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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! If you have questions about these offense ranks, reach out to Kyle Bland (@blandalytics).
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: Zebby Matthews (60), Troy Melton (62)
- Removed: None
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+0)
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 – These
2. Zack Wheeler – Guys
3. Garrett Crochet – Are
4. Paul Skenes – So
5. Jacob deGrom – Dope. All are absurd ratio + high strikeout arms and save for Skenes, should grant you Wins. I kinda feel like deGrom should be ahead of Skenes for that reason (over 100 IP for deGrom y’all! HE HAS THE HEALTHY ELBOW) but I’m not going to push it.
Tier 2 – AGA With Something To Prove
They have the AGA tag, though they don’t have the complete elite package of ratios, volume, and strikeouts of the top tier.
6. Joe Ryan – Ryan has been absurd this season with a 2.67 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, a 10-4 record, and a 29% strikeout rate across 116 frames. He doesn’t have quite the same volume as the top tier and his lack of secondaries make me worry it’ll be a touch worse in the second half, but hot dang was I tempted to put him in Tier 1.
7. Max Fried – His blister is a little worrisome, but without an IL stint, I’m keeping him where he is (save for the Ryan bump).
8. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – The volume is a touch lower given he goes just once a week, but that’s alright with us.
9. Bryan Woo – He’s as consistent as any arm for 6+ frames and his four-seamer is one of the best in baseball.
10. Hunter Brown – Hunter has had a trio of rough outings lately while the secondaries haven’t been as sharp. Doesn’t mean a whole lot given the scope of the season – he’s had poor secondaries before with a little better luck – and it’s not ringing massive alarm bells for me. Yet.
11. Robbie Ray – The changeup hasn’t been as stellar, but the slider and curve have stepped up…except for Sunday against the Jays. That was rough. He’ll be fine.
12. Carlos Rodón – Oh hey, there’s eight innings of dopeness from Rodón. No slowing down here.
13. Framber Valdez – The curveball is still filthy and we’re all good.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
14. Tyler Glasnow – Three outings that look like Glasnow and he’ll be in the second tier, hinting at the first. He has two more games to go.
15. Logan Gilbert – We know he should be given the AGA tag, but he hasn’t done enough yet to deserve it since coming off the IL. Dems the rules.
16. Jacob Misiorowski – He had one game that he almost escaped unscathed and has otherwise been one of the best pitchers in baseball. You’re not benching him. The biggest concern at this point is his longevity – How long will they let him pitch into the season?
17. Shota Imanaga -Imanaga’s strikeouts may not flirt with 30% and there are sure to be HRs to ruin his ERA here and there, but his splitter and fastball are both fantastic and the sweeper is helping plenty.
18. MacKenzie Gore – Gore has been on the verge of Tier 2 for a while, but hasn’t turned the corner, leading to the disaster over the weekend. I was tempted to lower him to Tier 5, but I’ll give him one more week to showcase that he still has it.
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. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi has been stupid good and I’m tired of acting like his four-pitch mix hasn’t turned him into the best Holly in town.
20. George Kirby – I absolutely adore that he’s going after a BSB approach. I’m annoyed that he hasn’t been able to execute it consistently. But it’s there! It’ll happen!
21. Ranger Suárez – He’s been pitching like an ace, but I was worried that the All-Star Break would be too long of a gap between starts to let him continue his rhythm. And that’s exactly what happened after starting nine days later. I’m holding my breath for his next start against the Yankees.
22. Logan Webb – I lowered Webb due to his wide arsenal shrinking a bit over the last few weeks with more of a changeup/sinker approach than the sweeper and cutter of the first two months, and his start over the weekend was more of the same. It’s alright, he’s just a Holly now, not an ace. At least not until the full arsenal returns.
23. Cristopher Sánchez – The sinker allows too many hits for Sánchez to be anything more than a Holly. It’s just what it is an be grateful.
24. Freddy Peralta – If Holly equates to “Start and don’t think about it”, then that’s Peralta, even if Professor Chaos appears every so often.
25. Nick Pivetta – Pivetta has been absurd. He’s been able to hold off HRs better than any other season and it could spell his first year under a 4.00 ERA. He’s at the point of Holly land with less Cherry Bomb tendencies and it felt wrong placing him under the rest of this tier.
26. Seth Lugo – Good ole underappreciated Lugo. I was out on him entering 2024 (whoops) and despite not loving him, I’m still a little surprised he was draftable as an SP #4 or even #5 this March. He’s literally having the same season. Okay fine, with unlucky HRs and lucky BABIP and LOB rate. Those cancel each other out, right?
