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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: Shota Imanaga (26), Nathan Eovaldi (35), Chase Burns (38)
- Removed: Chris Sale (6), Emmet Sheehan (60)
- 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 – I’m not sure what to even write at this point.
3. Paul Skenes – He’s incredible and I’m stoked to watch him against Misiorowski on Wednesday. Imagine Skenes having a slower fastball than the opponent.
4. Garrett Crochet – Yep, he’s still cruising.
5. Jacob deGrom – deGrom isn’t nailing his four-seamer command as he has in the past, but at least the velocity is back to 98 mph with the slider turning up to roughly 91 mph, too. He’s so back. Well, when the heater is located, then yeah. He is. I imagine he was getting tired of not being the best pitcher on the planet.
6. Max Fried – It feels weird to have Fried among these strikeout behemoths, but he’s been too dang consistent to move to Tier 2.
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 – Hey, please throw more high fastballs. Not this again. YOU COULD BE TIER 1.
8. Logan Webb – It’s the same refined arsenal Webb that has me upset I wasn’t more aggressive in the off-season. He fixed the things we identified he needed to fix.
9. Joe Ryan – He hasn’t been overwhelming, but he’s ole reliable as a stud.
10. Carlos Rodón – Rodón still has it all cooking.
11. Robbie Ray – I may be moving him into Tier 3 if he doesn’t produce in each of his next two starts (White Sox, then Diamondbacks). At least the fastball usage has returned to sub 50% once again.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
12. Hunter Brown – He had a start of curveball whiffs against LHB that got me amped, then they disappeared in the next one. Sigh. Maybe he deserves the AGA tag anyway. Could be next week.
13. Framber Valdez – Valdez had a stumble in Sacré Verde and I’ll forgive him for it.
14. Bryan Woo – The game after losing the AGA tag, he returns to form. You’re welcome, y’all.
15. Logan Gilbert – One start of destruction, another of Wrigley’s wind sending a trio of balls over the wall. 18+ whiffs in each, though, and one more legit outing gives him the AGA tag back.
16. Spencer Schwellenbach – The secondaries are starting to come alive as the four-seamer is still a legit offering. He’s building. I expect no less from Mr. Crescendo.
17. MacKenzie Gore – The curveball is the main secondary of note and it has been a volatile start-to-start, preventing Gore from climbing the ranks.
18. Jesús Luzardo – See? Luzardo is totally fine y’all.
19. Spencer Strider – The velocity is up a tick to 96 mph (not 97 though) and he’s not spotting his fastballs as well as he needs to at the lower velocity. However, his slider feel is absurd. So much for having poor command when returning from TJS.
20. Kris Bubic – He’s the same guy we know and love. Don’t let two runs in the first suddenly make you turn on Bubic.
Tier 4 – 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.
21. George Kirby – I see Kirby as a top-end Holly and not a potential ace. The notion he will have legit command of his slider to return whiffs isn’t backed by much across the last two years and his fourteen strikeout game came more on his heaters overperforming than anything. Still love him, of course.
22. Shota Imanaga – He’s coming back from the IL and The Destined Stud that is IM AN AGA could get the tag back after three solid outings.
23. Cristopher Sánchez – After the forearm scare, Sánchez dropped in velocity close to his 2024 94.5 mph levels…until his last game where he nearly sat 96 mph again. We’re so back.
24. Ranger Suárez – He’s cruising and when Suárez is cruising, so are you.
25. Seth Lugo – Here I sat last week, like a dingus, typing that Lugo didn’t have the same strikeout ability of the others in this tier. Now he’s fanned sixteen across his last two games and he’s returned to Tier 4.
Tier 5 – 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.
26. Freddy Peralta – The prototypical Cherry Bomb. He’ll help for the full year, but unless he has a miraculous second half akin to 2023, he’s not going to leave this tier.
