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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.
- Since this is a 12-teamer, I heavily weigh upside in the back-half of the rankings. The HIPSTER 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 two labels 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 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.
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 John Villavicencio, 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.
As I do my rankings, I thought it would be helpful to showcase a table of how we’re ranking offenses, granted by our PLV powered Projections (in alphabetical order by tier):
Remember, these offensive rankings are based on each offense’s Process+ so far this year and how we project their lineups moving forward. It means you’re going to see a little different offensive rankings than you may see elsewhere and there will always be some surprises. This is based on skills, not purely results!
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 reading 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.
New note: If you would like more detail about a specific pitcher, you can view all my thoughts of their previous starts on their player page. Just click their name, head to the game log, and tap on any row. You’ll see my thoughts on that start and extra pitch details.
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: Cole Ragans (14), Eury Peréz (34)
- Removed: Hunter Greene (15), Pablo López (16), Zebby Matthews (53)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+1)
Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The True Aces
These pitchers are dope and make us feel dope.
1. Tarik Skubal – Obviously.
2. Zack Wheeler – He’s been on paternity leave and there’s no reason to expect anything but dominance.
3. Paul Skenes – He’s proven he can go seven frames and now he feels much closer to SP #1.
4. Garrett Crochet – Crochet found the extension (7.2 feet)! I was wrong – I thought it would be harder to get it back (albeit, just one game thus far) and I’m removing the “I’d sell for 99 cents on the dollar for a hitter of equal value” advice I’ve been giving.
5. Jacob deGrom – He’s still dope and makes us feel dope. Over 70 frames now!
6. Max Fried – Let’s be glad he moved past that terrible outing against the Dodgers.
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 May.
7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – The cutter is coming alive and I’m a huge fan of it.
8. Logan Webb – He’s been locked in with his wider arsenal and I love it.
9. Chris Sale – Sale has been as good as ever since removing the changeup from his mix. Wild, isn’t it?
10. Joe Ryan – He hasn’t quite lived up to the AGA tag as of late, though the skills are still very much intact.
11. Robbie Ray – There are few more dominant pitchers in the league since April 26th. Super strange to see him go four-seamer heavy for the first since before that date and have massive success.
12. Bryan Woo – Woo hasn’t been quite as productive in his last three outings and that’s not enough to bring him down. The fastballs are still great and we’re seeing signs of life in his breaker.
13. Carlos Rodón – The Red Sox got to him across two home runs and that’s about it. The changeup has morphed Rodón into a stable workhorse.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
14. Cole Ragans – His rehab start and the return from the IL all came with worrying velocity and command. I’m not sure what the next step is, but if he’s starting again, you have to imagine he’s okay.
15. Hunter Brown – I love the sinker inside to RHB, though there isn’t a strong whiff secondary in sight and his four-seamer’s velocity has dropped over the year.
16. Kris Bubic – No reason to stop loving Bubic right now. He’s on a tear with low changeups, high heaters, and reliable breaking balls.
17. MacKenzie Gore – He just took down the Cubs as the high four-seamer to RHB has been as consistent as ever.
18. Framber Valdez – Valdez has been one of the best pitchers in baseball following a horrific April. He has the magical curve of the second half returning to him and here’s to it holding for a while.
19. Spencer Schwellenbach – The four-seamer is still leading the way as his secondaries aren’t returning to their 2024 form. That said, they are good enough for him to be a solid Holly at worst and stud at best.
20. George Kirby – We saw 14 strikeouts from Kirby and we’re unlikely to get it again. It’s clear he’s shaken off the rust that bothered him in his first two starts, though.
Tier 4 – So Dang Close To Greatness
I trust all these pitchers to produce this season while they also have heightened nightmare potential on a given night.
21. Dylan Cease – He is who he is. It’s not a good period at the moment, though expecting him to carry these ratios consistently throughout the year isn’t how this goes.
22. Freddy Peralta – Same with Peralta. Sub 3.00 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and likely helpful much more than harmful.
23. Jack Flaherty – It’s been odd to see Flaherty have plenty of success with his four-seamer lately and let’s hope that sticks. Meanwhile, the curve is still legit and the slider isn’t lagging far behind.
24. Sonny Gray – The breakers have come alive more than usual and like most in this tier, he is who he is, bumps n all.
25. Spencer Strider – Who knows. It’s possible the velocity returns over time (they will certainly sound like they’re confident it will), it’s also possible this is who he is now, sitting two ticks below what we saw pre-surgery. I’m more in the latter camp and without adding a third offering or featuring excellent command, Strider is going to be more like and SP #3/4 than a stud SP #1/#2. And that’s okay! Just not that dude.
