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: Nick Lodolo (48), Shane Baz (52), Blake Snell (53)
- Removed: Jared Jones (34)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+2)
- Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The Remaining Aces
You know they are aces.
1. Zack Wheeler – Yep. Still dope.
2. Tyler Glasnow – Don’t overreact to 5 ER.
3. Tarik Skubal – 13 Ks and a Golden Goal. No biggie.
4. Chris Sale – Sale’s command is as good as ever.
5. Garrett Crochet – Didn’t have his cutter for a start, all is fine.
6. Corbin Burnes – Ratios and Wins make up for the drop in strikeouts. Still will flirt with 200.
7. Paul Skenes – Arguably should get moved up, but doesn’t have the track record yet.
8. Max Fried – Fried didn’t have his best stuff, should give him a pass.
9. Cole Ragans – Strikeouts are flowing, but the WHIP is still in question. Needs the cutter and slider to be slightly improved to earn quick outs.
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. Joe Ryan – HRs are still a thing, but the approach is as good as ever.
11. Aaron Nola – Curveball is everything you’ve wanted it to be.
12. Luis Castillo – Rebounded in his last outing, quelling fears of a destructive second half. For now. Don’t you dare bring that energy into this article.
13. Gerrit Cole – He’s not looking like the supreme ace quite yet.
14. Sonny Gray – A rough outing but all looks fine.
15. Grayson Rodriguez – Still learning to harness his entire repertoire and the stuff is exceptional.
16. George Kirby – I love his heaters up + sliders/curves down approach.
17. Logan Gilbert – Slider and four-seamer have made it work, I’m hoping the cutter and splitter can help when it’s needed.
18. Shota Imanaga – HRs are a thing and he’s lost some vert on his four-seamer, but the strikeouts are still coming. The ERA will come back down.
19. Tanner Houck – Had a rain delay that messed up his last start. Don’t fret.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They don’t have the AGA tag and could earn it before August.
20. Justin Steele – He’s on the cusp of AGA with his next outing against the Orioles.
21. Zac Gallen – One more game to go for the AGA tag – if he’s on point, then we’re good too.
22. Seth Lugo – It’s getting hard to deny Lugo the tag given how absurd he’s been. Think better kitchen-sink approach than Bassitt where it’s spin focused, not sinker-called-strike focused.
23. Jack Flaherty – He’s been dealing with back issues and should return on Thursday. The breakers are too dang good.
24. Pablo López – He pitched better than the line suggested – he’s far better than he was during the dark ages. Still, he needs to showcase a rebound in his next start to continue his journey back to AGA territory.
25. Freddy Peralta – Peralta is showing more Cherry Bomb tendencies these days than ideal. The ceiling is too high to push further down, though, especially after last season’s second half surge.
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.
26. Bailey Ober – He’s in a fantastic groove with his entire arsenal.
27. Reynaldo López – The Wins are starting to come as his heater is doing excellent work inside the zone.
28. Ronel Blanco – The trio of heaters, changeups, and sliders are still working, though it feels a bit precarious going into the second half. As long as he keeps producing, I’ll hand wave it.
29. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi has been the man you envisioned in March and has held his 95/96 mph velocity while sporting the best splitter he’s possibly ever had.
30. Logan Webb – Your standard Holly who will always be there for you…maybe with a WHIP you wish were a bit better.
31. Michael King – He carries AGA potential if he can ensure the whiffs are still there on his sweeper and changeup. The high IP/start is tantalizing.
32. Kutter Crawford – Crawford’s only stumble came from three longballs in Cincinnati. We can brush that aside.
Tier 5 – The Firecrackers
We can all see how these pitchers become aces, though they still have questions to answer before then.
33. Tanner Bibee – The new curveball focus didn’t help a ton in his last outing, let’s hope the feel for everything returns in his next outing.
