pushed back due to neck stiffness and we should expect normalcy moving forward. Just don’t let those heaters fall back down over the plate again.
55. Zach Eflin – Let’s stop reflecting on 2023 and understand that Eflin is a sturdy Toby with a kitchen sink of solid options.
56. Marcus Stroman – He’ll get you Wins and a low ERA, though there will be some games where he can’t find the right secondary to get through at-bats.
57. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator – a QS darling who will return one strikeout, then eight the next.
58. Chris Bassitt – With his absurdly deep repertoire, Bassitt finds a way to keep the Jays in every game. It makes for decent-not-elite ratios and that’s fine.
59. Jake Irvin – What are you doing here?! Irvin’s curveball has carried him to a 2.19 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 22% strikeout rate across his last 53.1 IP in nine starts. It’s absurd.
Tier 8 – The Wobbly Guardrails
We’re at the edge of the Cliff where it’s heavily in your interest to grab guys who have the potential to lock themselves firmly inside the Top 40/50 SP for the season.
60. Jesús Luzardo – First the nine-run clunker, now it’s three ticks down on his heater after enduring back pain over the weekend. We know the ceiling of looking like an ace for weeks, but hot dang, is it tough rostering Luzardo right now.
61. Hunter Brown – I’m not convinced Brown has figured it out, but the man I saw in his last start looked as good as I’ve seen in…forever? Here’s to hoping he’s actually found his command and can replicate it.
62. Tylor Megill – The four-seamer isn’t getting spotted upstairs as would be ideal to squeeze the most out of its shape, but Megill’s cutter is making it awfully tough for batters to decide where to swing the bat. This can work, especially if Megill adds small levels of polish along the way.
63. Mitch Keller – Keller had a step back with his command last time out and I’m willing to give him one more start to get it back before moving on.
Tier 9 – Thin Blankets
It’s a mini-tier of guys who don’t warm you like the soaring upside of Tier 7, but get the job done to go six full frames without devastation. The final bastion to save you from the cold of the wire.
64. Brayan Bello – He’s lost his changeup. Thing is, he’s always had that changeup and you have to expect him to find it again soon. Meanwhile, the slider is better than ever and Bello could become something fun with all three pitches working in tandem.
65. Reese Olson – Olson has had a rough stretch of three starts, but good news! His slider and changeup were back to normal in his last outing. His fastballs are to blame there and that’s manageable. Just don’t throw them as much.
66. Matt Waldron – Waldron is an interesting one. My logic has me thinking “When he has his knuckleball working, he’s legit” and also “his other pitches are good enough that he has a chance to survive even when he doesn’t have the knuckler.” Doesn’t that mean he should be higher on The List? Well, how often is the knuckler on point? And are his other pitches really that good? I still need a few more starts.
67. Jordan Hicks – Hicks’ sinker is a solid offering that returns strikes often and all he needs to produce is one of his sweeper or splitter to be decent. It’s not the highest ceiling, though, as we rarely see all three cooking.
Tier 10 – The ABBA Jukebox
You can settle for a streamer just for the week, a boring Toby, or you can “Take A Chance On Me” and hope for the best.
68. Spencer Schwellenbach – These guys may be too high. I don’t blame you for your ire, I simply didn’t know where else to put them. Skip over these dart throws if you like, but I think Spencer is the best of the bunch. With a start against the Tigers ahead, he could blossom into a legit arm for Atlanta as he features a kitchen-sink of solid pitches, including 96 mph heat, a great cutter against LHB, and a slider for whiffs against RHB. It’s all there and he pitches for a winning club.
69. DJ Herz – The dude just struck out thirteen batters. I doubt he’ll feature the same four-seamer and changeup command again as he faces a team that doesn’t rhyme with Carlins, but hey, it could happen.
70. Cade Povich – Cade looks like a Toby on a winning club. The curve can be good, the sweeper has its moments, and his heater is decently spotted, but he does carry the Shag Rug and lacks proper electricity to suggest there’s Top 40 potential.
Tier 11 – It’s Dangerous To Go Alone
Your last bastion of safety if you don’t want to endure the world of streaming. You see them rostered and dropped across all your leagues constantly.
71. Keaton Winn – His splitter is reliable and his mid-90s heaters + slider does enough to keep the floor relatively high.
72. Jon Gray – Can Gray return to the stud he was prior to injury? Might as well take a chance on that, especially with the Mets up next.
73. Erick Fedde – He’s a command specialist and has acted like the Spider-Man all year long.
74. Mitchell Parker – Parker’s four-seamer and splitter stole the show last time out, though I’m still longing for the day when he has all four pitches rangled at once.
