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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: Brandon Woodruff (45), Yu Darvish (46), Reese Olson (56), Cam Schlittler (57), Emmet Sheehan (59), Joe Boyle (61)
- Removed: Spencer Schwellenbach (12), Clarke Schmidt (33), Mick Abel (58)
- Net Change Inside Top 61: (-3)
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 – He’s a stud. You know it, he knows it, we all know it.
2. Zack Wheeler – That 97 mph 3-1 fastball down the middle is still haunting him. So close to perfection.
3. Garrett Crochet – The four-seamer held a low strike rate again, but he still has a higher win chance than Skenes.
4. Paul Skenes – He’s doing whatever he can, even raising the strikeout rate. Sorry you were drafted by Pittsburgh.
5. Jacob deGrom – We’re over 100 IP from deGrom this year. It’s wonderful.
6. Max Fried – Fried has slowed down a touch but y’all know he’s absurdly reliable.
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 – Only going once a week is obviously working out for him.
8. Joe Ryan – Even without the best four-seamer command, the heater is dominating better than ever. 94/95 mph last time out is gorgeous.
9. Hunter Brown – He was more erratic than usual and it still worked out. Just keep up the velocity well above 96 mph and we’re cool.
10. Bryan Woo – The breakers are starting to come alive. Oh baby.
11. Logan Webb – Webb hasn’t had his full arsenal across his last few starts, forcing his classic sinker/change approach more than we’d like. Hopefully the sweeper and cutter can regain their form.
12. Robbie Ray – Ray overcame the Sneks with a complete game to earn his AGA. Sub 40% four-seamer usage, too! You love to see it.
13. Carlos Rodón – He’s on the verge of losing his AGA status and it’ll come down to regaining his changeup and slider feel. I expect him to bounce back, every arm has a down moment.
14. Framber Valdez – Valdez’s curve is going in-and-out, but things should be fine moving forward.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
15. Ranger Suárez – Suárez is on an unbelievable run that is sure to run into some trouble in the near future. On one hand, he’s pitched better than those in the second tier, on the other, I still expect the AGA crew to outperform Suárez across the next three months.
16. Logan Gilbert – He hasn’t returned to AGA status yet and he’ll likely get there in a few starts.
17. MacKenzie Gore – Gore’s heater and curve is a legit pairing against RHB, but there’s a little too much volatility to make him a proper ace.
18. Jacob Misiorowski – He ran into his first obstacle as a starter in a 5 ER innings that narrowly missed ending before a run crossed the plate. His minor league outings combined with the three prior starts paint the game as an outlier of control, not a new norm.
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.
19. George Kirby – He dominated the Pirates @TEA as he should, though the BSB with his slider and heaters we’ve seen in his previous two starts was not present. I hope he gets back to it.
20. Shota Imanaga – Imanaga isn’t demanding the “AGA’ tag quite yet, and I’m not sure he will at all this season. That’s fine, he’ll be one of the most reliable Holly arms around.
21. Cristopher Sánchez – The sinker is destined to allow more hits than we’d like and that’s fine. The changeup is just too dang effective.
22. Kris Bubic – We all share the same skepticism in Bubic’s breakout campaign, wondering if it’ll slow down in the second half. His wide arsenal from a four-seamer that dominates upstairs to an effective changeup and two reliable breaking pitches has made me confident in a second-half of production. Not the same level of success, but highly effective.
23. Seth Lugo – The strikeouts have continued for Lugo after I lowered him for missing them. Atta boy, Lugo. Way to replicate last year’s success, even if it has come with some extra HOTEL aid.
24. Sonny Gray – You know who he is at this point. It’ll be Sonny more than Gray and you’re not removing him from your roster.
25. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi is stretched out over 70 pitches and he’s been nothing but reliable on the bump.
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 – Peralta feels a bit distant from the rest of the tier, though his great ratios this season feel more precarious than those in Tier 4. Professor Chaos is rarely distracted for long.
27. Dylan Cease – Cease has the fourth best SwStr rate in the majors, with some of the worst HOTEL marks you’ll see. It’ll come around, don’t give up. The strikeouts and Wins will be there without the ratios he’s had thus far. The four-seamer to RHB has allowed more hard contact than it should, leading to ten more hits than it should. It’s not going to stick.