27. Kodai Senga – Senga’s approach is solid, though without the old velocity, the hopes for a strikeout explosion across the second half shouldn’t be entertained.
28. Sonny Gray – Most days it’s Sonny, on some it’s Gray. Yes, it was really Gray over the weekend. It happens, you shouldn’t alter your lineups moving forward becuase of it.
29. Andrew Abbott – Does it make complete sense to me? Nope. Has he been incredibly consistent save for his most recent start? Yep. Despite feeling as though Abbott will fall off in the second half, I can’t drop him further. He even adapted against the Mets when he didn’t have his changeup and pulled off a productive outing.
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.
30. Spencer Strider – I wish Strider’s four-seamer was what it used to be. It’s not just down a tick and carrying less vertical ride, but he’s failing to overwhelm batters upstairs. Fortunately, the slider feel has been immaculate and kept his strikeouts flowing.
31. Dylan Cease – And look at that, Cease was absurd over the weekend. So he’s back? Uhhhh no. He had a good feel against LHB and that’s all he got. He’s a Cherry Bomb and you can’t have that label without sweet outings.
32. Eury Pérez – His four-seamer is dominating and it’s awesome. The breakers haven’t been consistent support, though, and creates a touch of haze swirling Eury’s second half.
33. Chase Burns – He’s four-seamer + slider like Strider and Cease. The Shag Rug makes it a little worse than the others, but clearly in the same tier.
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.
34. Nick Lodolo – He’s a reliable Holly who could turn into something more if he can figure out his curveball against RHB in two-strike counts. We’ve seen a large drop in Putaway Rate on the hook this year and it’s the catalyst for his dip in strikeouts.
35. Kris Bubic – I lowered Bubic due to possible workload restrictions in the second half (Sunday’s 66 pitch outing was due to illness, not confirmation of a slowdown, FWIW). That said, I try not to commit to what we think managers will do with their players and even when they tell us what they plan to do, it’s not always what actually happens. Bubic’s skills have been great – effective high heaters with changeups and breakers underneath – and we keep riding it until they force us to move on.
36. Matthew Boyd – He’s an All Star and done a phenomenal job of limiting HRs despite failing to find a stellar #3 pitch against RHB. We ride and hope it sticks through the second half.
37. Noah Cameron – I’m loving Cameron’s command that allows him to hold back the four-seamer to roughly 20% usage, letting the change, curve, cutter, and slider do the rest. He may have some workload concerns down the road, though.
38. Merrill Kelly – Kelly has done everything you could hope for and will likely pitch in a better situation once the trade deadline comes to a close.
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.
39. Jesús Luzardo – He’s fixed! He’s not! He’s hurting my teams! He’s the best! Luzardo was a Cherry Bomb in previous seasons, and has suddenly reverted to his volatile self…except he had been volatile earlier in the year and was able to lessen the damage more than usual. His latest outing over the weekend sure looked a lot more like the pitcher of old and it’s harder to believe he’s akin to the Cherry Bomb arms near the Top 30.
40. Brandon Woodruff – It’s hard not to be impressed by his first two outings, even if the four-seamer velocity fell to 92+ mph instead of my expectation of 94 mph (the velo dip in a second start is normal, however, we saw Woodruff increase his velocity across his latter frames in his season debut. I was hoping it meant he had more in the tank he was holding back). Woodruff looks like a complete pitcher who benefited from the extra rehab starts (thanks ankle…?), though I elected to move him to Tier 7 simply due to the small sample thus far.
41. Jack Flaherty – Flaherty is the guy you want him to be. Probably. The breakers are still whiffable and he’s doing a decent job of avoiding balls in play off his four-seamer, and I’m making a rare exception to label his two-game-15-ER stretch as “Tipping Problems”. Save for those two games, he’s been the dude we know.
42. Sean Manaea – Manaea was fantastic in his season debut and followed it up against the Reds, albeit in fewer than five frames. How will he be used moving forward? We’ve seen two starts under 70 pitches thus far and I’m expecting him to eclipse 80 pitches regularly in two starts, if not his next.
43. Ryan Pepiot – He has all the pieces, just get that dang four-seamer upstairs, okay?
44. Shane Baz – He also now has all the pieces, just get that dang curveball down, okay?
45. Luis Castillo – He’s holding on tight, but it’s a sub 21% strikeout rate and 1.24 WHIP thus far without the changeup and slider looking pretty. I’m scared a major decline is on the horizon and yet he’s been able to keep it together with his heaters in the upper half.