26. Jesús Luzardo – The easy thing is to drop him twenty more spots. However, to succeed as Luzardo did for two months doesn’t just disappear, especially with the velocity intact. Maybe it was tipping, maybe it was poor execution mixed with some terrible fortune. Regardless, at this exact moment, we bench against the Cubs and expect him to be a great arm for us from June 15th onward.
Tier 5 – Ole Reliable
These are premier Holly types, but they aren’t as exciting as the ones above. You should be fine with them, there’s just a little more risk.
27. Drew Rasmussen – He’s as efficient as any, which makes the ratios fantastic, but the strikeouts a little less than we’d like. If only he were allowed to go more than six frames…
28. Cristopher Sánchez – Sánchez is pretty much at his 2024 velocity (94/95 mph) instead of the 96+ mph he teased early in the year. And that’s okay, just not the path toward legit stud we were hoping for.
29. Kodai Senga – Senga is doing what you want him to do. No notes.
30. Ranger Suárez – Suárez’s command has been phenomenal and he’s pitching like he did in early 2024.
31. Seth Lugo – He’s shaking off the rust and I expect him to get back into the groove this week.
32. Clay Holmes – The Adobe has been a generally stable foundation for your teams. It seems a bit chaotic, but I have to give him credit for holding it together thus far, suggesting he can for the year.
33. Nick Lodolo – The schedule has been rough and I see the most refined version of Lodolo we’ve had in his career.
A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THE LIST
This week I had to fundamentally change how I approached the rankings. It’s the typical time of the season when the exciting arms from earlier in the season are either becoming real (Ray, Bubic, etc.) or are looking like a HIPSTER (Meyer, REB, May, Roupp, etc.). In addition, prospect and injured arms aren’t ready as reinforcements to replace quality arms on the IL, which drains the depth of the landscape to make typical Toby types a bit more appealing than usual.
That means the ranks of pitchers from 30-50 are a bit more aggressive than I’d normally place them. As always, the conversation should never be “This guy is too high/low because of past results.” It should be “This guy should be closer to these guys because of this skill/attribute, etc.” This List is forward thinking as much as possible.
That’s all. I’m legit surprised by many ranks this week, too. I always am. Is that why you repeated this text for another week? SURE IS!
Thanks for reading this, here’s 20% of PL Pro Yearly (normally 15% off!) as a token of my thanks: IREADTHENOTES.
Tier 6 – I Guess We’re Doing This
Some of the more controversial rankings are found here and it comes down to skills vs. results. I completely understand if you feel differently. In most cases, I’m weighing what I think their arsenal and ability dictate rather than what their results have been thus far.
34. Eury Pérez – This rank is highly dependent on what we see this week. I imagine him as a Top 20 SP when geared up, but where is he now? Is the velocity there? Two whiff pitches? Command back? I’m being a little more patient than usual.
35. Ryan Pepiot – The four-seamer command is bliss and he’s shifted his slider to be more like a cutter than a big whiff pitch. It’s a good move, helping it earn more strikes and rely on the heater + changeup to get punchouts.
36. Nick Pivetta – The weather is heating up and I’m scared the longballs will return soon, but he’s had himself a career year thus far and I’m hoping he’s making some changes to his RHB approach. I think there were clues in his four-seamers from last start.
37. Will Warren – The stuff is excellent and I’m looking at the next four months and seeing a legit Holly for a winning team. But he struggled against the Dodgers and Red Sox! It was a bad day in Los Angeles + a Careful, Icarus against the Sawx. I ain’t buying that his success was a mirage.
38. Andrew Abbott – I don’t think Abbott pitched poorly over the weekend. He’s up to 93 mph with a good breaker and changeup.
Tier 7 – You’re Helping. I Think. Yeah.
These are arms who are either trending in the right direction or aren’t fading enough for me to be heavily concerned about dropping them far down the list in the upcoming weeks.
39. Matthew Boyd – The slider worked against LHB, though it still doesn’t demoralize RHB as it used to. Still, the four-seamer and changeup are cooking with a great defense behind him.
40. Griffin Canning – I shouldn’t have doubted you. So much respect for taking down the Sneks, Cubs, Yankees, and now Dodgers, with the sole blemish being a rainy day at the park. The new slider feel is so much better than last year.
41. David Peterson – Peterson just pitched his best game of the season and it just happened to be against the Dodgers. Here’s to the pitch separation sticking for many more starts ahead.