34. Luis Gil – The iVB returned on his fastball. Please clap. He didn’t have his changeup feel, though, or really any feel. Still, the fastball shape is a big deal and makes me optimistic.
35. Dylan Cease – Cease produced save for two home runs off heaters. He’s the same guy you know and love? Hate? Have mixed emotions about?
36. Taj Bradley – Bradley is leaning into four-seamer/splitter and it seems like it’s the right choice. Just throw 65%+ strikes and we’re cool.
37. Ryan Pepiot – His last outing featured the most tumultuous command I’ve seen from him – odd after pure dominance against the Mariners. Maybe he’s just a Cherry Bomb after all.
38. MacKenzie Gore – Same goes for Gore. The skills are there with an elite four-seamer and a trio of secondaries, but the lack of consistency is getting frustrating. Both him and Pepiot could have been in Tier 7 instead of Tier 5, and I ultimately placed him here. Don’t get too hung up by the ranking number, I care more about the tiers, personally.
Tier 6 – 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.
39. Jake Irvin – This curveball has been so dang good. I get that people want him more than Gore and Pepiot and I really don’t have an issue with that. Thing is, it can disappear overnight. This isn’t a lock for August and September production.
40. Max Scherzer – He isn’t the ace of old, but he’s sturdy. That’s fine, just lower your expectations of the AGA days.
41. Yusei Kikuchi – The slider is a major focus again and once the changeup dwindles in usage, I expect Kikuchi to blossom for the summer. The heater is too good.
42. Ranger Suárez – The delicate dance has been interrupted and Suárez is looking more like the man we expected – a decent Holly. It’s not bad, just don’t expect him to always perform like a stud.
43. Reese Olson – The slider and changeup are here to stay, while the sinker and four-seamer are getting out of the way effectively, preventing damage off Olson’s biggest weakness.
Tier 7 – 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.
44. Kevin Gausman – He just fanned ten…Mariners batters. The splitter still isn’t earning whiffs and I’m still worried. I don’t care how many four-seamer whiffs he earned, IT WAS SEATTLE.
45. Carlos Rodón – Rodón showed a new look with 75% secondaries and it worked. Displaying that ability could help him deter batters into aggressive swings at heaters. Now show it again.
46. Cristopher Sánchez – After 16 IP of shutout baseball in two starts, Sánchez got demolished, outlining, once again, his Cherry Bomb tendencies. Sigh.
47. Hunter Greene – Greene’s heater and slider were cooking. Always fun when you get the sweet and not the destruction.
48. Nick Lodolo – He’s returning from the IL this week and let’s hope the blister is fully healed. Likely a Still ILL here.
49. Nick Pivetta – The cutter and sweeper returned in his last start and we’re hoping it’s the start of a trend.
50. Bobby Miller – The approach was far better last time out, but the control wasn’t back yet. The stuff is still legit and it’s a question of shaking off rust. He could be absurd in a heartbeat, while he wasn’t horrific even without his best last time out.
51. Framber Valdez – You never know what you’re gonna get. And it’s disgusting.
52. Shane Baz – Baz appeared with better four-seamer than we saw in the minor leagues and I’m encouraged that he’s becoming a major arm of intrigue. Could be in the next tier as soon as next week if his two pitches look truly elite.
53. Blake Snell – What are we going to get from Snell? Ignore the Triple-A outing – those batters are far worse than the competition in the majors and let Snell get away with a lot more. He usually unlocks his potential by the end of July, here’s to hoping it’s sooner than that.
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.
54. Nestor Cortes – The man is solid, but doesn’t hint at being an ace frequently enough.
55. Zach Eflin – Eflin just got rocked and it’s frustrating. It’s a sub 20% strikeout rate with a 4.19 ERA on the year and…that’s a Toby. A good one who should improve, but not a guy who should dominate the rest of the way. Unless his cutter and curve wake up in full. Sure. Unless he’s a lot better.