28. Spencer Strider – The slider is doing all of the work as the four-seamer is still returning two inches less vert with 15″ at 96 mph (not 97+ mph). That’s not the old Strider. Yet.
29. Ryan Pepiot – Pepiot’s cutter is a fantastic addition and oddly, his ole reliable heater has been a touch off. That’s not going to be the norm.
30. Andrew Abbott – Abbott finally had some regression hit and he’s done so well that he deserves a hand-waved start.
31. Nick Pivetta – The expected HR-regression has appeared, though he’s done well to limit them mostly to solo shots, keeping his ERA at 3.25. Remember, he’s never had an ERA under 4.00 in a season.
32. Shane Baz – Like Pepiot, Baz is rocking a cutter now and it’s awesome. I need to see Baz feature it a touch more before fully jumping on board.
33. Chase Burns – Your leaguemates may have given up on Burns, but I implore you to believe. The upper 90s heat with a devastating low 90s slider is a legit combo and he’s going through the standard bumps and bruises we see when entering the bigs. Give it a start or two and you’ll reap the rewards – especially when he doesn’t have to endure the Yankees, Fenway, and the Phillies.
34. Will Warren – Warren’s fastball command has kept him afloat when the breakers and changeup haven’t been there, but we just saw a clunker with the fastballs letting him down. I see it as a blip.
35. Jesús Luzardo – What are we going to do about Luzardo? The last start was a day of massive struggle without the sweeper and he paid the price. In my heart, he’s lower than this given the volatility, however, the high-quality SP landscape shrivels a bit midway through the season (injuries, y’all) and those in Tier 6 and below simply don’t have the same talent without less risk.
36. Jack Flaherty – I see Flaherty’s latest stretch as one similar to his April K-BB% of 2024 that was a clear sign of his later breakout. The fastball is performing well and both breakers have earned whiffs. Stick with him.
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.
37. Nick Lodolo – Lodolo’s changeup and curve have both been reliable as the fastballs are generally solid upstairs. He’s his most stable self than we’ve ever seen.
38. Matthew Boyd – Boyd Boyz, our time has come. Our man is a an All-Star, even if his slider isn’t what it used to be. I also worry the four-seamer will allow more HRs in the near future, but the deadened ball + Wrigley is helping his cause.
39. Lucas Giolito – Four straight fantastic outings from Giolito, though I’m concerned that he isn’t locked in with all his offerings. The heater is good but misses a bit, the changeup returns fewer whiffs than expected, and the slider, while much better than his opening starts, is not a filthy McFilth pitch. Like I mentioned with Luzardo, the arms here are relative to the 50s or so in the pre-season, which outlines an arm you’ll likely hold through the end of the year, but is sure to have bumps along the way. He’s not an auto-start yet.
40. Grant Holmes – The strikeouts are flowing, rooted in the slider and the cutter is helping as a pitch to turn to over the hittable four-seamer. That slider is absolutely killing it.
41. Clay Holmes – We’ve seen a rise in walks lately, which was our biggest fear in the pre-season. However, it’s been more nibbling than chaos, and I’d expect The Adobe to reinforce his foundation.
42. Noah Cameron – Cameron is sure to get a wave of regression soon, however he’s showcased fantastic command with his full arsenal, even wisely using his four-seamer out of the zone and not giving in. His recent inning limitations seem more situational than an effort to move away from six frames.
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.
43. Eury Pérez – The four-seamer is back and thriving. The curve and slider have each had their moments across his first five games and he’s only going to get better.
44. Luis Castillo – Castillo has staved off the degradation I expected to see this season and I have no choice but to keep him inside the Top 50 until the fastball command wanes.
45. Brandon Woodruff – Woodruff had a phenomenal return to the majors, showcasing better command and velocity than I expected – he held back early and sat around 94 mph in the later frames, which I expect to see moving forward. The schedule is great and let’s hope for a solid Holly moving forward.