42. Clarke Schmidt – After some struggles in the beginning of the year, Schmidt has been fantastic, with a near 25% SwStr on his cutter to RHB. I’m not enamored with his overall command, but he throws enough strikes with good stuff and it helps pitching for the Yankees.
43. Merrill Kelly – The Arizona defense does him so many favors as Kelly has done a great job executing the Neckbeard approach.
44. Chris Paddack – The slider has become a cutter and it’s changed the man. His four-seamer is excellent and the proper third pitch makes him far better.
Tier 8 – At The Edge Of The Cliff
Now that we’re past the “Hey, this is legit value I’m unlikely to drop this season”, it’s time to shift to pure upside. It’s why these rankings are more aggressive than projections or likely other rankings you’ve seen elsewhere. It’s a 12-teamer and you should be embracing the burn-and-churn of your starting pitchers.
45. Kevin Gausman – Gausman, I’ll allow one off-day with the splitter whiffs, but you gotta get it back this week, okay?
46. Gavin Williams – He’s fallen in love with the cutter, which is great, though it’s put a dent in his four-seamer in the process. I’m expecting that heater to get back to its former dominance with the cutter as a fantastic sidekick.
47. Tanner Bibee – The command was much better in his last outing where he finally earned some sweeper whiffs. I’m still a little tepid given the lack of dominance with any of his pitches, but we’re making progess.
48. Luis Castillo – I’m still a little weirded out by Castillo’s four-seamer/slider combo as the changeup has fallen off (in quality, not the table, sadly). Maybe the summer will keep the fastball velocity up comfortably over 96 mph?
Tier 9 – Fine, You Need Innings
I expect them to be rostered in your 12-teamers in the short term, but don’t feel like you have to hold them.
49. Bailey Ober – He’s…fine? The slider/cutter isn’t working well this year and has made for tougher battles against RHB, especially as the fastball has fallen to 90/91 mph and isn’t a broad stroke of the brush above the strikezone.
50. Zach Eflin – Eflin is looking more like the solid Holly we want him to be – flirting with six frames and a Win each out as he utilizes a full mix. Yes, the Orioles should Win more games.
51. Jameson Taillon – Taillon’s sweeper has been worse lately, but the four-seamer and changeup have executed the BSB beautifully against LHB. That defense behind him should keep the floor relatively high for QS leagues.
52. Shane Baz – I wish Baz had a better third pitch to pair with an elite four-seamer and curve, while he hasn’t executed the breaker as well lately, leading to fewer strikeouts. There seems to have been a correction in his last two games to get out of that ridiculous funk, though.
53. Michael Wacha – The changeup is always there. It’s just about the other pieces to help him get through six.
Tier 10 – Riding The Magic Bus
Here are your Frizzle arms who could be something more than what they are right now. Some of these will rise, others will disappear. Take chances, make mistakes, get messy.
54. Sawyer Gipson-Long – I wasn’t in love with his first start, which featured a worse slider and a larger emphasis on four-seamers than sinkers (misclassified initially as mostly sinkers). I hope we see more sinkers moving forward, especially ones close to the massive sink of 2023 (3-4 inches more drop!). The first start was sure to come with jitters and I’m curious what we get in his second showcase.
55. Shane Smith – Smith’s velocity has done a better job of staying above 96 mph throughout starts as he’s traveled deeper into the season and I just wish he wasn’t on the White Sox. Oh, and had a few more consistent secondaries.
56. Cade Horton – The cut-fastball had middling command over the weekend, but the changeup was glorious to LHB. It’s the best I’ve seen it and I’m excited for a true three-pitch mix. Yes, I’m calling his curve and sweeper one pitch he tweaks between RHB and LHB.
57. Landen Roupp – Roupp has also expanded his arsenal to embrace the changeup more, while he also displayed more cutters on Sunday. He’s a perfect example of a pitcher we expect to refine his feel over the season.
58. Dustin May – Hey May, I dig that the cutter is getting whiffs n all, but can you locate the sinker moving forward instead of chucking it over the plate? If you’re going to sit under 95 mph and not 97+ mph, you might as well spot it along the edges, you know?
59. Tyler Mahle – He’s been on a roll with cutters and splitters aiding his four-seamer and I’d let this Vargas Rule continue.
60. Matthew Liberatore – The velocity has fallen a bit and I worry that his secondaries don’t have enough juice to support his stellar opening months. At least the defense does work behind him.
Tier 11 – They Will Drive You Up The Wall
I’m willing to bet this tier will upset people the most. I see them as HIPSTER arms who could potentially smooth out into stable arms or make you wish in August that you never drafted them. Who knows when they’ll perform at their potential?