56. Gavin Stone – The strikeouts have been there more as of late, though he stumbled in his last start when the changeup wasn’t on point.
57. Chris Bassitt – Good ole Bassitt. Still hanging around with the sinker in charge.
58. Tyler Anderson – Anderson’s changeup has been stupid good and it’s propelling his entire success. As long as one of the cutter or four-seamer are decent, he’s been able to make it work. Fun stuff…with a sub 20% strikeout rate (including the ten punchout night!).
Tier 9 – 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.
59. Bryce Miller – Bryce, you had your secondaries earning whiffs and then they disappeared. Why must you be this way.
60. Christian Scott – It came out that Scott had a TJS scare last summer and that feels like important 12-teamer knowledge, but honestly, not really. You roster him until it stops working then you move on. This ranking includes his start against the Pirates today.
61. Hunter Brown – The first outing came with fastballs living in the zone and getting away with it, the second showcased poor secondaries. Yeaaaaah, that’s not as appealing as the last two months would suggest.
62. Gavin Williams – This is before his start tonight – I’d probably have him ranked in Tier 7 now as his arsenal was far more complete than in his season debut.
Tier 10 – 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.
63. Marcus Stroman – Stroman does what Stroman does. You start him for the Wins and ERA.
64. José Berríos – He just fanned a ton of batters…with poor ratios, mostly off a 3-run shot late in his outing. That’s The Great Undulator for ya.
65. Mitch Keller – Keller performed well today with a major four-seamer/sweeper focus and I’m not really buying that…? But fine, he’s on too good of a run right now to deny.
66. Andrew Heaney – His slider has improved over his last two starts, gaining velocity and precision at the cost of drop, catalyzing two solid performances, including one against the Orioles. We’ve been back-and-forth all year, let’s hope this trend actually sticks.
67. Brady Singer – He’s the same Singer you’ve known for ages.
68. Brayan Bello – Bello looked far better against the Marlins. Let’s hope the changeup sticks around.
69. Kyle Gibson – Gibson’s curveball came alive, oddly enough, and he’s put up some shockingly good CSW marks.
70. Michael Wacha – The changeup is cookin’ and the rest of his arsenal is doing what it needs to. A solid play in the short term.
71. Erick Fedde – Here’s as standard of a Toby as you’ll find. Command focused with a touch of filth here and there.
72. Matt Waldron – The knuckleball returned, though I have less faith in the other elements of his arsenal than I’d like.
73. Jose Quintana – Quintana went on a great run last year when he had his command locked in. He’s had it for a pair of starts now and could be going on a great run, taking advantage of a weak schedule.
74. Sean Manaea – Manaea has been crushing it as of late and I wonder if the slider’s higher usage will stick around. He’s down to a 3.43 ERA, if you can believe it.
75. Ben Lively – Lively has done little to disrupt your love and now gets the Tigers and Rays. You gotta love it.
76. Edward Cabrera – It wasn’t the fanfare we wanted in his return from the IL, but at least he tossed 82 pitches. Just get the heater above a 60% strike rate and include more sliders. He’s here moreso for the upside of reaching into Tier 7 in a few weeks.
77. Andrew Abbott – I still don’t know what to make of Abbott. Do as you want…? I just don’t think his arsenal is that great.
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.
78. Dean Kremer – Kremer looked great in his return and has the Orioles offense at his back. That’s fine with me against the Cubs (and maybe the Yankees?
79. Jonathan Cannon – He’s capable of taking down the Pirates later this week. I see legit 2025 potential here for deep leagues with his above-average command of sinker, sweeper, cutter, change.
80. Mitchell Parker – Parker gets the Cardinals (that’s cool with me) and then the Brewers (blegh). His fastball does enough to let the curve/split/slider shine.
81. Simeon Woods Richardson – SWR now has three games of 6+ IP across his nine starts and gets the Diamondbacks. The command has seemingly returned as well, making that a decent outing to chase.