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 happen.
46. Lucas Giolito – Giolito was bamboozled in the first frame against the Cubs, then settled down. He’s not a guy to blindly start and looks like a decent Holly the rest of the way.
47. Trevor Rogers – This has been a lovely surprise, eh? It may be a flash in the pan, but Rogers has been sitting 94 mph with heaters up + changeups and sliders down. We need to roll with this and hope it sticks.
48. Drew Rasmussen – The news came out that the expectation is five innings from Rasmussen moving forward. WELL THEN. Guess he’s back on the menu given his production per inning is great, even at five frames + a decent Win chance.
49. Reese Olson – We haven’t seen a start post-IL stint of sliders + changeups leading the charge, and I hope the fastballs pull back when they do.
50. Landen Roupp – The changeup is helping against LHB, the sinker is located up, and the curve…isn’t getting whiffs but should get it back soon. He’s oddly stable these days.
51. David Peterson – The WHIP can hurt, but the extension makes him viable with four pitches he can throw for strikes on a winning team that lets him go six frames constantly.
52. Casey Mize – He’s been a steady arm despite his last hiccup. I don’t expect a huge strikeout rate ahead and his stuff isn’t overwhelming, but he’s a solid Toby.
Tier 9 – 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.
53. Yu Darvish – Darvish hasn’t found his old groove on the bump for his first three starts of the season, though the arsenal certainly appears to be what it used to be. I don’t think we drop Darvish the rest of the way.
54. Will Warren – I expected to lower Warren more after another outing without his full arsenal cooking, but there weren’t too many other arms demanding favor over the chance Warren gets it back against the Phils and Rays ahead. Let’s hope he didn’t injure his hand punching the dugout ceiling…
55. Cam Schlittler – His debut was awesome and I was stoked…until he reportedly had more arm soreness than expected and was pushed back to Tuesday for his second outing. Apparently everything is “fine”, but the extra haze pushes him down a bit more.
56. Grant Holmes – The slider is still awesome, and we’ve generally seen the cutter and curve step up lately. Keep on keepin’ on as I won’t let a start against the Yankees deter me.
57. Gavin Williams – I don’t know y’all. That last start was AWESOME and so weird and unsustainable, but then again, the sinker to RHB works and maybe a five-pitch mix is the secret after all. GOOD LUCK.
58. Emmet Sheehan – The Dodgers are still stretching out Ohtani and Sheehan looks to either be the follower (good Win chance!) or his own starter (more volume!) moving forward. Either way, we get Sheehan and his great command with legit offerings. Sign me up.
59. Ryne Nelson – I love that he’s leaning into his cutter over 20% of the time in an effort to find a proper #2 pitch. I hate that his four-seamer leaked down a ton in his last start. You’re so close.
60. Zebby Matthews – He’s back and now has his Still ILL out of the way – a rough line in Coors despite 17 whiffs. I’d take the chance wherever I could.
61. Richard Fitts – Fitts is throwing 97 mph (not 95 mph) in his two games back from the IL and with an open spot in the rotation, Fitts will get at least one more outing, if not more. Who knows what the Red Sox situation will be in a few weeks and if Fitts is holding that velocity with his wide array of weapons, I don’t see Boston pushing him out of the rotation.
62. Troy Melton – The Tigers are calling upon Melton for his MLB debut on Wednesday and given how the arms in Tier 10 and below are far from “Must-Holds”, why not take the chance on an arm who fanned at least seven in six of his last seven minor league starts and features a 97 mph heater?
63. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi has stumbled for two starts then had absurdly good command over the weekend. It may be a Dennis, but maybe not? Do what you want here.
Tier 10 – 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.
64. Brayan Bello – Since reducing his windup, adding the cutter, and shifting his mentality into “ATTACK MODE,” Bello has performed well over the last month. I’m a little concerned the his changeup feel goes in-and-out, while he lacks a fierce weapon as a devastating out pitch. His track record of volatility is something we can’t ignore, too.
65. Cade Horton – You can see how it all works if the pieces come together. His changeup has had games of brilliance, the breakers can miss bats, and the cut-fastball can be spotted. I’m curious how the second half looks for Horton and if he can stave off rookie fatigue to showcase a step forward in his overall command.
66. Michael Soroka – The curveball is great. The fastballs are fine. The changeup is…hopefully not needed much. I wish another pitch carried venom outside of his hook. You may see him on another team at the deadline to elevate his Win chance, though it may come with a slightly shorter leash.
