My sincere apologies for all the delays this week. It’s been a busy two weeks for me with awkward travel and I’ve just finished catching up on everything. Here’s to regularly scheduled podcasts, articles, and livestreams moving forward!
-Nick
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: None
- Removed: Bobby Miller (50)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (-1)
- Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The High-Fivers
These aces make you want to high-five every person you see.
1. Zack Wheeler – He’s not hitting the IL and there’s no reason to not trust him.
2. Tyler Glasnow – Same with Glasnow. He’ll have a minimum IL stint, which allows him to stay on The List. Wild.
3. Tarik Skubal – Skubal has been even better than his 2023 second half and it’s simply bonkers.
4. Chris Sale – Sale has moved to fewer sliders and found the best command of his career.
5. Paul Skenes – He’s too dang good, y’all. Is he your #1 SP for 2025?
6. Garrett Crochet – Crochet’s innings have already been managed a bit by the White – just 2 IP last time and starting 5th out of the break – and he’s sure to be leaving the CrySox at the deadline.
7. Corbin Burnes – The cutter isn’t the overwhelming force of old, but that’s alright.
8. Max Fried – As sturdy as it gets.
9. Cole Ragans – There’s still room to grow and yet the whiffs are still oh-so there.
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 August.
10. Gerrit Cole – We saw better Cole last time out, but the slider isn’t what it used to be. I hope that changes soon.
11. Aaron Nola – This is the best version of Nola I’ve seen in ages. Curves down, four-seamers up, and sinkers armside. THIS IS IT.
12. George Kirby – Kirby has begun to showcase curveballs and sliders in the zone + fastball in the upper third and above. It’s the approach that speaks best for long-term success.
13. Luis Castillo – He’s changed his slider lately and I’m not sure why. The heater is great, though, and I’d expect the slider to return.
14. Joe Ryan – He is the same guy you know. That heater is fantastic.
15. Sonny Gray – Gray hasn’t been quite as sharp lately, but I haven’t found signs that this isn’t the normal ebb and flow of the season.
16. Justin Steele – Steele’s heater is in a groove and carried him across a stupendous run. Expect it to stay as the slider is still productive (and could even improve in the second half).
17. Logan Gilbert – Will the splitter or cutter gain consistency in the second half? I hope so.
18. Grayson Rodriguez – Just get the secondaries down. I BEG OF YOU.
19. Shota Imanaga – His four-seamer’s 17″ of iVB is great, but not the elite 19″+ we saw in April. Could be a hidden injury, could be the traditional season fatigue that could return.
20. Tanner Houck – Houck is still holding on as an arm to start each time he goes out there. I consider him and Imanaga heading to Tier 3, but for now, they hold on to their tags.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
This is a weird one. They aren’t quite at AGA level yet, but they all have been that guy for you this year (for the most part). Maybe they force their way into Tier 2 at some point.
21. Jack Flaherty – It feels like Flaherty should have AGA by now, but his back injury has stalled his ascension. Just a few more starts of stability and he’s there.
22. Michael King – Is king Ace Potential or a Holly? I guess I could ask that about all of the guys below and with King I see an arm constantly going 90+ pitches (even eclipsing 100!) as he commands four pitches well. He’s super legit.
23. Seth Lugo – Four pitches?! How about NINE?! Lugo’s shine does seem to be fading a touch (at least in the strikeout department) and that’s still fine with us.
24. Bailey Ober – He’s doing all the things we want him to do. The new cutter has been great this year.
25. Ronel Blanco – The man keeps finding a way with his slider – take his last start as an example. If he can survive on a night without the change and heater, things are good.
26. Zac Gallen – He was throwing hard, then slowed down the last two games. I imagine the ASB will bring him back to normal, but I am still a little spooked about last year’s heavy workload + the precarious fastball/curve approach – the slider/cutter/change aren’t dependable.
27. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi has been everything we’ve wanted this year, while sitting 95/96.