82. Michael Lorenzen – Lorenzen finds a way to toss 90+ pitches each time out, allowing for a good QS chance against the Angels.
83. Albert Suárez – The Cubs aren’t scary and this could be a cheap Win with some strikeouts.
84. Tobias Myers – Myers has had a shocking run, interrupted by the longball last time out. The Pirates should fare better.
85. Brandon Pfaadt – I was excited about the curveball introduction last week, but he just tossed a handful in his most recent outing, squelched by optimism.
86. Spencer Schwellenbach – A solid performance from Mr. Crescendo last time out, though there are a few reasons for concern with his horrific four-seamer shape that allows hits far too easily.
87. Drew Thorpe – The Twins without Royce make a decent start for Thorpe, who has reliably had his changeup after one hiccup early.
Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Some Streams & Other Randos
More streaming options here, but a slight drop from the previous tier.
88. Luis L. Ortiz – Ortiz flashed a great outing for the second straight start and now has a rotation spot with Jones on the mend. Here’s to hoping the slider/cutter/fastball approach can find enough strikes each time out.
89. Jordan Hicks – Speaking of strikes, Hicks constantly searches for them with his splitter and sweeper. He’s not always so lucky.
90. José Soriano – Soriano needs to find more strikes, too, especially with his sinker. However, when he does, the curveball is able to do it’s thing and cruise for at least six innings.
91. Aaron Civale – A move to Milwaukee is a bit lateral for Civale, but it does mean he gets the Pirates this week. I’m not expecting a proper shift of approach or mix until after the ASB at the earlier, but old Civale should still be good enough for the Pirates, right?
92. Charlie Morton – He’s a Cherry Bomb without a whole lot of sweet. It’s rough.
93. Luis Severino – I still can’t believe he’s hurling 60% sinkers these days. What a world.
94. James Paxton – He gets the Tigers and I guess that could work.
95. Carson Spiers – Spiers has decent enough command to take advantage of a date with Rockie Road, even in Cin City.
96. Hayden Wesneski – He has a great sweeper…and not much else. I’m not ready to fully buy in here, but maybe the risk/reward is enough for a start against the Cardinals.
97. Frankie Montas – He gets two against Rockie Road and the Marlins, which seems great on paper, but then again, it’s Montas. You really don’t know.
98. Colin Rea – Rea has had some flashes and gets two good matchups against the Pirates and Nationals this week. At least that’s something.
99. Randy Vásquez – I don’t buy Vásquez’s success much at all, but the Mariners are a team that won’t care.
100. Hayden Birdsong – He gets the Royce-less Twins and it’s possible his heaters + secondaries are located well enough to make it work. I don’t believe a whole lot in his overall approach, but I recognize it’s still early in his career and he can show something he hasn’t displayed before.
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) – There just isn’t enough to latch onto. His heater is too blegh.
Yilber Diaz (ARI) – He’s making his MLB debut on Monday and it’s too early to take a shot on this.
Cade Povich (BAL) – He’s not as bad as that last start, but I don’t want to hold onto him for the Yankees.
Cole Irvin (BAL) – He’s out of the rotation now with Kremer back.
Josh Winckowski (BOS) – The Red Sox don’t have a true fifth starter and are looking to Winckowski as an option for about 60 pitches. Maybe a little more now, but it’s not what you want.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) – I know, I know, he’s done well lately! But now it’s the Orioles. I don’t want that.
Kyle Hendricks (CHC) – The curveball is back. That’s great, but it didn’t save him this week.
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.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) – He’s back to the minors with Lodolo returning.
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) – He’s only of consideration if you have a dire need for six frames.
Logan Allen (CLE) – He’s back to the minors.
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.
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, though.
Keider Montero (DET) – Not the matchups you want without the overwhelming stuff to take the risk.
Kenta Maeda (DET) – Why chase Maeda? The ceiling is too low to justify the floor.