27. Dylan Cease – Like Peralta, Cease is what he is, with a little wider of a performance spectrum.
28. Ryan Pepiot – Pepiot has been destroying with his four-seamer and changeup, while the harder slider focus should be a good adjustment that pushes him up the ranks.
29. Jacob Misiorowski – He’s absurd. How many innings does he throw? Is he going to be able to keep the ball inside the zone? This may be too high, but the ceiling is Top 15 SP this year with his innings-per-start as the major cap to his ceiling.
30. Will Warren – The fact that Warren was able to produce against the Orioles with mostly fastballs and lacking whiffs from his secondaries is a testament to his well-rounded arsenal. There’s still room to grow.
31. Jack Flaherty – I’m awfully confused by Flaherty’s last two starts and I wonder if he’s suddenly tipping. I hate suggesting that, though I don’t see much difference in his stuff or command to suggest otherwise.
Tier 6 – 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.
32. Sonny Gray – He is what he is. Sometimes Sonny, sometimes Gray, but mostly weather you can stand.
33. Clarke Schmidt – The cutter has really taken off this year and stabilized Schmidt since the middle of April.
34. Andrew Abbott – His four-seamer and changeup are consistently armside and they’ve churned outs with breakers flying over gloveside as a surprise. I’m not sure how long this lasts, but we don’t think about that right now.
35. Nathan Eovaldi – He’s returning from the IL this week and I hope I can push him up above Lugo in a week or two.
36. Drew Rasmussen – Rasmussen hasn’t brought back the breakers, which has led to fewer strikeouts than expected. Throw in a leash that still caps him around six innings and he’s settled into the mid-30s.
37. Clay Holmes – The Adobe melted at the park with walks galore. Expect him to rebuild moving forward.
Tier 7 – 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.
38. Chase Burns – This could very well be too high. Thing is, Tier 6 and above are filled with rocks for the season, while Tier 7 and below are far more replaceable than you’d think. That’s the nature of this year’s SP landscape – a ton of depth, but that depth is in the typical SP #5 land, not the SP #2/3/4 land. Burns’ upside is stupid good and you should be aggressively adding him before his debut tomorrow. Don’t start him there (don’t start in MLB debuts), but I’m sure we’ll see skills that get us all hooked.
39. Nick Pivetta – I’m scared that Pivetta’s HR problem will show it’s ugly face as the weather heats up. Remember, he’s never had an ERA under 4.00 in his career.
40. Shane Baz – Baz is leaning into the cutter now and I love it. That makes a full four-pitch mix and I’m willing to wager he performs far better in the next month than any month prior this season.
41. Eury Pérez – We’re seeing him above 85 pitches now and getting feel for his curve and slider. Remember, that heater is 98+ with legit vert and good command (but not upstairs enough. PLEASE EURY.).
42. Luis Castillo – His four-seamer lives in the upper third and has masked a decline in both his slider and changeup. We keep holding until the wall is hit, which may not be for a while.
Tier 8 – At The Edge Of The Meh Cliff
The Cliff is around here where there is another tier of “safe” arms that you can’t see yourself dropping, but who knows what will happe
43. Noah Cameron – I’m a believer in Cameron’s command, though I wish I liked his four-seamer more than I do.
44. Nick Lodolo – The three-pitch mix is being commanded as well as I’ve ever seen Lodolo do it. Thankfully, the schedule has been opening up after a trio of rough matchups against the Cubs and Diamondbacks, and after a laborious day against the Guardians (he didn’t pitch terribly!), he rebounded and took advantage of the Twins. Why does he have to face the Yankees in GABP now…
45. Matthew Boyd – I’m scared we’re going to see the same drop-off from Boyd that we saw in 2019 as the summer comes, but then again, that was the juiced ball and this baseball drags far more.
46. Merrill Kelly – Kelly’s defense + run support is fantastic while he continues to throw effective strikes with a wide arsenal.
47. Casey Mize – Mize left his last game early with cramps, don’t worry about him. The slurve and slider are improving as the fastball and splitter are sure to hold the fort.