28. Kutter Crawford – Kutter had his valley and come out strong on the other side, even featuring a splitter from-time-to-time as a solid fourth option.
Tier 4 – The Firecrackers
We can all see how these pitchers become aces, though they still have questions to answer before then.
29. Dylan Cease – We know the ceiling, but how often are we going to get the floor? WHERE IS THE CUTTER?!
30. Taj Bradley – Bradley has focused on four-seamers and splitters and it’s paid off. The cutter still helps, but is no longer the foundation.
31. Luis Gil – Gil lost iVB, got some back, and looks to be on the up-swing as we enter the second half.
32. Pablo López – I truly hope López is back to his old self, though I wish the changeup was better in his last outing. He needs that pitch with his sweeper to dominate consistently.
33. Freddy Peralta – Your command goes in and out and it drives us all up the wall. Please fix it and go on the same run you had last year. K thx.
34. Blake Snell – Snell was stupid good in his last outing and all we can do is hope it’s a tease for another second half of brilliance. We also know it can fall apart as soon as he next outing. The potential is too high to put him Tier six, thus here he is. Good luck.
35. Ryan Pepiot – I’m a big Pepiot believer and more time on the hill should iron out the kinks in his control. The stuff outlines a potential Top 15 arm.
Tier 5 – 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.
36. Hunter Greene – He’s a bit of a HIPSTER at times, but this season has been able to stave off the bad far more often. The catalyst? A four-seamer that features nearly ten points less ICR than last season as it’s earned more than an inch of iVB. That’s a big deal. I still worry he could be a disaster at any moment, but he’s not leaving your squads.
37. Logan Webb – He’s still here and solid for your clubs. I just wish the WHIP were better + the strikeouts aren’t elite. Good, not elite.
38. Reynaldo López – López has been a bit fortunate and while I dig his approach and team context, we shouldn’t expect a replicated half ahead.
39. Max Scherzer – I see Scherzer as “Good, not elite” moving forward. The heater isn’t as strong as before and I still question his durability.
40. Carlos Rodón – Rodón has embraced pitching backward as of late and I welcome it massively. He still earns 15%+ SwStr rates routinely, while showcasing a more varied approach will help him squash the clunkers.
41. Framber Valdez – He’s been all over the place but we should expect him to be productive in the second-half overall. Those nights when the curve and change are failing to earn strikes will hurt, though. I hate those nights.
42. Kevin Gausman – Gausman isn’t the same guy without his splitter earning whiffs. Even in his last outing, the four-seamer did all the work, with just a handful of swings-and-misses on the splitty. That’s not sustainable. That said, I won’t assume Gausman is destined to live without his famous splitter for the rest of the season.
43. Yusei Kikuchi – The four-seamer is elite, the slider is back in action, and the changeup is getting put back on the shelf. It’s what we want.
44. Reese Olson – Olson’s slider is the stabalizer, while the fastballs are getting out of the way to let the breaker and changeup cook. He’s a surprisingly stable arm.
45. Cristopher Sánchez – There’s volatility that frustrates as everything goes through Sánchez’s changeup, but the highs are far more common than the lows.
Tier 6 – 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.
46. MacKenzie Gore – The .363 BABIP is destroying his season and is a product of both a terrible defense behind him and a high ICR on his four-seamer. If the Nationals improve their glove and/or Gore can be a bit more consistent with his filthy secondaries, we could see Gore’s 9-10 hits per nine fall tremdenously and blossom into a true stud. As of now, he’s just a Cherry Bomb, start-to-start.
47. Nick Pivetta – Pivetta looks to have his whirlybird slider back, but I want to see the breaker and his cutter return to form before I’m ready to propel him back up the ranks.
48. Tanner Bibee – Bibee’s command is a weird thing. I was thrilled to see his curveball return weeks ago, but his overall execution hasn’t been steady and I feel stuck in purgatory again. Here’s to hoping he demands a Top 40 rank shortly.