61. Lance McCullers Jr. – We’ve seen a pair of fantastic strikeout outings in a row, but we also know about McCullers’ volatility. He’s the poster child of a HIPSTER, though we all know celebrities can outgrow their posters. Or something like that.
62. Edward Cabrera – I’d have Cabrera higher if he hadn’t been removed after just four frames in his last outing. It’s hard to lean heavily into his upside with that kind of leash. I really do so a mini-Alcantara in here (the peak, of course) if he leans more on the sinker and slider to RHB than the four-seamer.
63. Lucas Giolito – I overrated his command + the difficulty of pitching in Fenway. The upside is still there with three pitches that can all miss a ton of bats on a given day, but his feel for those pitches is further behind than I expected them to be and I have no choice but to put him outside the Top 60. I sure hope he redeems himself quickly, he certainly has the ability to and we shouldn’t ignore that.
64. Bryce Miller – He has a bone spur and it’s clearly affecting him. I’m willing to bet he gets used to it a bit and spins off a collection of great outings before he can’t quite take it anymore. That’s such psuedo-analysis. Yeah, not much else to say, though. His four-seamer hasn’t been performing well and the secondary development we’ve been waiting for has been halted by his arm pain.
65. Tylor Megill – I may be too low on Megill, but it’s hard to tell after his last two starts. He featured a different slider before his last outing in Coors, which affects the ball and makes it hard to discern what’s temporary and what’s to stay. Throwing over 40% sliders in one game sure feels temporary and I hated the fastball command down the heart of the plate. I’m a bit worried still.
66. Zac Gallen – I think he’s been a bit unlucky lately and has had a better changeup than usual…and yet it’s absurdly frustrating. I’m going to bet that Gallen finds a way through the season better than the rookies.
67. Grant Holmes – The slider is great and his fastball is improved, but the heater isn’t finding the edges like last year and neither the cutter nor curve are stepping up to give REB the trusted third pitch he needs. If he gets it, he should be a proper Holly for an Atlanta team that can’t keep losing Wins as they have.
68. Jack Leiter – Leiter’s four-seamer is stellar but he still needs a little more help across the arsenal. The slider isn’t down constantly and while the sinker was highly successful at 13/15 strikes without a hit, it wasn’t spotted well inside the zone at all.
69. Hayden Birdsong – He drives me up the wall. I watch him pitch and I see an arm who doesn’t know how to work a batter with his arsenal, but instead rears back and lets it fly. It’s worked for him and his rotation spot is generally secure with Harrison likely moving to the pen with Verlander back, but I can’t endorse his chaos as much as I want to.
70. David Festa – We know it can work, it’s a matter of refinement. I’ve yet to see Festa go a full start locating all three of his offerings: Heater up, slider for strikes, and changeup low.
71. Mick Abel – The stuff was worse in his second start (not a surprise) but he’s still a strong arm with an uncertain runway. Nola is likely back next week and it could send Abel back to the minors, though who knows what the state of the rotation is when the time comes. If he had a locked rotation spot moving forward, he’d be a tier above and right next to Horton.
Tier 12 – WannabeTobys
I can see how they jump up to the other Toby tier or better in the future, but they need to do a little more to get there.
72. Michael Soroka – The curveball is working and the fastballs are fine. Don’t expect a massive ceiling with a low floor when the hook is off.
73. Tomoyuki Sugano – Sugano is an artist to LHB and can run into trouble against RHB, but is generally a productive Toby for 12-teamers as he contends for six frames each outing.
74. Davis Martin – I’m starting to believe in Martin’s cutter and kick-change. His situation does he few favors in ChiTown, but he could climb up the ranks if that cutter continues to act as his foundation and the kick-change lacks volatility.
75. Casey Mize – Mize hasn’t looked the same since returning from the IL and I’m worried he won’t get it back. The velocity has been down, the splitter feel is off, and the slider/curve aren’t taking a step forward.
Tier 13 – I Need A Purpose
These arms could return a fantastic start and you’re desperate to chase something more than a boring streamer. You want to risk it all to get the next big thing.
76. Sandy Alcantara – He gets the Pirates and that feels like another chance for him to find the feel of his changeup, right? And please locate those sinkers and four-seamers along the edges as you once did.
77. Luis L. Ortiz – He’s facing the Reds Carpet as I type this and has displayed legit whiffability while finding the strikezone more than ever. Sure feels like it can fall apart in an instant, though.
78. Kyle Harrison – I’m worried he’ll only make one more outing with Verlander’s return around the corner and his last start coming with a worse four-seamer. It’s too bad as I think that heater is better than any pitch inside Roupp’s or Birdsong’s arsenal.