75. Kyle Gibson – His sweeper has been better than expected and it’s carried him for a solid stretch where I’d actually expect a good start instead of feeling like I’m spinning the roulette wheel.
76. Brandon Pfaadt – I absolutely loved Pfaadt’s command in his last outing, with four-seamers up, sinkers right at the bottom of the zone, and sweepers dangling off the corner. I wish we could see that every game.
77. Andrew Heaney – Heaney got roughed up in his last outing, but I don’t think he pitched that poorly. I think he’s generally better than what’s out there on the wire.
78. Tyler Anderson – Anderson’s changeup is legit once again this season and it’s up to his four-seamer or cutter to support it on a given night. He’s a QS machine without an exciting ceiling.
79. Miles Mikolas – I need to give Mikolas credit for what he’s done. Six of his last seven starts have been quality starts, catalyzed by sliders inside the zone + fastballs nibbling the edges. It’s working and while it may not last deep into the summer, you can roll with it now.
80. Javier Assad – His command is still there and he has a solid schedule ahead. It’s awfully boring, of course.
81. José Soriano – Arguably a Cherry Bomb, Soriano is hanging around at the end of many rotations. As long as his sinker gets strikes, his curve can thrive. It’s a coin flip each time.
Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Some Streams & Other Randos
More streaming options here, but a slight drop from the previous tier.
82. Alec Marsh – Marsh just took down the Yankees and now gets the Athletics. Ride it.
83. Michael Lorenzen – Lorenzen gets the Mets. That’s as a stream, then send him back for the Brewers.
84. Jordan Montgomery – He finally replicated his postseason command, executing the Neckbeard approach and earning 10/22 whiffs to exploit the White Sox as he should. Fingers crossed it’s still there when he faces the Phillies this week…This is more of a spec-add play for the week.
85. James Paxton – He has two starts @COL and vs. LAA, making for a pair of decent Win chances. I can’t believe he’s still here and doing this.
86. Triston McKenzie – The man keeps finding a way to get through games. His curveball has been better spotted as of late, even if their whiff totals are inconsistent, and the Mariners are ahead. That could work.
87. Aaron Civale – Civale has improved over the last few weeks, though I’m hesitant to trust him fully until the cutter and curve are fully back in action as they used to be.
88. Cal Quantrill – The splitter is still doing work and while you don’t want to start him for the Dodgers, he’s a solid play for the Nationals after.
89. Hogan Harris – His iVB has gone down across the last few starts, but that may have been due to sinkers overlapping four-seamer designations. At any rate, Hogan’s curve and change could be good complements to his heater against the Royals and Twins. Not my favorite matchups, but it could work.
90. Jose Quintana – He had his best command of the season and now gets a Cubs offense I’m not too scared of. It could work.
91. Bailey Falter – The Reds are ahead and Falter’s four-seamer might be enough.
92. Braxton Garrett – I wish there was more than Garrett’s sinker/slider doing work, but he gets two chances this week against the Cardinals and Mariners.
93. Charlie Morton – Morton looked like his former self last time out and now…gets the Yankees. Rough.
94. Jameson Taillon – Taillon isn’t as overwhelming as he former days, but he throws enough strikes to give himself a chance at a Quality Start + there’s always a chance his cutter has a burst of dominance.
95. Jonathan Cannon – Cannon impressed me in his return to the majors and while I’d bench him for the Astros, consider him as a streaming option against the Tigers, especially if he showcases a strong arsenal across the board against the Astros (regardless of the results).
96. Spencer Arrighetti – Yes, it was terrible over the weekend. He also started a day earlier than expected. It’s hard to do so, but you may want to give him a pass for a start and let him fly against the White Sox.
97. Tobias Myers – He’s fresh off 14 IP of production, but he had Koufax and the BABIP lords on his side. Starts against the Angels and Padres could fare similarly.
98. Colin Rea – Rea has commanded his arsenal well over his last two starts and now gets the Padres. I’ve seen worse dart throws.
99. Roddery Muñoz – Muñoz commanded his stuff incredibly well last time out and now gets the Cardinals. It’s a low Win chance, but it’s possible he finds six productive frames again.
100. Carson Spiers – It’s a two-start week of Pittsburgh + Boston and Spiers has a decent array of pitches that could return production once again. It’s awfully boring, though.
Honorable Mentions
You’re getting little blurbs on everyone else with a rotation spot this week. This is in alphabetical team order, not rank. If a pitcher has a rotation spot and is not listed here, it’s an error on my part after crafting The List and forgetting to add them here. Feel free to let me know if someone isn’t listed here and I’ll add them – it’s usually a fringe guy I removed and lapsed when ensuring they had a blurb!