49. Shane Baz – His four-seamer is looking great, while the slider just isn’t the same. That could change over time and even with this slider, Baz is an effective arm. He’s just not that arm.
50. Gavin Williams – Williams did a weird thing by moving away from the cutter/slider in his last start in favor of changeups. I’m not sure I like it, but at least the fastball (even at 95/96) and curve are still solid.
51. Bryce Miller – The secondaries need to be there. PLEASE BE THERE.
Tier 7 – 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.
52. Zach Eflin – He’s better than the waiver wire, but not getting the strikeouts or providing the reliability of his comps inside the Top 50.
53. Nestor Cortes – Cortes has his days looking like a stud and others that make you wonder how he did it before. It’s an overall productive arm, but a confounding one.
54. Chris Bassitt – Don’t overthink Bassitt. He gets called strikes on his sinker due to his deep kitchen-sink arsenal and all he needs is enough strikes from the mix to get through a game.
55. Ranger Suárez – It’s clear the peak is in the past, but that doesn’t mean Suárez can’t adjust and become a stable arm in the second half. The All-Star Break couldn’t have come at a better time.
56. Gavin Stone – Stone needs his changeup to be productive and we’ve seen some clunkers when the pitch hasn’t been there. Great Win chance and generally enough in the tank to be productive.
57. Jake Irvin – Uh-oh. The curve can’t do everything and I’m wondering if teams are beginning to jump more on the fastballs. It’s not a given that Irvin is cooked now and I’d still give it one more game at least.
58. Brayan Bello – Bello is often two steps forward, one step back. He now has all three pitches in the arsenal earning strikes, but his sinker/change precision isn’t calibrated yet. With the improved slider, I’m excited to see him perform when the command returns.
59. Marcus Stroman – Stroman has a good Win chance and can find six innings plenty…when his secondaries earn enough strikes.
Tier 8 – The First Rope Tug
You know you should trust them regularly, but you still need to make sure first. It may come crashing down, after all.
60. Nick Lodolo – I want Lodolo to be higher, but his last two games have made it seem like his blister is still bothering him. Once he looks healthy and back to normal, he’ll be in Tier 6.
61. Bryan Woo – Hey, you’re okay now, right?! It’s been a year of “Yeah, he’s fine” when he hasn’t been fine. A stretched out version of Woo means we could actually see proper secondary development and I’m excited for it. Let us get there, please.
62. Hunter Brown – The results were fantastic after his nightmare in Kansas City, but the skills were still a bit questionable. I haven’t watched Brown across multiple starts and seen a comfortable approach replicated, and I worry that more turbulence awaits in the second half.
63. Edward Cabrera – That 7 ER game came with four solo shots. His stuff was off the charts good, where he earned seven strikeouts across ten outs. Don’t overvalue that oddity in Cincinnati and embrace the new skills that have improved Cabrera’s strike rates and elevated his punchouts. The breakout feels imminent.
Tier 9 – 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.
64. Tyler Anderson – The changeup is still great and you’re holding on as you look at the wire.
65. Mitch Keller – He doesn’t make you feel secure, but Keller has had a solid first half and could squeak out another productive two months.
66. Christian Scott – Scott has been strange since he returned to the majors, especially his separation from his excellent sweeper. I have to believe it’ll come back in the weeks ahead.
67. Ben Lively – Lively has somehow managed to continue producing against middling squads. When the schedule worsens, don’t hesitate to jump ship.
68. Jameson Taillon – Taillon has survived a ton lately and while it does seem a little precarious, he’s tossing many pitches and could be dealt to a better situation for Wins.
69. Sean Manaea – Manaea has been quietly productive lately, featuring a new slider and cutter combo to pair with the heater. He’s spotted them well and seems like a proper hold over the other options in standard leagues.
70. Andrew Heaney – The return of Heaney’s slider has been a pleasant surprise, looking like the pitch we saw with the Dodgers. Consistentcy has never been Heaney’s talent, though, and I’m skeptical the pitch will be this good for more than a month.