79. Ben Brown – I’ve been hard on Brown for a two-pitch mix that lacks electricity with his heater, but he’s throwing harder and has utilized the kick-change a little more as of late. Hopefully both stick and he can turn the corner.
80. Taj Bradley – After two dominant outings, Bradley came back down to earth, displaying the chaos of a HIPSTER we all hoped to never see again.
81. Noah Cameron – How can you rank him so low?! Because 1) He has a horrific schedule ahead 2) He’s been absurdly lucky and 3) His situation in the rotation is up in the air. He’s getting at least one more start – if not two – for now and if they go poorly (which they very much can), he could be back in the minors next week.
82. Justin Wrobleski – I’m shocked I ranked Justin this high, but his last start featured a brand new arm. Much harder velocity, a massive spread of pitches, and a showcase of a starter who could actually be a well-rounded depth arm for the Dodgers. I’m really excited to see how he performs against the Padres.
Tier 14 – Fine, You Need More Innings
These guys could fill six innings for you.
83. Bryce Elder – He just struck out twelve batters and now gets Rockie Road. He’s probably not going to have the same level of success, but you have to roll with that, right?
84. Mitchell Parker – Parker has had his four-seamer feel and now gets the gift of being a southpaw against the Marlins.
85. Bailey Falter – Falter gets the same privilege as Parker, but with a little more extension and worse secondaries.
86. Jose Quintana – We’re seeing legit command from Quintana and that generally means it’s time to follow the Vargas Rule.
87. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator. You don’t need me.
88. Tyler Anderson – Anderson’s changeup is cooking and I see a legit 15-teamer Toby here, who can be worthwhile against the Orioles this week and many times throughout the year.
89. José Soriano – If he throws enough strikes, he should be fine on a given night. His curve is a CSW darling and that sinker can be tough to square up.
90. Brandon Pfaadt – I was excited about Pfaadt early in the year when he was sporting a curve and changeup to LHB. Now he’s struggling against them and I’m out once again. Sigh.
Tier 15 – Double-Bubbles
I like their matchups and they could be productive for a week before we let them go back to the wire.
91. Slade Cecconi – He’ll get the Reds Carpet and Cecconi is pitching well enough to consider as a streamer.
92. Logan Allen – Same goes for Allen. These aren’t guys to chase outside of these matchups.
93. Adrian Houser – Houser’s boasted two extra ticks of velocity this year and become a QS darling. Play the matchups.
94. Chad Patrick – This is the worst matchup of the lot (against Atlanta), though I want to give Patrick credit for his cutter’s success. It’s been a fantastic pitch and opens the door for another level if he can find a strong complement or two.
95. Jacob Latz – He throws 94/95 mph with a legit changeup from the left side and may get another start against the White Sox this week. Sadly, that changeup has been inconsistent when he’s been in relief and he may not go more than 70 pitches (or not at all if Eovaldi shows up), but I wanted to give him a highlight here. It could be fun after fanning seven in ten outs on Sunday.
96. Erick Fedde – He’s a Toby set up for a decent matchup this week. That’s it.
97. Chris Bassitt – He’ll get the Cardinals and there’s always a chance Bassitt finds gloves.
98. Mitch Keller – Keller gets the Marlins and…I guess that’s okay?
99. Luis Severino – Severino hasn’t been the Toby you wanted him to be, but at least he’s away from Sacré Verde and gets to face the Royals this week.
100. Mike Burrows – Burrows is pitching right now against the Marlins and has mid-90s heat with a legit changeup. It can work.
Honorable Mentions
Here is every pitcher who is not on The List and currently has a rotation spot. If I’m missing someone, it’s likely because I removed them from The List last week and forgot to add them here, or I meant to add them to The List and I got crossed up somewhere. Let me know if I’m missing someone, please, just understand it’s never a slight to their ability! EVERYONE SHOULD BE HERE.
Corbin Burnes (ARI) – Yeah, it’s TJS. He’s done for the year.
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – Erod is returning from the IL this week and his healthy volatility merged with Still ILL makes him an arm I’d wait and see before committing to.
Ryne Nelson (ARI) – He was off his game and it’s best to let him show us his ceiling and wait for a good matchup at this point.
Gunnar Hoglund (ATH) – I don’t know why he’s throwing more sinkers than four-seamers to RHB and it’s kinda maddening.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – He could return this week and he’s not worthwhile to stash before the outing. Pretty interesting with increased velo at first and more sink. Keep an eye on him for deeper leagues, but definitely not in 12-teamers.