46. Yu Darvish – If you’ve forgotten about Darvish, remember that he held a 3.31 ERA and 1.07 WHIP last season. He’s not washed up and stretched out decently well entering his Still ILL outing tonight.
Tier 8 – At The Edge Of The 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
47. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi has racked up the strikeouts lately and we’re riding this for as long as it lasts.
48. Ryne Nelson – The four-seamer is obliterating, while the secondaries show more promise than their usage suggests. I’m holding out hope one of them can latch onto consistent whiffs and Nelson can soar up The List. It’s unlikely, and the floor of successful four-seamers is still productive.
49. Edward Cabrera – Cabrera has displayed an approach that works lately – 67% secondaries with 33% fastballs – but I haven’t seen repetition in pitch success start-to-start. I’ll have more faith when we know what we can expect.
50. Gavin Williams – Oh Gavin. I just can’t quit you. You just had the most promising start I’ve ever seen from you – 96+ mph with seven feet of extension + cutters + sinkers + 70%+ strike sweepers all with great command – and who knows if it’ll return for a second straight start or more. But if it does…
51. Landen Roupp – Roupp has come into his own with three-pitch mix and all he needs are the curveball whiffs to return. He was absurdly squeezed in his last outing.
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.
52. Merrill Kelly – Kelly does what he does in a great team context. Thanks fella.
53. Matthew Liberatore – I’m skeptical that Liberatore can keep up the success with a repertoire that lacks consistency against RHB. The slider gets whiffs but is hit hard, the curveball hovers a 60% strike rate, and his four-seamer rarely misses bats with a lot of loud contact. However, the Cardinals have a great defense set up that could keep him productive all year.
54. Cade Horton – I was stoked watching Horton feature a legit changeup in his last outing. If that is a new weapon he can rely upon, Horton becomes a much safer play each week.
55. Casey Mize – Mize has found a good groove with heaters, splitters, and breakers. It’s not spectacular, but it works.
56. Reese Olson – I love Olson’s changeup and I imagine the slider will look like its old self in his second outing. Please throw fewer four-seamers, though. Please.
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.
57. Cam Schlittler – I broke down Schlittler in full inside the PL Subscriber Discord and in short, I see a potential long runway in the rotation with secondaries he commands well and a 97 mph heater that may get hit harder in the majors given its questionable shape. He’s a guy to pick up now and you may not drop all year.
58. José Soriano – The sinker and curve are back baybeeee.
59. Emmet Sheehan – Sheehan’s command is phenomenal with a four-seamer that should miss bats upstairs, a gloveside slider, and great changeup down. The only concern is the Dodgers’ resistance to create a normal schedule for their young arms. I want to think Sheehan is the reliable young volume arm for the second half, but you never really know.
60. Joe Boyle – Alright Boyle, you’re getting a good win chance as a follower and Sunday came with a high zone rate on your fastball. Please don’t make me regret this.
61. Trevor Rogers – Rogers had another start of great command across his arsenal, but he was down to 92/93 mph instead of 94+ mph. Definitely worth the gamble, but it’s not that electric.
62. Kumar Rocker – The cutter is here to stay and it’s awesome. Now what will he reliable feature any pitch in support of it…
63. Richard Fitts – Fitts completed his rehab and showed up firing 97+ mph across three innings before getting cut short by a rain delay. He’s a bit of an unknown entering this week’s start and here’s to an overwhelming start that forces all managers to pick him up.
Tier 11 – 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.
64. Chris Paddack – Paddack is working what he has well. It’s not the studliest of studs, but it’s good enough.
65. Michael Soroka – Soroka was cruising until a tough frame against the Sawx and don’t let that convince you he’s washed.
66. Michael Wacha – Wacha earned plenty of whiffs, though he’s still the same guy with a great changeup and capable of six frames every night. The WHIP may sting a little, though.
67. David Peterson – Speaking of a harmful WHIP, Peterson has a high Win chance and finds the sixth often. However, his walk rate cannot be tamed.
Tier 12 – 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?
68. Kevin Gausman – We saw 14 called strikes on the heater and 12 whiffs on the splitter and the ratios were blegh. He’s so close yet so far.