71. Brady Singer – Singer is what he is – a decent chance at a productive outing on a given night, based on either slider whiffs or batters letting sinkers carry into the zone. I don’t love the spin of the wheel personally, but to each their own.
72. Kyle Gibson – Gibson’s sweeper has been excellent this season and he’s found the sixth inning often, making for a proper Toby.
73. Erick Fedde – Yep, that’s a Toby. Will we see the White Sox trade him at the deadline?
74. Michael Wacha – The changeup is there and despite a hiccup, I think Wacha’s other offerings are good enough to make him worthwhile more often than not.
Tier 10 – They Had A Bunch Of Hits
The New Kids on the Block who could stick around and be something special…or off your team next week.
75. Luis L. Ortiz – I’m not necessarily saying you need to favor all of these young arms over Tier 11, but it felt fun to group them all together and let you take your pick. Ortiz is the most intriguing of the lot as he’s been producing as a member of the staff in Pittsburgh, finally featuring three pitches that comfortably earn strikes. The new cutter is the savior of the bunch and makes me more of a believer than in the past.
76. Tobias Myers – It’s a deep mix with an elite iVB four-seamer, but does he have good enough command to execute the approach properly?
77. Spencer Schwellenbach – I love how he’s moved away from his dipping four-seamer to featuring more sinkers, while the cutter, change, and breakers are great offerings. It’s a deep mix with a 95+ mph heater in a good situation. That should work, right?
78. Andrew Abbott – You do what you want. His heater has moments where it confounds batters upstairs, but the whole approach just doesn’t add up to a consistent arm I want to trust on a given night. I don’t see the path ahead unless things drastically change.
79. Carson Fulmer – He just went 4.2 IP of domination and could do it again…? He looks different and it’s kinda interesting.
80. River Ryan – The Dodgers are expected to call up River across the first turn of the rotation and while I’m breaking my rule of not adding an arm until 100% confirmation, I felt I had to include River. Take the chance here, even if he hasn’t gone over 75 pitches yet this year – his heater is elite with a full mix of pitches and his athletic ability outlines a pitcher who could produce in short order. You want electric pitchers on the Dodgers.
81. Spencer Arrighetti – When Arrighetti throws strikes, he’s actually pretty dang good. He’s toyed with our (read: my) emotions as he’s acted like a poor Cherry Bomb and I’m not convinced he’s suddenly made the right tweak. If he did, the fastball should carry him far.
82. Jake Bloss – Who knows? His arsenal is solid and the Astros needs innings right now. I’m not expecting a major breakout here, but there are far worse chances than Bloss.
83. José Soriano – If Soriano throws enough sinker and curveball strikes, he can go six innings. The stuff is good enough, he just has to reign in the chaos.
84. Landon Knack – Knack is below River as he lacks the same electricity in my book, but Knack may be of more value in the short term as he’s more stretched out. It’s up to you to decide ceiling vs. floor here.
Tier 11 – Tennis Partners
You’re down to play Tennis. You’ve always wanted to! And now you’re linked at the hip…but you don’t know if you’re actually going to enjoy playing doubles with them.
85. Griffin Canning – He gets the Athletics, then the Mariners. Sign. Me. UP.
86. Mitchell Parker – He’ll get the White Sox and Toronto and yeah, that’s cool with me.
87. José Berríos – I know, I know, but hot dang y’all, the ceiling hasn’t been so good that it’s outweighed the horrific floor. I’d rather just stream…?
88. Aaron Civale – Let’s hope Civale’s move to Milwaukee is helping him find his cutter and curve once again.
89. Brandon Pfaadt – Maybe the four-seamer/sinker is enough for LHB? I’m highly skeptical (and the curve disappeared, sadly) but he’s done it before.
90. Jose Quintana – Quintana’s command was incredible…until Rockie Road set him straight. Ugh. At least it’s the Royals and Mariners next – maybe it was just a one-start blip?