Jacob Lopez (ATH) – There’s a touch of intrigue with good extension and maybe he can make it work against the Royals, but the Shag Rug is too scary for me to consider.
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – It’s hard to tell when this will be sunshine and rainbows across June.
JP Sears (ATH) – Sears is a week-to-week arm if there’s a great matchup and nothing better.
Mitch Spence (ATH) – I’m not sure how long he goes and if it’s worth your time.
Cade Povich (BAL) – I actually liked what I saw from Povich in his last outing but sadly he gets a pair of touch matchups this week that I wouldn’t chase.
Charlie Morton (BAL) – Morton had a strong game and that’s cool! The curve is better and I still don’t want to give this a shot.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He’s Dean Werewolf and if that’s your jam, go ahead and give it a shot.
Trevor Rogers (BAL) – He was optioned back to Triple-A after his spot start and I’d hold off stashing him. Spec add if you like when he does get the opportunity, though the velocity is just 93 mph.
Brayan Bello (BOS) – You can’t trust Bello these days. It’s as simple as that. Here’s to hoping he gets into a groove with his changeup, slider, and sinker that makes me regret this.
Hunter Dobbins (BOS) – The third Hunter doesn’t have enough electricity to risk the Shag Rug.
Richard Fitts (BOS) – Demoted back to the minors after one horrible inning.
Walker Buehler (BOS) – It’s really not worth chasing anymore. I’ll let you know when there’s life.
Colin Rea (CHC) – He’ll get the Phillies next with a possible stream the following weak. He’s not worth the hold.
Bryse Wilson (CWS) – You’re always here. Somewhere else, but always here.
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) – This has moments of being cool and then failing to locate the very next inning.
Sean Burke (CWS) – His fastball velocity is still down and he’s working on putting it all together again.
Brady Singer (CIN) – I just can’t recommend Singer until his slider gets whiffs once again. But he threw nine cutters! And they were decent! That’s nice, Singer can’t be that guy until the slider returns.
Chase Petty (CIN) – Sent back to Triple-A after walking six batters in his second MLB outing. He’ll get over the jitters at some point (he dominated in his Triple-A game over the week with three walks) and you shouldn’t call it a fluke when he does.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He just survived and I’m realizing you’re better off playing the streaming game than holding onto Martinez. He’s more of a 15-teamer Toby than worthy of a spot in your 12-teamers.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Wade Miley (CIN) – He’s back! And only worthwhile in a perfect streaming scenario in the future. If he looks okay.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) – Senz-A does what Senz-A does.
Carson Palmquist (COL) – Another Rockies arm who we don’t care for in fantasy because he’s on the Rockies.
Chase Dollander (COL) – No, I didn’t want to add Dollander to the IL table. It’s Coors + the Shag Rug and he’s not as filthy as you think. The velocity is there for a rare peak moment, but the fastball isn’t as electric as other young arms and the secondaries are still in development. Maybe he’s worth a play on the road, but even that’s risky.
Germán Márquez (COL) – COL
Kyle Freeland (COL) – Story
Tanner Gordon (COL) – Brooooo. Oh hey, another Colorado pitcher, this time with two first names. DOUBLE WHAMMY.
Brant Hurter (DET) – He may be getting a start as SGL and Reese make their way back to the rotation, though haven’t they learned he works best as a follower? If that’s the case, you may steal a Win with Hurter against the CrySox this week. Pay attention.
Keider Montero (DET) – Montero’s fastball has shown some extra life in a few games this year. The slider can miss bats, too, but the overall package is too meh and comes without security in the rotation once Mize is ready to return.
Brandon Walter (HOU) – He’s a slightly better Ryan Yarbrough and I don’t want to chase that.
Colton Gordon (HOU) – The Astros may call up Gordon for a spot start this week to help rest their arms for a long stretch of games. He’s a low-90s southpaw with a meh fastball + big sweeper and 83/84 mph change he can throw for strikes. If the control is there, it’s possible he performs against the Royals. We don’t start MLB debuts, though.
Ryan Gusto (HOU) – We can’t trust that he’ll have his best fastball and enough in his secondaries to make it worthwhile.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) – Oh right, Lorenzen. You’re making a Grave Mistake without the ratios you want on most nights.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – The Jack of One Trade is now the Jack of NO Trade with the sinker feel disappearing. No thanks.
Kyle Hendricks (LAA) – He’s not the worst AL-Only streamer. At least he’s able to go six.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) – Kikuchi had a good outing and I still have zero confidence in him. There are better plays to make.
Ben Casparius (LAD) – He’s back to the bullpen and it’s all kinds of annoying.