Ryne Nelson (ARI) – I dig his heater and there is a ceiling to hit one day. He’s a Young Gun.
Slade Cecconi (ARI) – I don’t love what Slade is putting down. Far too risky.
Tommy Henry (ARI) – With Gallen on the mend, Henry may get some bulk innings and we really don’t want that. Don’t expect Zac Gallen to be back yet.
Hurston Waldrep (ATL) – Atlanta placed him on the IL with elbow soreness. I wouldn’t recommend stashing him – he’s a worse Keaton Winn.
Albert Suárez (BAL) – He’s fine, but it’s a start against the Yankees. No need to hold him.
Cole Irvin (BAL) – Same with Irvin.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He could return this week and while I question his skill in the first place, additional skepticism arises with the Astros and the factor of Still ILL.
Cooper Criswell (BOS) – Criswell goes about five frames at best and doesn’t have enough of a ceiling to chase.
Jordan Wicks (CHC) – We saw Wicks return to the rotation, only to suffer an oblique injury. Sigh.
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) – He’s returning to the rotation and that doesn’t mean he needs to return to your rotation.
Chris Flexen (CHW) – He’s shown some decent, but we can’t trust it at all.
Drew Thorpe (CHW) – Thorpe showed us what his floor is when his changeup doesn’t work. It’s terrible. The ceiling isn’t worth it.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) – I just can’t figure out Abbott and now with a date against the Red Sox, I’d prefer just to ignore it.
Frankie Montas (CIN) – He’s awfully pedestrian. You can do better.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) – Demoted to the minors. Yikes.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He got another chance to start…and then was pushed to just 1.2 IP. That’s not cool Reds. Not cool at all.
Ben Lively (CLE) – Lively went back to Cleveland for an undisclosed injury, then returned and was clearly disrupted. Lively was a Vargas Rule and I’m worried we just saw the wall that should have us cautious moving forward.
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) – He’s only of consideration if you have a dire need for six frames.
Logan Allen (CLE) – He’s an unreliable streamer.
Austin Gomber (COL) – COL story, bro.
Dakota Hudson (COL) – COL story, bro.
Ryan Feltner (COL) – COL story, bro.
Ty Blach (COL) – COL story, bro.
Casey Mize (DET) – I can see the fun in his four-seamer, but he hasn’t commanded it well, nor has his slider turned into the whiff pitch it needs to be. We wait for now.
Kenta Maeda (DET) – Why chase Maeda? The ceiling is too low to justify the floor.
Brady Singer (KCR) – Singer gets the Rangers and I have no interest in that.
Daniel Lynch IV (KCR) – There’s little to latch onto with Lynch, sadly.
Michael Wacha (KCR) – It’s possible Wacha takes Lynch’s spot this week, but it would be against Texas and a Still ILL, clearly.
Chase Silseth (LAA) – We’re not sure if Silseth gets a start this week, but that would be a Still ILL should it happen.
Griffin Canning (LAA) – It’s a tough matchup against the Brewers and he’s not worth the hold.
José Suarez (LAA) – With Detmers in the minors, Suarez may get a start until Sileth returns. He isn’t stretched out, though, and I’d consider other options.
Patrick Sandoval (LAA) – He gets the Dodgers this week and I don’t think he’s worth the stash.
Max Meyer (MIA) – With Weathers on the IL, the Marlins could turn to Meyer to return to the rotation. It’s not confirmed yet, but if he were to get the call, he likely wouldn’t go very deep against the Nationals having thrown just 57 pitches on June 7th in Triple-A.
Shaun Anderson / Huascar Brazoban (MIA) – Why aren’t they just calling up Meyer?!
Trevor Rogers (MIA) – There are hints of success here and there, but the full arsenal hasn’t come together yet.
Bryse Wilson (MIL) – The Brewers are still rolling with Wilson. That doesn’t mean you have to, too.
Carlos F. Rodriguez (MIL) – He made his MLB debut last week and I’m skeptical he has enough electricity to make this worthwhile against the Angels.
Jakob Junis (MIL) – Maybe he gets a start? If he does, I wouldn’t expect it to go long/it could be as a bulk reliever, nor do his talents speak to your focus.
Joe Ross (MIL) – Ross may be returning this week and it’s a clear wait-and-see.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – His fastball was good for one outing, then regressed again. The matchup seems tantalizing, I’d prefer to sit this one out.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – Despite a date with the Rays, I suggest looking elsewhere. His best days aren’t worth the ones where he’s off.