91. Drew Thorpe – The changeup is still solid and if it’s there, he’s a decent shot as a QS.
92. Jonathan Cannon – I still believe Cannon can be a 6/7 inning stud on the back of his cutter, sweeper, changeup, and sinker. Hosting the Reds and heading to St. Louis aren’t so bad in the short term and I expect Cannon to be in the rotation indefinitely as the White Sox free up some space at the deadline.
93. Michael Lorenzen – Lorenzen against the Marlins? Sure, why not.
94. Luis Severino – The Cubs and Pirates await and that seems alright. I still can’t believe he’s sinker-first these days.
Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Some Streams & Other Randos
More streaming options here, but a slight drop from the previous tier.
95. Albert Suárez – It’s the Marlins and that seems like a solid Win chance with some strikeouts.
96. Charlie Morton – You never know with Morton.
97. James Paxton – THe Sawx + Astros make for some risky spins of the wheel for a potential Win.
98. Zack Littell – I don’t love Littell’s approach of Dancing With The Disco, but it could work against the Jays.
99. Randy Vásquez – He’s had a surprising run that could continue against the Nationals. Not enough for me to latch onto inside the arsenal, though.
100. Simeon Woods Richardson – I know he’s been productive, but he gets the Phillies and SWR doesn’t need to be stashed after sitting him there.
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.
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) – He could be returning soon, but even then, it’s a Still ILL until we see him back in proper form.
Yilber Diaz (ARI) – He now gets the Royals and maybe…? I was tempted to put him in Tier 10 with all the young arms, but the Shag Rug is still too present.
Cade Povich (BAL) – Demoted to the minors, not sure when he’ll return yet.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – You never know what he’ll have on a given night.
Cooper Criswell (BOS) – This isn’t what you want.
Hayden Wesneski (CHC) – It’s just a sweeper. You need more than that.
Javier Assad (CHC) – He returned and gave us little hope he’ll be a strong option against the Brewers.
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) – The curveball is back. That’s great, but it didn’t save him.
Chris Flexen (CHW) – I’ve actually dug what Flexen has done lately, and he isn’t the worst two-step option out there. That’s the best I can do.
Mike Clevinger (CHW) – You don’t want to touch the Treble Clev.
Frankie Montas (CIN) – Are you desperately chasing a Quality Start? Knock yourself out.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He may get a start and it’s Atlanta. Womp womp.
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) – He’s only of consideration if you have a dire need for six frames.
Spencer Howard (CLE) – He’s with the Guardians now. Welp, thought you should know.
Austin Gomber (COL) – COL story, bro.
Cal Quantrill (COL) – COL story, bro. He’s at least considerable as a streamer as he’s pitching two games away from Coors. Still not doing it.
Germán Márquez (COL) – COL story, bro. He’s back! That’s fun, at least.
Kyle Freeland (COL) – COL story, bro.
Ryan Feltner (COL) – COL story, bro.
Tanner Gordon (COL) – COL story, bro. Kinda liked his command for an MLB debut, then it was gone in his second start.
Casey Mize (DET) – He could return, and let’s wait to see what he’s like when he does.
Keider Montero (DET) – If he gets another start, it would be against the Twins. I’m not loving him enough to chance that.
Kenta Maeda (DET) – Why chase Maeda? The ceiling is too low to justify the floor.
Matt Manning (DET) – We may be seeing Manning and we all know how rough this has been this year.
Justin Verlander (HOU) – Maybe he’s back? It would be against the Dodgers though and you should leave him in the IL-spot for that start.
Alec Marsh (KCR) – Marsh just doesn’t do enough.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – Him again? Nah, I wasn’t impressed, even if he gets the Mariners and Athletics. But a 95/96 mph sinker! Ehhhh, for three innings. Not it.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – Maybe we’ll see Wrobleski again, but hot dang did he not impress me last time out. I need more if we’re going to take on the Shag Rug.