69. Tanner Bibee – It was a pair of encouraging outings before the Cubs messed him up badly. He had nothing and I’m worried he’s too far away from the Bibee of old.
70. David Festa – Festa was bamboozled in the first, then proceeded to have the best command I’ve seen from him all year. I wonder if that’s real. Probably not, but weirder things have happened.
71. Zack Littell – If you want to chase this Vargas Rule, you do you. I just can’t get myself to chase a fella Dancing With The Disco and a splitter (more like a forkball?) that lives in the zone.
72. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator. You know what you’re getting into.
73. Sandy Alcantara – Alcantara still doesn’t have his old changeup, nor the fastball command that allowed him to jam batters and return outs easily in the past.
74. Zac Gallen – After placed the lowest on The List he’s ever been, Gallen woke up to feature his best heater and curveball all season. Hopefully it returns for another game or two. Or ten.
75. Jacob Lopez – The strikeout rate is still there, but the command wasn’t held on for the entire start. It’s hard to bank on it being there constantly.
Tier 13 – WannabeTobys
These guys could fill six innings for you in some good matchups this week, but you may be done with them after that.
76. Brandon Walter – I dig his wider arsenal than Colton’s, though it feels start-to-start for a Win chance instead of a season-long hold.
77. Colton Gordon – It’s the Guardians this week and Gordon’s sweeper should do well for a Win chance. He’s not a guy to rely on every night.
78. Brayan Bello – He’ll get Rockie Road, which is still great even in Fenway. I’m still skeptical he can repeat his cutter, sinker, and changeup command enough to be a hold.
79. Joey Cantillo – Cantillo is getting starts with Ortiz investigated by the MLB. It could be for the rest of the year and with his 98th percentile extension, Cantillo’s changeup can cook.
80. Justin Wrobleski – I wish I could tell you I knew how the Dodgers were going to use Wrobleski. I’m wagering that he’ll be the follower for Ohtani moving forward and I’m all for letting him fly against the Giants.
81. Eduardo Rodriguez – He didn’t come through last time, but he still has his changeup. It’s a good team context and despite a poor outing last time, it doesn’t mean he’s destined to repeat it.
Tier 14 – 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.
82. Clayton Kershaw – He just got his 3,000th strikeout, but don’t overlook a poor outing against the White Sox. The Brewers are next and hopefully the slider does enough to secure a Win.
83. Chris Bassitt – Bassitt doesn’t have the same command of previous seasons but at least he gets the White Sox this week.
84. Brandon Pfaadt – I’ve been out on Pfaadt for a bit after a ton of excitement early, and he’s done little to bring me back. At least the Padres aren’t the toughest matchup.
85. Brady Singer – Singer’s slider has been a bit better lately and this could be six productive innings.
86. Ryan Gusto – Gusto gets the Rangers and that could be a cheap Win.
87. Mitch Keller – You may be tempted to follow the Vargas Rule with Keller, though I’ll continue to avoid his deadzone fastballs and unreliable breakers.
88. Nick Martinez – Martinez flirted with a no-hitter and backed it up with another decent start. I wish I liked the repertoire more to lean into a start against the Marlins…but then it’s Rockie Road. You have to jump in on those.
89. Logan Allen – It’s the White Sox and Allen has a shot to nail his sliders and changeups with a flat four-seamer.
90. Janson Junk – Surprisingly, Junk’s secondaries saved the day after the four-seamer was unreliable – a reversal from what we normally see. Maybe he can pull it off in a two-step in GABP and Camden.
91. Eric Lauer – Lauer has shocking success with his four-seamer against RHB and will get a chance against the White Sox this week.
92. Andre Pallante – The 95/96 mph cut fastball could take down the LHB-heavy Nationals…or it could get swatted if he leaves them over the plate once again.
93. Jeffrey Springs – You never know if it’ll be sunshine and rainbows with Springs.
Tier 15 – Patience Is A Virtue
These arms have tested your patience. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do.