Jake Bloss (HOU) – He’d get Miami, but is he actually showing up? Too risky.
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – The man is just too dang volatile. It’s too bad, his heater is legit.
Alec Marsh (KCR) – Marsh just doesn’t do enough.
Chase Silseth (LAA) – We’re not sure if Silseth gets a start this week, but that would be a Still ILL should it happen. He’s been rough in Triple-A.
Davis Daniel (LAA) – He had that one good start without a great arsenal. Not for me.
Griffin Canning (LAA) – I don’t feel comfortable starting him against the Rangers.
Roansy Contreras (LAA) – He’s not stretched out and the stuff isn’t what you’re looking for.
Landon Knack (LAD) – I hope he gets more chances and is able to stretch out properly. For now, he gets the Phillies on a likely limited pitch count and I’d prefer just to leave him on the wire.
Bryan Hoeing (MIA) – Apparently he’s going to start, but it’s likely him in front of Tyler.
Kyle Tyler (MIA) – He’s getting an opportunity with all the Miami injuries and he brings far too little to the table.
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.
Valente Bellozo (MIA) – He’s back to the minors.
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.
Dallas Keuchel (MIL) – I still can’t believe this is a thing.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – Paddack is returning from the IL and wasn’t that good when he was healthy. Nooope.
David Peterson (NYM) – It could be a decent start against the Nationals, but he’s not firing on all cylinders yet.
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. But the nine inning game! He gets Fenway next. FINE.
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 command was weird in his last outing and now he gets the Phillies.
Michael Mercado (PHI) – I kinda liked what I saw in his debut, but the second start was a frazzled arm. Stay away for now.
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.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – He gets the Angels and could put together five frames, but the floor is too low and he doesn’t strike guys out.
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.
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.
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.
Lance Lynn (STL) – If you get Two L’s, you’re gonna get a third.
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 for his start against Arizona, 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) – Demoted to the minors for Joan Adon.
Joan Adon (WSN) – Oh hey! You’re getting the Brewers. Good luck.
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 | Garrett Crochet | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 6 | Corbin Burnes | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 7 | Paul Skenes | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 8 | Max Fried | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 9 | Cole Ragans | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 10 | Joe RyanT2 | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 11 | Aaron Nola | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 12 | Luis Castillo | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 13 | Gerrit Cole | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus Injury Risk | - |
| 14 | Sonny Gray | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 15 | Grayson Rodriguez | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 16 | George Kirby | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 17 | Logan Gilbert | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 18 | Shota Imanaga | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 19 | Tanner Houck | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 20 | Justin SteeleT3 | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +1 |
| 21 | Zac Gallen | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | +1 |
| 22 | Seth Lugo | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +7 |
| 23 | Jack Flaherty | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 24 | Pablo López | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 25 | Freddy Peralta | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 26 | Bailey OberT4 | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 27 | Reynaldo López | Holly Team Context Effect | -2 |
| 28 | Ronel Blanco | Holly Team Context Effect | -2 |
| 29 | Nathan Eovaldi | Holly Quality Starts | +14 |
| 30 | Logan Webb | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 31 | Michael King | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 32 | Kutter Crawford | Holly Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 33 | Tanner BibeeT5 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 34 | Luis Gil | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 35 | Dylan Cease | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 36 | Taj Bradley | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 37 | Ryan Pepiot | Ace Potential Team Context Effect | -1 |
| 38 | MacKenzie Gore | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 39 | Jake IrvinT6 | Holly Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 40 | Max Scherzer | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +4 |
| 41 | Yusei Kikuchi | Holly Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 42 | Ranger Suárez | Holly Wins Bonus | -12 |
| 43 | Reese Olson | Holly Quality Starts | +4 |
| 44 | Kevin GausmanT7 | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 45 | Carlos Rodón | Cherry Bomb Wins Bonus | +4 |