48. Lucas Giolito – He’s allowed 3 ER total across five of his last six games (that 1.2 IP, 7 ER game was rough, though), but the fastball, change, slider mix still has work to do. We haven’t seen a start with all three dominating as they can yet, and it could lead to another bump or two in the road. However, it’s hard to find quality arms who can go six frames consistently at a strikeout-per-inning.
49. Shane Smith – The bottom is starting to fall out as Smith hasn’t developed consistent precision of his changeup and breakers, even if he’s improved his stamina deep into games to keep his heater at 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.
50. Cade Horton – I’m higher on Horton than his 19% strikeout rate would suggest as I expected him to take a step forward in his cut-fastball command or find a consistent feel for at least one of his secondaries.
51. Matthew Liberatore – Liberatore is fine. He has a great defense behind him and the wide arsenal with solid fastball command allows him to threaten six frames each time out, though I haven’t seen much improvement as the season has progressed.
52. Michael Wacha – He’s the same guy he’s always been. The changeup is just that good.
53. David Peterson – Peterson has had a tough schedule and is set to get the Pirates this week. Hopefully he can execute all of his pitches and regain confidence moving forward.
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. Landen Roupp – Roupp had his curveball back in action and the changeup is becoming more of a mainstay.
55. José Soriano – Duuuude. Three straight starts of legit production from Soriano as the sinker command is better + the curve and slider are showing their promise. It could disappear in an instant, but this kind of run is one you latch onto and hope it takes you to the finish line.
56. Grant Holmes – I’m still wondering where the curveball whiffs went against LHB, but the strikeouts are still there thanks to an elite slider.
57. Gavin Williams – He gave us our wish of throwing a cutter in tandem with his four-seamer…at the cost of a massive drop in extension and two ticks off the four-seamer. WHY?! He’s so maddening and yet his next outing could come with 97 mph, the cutter in action, and a stud performance.
58. Ben Casparius – I love the fact that Casparius is following Ohtani constantly. It makes for a higher Win chance than most, while we pray for Casparius to find punchouts. The stuff is there, the approach is not.
59. Mick Abel – Abel has legit potential if he can get his breakers back to what we saw in his debut. The fastball command is phenomenal for a rookie and sets a great foundation for the curve and slider to grow. Just grow, dangit!
Tier 11 – Am I On The Right Track?
These arms could be at the start of a trend…some good, some bad.
60. Brayan Bello – We’ve had two starts of Bello featuring a cutter with solid sinker and changeup command. Will it last?
61. Tanner Bibee – Bibee finally had a legit secondary pitch for whiffs – his sweeper. We’re still waiting for his LHB weapon to wake up, though. Come on changeup, you used to be vicious.
62. Sandy Alcantara – I still haven’t seen Alcantara succeed with his changeup (0/14 whiffs last game), nor confidently jam fastballs inside to RHB. Without those skills, he’s not the Sandy of old. At least the slider is finding more strikes over the plate.
63. Jameson Taillon – Taillon hasn’t had his sweeper to fend off RHB for a few starts now and his lack of successful changeup to LHB last time out brought down the house of cards. Hopefully he gets back on the horse.
64. Chris Paddack – What just happened?! Paddack had a ton of velocity loss the start after he was demolished by the Astros, and it led to 4 ER against the Reds with just three punchouts. Are you okay?! This is a situation where he could be on the verge of an IL stint or simply droppable everywhere if it’s another poor performance.
65. Griffin Canning – He’s a WHIP killer. It’s as simple as that.
66. Zach Eflin – Two straight starts without the legit feel Eflin has had for most of his career and I’m going to wager he finds it sooner rather than later.
Tier 12 – I Need A Purpose
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.
67. Ryne Nelson – We’re getting into flier territory and we just saw Nelson feature over 21″ of vert on his four-seamer and cruise for five frames against the Jays. If there’s any secondary pitch he can land for strikes underneath, he’ll absolutely decimate the White Sox and be one of the hottest pickups around.