67. Matthew Liberatore – Liberatore is fine. Nothing screams elite, but he has a wide arsenal from the left side and if he can keep his fastball flirting with 95 mph on a given day, he should be able to go six frames with a good defense behind him. I speculated that the Cardinals may limit Liberatore in the second half and now his Monday start was skipped, though we’ll see him on Saturday later in the week.
68. Michael Wacha – He is who he is. A good changeup with a hefty supporting cast that hopes to avoid punishment.
69. Brady Singer – The sweeper and slider are finally getting whiffs again. Phew. Let’s hope it lasts.
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.
70. Quinn Priester – I haven’t been a Priester believer, but his cutter was incredible against the Dodgers and he dotted his sinker better than any start I’ve seen thus far. I’m not sold he’s suddenly mastered his arsenal, but I recognize this ability is in there and could be a regular thing.
71. Edward Cabrera – He gave us a scare with a possible elbow injury, and I’m worried even sticking in the rotation that they’ll have a shorter leash + this could be a disruption that breaks his rhythm.
72. Clay Holmes – Soooooo, what are the Mets doing here? The way I see it, The Adobe is likely to come with a short leash for the nest few weeks (if not more) and his general production isn’t so great that he deserves holding onto as you endure the HIPSTER situation. But he’s gone 5+ since they said they were limiting him! So there’s a higher chance he gets limited now, right? Oh. Well….maybe.
73. Max Scherzer – We saw a great outing without his thumb injury kicking him out early. It’s unclear how much is left in the tank for the future Hall of Famer, but it seems like a decent play for now, right?
74. Joey Cantillo – The extension is elite and the changeup is destined to earn all the whiffs. If he’s starting regularly with Ortiz on the shelf, he’ll be your new favorite crafty southpaw in a week or two.
75. Jacob Lopez – He does the Fratty Pirate approach with a bit more velocity and a little less consistent command. If he’s able to live on the edges, J Lo can be a strikeout producer. If he’s leaking the cutter over the plate without getting the changeup and sweeper down, then it’s going to be pain.
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?
76. José Soriano – He either has his sinker working or he doesn’t. Good luck figuring out what you’re going to get on a given night.
77. Tanner Bibee – He finally got cutter and changeup whiffs in a game! And he’s also really inconsistent with his command! I hope you see Bibee shooting up the ranks in the next few weeks.
78. Kumar Rocker – Rocker’s cutter is awesome. The rest…needs work, but we’ve seen some success and it could get better.
79. Kevin Gausman – Gausman doesn’t have the command of old and his heater is getting pummeled. On a given night, he can have it, though, so I understand those who are still holding on.
80. Charlie Morton – Since returning the rotation, Morton has been far more helpful than harmful with his signature curveball. However, he was delayed recently by elbow tendonitis and we may have just a handful of productive outings left, if any. Welcome to the Vargas Rule section of The List.
81. Mitch Keller – I get it. Keller has had a lovely stretch with many Quality Starts. I hate the fastballs and hope he’s able to throw more breakers in the future, but this isn’t destined to last through the next three months.
82. Slade Cecconi – The Slade Brigade forced me, y’all. I don’t like his arsenal and I believe he’s getting away with a lot, but fine. Let him ride until it’s over.
83. Zack Littell – He goes Dancing With The Disco and arguably just lost his Vargas Rule status, but I recognize that he may deserve one more chance. His slider + splitter combo should not return the results it has.
84. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator. You know the deal.
85. Adrian Houser – Houser has a stupid low ERA rooted in above-average extension and 94+ mph velocity on a sinker that has churned far more outs than you’d expect. His Vargas Rule hit a major obstacle against the Pirates over the weekend and it may be tough to get out of with the Cubs up next.
Tier 13 – The Babbling Brooks
These are streaming options this week who could be off The List next week. I believe you’re better off streaming than hoarding low ceiling six-inning arms or deep fliers who don’t provide value now.
86. Tomoyuki Sugano – He has a two-step of the Guardians and Rockie Road. I dig his LHB approach, which fits nicely for that Cleveland start.
87. Dean Kremer – Kremer has pulled it off more often than not lately and it’s Rockie Road.
88. Colin Rea – It’s the Royals and Rea has been solid against mid lineups.
89. Jose Quintana – He somehow allowed just four hits in six frames for a Win against the Dodgers (4 ER, though) and now he gets the Marlins. I guess that works?