David Peterson (NYM) – The slider/sinker combo isn’t enough.
Luis Severino (NYM) – I wouldn’t hold onto him for a start against the Rangers.
Sean Manaea (NYM) – I wouldn’t hold onto him for a start against the Rangers.
Cody Poteet (NYY) – I dig Poteet as a potential streaming option but he’ll be ousted with Gerrit Cole returning to the rotation.
Joey Estes (OAK) – There isn’t enough water in this Estes flask.
JP Sears (OAK) – He’s too dang volatile!
Luis Medina (OAK) – He’s showcased the volatility and it’s unwise to put yourself in harm’s way.
Mitch Spence (OAK) – The cutter/slider approach is too mid for a stream against the Royals.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – I. Can’t. Trust. Him. The ceiling is too low, even if he’s featuring a new set of breakers.
Daulton Jefferies (PIT) – The Pirates just recalled him from Triple-A and could get innings later this week. You shouldn’t pursue it.
Luis L. Ortiz (PIT) – He has another opportunity with the Pirates, though I question how much they’ll actually use him and if his new cutter can stabilize an arsenal with notoriously poor control.
Adam Mazur (SDP) – His third start came with plenty walks, even if his precision wasn’t nearly as terrible as the line. He may get another start if Darvish needs more time, but I’d resist the stream against the Brewers.
Randy Vasquez (SDP) – I don’t trust the command, nor the overall stuff of the arsenal. He can find his way through 5+ frames at times, but it’s not worthwhile to chase, especially with the Phils + Brewers ahead.
Blake Snell (SFG) – It’s possible Snell will return by next Monday, sliding into Harrison’s spot in the rotation. We’ll see, it’s a Still ILL when he does, let alone questionable for his lack of command previously.
Kyle Harrison (SFG) – He just went 1 ER allowed, breaking a streak of five starts with 3+ ER allowed…and then was placed on the IL with an ankle sprain.
Spencer Howard (SFG) – The stuff just isn’t good enough.
Andre Pallante (STL) – He was pulled before 60 pitches in his last outing, creating too much haze to start him.
Lance Lynn (STL) – He just doesn’t do enough anymore.
Zack Littell (TBR) – He’s fanned just seven batters across his last three starts and now has a date with the Twins.
Dane Dunning (TEX) – Dunning didn’t survive against the Mariners. Do you need more?
Max Scherzer (TEX) – There’s a chance Scherzer makes his season debut this week or he could make one more rehab start and return on June 27th. I’d be cautious for the first outing and take it from there. Don’t expect peak Scherzer, y’all. Update: Scherzer should be in the rotation this weekend. I’d have him around the 30s or so – it’s unclear what his skill level is at the moment and there are many talented arms we know are producing right now.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – He had himself four good frames as the bulk reliever, splitting his four-seamers and curveballs effectively in the zone. Across four innings. Yeah. It’s not enough.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) – Yariel may get starts instead of Francis, or they piggyback with each other. Either way, I don’t dig this nearly enough.
Patrick Corbin (WSN) – This isn’t working out. Shocking, I know.
SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES
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| Rank | Pitcher | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zack WheelerT1 | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 2 | Tyler Glasnow | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Tarik Skubal | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Chris Sale | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 5 | Corbin Burnes | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 6 | Max Fried | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 7 | Cole Ragans | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 8 | Luis Castillo | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 9 | Garrett Crochet | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 10 | Shota Imanaga | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 11 | Paul Skenes | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 12 | Gerrit ColeT2 | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
| 13 | Joe Ryan | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 14 | Aaron Nola | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 15 | Sonny Gray | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 16 | Tanner Houck | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 17 | Grayson Rodriguez | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 18 | George Kirby | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +4 |
| 19 | Logan Gilbert | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +5 |
| 20 | Ranger Suárez | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +8 |
| 21 | Logan Webb | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | -2 |
| 22 | MacKenzie GoreT3 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 23 | Jack Flaherty | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 24 | Bobby Miller | Ace Potential Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 25 | Luis Gil | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 26 | Justin Steele | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +6 |
| 27 | Ronel Blanco | Ace Potential Team Context Effect | +13 |
| 28 | Freddy Peralta | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -11 |
| 29 | Kevin Gausman | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 30 | Jared Jones | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 31 | Dylan Cease | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 32 | Ryan Pepiot | Ace Potential Team Context Effect | -2 |
| 33 | Pablo López | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 34 | Reynaldo LópezT4 | Holly Team Context Effect | +9 |
| 35 | Bailey Ober | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 36 | Michael King | Holly Quality Starts | +3 |
| 37 | Kutter Crawford | Holly Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 38 | Carlos Rodón | Holly Team Context Effect | -4 |