68. Edward Cabrera – Cabrera is leaning more on his sinker and getting a good feel for his slider, while adding a tick of velocity. Slowly and steadily, it seems as though he’s becoming a new arm…just let the fella go more than 80 pitches consistently, okay?
69. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi has had some legit strikeout games lately, though he still has his patented feral command. Hopefully we can trust another day of dominance as he hosts the Red Sox.
70. Hayden Birdsong – His velocity fell to sub 95 mph, turning his heater into an awfully pedestrian fastball that comes with suspect command. He’s much riskier than the results would tell you.
71. Didier Fuentes – I absolutely love Fuentes’ heater, but does he have enough in his secondaries to turn him into a reliable fantasy arm? He’s a dangerous play against the Mets and I’m awfully curious what he shows now that the MLB debut jitters are behind him.
72. Kumar Rocker – Rocker has given us a different approach in seemingly every start this year, though he’s clung onto a new cutter across his last three, featuring the pitch over 40% of the time. I absolutely LOVE this cutter and wonder if he can find a breaker ball to complement it for whiffs instead of the sinker and four-seamer.
73. Jacob Lopez – He just returned 21 whiffs against the Astros with changeups, sliders, fastballs, and cutters dancing along the edges and forcing the Astros to swing at pitches out of their comfort zone. It’s the Yarbrough approach but at 91 mph with near seven feet of extension and it’ll work against RHB…if he can do it consistently.
Tier 13 – 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?
74. Sawyer Gipson-Long – The talent is there, but it may be more of a 2026 thing than 2025 as he’s still working on his feel and being used as a follower. Just let the man start!
75. Kevin Gausman – The splitter movement is back, but the overall command is not. Please get into a legit groove we can trust, okay?
76. Charlie Morton – Morton has been on a heater and it’s difficult to know how long it’ll last, if even for one more. Vargas Rule this one all you want against Texas and beyond.
77. Zac Gallen – Gallen could be dealt near the deadline if the Diamondbacks are far out of contention, and he may need a change of scenery after he’s seemingly tried everything to get out of his funk.
78. Bailey Ober – Ober has admitted that he’s pitching through injury + his four-seamer command is still off + the breaker is getting laced + the changeup isn’t the stud pitch it used to be. It’s rough.
79. Jack Leiter – He’s a PEAS and I can’t tell you when it’ll get fixed. We saw it before in the spring, but we’ve waited a long time since for him to click into place.
80. Ben Brown – Brown breaks the Huascar Rule, though he can have those fantastic strikeout performances here and there.
81. José Berríos – The man is The Great Undulator. Is there a more HIPSTER pitcher than that?
Tier 14 – WannabeTobys
These guys could fill six innings for you but aren’t necessarily great for this week.
82. Michael Soroka – He just had a sparkling game against the Dodgers for ten strikeouts, but it wasn’t as convincing as I wanted it to be. He’s still just curve + fastballs as the change needs some work.
83. Michael McGreevy – I really like his command and wonder if he’s locked in the Cardinals’ rotation moving forward. That would be fantastic since I don’t want to risk a start against the Cubs. He’s made to be a legit Toby.
84. Jeffrey Springs – The changeup has been all sunshine and rainbows lately, but who knows how long that will last.
85. Chad Patrick – The cutter is fantastic and keeps his head above water to take advantage of the days he has another pitch working or he faces a tough lineup.
86. Clayton Kershaw – He’s spotting the slider with pride and I can see many holding onto Kershaw for the Win potential.
87. Dustin May – I’m a tired of waiting for May to develop better feel for his pitches and we were recently served a boatload of sweepers on a night he faced the LHB-stacked Nationals. I’m okay holding him for Wins, but the ratios may be tough as the strikeouts are harder to come by.
Tier 15 – The Babbling Brooks
These are streaming options this week who could be off The List next week. I have them ranked above the final Toby tier as I believe you’re better off streaming than hoarding low ceiling six-inning arms.