90. Brandon Pfaadt – The increased cutter usage to LHB is fine, but he gets the Astros this week, which forces his sweeper to be the stellar pitch of old. Can he do it?
91. Eduardo Rodriguez – He gets the Astros and let’s hope the changeup is working away with heaters and cutters inside to their RHB lineup.
92. Janson Junk – I’m not buying in completely here, but I recognize that he’s becoming a Junkballer with a heavy focus on his breakers and saving the four-seamer more than before. With excellent slider, sweeper, and curve command, he can go Dancing With The Disco against mid offenses and succeed. Then again, he didn’t have that command over the weekend and he didn’t have the stuff to pull through.
93. Taj Bradley – He gets the White Sox this week. Please just throw strikes.
94. Logan Allen – Baltimore + Kansas City are on the horizon and it may be tools time for Allen.
Tier 14 – Patience Is A Virtue
These arms have tested your patience. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do.
95. Zac Gallen – We saw two fantastic games followed by a massive dud. He’ll likely get traded at the deadline and it could be the shift he needs.
96. Justin Verlander – He wasn’t nearly as poor as the line suggested against the Jays and part of me wants to start him against Atlanta. He’s at 95 mph with good command on both his four-seamer and slider, after all.
97. Chris Paddack – The four-seamer and split-change are solid, though they don’t dominate enough to mask a developing slider and curve.
98. David Festa – He gets the Dodgers next and with Festa’s questionable command (it has been better lately!), I don’t think you need to hold onto him over a streamer in the short term.
99. Brandon Walter – I see Walter as a good streamer with a tough outing against the Sneks ahead that I’d prefer not to touch.
100. Hayden Birdsong – No, I don’t think he’ll be a stud again, but the extended time off may have helped him reset his control a bit.
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.
Jack Perkins (ATH) – He’s gotten some attention lately and I’m not seeing a legit SP to chase. There isn’t enough juice here.
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – Even when the changeup works it can still be tough to find sunshine and rainbows.
JP Sears (ATH) – There is some hope for things to turn around in the future as he leans on the changeup. I’ll wait for Sears to be unavoidable.
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.
Osvaldo Bido (ATH) – He’s getting a start and this is too dang risky.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – Absolutely not.
Davis Daniel (ATL) – He had a spot start and is not an arm to trust.
Didier Fuentes (ATL) – He was sent to the minors after his 8 ER affair. He’ll be back in time and there’s legit talent in the 20-year-old’s arm.
Hurston Waldrep (ATL) – If he does get the call, I’d worry he doesn’t have a whole lot outside of a splitter. He’s not the absurd SP prospect you want him to be.
Joey Wentz – (ATL) – The cutter is cool and I wonder if he gets more starts in the second half if Atlanta sells in full.
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?
Zach Eflin (BAL) – I’m not sure when Eflin starts next and he’d be in the Toby tier with Wacha when that time comes.
Kyle Harrison (BOS) – He was traded to the Red Sox 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) – We could see Brown back in the rotation later this week, though the Cubs may have already acquired an arm by then. I’m not sure how long he’d go against his cross-town rivals, not to mention the innate volatility we’ve seen all year.
Chris Flexen (CHC) – It is so hard for Flexen to find a beach these days.
Aaron Civale (CHW) – The breakers are not as good as they’ve been in the past. I’ll wait until then.
Davis Martin (CHW) – Martin could return soon from his forearm strain and I’d like to wait and see if there’s value to chase in 12-teamers.
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.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He’s a decent streamer, nothing more.
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!
Luis L. Ortiz (CLE) – MLB is investigating if he participated in sports betting and it’s unknown if he’ll return in the near future. Even if he does, his production is highly questionable.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) – Senz-A does what Senz-A does.
Austin Gomber (COL) – Coors + 89 mph heaters = Nooooope.
Bradley Blalock (COL) – A BB in Coors? No thanks.
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) – The slider can miss bats, but the overall package is too meh and comes without security in the rotation.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) – Lorenzen was placed on the IL with an oblique strain. I wonder if the Royals will have another SP solidified in his spot when he returns (probably not).
Rich Hill (KCR) – It’s actually happening. He turned 45-years-old in March. WHAT A DUDE.
Colton Gordon (HOU) – Consider Gordon as a cheap Win arm, but he may be replaced soon with the trade deadline approaching.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) – Even if he gets a good matchup, you have no idea if he’ll be productive. The floor is just too terrible.