Max Meyer (MIA) – Are we finally seeing Meyer return to the bigs? If so, he’d get Baltimore + Milwaukee. For a guy who has mostly just a slider and carries a low Win chance with Miami, that’s a clear pass.
Roddery Muñoz (MIA) – His command is too volatile to trust against all but the poor offenses.
Trevor Rogers (MIA) – There are hints of success here and there, but the full arsenal hasn’t come together yet.
Yonny Chirinos (MIA) – He made a start and shocked us all with a legit strikeout performance, fueled by a new slider at a lower velocity and bigger break. It won’t last.
Colin Rea (MIL) – He’s a Werewolf without a high enough ceiling.
Dallas Keuchel (MIL) – I still can’t believe this is a thing. Narrator: It’s not.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – Paddack is returning from the IL and wasn’t that good when he was healthy. Nooope.
David Peterson (NYM) – He’s not firing on all cylinders yet.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – The Mets could be bringing him back soon and I’m awfully curious how comfortable he is. I’d play it safe here.
Hogan Harris (OAK) – His heater isn’t dominating as we want it to, while the curve + change have been meh
Joey Estes (OAK) – There isn’t enough water in this Estes flask. He’s too dang volatile!
JP Sears (OAK) – He’s also too dang volatile!
Mitch Spence (OAK) – The command was weird in his last outing and now he gets the Phillies.
Osvaldo Bido (OAK) – Really?! Him?!
Ross Stripling (OAK) – He could be back and you can ignore this for now.
Marco Gonzales (PIT) – Marco surprised us in his return from the IL, but there’s no way I’m running with that to justify a start against the Phillies.
Martín Pérez (PIT) – He’s back and could click into a Toby label soon enough. Let’s wait for him to take advantage of a streamable matchup first.
Quinn Priester (PIT) – Yep, they’re letting him give it a go. Ho’ boy.
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 streaming him until we see real promise.
Matt Waldron (SDP) – The knuckler isn’t always there and the other offerings aren’t as good as they need to be.
Hayden Birdsong (SFG) – The overall arsenal isn’t enough for me to risk the Shag Rug.
Jordan Hicks (SFG) – The velocity is falling, the strikes are fading, and the sinker is getting hit harder.
Kyle Harrison (SFG) – I don’t have interest in Harrison. He needs to do something new to get my attention and believe he can be a reliable 12-teamer arm.
Robbie Ray (SFG) – Apparently he’s on the verge of returning. Sit him for the Still ILL against the Dodgers and we’ll go from there.
Andre Pallante (STL) – He’s still in the rotation and at least he had a normal pitch count this time. Not much to latch onto here, though. Maybe worth it against the Pirates…?
Lance Lynn (STL) – If you get Two L’s, you’re gonna get a third. Most of the time.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – I was considering Mikolas as a decent volume arm for points or QS leagues, but he just demolished any confidence we had in him. Can’t chance it. But he just did well today! Ehhhh, still don’t want to chance it.
Jon Gray (TEX) – Sure, the Angels tonight, but Houston later. I haven’t seen Gray truly locked in for a bit.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) – I think some of y’all would have wanted me to put Yariel on The List but I don’t think there’s enough there. He’s still limited to about 80 pitches and his fastballs/slider is pretty basic. You can do better.
DJ Herz (WSN) – He’s back and I have no idea what we’ll get.
Josiah Gray (WSN) – This week could mark the return of Josiah. He had some moments before the injury and I’d be shocked if he became 12-teamer relevant right away.
Patrick Corbin (WSN) – This isn’t working out. Shocking, I know. At least he’s experimenting…?