| 39 | Framber Valdez | Holly Quality Starts | -6 |
| 40 | Nick Pivetta | Holly Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 41 | Nathan EovaldiT5 | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -5 |
| 42 | Seth Lugo | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 43 | Tanner Bibee | Holly Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 44 | Bryan Woo | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -6 |
| 45 | Yusei Kikuchi | Holly Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 46 | Gavin Stone | Holly Team Context Effect | -1 |
| 47 | Taj BradleyT6 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +17 |
| 48 | Cristopher Sánchez | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -4 |
| 49 | Walker Buehler | Cherry Bomb Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 50 | Nick Lodolo | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +11 |
| 51 | Bryce Miller | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 52 | Hunter Greene | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 53 | Nestor CortesT7 | Toby Wins Bonus | - |
| 54 | Justin Verlander | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 55 | Zach Eflin | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 56 | Marcus Stroman | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 57 | José Berríos | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 58 | Chris Bassitt | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 59 | Jake Irvin | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 60 | Jesús LuzardoT8 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -13 |
| 61 | Hunter Brown | Cherry Bomb Team Context Effect | +4 |
| 62 | Tylor Megill | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +19 |
| 63 | Mitch Keller | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 64 | Brayan BelloT9 | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 65 | Reese Olson | Toby Quality Starts | -10 |
| 66 | Matt Waldron | Toby Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 67 | Jordan Hicks | Toby Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 68 | Spencer SchwellenbachT10 | Spice Girl Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 69 | DJ Herz | Spice Girl Strikeout Upside | +31 |
| 70 | Cade Povich | Spice Girl Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 71 | Keaton WinnT11 | Toby Ratio Focused | +14 |
| 72 | Jon Gray | Toby Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 73 | Erick Fedde | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 74 | Mitchell Parker | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 75 | Kyle Gibson | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 76 | Brandon Pfaadt | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 77 | Andrew Heaney | Toby Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 78 | Tyler Anderson | Toby Quality Starts | -9 |
| 79 | Miles Mikolas | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 80 | Javier Assad | Toby Ratio Focused | -9 |
| 81 | José Soriano | Toby Strikeout Upside | -11 |
| 82 | Alec MarshT12 | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 83 | Michael Lorenzen | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 84 | Jordan Montgomery | Streaming Option Quality Starts | - |
| 85 | James Paxton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 86 | Triston McKenzie | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 87 | Aaron Civale | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 88 | Cal Quantrill | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +10 |
| 89 | Hogan Harris | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 90 | Jose Quintana | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 91 | Bailey Falter | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 92 | Braxton Garrett | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -4 |
| 93 | Charlie Morton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 94 | Jameson Taillon | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 95 | Jonathan Cannon | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 96 | Spencer Arrighetti | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | -18 |
| 97 | Tobias Myers | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 98 | Colin Rea | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 99 | Roddery Muñoz | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 100 | Carson Spiers | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
Labels Legend
I’ve updated the tags for 2024, now allowing myself to tag a player in one three groups.
Overall Label
Aces Gonna Ace
Ace Potential
Holly
Toby
Cherry Bomb
Spice Girl
Vargas Rule
Streaming Option
Bonus Stat
QS Bonus
Wins Bonus
Strikeouts Bonus
Ratios Bonus
Rotation Spot Bonus
Team Context Effect
Special Tag
Stash Option
Injury Risk
Playing Time Question
A quick legend for those unfamiliar with our odd terms at Pitcher List:
Holly = Solid ratios, constant 6 IP & a 20-25% strikeout rate
Toby = Borderline arm for your 12-teamers who has a 20% or lower strikeout rate. They barely do enough.
Cherry Bomb = A volatile starting pitcher. Usually with strikeout upside and low ratio floor.
Spice Girl = Young arms who have massive ceilings or could be off your team in a few weeks.
Vargas Rule = A pitcher we’re picking up now given he’s on a roll, but we drop once he stumbles again.
Team Context Effect = Either ranked higher or lower due to team context (Coors, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta, Cincy, etc.)
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)
Gil’s 10-game rolling BB% rate is a 45-degree downward slide. How do you separate actual growth vs a fear that actual gains will disappear?
Who do you like more if you had to add 1?
Springs
Baz
Gavin Williams
Jobe
I believe he would have them Jobe > Springs > Baz > Williams, but it depends on your team. Baz is should be back first.
Estes flasks don’t have water in them, they have fire!
You’ve got the wrong Angels pitcher on your stash list. Take a look at Caden Dana.