88. Tyler Anderson – The changeup is legit and his command was excellent in his last start despite the disappointing line. Now it’s the Red Sox and I’m all for it.
89. Eduardo Rodriguez – He’ll get the White Sox and Marlins after he just spotted his changeup like a pro.
90. Tomoyuki Sugano – Sugano is a decent Toby who gets the Rangers this week. That works for me, just don’t hold on tightly.
91. Jose Quintana – He gets Rockie Road and his command is in a good place.
92. Quinn Priester – I didn’t like watching Priester lose his slider feel and force cutters and sinkers down the pipe in his last start…but he gets Rockie Road up next. Fine.
Tier 16 – Hey, It Could Happen
These guys are your PEAS with a touch of intrigue and possible reclimation over the next week or two.
93. Max Scherzer – He’s expected to return this week and I have no idea what to expect.
94. Luis L. Ortiz – Ortiz just gave us another random game of success and I can’t tell you to chase it. It’s just so random and the nights he’s off hurt.
95. David Festa – Festa’s command is a work in progress and he’ll be a PEAS until he can locate all three of his pitches well. The four-seamer has good underlying metrics but has yet to return a 10%+ SwStr rate. Yikes.
96. Eric Lauer – It was fun watching Lauer dominate with his heater upstairs once again in his last start, but if you remember, even when he was cruising, Lauer would oscillate between success and failure.
97. Trevor Rogers – It was 2.1 IP of poor results, but I loved Rogers going BSB with 94 mph fastballs up and sliders + changeups down. I haven’t seen that from him for a long time.
98. Brandon Pfaadt – Pfaadt’s last start in Coors wasn’t terrible (stupid final frame) but I didn’t see enough to convince me he’s back to his April form.
99. Zack Littell – I really don’t buy it. He’s going Dancing With The Disco and can get weak contact with his splitter, but a near 3.00 ERA with a 1.06 WHIP and 16% strikeout rate since April 16th just doesn’t sit right with me. This is Koufax having fun and these things don’t last. If you want to Vargas Rule it, go ahead.
100. Frankie Montas Jr. – He’s going to make his first start of the season and I have incredibly low expectations. But maybe…
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.
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.
JP Sears (ATH) – Sears is a week-to-week arm if there’s a great matchup and nothing better.
Luis Severino (ATH) – He’s not worth the risk regularly, especially with his home park of Sacré Verde.
Mitch Spence (ATH) – I’m not sure how long he goes and if it’s worth your time.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – You were just so blegh against Rockie Road.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He’s Dean Werewolf and if that’s your jam, go ahead and give it a shot.
Hunter Dobbins (BOS) – He finally had a regular shot and his elbow started hurting. Bummer.
Kyle Harrison (BOS) – He was traded to the Red Sox Sunday night and instantly sent to the minors. I wouldn’t consider him a major stash at the moment (I think they want to work on some things with him there) and when he does get the call, make sure it’s not in Fenway. I’m awfully curious to see if he’ll have a cutter when he does return.
Richard Fitts (BOS) – Oh hey, he’s back! And this is far too risky to chase.
Walker Buehler (BOS) – I’m not saying he’s doomed. All I’m saying is he shouldn’t be rostered as he figures it out. He’s been broken down, now let’s watch him build back up.
Colin Rea (CHC) – He’s a good streamer without streamable matchups ahead.
Aaron Civale (CHW) – The breakers are not as good as they’ve been in the past. I’ll wait until then.
Adrian Houser (CHW) – He’s a decent QS play, but in standard 12-teamers, there isn’t enough to chase.
Jonathan Cannon (CHW) – On the IL with a back strain and we’re not starting him when he returns.
Sean Burke (CHW) – His fastball velocity is still down and he’s working on putting it all together again.
Tyler Alexander (CHW) – T-Lex doesn’t go long like his buddy the brontosaurus. Those don’t actually exist. YOU DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST.