94. Didier Fuentes – We haven’t seen Fuentes’ full potential yet, but he did show a new skill in legit breakers against the Angels. Now pair it with high heaters…
95. Shane Smith – Smith hasn’t been productive for a little bit and he’ll need his kick-change working well against the LHB-heavy Guardians. It looks like time to jump off.
96. Dustin May – May had a great start last time out, but it was one of the rare moments of bliss across the last two months. Are you willing to keep testing the waters with this HIPSTER?
97. Lance McCullers Jr. – McCullers does what he does regardless of opponent, rooted in his struggle to find strikes with a filthy arsenal. It’s maddening.
98. Slade Cecconi – I’m not part of the Slade Brigade, despite their insistence for me to join. Please stop sending me letters. I simply don’t see an arsenal to speaks to the success he’s had/.
99. Andrew Heaney – Heaney goes through stretches of success before they swiftly return to the floor.
100. Drew Rasmussen – Oh Raz. The Rays are limiting him for a few weeks and it’s unclear when he’ll be free to go five innings regularly again. You can stash if you like, I think you’re better off swapping for another arm off the wire.
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) – Whenever we do see Ginn inside the rotation again, he better have a whole lot of sink and velo to go with a whiffable slider. Without that, I’m out.
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) – Absolutely not.
Brandon Young (BAL) – With Morton needing a little extra rest, Young will step in. You don’t want to start Young. Should we start Old instead? I wish it worked that way. After all, youth is wasted on the Young. How dare you say that about Brandon. No no no, just…don’t start him okay?
Charlie Morton (BAL) – I don’t want to deal with his elbow tendonitis.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He’s actually had some successful starts, but I really don’t like the arsenal, nor his volatility start-to-start.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) – His RHB approach simply isn’t good enough.
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.
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.
Ben Brown (CHC) – They sent him back to the minors. I’m actually a bit shocked as he should be sent to the pen. That curve and heater combo works so much better there.
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. If has a good matchup, I’m cool with it.
Jonathan Cannon (CHW) – Off the IL and far from getting the orchestra ready for the overture.
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.
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!
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) – Sent to the minors.
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.
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.
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.
Tyler Anderson (LAA) – We stream Anderson when he has good matchups. Now is not that time.
Bobby Miller (LAD) – His velocity has been down in the minors without good command or whiffs. Sigh. ONE DAY.
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) – Sent back to the minors.
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.
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) – Glasnow isn’t confirmed to start this week (yet). If he did, he would be in the Top 25 and have to earn the AGA label again.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – It’s possible the splitter is cooking on a given night. I guess.
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.
Max Meyer (MIA) – He’s out for the year now. Yup. What a ride.
Aaron Ashby (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Jose Quintana (MIL) – Quintana is a decent streamer option and not the kind of guy to go for against the Mets.
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) – I don’t like the matchup against the Nationals with his slider being his best pitch + I dislike his cutter and sinker.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – Hit the IL finally with a hip impingement. Hopefully it means he can be healthy and productive when he returns.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s back on the squad with Zebby hitting the IL and even against the Marlins, I’d prefer to chase something else.
Frankie Montas Jr. (NYM) – The ceiling isn’t high enough to justify a roll of the dice against the Yankees.
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) – He returned and while you got a sneaky Win, Stroman made it abundantly clear that he’s not a shiny waiver add.
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.
Bailey Falter (PIT) – Falter hasn’t been traded to the Rays yet.
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.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – Sent to the minors.
Logan Evans (SEA) – He’s in for Hancock and doesn’t do enough for us to chase.
Hayden Birdsong (SFG) – His NC Rate is absolutely horrendous. You can’t trust him.
Justin Verlander (SFG) – Verlander had a good outing against the White Sox and I didn’t see enough to trust him in Sacré Verde.
Erick Fedde (STL) – Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. He’s not confirmed to keep his rotation spot.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – There’s a chance McGreevy returns to replace Fedde…? I wouldn’t start him against Atlanta, though.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – His four-seamer was one of the worst pitches in baseball last year and is now two ticks slower.
Kyle Hart (SDP) – We may see Hart in the rotation moving forward and we haven’t seen a reliable streamer yet.
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) – Sent to the minors.