| 46 | Cristopher Sánchez | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -6 |
| 47 | Hunter Greene | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 48 | Nick Lodolo | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 49 | Nick Pivetta | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 50 | Bobby Miller | Cherry Bomb Team Context Effect | -11 |
| 51 | Framber Valdez | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -1 |
| 52 | Shane Baz | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 53 | Blake Snell | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 54 | Nestor CortesT8 | Toby Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 55 | Zach Eflin | Toby Quality Starts | -9 |
| 56 | Gavin Stone | Holly Team Context Effect | -14 |
| 57 | Chris Bassitt | Toby Quality Starts | +1 |
| 58 | Tyler Anderson | Toby Quality Starts | +9 |
| 59 | Bryce MillerT9 | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -5 |
| 60 | Christian Scott | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 61 | Hunter Brown | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 62 | Gavin Williams | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -7 |
| 63 | Marcus StromanT10 | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 64 | José Berríos | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 65 | Mitch Keller | Toby Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 66 | Andrew Heaney | Toby Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 67 | Brady Singer | Toby Quality Starts | +4 |
| 68 | Brayan Bello | Toby Quality Starts | +9 |
| 69 | Kyle Gibson | Toby Quality Starts | +4 |
| 70 | Michael Wacha | Toby Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 71 | Erick Fedde | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 72 | Matt Waldron | Toby Ratio Focused | -7 |
| 73 | Jose Quintana | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 74 | Sean Manaea | Toby Wins Bonus | +7 |
| 75 | Ben Lively | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +5 |
| 76 | Edward Cabrera | Spice Girl Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 77 | Andrew Abbott | Toby Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 78 | Dean KremerT11 | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 79 | Jonathan Cannon | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -3 |
| 80 | Mitchell Parker | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 81 | Simeon Woods Richardson | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 82 | Michael Lorenzen | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -4 |
| 83 | Albert Suárez | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 84 | Tobias Myers | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -10 |
| 85 | Brandon Pfaadt | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -21 |
| 86 | Spencer Schwellenbach | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | -1 |
| 87 | Drew Thorpe | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 88 | Luis L. OrtizT12 | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 89 | Jordan Hicks | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 90 | José Soriano | Streaming Option Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +3 |
| 91 | Aaron Civale | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +1 |
| 92 | Charlie Morton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 93 | Luis Severino | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -11 |
| 94 | James Paxton | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 95 | Carson Spiers | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -5 |
| 96 | Hayden Wesneski | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 97 | Frankie Montas | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 98 | Colin Rea | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 99 | Randy Vásquez | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 100 | Hayden Birdsong | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +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 Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)
61. Hunter Brown
Laptop closed.
I think Zack Littell got vaporized.
If you had to pick up one, who would you add?
Springs, Ray or Jobe?
Can be the difference maker for some of us in fantasy playoffs!
I propose a new shorthand moniker: “Box o’ chocolates”
(Inspired by this week’s Framber comment, of course)
Yes, by the Rangers.
– Mazur could be around for a while, Darvish was placed on the restricted list Saturday while dealing with what’s only been described as a “personal matter” involving his family. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, “Sources said that there is a legitimate chance Darvish returns this season. There is also a very real chance he does not.”
– Adon is up as a reliever for the Nats, mopped up in the ninth on Monday. Davey Martinez said a starter will be needed for Friday in place of Herz but no decisions have been made on that.
– Hancock was optioned so won’t be going against the Angels. Woo could be back after making a rehab start Saturday but would be on a 60-pitch limit.
I hear you. Nick hasn’t been Framber’s biggest fan over the years. Framber hasn’t exactly been a box of chocolates this season.
I’ll take Waldron over the 20 guys above him in QS league ALL DAY. This List is nuts.
it sucks (for fantasy) that they took Darvish off the IL when he hasn’t even done his rehab starts yet. I don’t have an NA spot so now I have to drop someone to get Yu off my IL when he isn’t even playing.