Bobby Miller (LAD) – Whoa, we’re getting a Bobby sighting this week! And his velocity has been down in the minors without good command or whiffs. Sigh. ONE DAY.
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – Kershaw gave us a solid outing last weekend and maybe he’s worthwhile for the Giants, but he’s at 88 mph and needed to squeeze everything out of his slider to get there. It’s not for me.
Landon Knack (LAD) – He could get us a cheap Win and the kick-change is kinda cool, but the schedule is rough and even if he faced a weak team, he could get pulled before the end of the fifth.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – He’s not on the IL table for the same reason he wasn’t on The List before he hit the IL. Sasaki doesn’t have a third pitch, his splitter doesn’t get enough strikes, and his heater is under 95 mph. He isn’t a hold for 12-teamers.
Tony Gonsolin (LAD) – Gonsolin was placed on the IL with elbow discomfort. Welp, that’s that.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – He’s getting the second game of the year for the Marlins. Yup. It’s possible the splitter is cooking…?
Max Meyer (MIA) – He was sent to the IL with a hip impingement and we’re not going to take interest in Meyer until he looks like the guy we saw in the spring.
Ryan Weathers (MIA) – He was placed on the 60-Day IL right before 6:00pm ET with a shoulder injury. Bleeeegh.
Aaron Ashby (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Aaron Civale (MIL) – The breakers are not as good as they’ve been in the past. I’ll wait until then.
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) – We’re still waiting for confirmation of Woodruff’s first start of the season. Let’s say he’s not flexing absurd metrics on his offerings, I’d like have him in the 50s or so, hoping to push him up higher when he see velocity and command improve.
DL Hall (MIL) – We saw him in the rotation briefly, but with the Brewers getting healthy, Hall looks to be the odd man out. Sigh. Why couldn’t you have been healthy. WHY. I loved the flat attack angle with 95 mph instead of the blegh we saw in April 2024.
Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – I was interested in stashing Les Miz before, though the Brewers have so many options that it’ll likely be a bit before we see him. I’m impressed by Misiorowski’s ability to get his four-seamer in the zone across his last few Triple-A games and when promoted, he’s in the first Frizzle tier on The List. Here’s to hoping the walk rates aren’t stupid high.
Logan Henderson (MIL) – He’s back in Triple-A. Womp womp. Not a bad play when he gets the chance again with his four-seamer + changeup combo.
Quinn Priester (MIL) – Priester has been better than expected and I still can’t commit. It’s mostly sinker/slider without a ton of juice.
Tobias Myers (MIL) – Optioned to the minors. Bummer.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s back on the squad with Zebby hitting the IL and even against the Rangers, I’d prefer to chase something else.
Paul Blackburn (NYM) – Apparently he’s going to start again and that’s…something.
Ryan Yarbrough (NYY) – It was a fun Vargas Rule while it lasted, eh?
Andrew Painter (PHI) – He won’t be up for a few weeks with some Triple-A games under his belt, likely around the start of June. He’ll be in the 60s at that time.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – He’s in the bullpen now. FOR GOOD. Finally. Walker lone, Ranger starting.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – He gets into a groove at times, but it’s Arizona + Padres this week.
Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Is now the time to start stashing Bubba? I’d say so. It feels about two weeks away and given everything we’ve seen and read, he’ll be a Top 60ish starter with potential for much more.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m glad he’s had a moment of decency on the bump. Definitely not a believer, sadly.
Logan Evans (SEA) – He’s taking Gilbert’s spot in the rotation and there isn’t enough for us to chase at the moment. Maybe the command is better post-debut, though the stuff doesn’t seem overwhelming. Surely there are better options.
Justin Verlander (SFG) – It’s possible he returns from his pec injury this week, though I would likely not have him on The List even if that were the case. I need to see him flirt with 95 mph on the heater with high location + nail the slider down for whiffs. You can do it.
Andre Pallante (STL) – The stuff is…eh. I’d rather not, even if he’s throwing 95 mph.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – Sent to the minors after his sole outing after making us believe the Cardinals were finally leaning into a six-man rotation. Bummer.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – His four-seamer was one of the worst pitches in baseball last year and is now two ticks slower.
Steven Matz (STL) – Looks like he’ll stay in the bullpen for the foreseeable future.
Randy Vásquez (SDP) – I don’t dig his overall approach. There’s nothing that speaks to production in 12-teamers.
Ryan Bergert (SDP) – I kinda dig his high heater and slider combo, but it’s a tough schedule ahead.