Brady Singer (CIN) – I just can’t recommend Singer until his slider gets whiffs once again. But he threw cutters! And they were decent! That’s nice, Singer can’t be that guy until the slider returns.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He’s in the bullpen now.
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. And he’s hurt again!
Logan Allen (CLE) – I’m not the biggest Allen fan, but it could work against the Giants this week. The addition of Devers makes this a pass.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) – I know he’s had some success, but it sure seems like Koufax is the catalyst, not Slade.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) – Senz-A does what Senz-A does.
Austin Gomber (COL) – His Still ILL has excellent against Atlanta, with a distinct changeup and splitter, each returning five whiffs. And he’s an honorable mention??? Uhhh, yeah. Coors + 89 mph heaters + it wasn’t that good.
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 gets the Cubs next and despite showcasing some fun skills, the Shag Rug showed up in full in his last outing. This isn’t the ceiling to chase.
Colton Gordon (HOU) – Gordon is getting starts and it’s…fine. I don’t dig his matchup this week to add him to The List.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) – Hit the IL with a foot sprain this afternoon. Bummer.
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.
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.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – Hey, so are you starting at all or being the bulk reliever or…? I just want to understand who you are as a starting pitcher again!
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – He’s going just one inning until…who knows? August? And if you’re in a two-Ohtani league where he takes his own roster spot, he’s essentially a minor league stash play for a month or so.
Matt Sauer (LAD) – Is he getting bulk innings again this week? Maybe and he’s not a strong arm to consider if he does.
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 and his timeline to return is unknown.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – He’s getting the second game of the year for the Marlins. Yup. It’s possible the splitter is cooking…?
Freddy Tarnok (MIA) – Remember the deal that sent Sean Murphy to Atlanta? I talked with a few scouts and they mentioned Tarnok as the actual big get of that deal. Wasn’t that ages ago? Sure was. I’m curious what he looks like now…on a completely different squad. There’s a huge reason he wasn’t kept on the Athletics, y’all.
Janson Junk (MIA) – Sure, he survived. One man’s Junk is another man’s Junk. That’s not how it goes. Nah, I’m pretty sure that’s it.
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.
Aaron Ashby (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
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.
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.
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) – Are the Mets actually giving Blackburn innings? That doesn’t mean you have to.
Allan Winans (NYY) – This is a temporary play as Marcus Stroman continues to ramp up.
Marcus Stroman (NYY) – Expect him back next week in Winans’ spot. No, he won’t be on The List when that time comes.
Ryan Yarbrough (NYY) – He’s on the IL now and we shouldn’t expect the magic to return when he’s healthy.
Andrew Painter (PHI) – He won’t be up until post-ASB. At least his last start was better than the previous disasters.
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.
Bailey Falter (PIT) – Falter hasn’t been traded to the Rays yet.
Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – He’s not going long in games and is way too risky to start if he were.
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.
Mike Burrows (PIT) – The changeup is cool when it works. The four-seamer is cool when it’s up and the changeup is there to help. And even with both of those, he still needs a little help.
Mitch Keller (PIT) – It’s either boring production or ghastly. Not enough.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m glad he’s had a moment of decency on the bump. Definitely not a believer, sadly.
Justin Verlander (SFG) – Verlander is a start removed from his Still ILL and it’s possible he reclaims the feel for his fastball and slider in his next start. I’ll re-add him when he does.
Andre Pallante (STL) – You did your job against the Reds Carpet and it’s not worth it against the Cubs.
Erick Fedde (STL) – The Toby of 15-teamers doesn’t have a matchup this week worth your time.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – His four-seamer was one of the worst pitches in baseball last year and is now two ticks slower.
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.
Taj Bradley (TBR) – I just can’t take his volatility any more. Maybe he belonged in the bottom tier, I’m not sure. I see him as more of a detriment than and addition to your fantasy teams.
Jacob Latz (TEX) – He may get more time as a follower this week, but the unknown mixed with questionable command makes this something to forget for now.
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.