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) – I wonder if we’ll see more Latz as a follower to Eovaldi later this week. He deserves a rotation spot after his absurd effort against the Orioles.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – Leiter is someone to consider as a potential breakout in the future, but he looks too far away for now. Even if he succeeds once, you won’t trust it.
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) – On the IL with a shoulder injury. We’ll wait until he’s healthy and see how he looks.
Max Scherzer (TOR) – His thumb injury has given him trouble in both of his first two starts off the IL for the very issue. It’s too maddening.
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.
Shinnosuke Ogasawara (WSN) – I didn’t see enough to get us interested as a crafty southpaw streamer for the future. Hopefully at some point in the second half.
Trevor Williams (WSN) – #NeverTrevor. He also has a sprained elbow now.
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 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Paul Skenes | PIT | 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 | - |
| 7 | Yoshinobu YamamotoT2 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 8 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 9 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 10 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +1 |
| 11 | Logan Webb | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | -3 |
| 12 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 13 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 14 | Framber Valdez | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 15 | Ranger SuarezT3 | BOS | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +4 |
| 16 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 17 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 18 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 19 | George KirbyT4 | SEA | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +4 |
| 20 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Holly Injury Risk | - |
| 21 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +1 |
| 22 | Kris Bubic | KC | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 23 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 24 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 25 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Injury Risk | +10 |
| 26 | Freddy PeraltaT5 | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 27 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 28 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 29 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 30 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 31 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 32 | Shane Baz | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 33 | Chase Burns | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 34 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 35 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 36 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 37 | Nick LodoloT6 | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 38 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +5 |
| 39 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +6 |
| 40 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Holly Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 41 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 42 | Noah Cameron | KC | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 43 | Eury PérezT7 | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +4 |
| 44 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +7 |
| 45 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +UR |
| 46 | Yu Darvish | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 47 | Yusei KikuchiT8 | LAA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 48 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +14 |
| 49 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +15 |
| 50 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | -1 |
| 51 | Landen Roupp | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 52 | Merrill KellyT9 | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -8 |
| 53 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 54 | Cade Horton | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | +13 |
| 55 | Casey Mize | DET | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 56 | Reese Olson | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 57 | Cam SchlittlerT10 | NYY | Frizzle Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 58 | José Soriano | LAA | Frizzle Quality Starts | +5 |
| 59 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Frizzle Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 60 | Joe Boyle | TB | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 61 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Frizzle Quality Starts | - |
| 62 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | -2 |
| 63 | Richard Fitts | STL | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +21 |
| 64 | Chris PaddackT11 | MIA | Toby Quality Starts | +4 |
| 65 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -12 |
| 66 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -12 |
| 67 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 68 | Kevin GausmanT12 | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 69 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | -21 |
| 70 | David Festa | MIN | Hipster Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 71 | Zack Littell | WSH | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +2 |
| 72 | José Berríos | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | +2 |
| 73 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Hipster Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 74 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts | +24 |
| 75 | Jacob Lopez | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -16 | |
| 76 | Brandon WalterT13 | HOU | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +14 |
| 77 | Colton Gordon | HOU | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +14 |
| 78 | Brayan Bello | BOS | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +10 |
| 79 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Streaming Option Ratio Focused Stash Option | +UR |
| 80 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
| 81 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 82 | Clayton KershawT14 | SD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 83 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 84 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +5 |
| 85 | Brady Singer | CIN | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 86 | Ryan Gusto | MIA | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 87 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | +UR |
| 88 | Nick Martinez | TB | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 89 | Logan Allen | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 90 | Janson Junk | MIA | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 91 | Eric Lauer | TOR | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 92 | Andre Pallante | STL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 93 | Jeffrey Springs | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +4 | |
| 94 | Didier FuentesT15 | ATL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -9 |
| 95 | Shane Smith | CWS | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -39 |
| 96 | Dustin May | STL | Hipster Wins Bonus | - |
| 97 | Lance McCullers Jr. | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 98 | Slade Cecconi | CLE | Hipster Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 99 | Andrew Heaney | Hipster Ratio Focused | +UR | |
| 100 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Hipster Ratio Focused Stash Option | -60 |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