Stephen Kolek (SDP) – He’s stepping in for a moment and he’s not a 12-teamer streamer you want to chase.
Zack Littell (TBR) – You’re upset I left him off The List. I know. He’s heading into Fenway this week and I want none of that. Why would you stash Littell through that outing?
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – Sent to the minors after boasting 92 mph cutters that were kinda filthy. I feel like we get a new Rocker each time he starts and I’m curious what he eventually molds into.
Patrick Corbin (TEX) – Corbin hath returned and no, he’s not a new man you can trust, even if he hasn’t allowed more than 3 ER in a start all year.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – Francis’ four-seamer can get him through games, but I don’t like the rest of the arsenal enough.
Eric Lauer (TOR) – You didn’t just ctrl-F Lauer, did you?!
Spencer Turnbull (TOR) – He’s getting a chance this week though the velocity has been down and I have super low expectations.
Jake Irvin (WSN) – He’s too risky to chase at the moment.
Trevor Williams (WSN) – #NeverTrevor
SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarik SkubalT1 | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 2 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 3 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 5 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 6 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 7 | Yoshinobu YamamotoT2 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 8 | Logan Webb | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 9 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 10 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 11 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 12 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 13 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 14 | Cole RagansT3 | KC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 15 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 16 | Kris Bubic | KC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 17 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 18 | Framber Valdez | DET | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +5 |
| 19 | Spencer Schwellenbach | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 20 | George Kirby | SEA | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | +9 |
| 21 | Dylan CeaseT4 | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 22 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 23 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 24 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 25 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -5 |
| 26 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -9 |
| 27 | Drew RasmussenT5 | TB | Holly Ratio Focused | - |
| 28 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | - |
| 29 | Kodai Senga | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 30 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 31 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 32 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 33 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 34 | Eury PérezT6 | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 35 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 36 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 37 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 38 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 39 | Matthew BoydT7 | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +5 |
| 40 | Griffin Canning | SD | Holly Wins Bonus | +28 |
| 41 | David Peterson | NYM | Wins Bonus | +6 |
| 42 | Clarke Schmidt | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | +23 |
| 43 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +6 |
| 44 | Chris Paddack | MIA | Holly Quality Starts | +20 |
| 45 | Kevin GausmanT8 | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 46 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | -6 |
| 47 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | +25 |
| 48 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Hipster Quality Starts | -5 |
| 49 | Bailey OberT9 | MIN | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 50 | Zach Eflin | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 51 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 52 | Shane Baz | BAL | Toby Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 53 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 54 | Sawyer Gipson-LongT10 | DET | Frizzle Wins Bonus Injury Risk | - |
| 55 | Shane Smith | CWS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +20 |
| 56 | Cade Horton | CHC | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +4 |
| 57 | Landen Roupp | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 58 | Dustin May | STL | Toby Ratio Focused | +9 |
| 59 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Toby Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 60 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Quality Starts | -12 |
| 61 | Lance McCullers Jr.T11 | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 62 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 63 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Hipster Quality Starts Injury Risk | -22 |
| 64 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Hipster Ratio Focused Injury Risk | -6 |
| 65 | Tylor Megill | NYM | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +15 |
| 66 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts | +7 |
| 67 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 68 | Jack Leiter | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 69 | Hayden Birdsong | SF | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 70 | David Festa | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 71 | Mick Abel | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 72 | Michael SorokaT12 | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +10 |
| 73 | Tomoyuki Sugano | COL | Toby Quality Starts | +8 |
| 74 | Davis Martin | CWS | Toby Ratio Focused | +22 |
| 75 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | -9 |
| 76 | Sandy AlcantaraT13 | MIA | Hipster Ratio Focused | +12 |
| 77 | Luis L. Ortiz | CLE | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +14 |
| 78 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 79 | Ben Brown | CHC | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 80 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 81 | Noah Cameron | KC | Frizzle Quality Starts | -2 |
| 82 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Frizzle Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 83 | Bryce ElderT14 | ATL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 84 | Mitchell Parker | WSH | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 85 | Bailey Falter | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 86 | Jose Quintana | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 87 | José Berríos | TOR | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 88 | Tyler Anderson | SD | Toby Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 89 | José Soriano | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 90 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -21 |
| 91 | Slade CecconiT15 | CLE | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 92 | Logan Allen | CLE | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 93 | Adrian Houser | SF | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +5 |
| 94 | Chad Patrick | MIL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 95 | Jacob Latz | TEX | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 96 | Erick Fedde | CWS | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 97 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 98 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -6 |
| 99 | Luis Severino | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR | |
| 100 | Mike Burrows | HOU | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