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 | Paul Skenes | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 6 | Garrett Crochet | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 7 | Corbin Burnes | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 8 | Max Fried | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 9 | Cole Ragans | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 10 | Gerrit ColeT2 | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +3 |
| 11 | Aaron Nola | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 12 | George Kirby | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +4 |
| 13 | Luis Castillo | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 14 | Joe Ryan | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 15 | Sonny Gray | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 16 | Justin Steele | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +4 |
| 17 | Logan Gilbert | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 18 | Grayson Rodriguez | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 19 | Shota Imanaga | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 20 | Tanner Houck | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 21 | Jack FlahertyT3 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 22 | Michael King | Holly Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 23 | Seth Lugo | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 24 | Bailey Ober | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 25 | Ronel Blanco | Holly Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 26 | Zac Gallen | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -5 |
| 27 | Nathan Eovaldi | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 28 | Kutter Crawford | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 29 | Dylan CeaseT4 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 30 | Taj Bradley | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 31 | Luis Gil | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 32 | Pablo López | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 33 | Freddy Peralta | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 34 | Blake Snell | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +19 |
| 35 | Ryan Pepiot | Ace Potential Team Context Effect | +2 |
| 36 | Hunter GreeneT5 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 37 | Logan Webb | Holly Quality Starts | -7 |
| 38 | Reynaldo López | Holly Team Context Effect | -11 |
| 39 | Max Scherzer | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 40 | Carlos Rodón | Holly Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 41 | Framber Valdez | Holly Quality Starts | +10 |
| 42 | Kevin Gausman | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 43 | Yusei Kikuchi | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 44 | Reese Olson | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 45 | Cristopher Sánchez | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 46 | MacKenzie GoreT6 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 47 | Nick Pivetta | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 48 | Tanner Bibee | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 49 | Shane Baz | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 50 | Gavin Williams | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +12 |
| 51 | Bryce Miller | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | +8 |
| 52 | Zach EflinT7 | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 53 | Nestor Cortes | Toby Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 54 | Chris Bassitt | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 55 | Ranger Suárez | Toby Wins Bonus | -13 |
| 56 | Gavin Stone | Toby Team Context Effect | - |
| 57 | Jake Irvin | Toby Ratio Focused | -18 |
| 58 | Brayan Bello | Toby Quality Starts | +10 |
| 59 | Marcus Stroman | Toby Quality Starts | +4 |
| 60 | Nick LodoloT8 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -12 |
| 61 | Bryan Woo | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +UR |
| 62 | Hunter Brown | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 63 | Edward Cabrera | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 64 | Tyler AndersonT9 | Toby Quality Starts | -6 |
| 65 | Mitch Keller | Toby Strikeout Upside | - |
| 66 | Christian Scott | Toby Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 67 | Ben Lively | Toby Ratio Focused | +8 |
| 68 | Andrew Heaney | Toby Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 69 | Brady Singer | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 70 | Kyle Gibson | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 71 | Erick Fedde | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 72 | Sean Manaea | Toby Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 73 | Michael Wacha | Toby Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 74 | Jameson Taillon | Toby Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 75 | Luis L. OrtizT10 | Spice Girl Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 76 | Tobias Myers | Spice Girl Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +8 |
| 77 | Spencer Schwellenbach | Spice Girl Streaming Option Team Context Effect | +9 |
| 78 | Andrew Abbott | Spice Girl Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 79 | Carson Fulmer | Spice Girl Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 80 | River Ryan | Spice Girl Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 81 | Spencer Arrighetti | Spice Girl Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 82 | Jake Bloss | Spice Girl Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 83 | José Soriano | Spice Girl Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 84 | Landon Knack | Spice Girl Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 85 | Griffin CanningT11 | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 86 | Mitchell Parker | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -6 |
| 87 | José Berríos | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -23 |
| 88 | Brandon Pfaadt | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -3 |
| 89 | Aaron Civale | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +2 |
| 90 | Jose Quintana | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -17 |
| 91 | Drew Thorpe | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -4 |
| 92 | Jonathan Cannon | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -13 |
| 93 | Michael Lorenzen | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -11 |
| 94 | Luis Severino | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 95 | Albert SuárezT12 | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -12 |
| 96 | Charlie Morton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 97 | James Paxton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 98 | Zack Littell | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 99 | Randy Vásquez | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | - |
| 100 | Simeon Woods Richardson | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -19 |
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 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)