Shawn Armstrong (TEX) – He bulk opened for 33 pitches. Maybe a piggy-back with Latz? Eovaldi could be back soon and steal it back.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – Francis’ four-seamer can get him through games, but I don’t like the rest of the arsenal enough.
Chris Bassitt (TOR) – I know, he just had a good outing! And yet, he’s more valuable in QS leagues than standard 12-teamers where the ratios often hurt more than help.
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) – It was fine against Rockie Road. Let’s not push it.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) – Parker actually did something really fun last time out – he did the BSB with four-seamers and curveballs. Thing is, he hasn’t done that before and it’s an exception, not the rule
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 Strikeout Upside | - |
| 5 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 6 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 7 | Yoshinobu YamamotoT2 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 8 | Logan Webb | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 9 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 10 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 11 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 12 | Hunter BrownT3 | HOU | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 13 | Framber Valdez | DET | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +1 |
| 14 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | +1 |
| 15 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +11 |
| 16 | Spencer Schwellenbach | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 17 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 18 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 19 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 20 | Kris Bubic | KC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 21 | George KirbyT4 | SEA | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -1 |
| 22 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Injury Risk | +UR |
| 23 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +5 |
| 24 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 25 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +10 |
| 26 | Freddy PeraltaT5 | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 27 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 28 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 29 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 30 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 31 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 32 | Sonny GrayT6 | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 33 | Clarke Schmidt | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 34 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 35 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Injury Risk | +UR |
| 36 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Holly Ratio Focused | -9 |
| 37 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | -7 |
| 38 | Chase BurnsT7 | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 39 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 40 | Shane Baz | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 41 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 42 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +1 |
| 43 | Noah CameronT8 | KC | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 44 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 45 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 46 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +3 |
| 47 | Casey Mize | DET | Holly Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 48 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +8 |
| 49 | Shane Smith | CWS | Holly Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 50 | Cade HortonT9 | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 51 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 52 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 53 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 54 | Landen RouppT10 | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 55 | José Soriano | LAA | Frizzle Quality Starts | +17 |
| 56 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 57 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | -2 |
| 58 | Ben Casparius | LAD | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +3 |
| 59 | Mick Abel | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 60 | Brayan BelloT11 | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 61 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 62 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Toby Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 63 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -12 |
| 64 | Chris Paddack | MIA | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 65 | Griffin Canning | SD | Toby Wins Bonus Rotation Spot Bonus | +6 |
| 66 | Zach Eflin | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 67 | Ryne NelsonT12 | ARI | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 68 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 69 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 70 | Hayden Birdsong | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -11 |
| 71 | Didier Fuentes | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 72 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +2 |
| 73 | Jacob Lopez | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR | |
| 74 | Sawyer Gipson-LongT13 | DET | Hipster Wins Bonus | -7 |
| 75 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 76 | Charlie Morton | SD | Hipster | +11 |
| 77 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts | -7 |
| 78 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Hipster Quality Starts | -12 |
| 79 | Jack Leiter | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 80 | Ben Brown | CHC | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 81 | José Berríos | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | +8 |
| 82 | Michael SorokaT14 | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 83 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Toby Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 84 | Jeffrey Springs | Toby Quality Starts | +9 | |
| 85 | Chad Patrick | MIL | Toby Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 86 | Clayton Kershaw | SD | Toby Streaming Option | -3 |
| 87 | Dustin May | STL | Toby Ratio Focused | -14 |
| 88 | Tyler AndersonT15 | SD | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 89 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 90 | Tomoyuki Sugano | COL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 91 | Jose Quintana | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 92 | Quinn Priester | MIL | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | -2 |
| 93 | Max ScherzerT16 | TOR | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 94 | Luis L. Ortiz | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 95 | David Festa | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -33 |
| 96 | Eric Lauer | TOR | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 97 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | -17 |
| 98 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 99 | Zack Littell | WSH | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +UR |
| 100 | Frankie Montas | SD | Frizzle Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