Ryan Gusto (HOU) – Gusto has a touch of intrigue, but hasn’t been used confidently by the Astros and carries the Shag Rug.
Carson Fulmer (LAA) – If he actually gets a chance to start, make sure to avoid Fulmer. This isn’t exciting.
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.
Ben Casparius (LAD) – The Dodgers placed Casper into the pen and it looks like he’s staying there.
Bobby Miller (LAD) – His velocity has been down in the minors without good command or whiffs. Sigh. ONE DAY.
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – He’s off to Fenway and we only considered Kershaw when he looked like a cheap Win.
Dustin May (LAD) – It looks like the Dodgers are pushing him to the pen. It’s been fun.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – He was sent to the minors and could be back soon (the Dodgers do what they do). Keep an eye on it.
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.
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – He’s capped as an opener 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.
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.
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – It feels all kinds of weird to move Sandy off The List and yet, he’s displayed no reason for us to believe he’s turning the corner as soon as next start.
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.
Nestor Cortes (MIL) – We may see Cortes soon and you shouldn’t expect excellence out of the gate.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – Ober could return soon and while he’ll be back on The List when that time comes, it’ll take a start or two before he moves up.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s back on the squad with Zebby hitting the IL and I’d prefer to chase something else.
Frankie Montas Jr. (NYM) – The ceiling isn’t high enough to justify a roll of the dice when he doesn’t face poor lineups.
Paul Blackburn (NYM) – Are the Mets actually giving Blackburn innings? That doesn’t mean you have to.
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. You may want to stash him now…He’d be around #50 if he got the call today.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – He’s in the bullpen now. FOR GOOD. Finally. Walker lone, Ranger starting.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – Heaney has his moments but save for starts against the weakest of teams, he’s not worth chasing – and it’s no lock he performs well there (the White Sox burned him, after all).
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.
Andre Pallante (STL) – He doesn’t do enough with a cut-fastball and unreliable breakers.
Erick Fedde (STL) – Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. He’s not confirmed to keep his rotation spot.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – I wouldn’t start him outside decent matchups until he shows us something legit.
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 among the second half 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 we have to play the matchups he gets.
Stephen Kolek (SDP) – Sent to the minors.
Joe Boyle (TBR) – He’s now in the pen as the long reliever. Bummer.
Jacob Latz (TEX) – I wonder if we’ll see more Latz in the second half. There’s a great fastball/change approach here if he can throw the latter for strikes. He had a spot start to cover Eovaldi, who needed extra rest to deal with back issues, and who knows when the next start comes.
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 is still a decent shot for 3 ER or fewer on a given night and that’s about all I can give him.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – On the IL with a shoulder injury. We’ll wait until he’s healthy and see how he looks.
Chris Bassitt (TOR) – He’s getting the Yankees this week and I’d rather not touch it.
Eric Lauer (TOR) – He’s not worth your time unless he gets a shot against the bottom tier offenses, and even then, it’s a gamble.
Brad Lord (WSN) – You’ve forgotten who he is and that’s fine.
Jake Irvin (WSN) – He’s not in the groove you remember from last seaon.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) – Parker actually did something really fun in one start – he did the BSB with four-seamers and curveballs. Thing is, he hasn’t done that before nor after and it was clearly 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 and was demoted by the Nationals.
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 | Joe RyanT2 | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 7 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus Injury Risk | -1 |
| 8 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 9 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 10 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 11 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 12 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 13 | Framber Valdez | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 14 | Tyler GlasnowT3 | LAD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 15 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 16 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 17 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Holly Injury Risk | +4 |
| 18 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 19 | Nathan EovaldiT4 | TEX | Holly Injury Risk | +1 |
| 20 | George Kirby | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 21 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 22 | Logan Webb | SF | Holly Quality Starts | -8 |
| 23 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 24 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 25 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 26 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 27 | Kodai Senga | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 28 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 29 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 30 | Spencer StriderT5 | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 31 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 32 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 33 | Chase Burns | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 34 | Nick LodoloT6 | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 35 | Kris Bubic | KC | Holly Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 36 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 37 | Noah Cameron | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 38 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 39 | Jesús LuzardoT7 | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 40 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | - |
| 41 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 42 | Sean Manaea | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 43 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 44 | Shane Baz | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 45 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +5 |
| 46 | Lucas GiolitoT8 | SD | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | -2 |
| 47 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | +9 |
| 48 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | +4 |
| 49 | Reese Olson | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 50 | Landen Roupp | SF | Toby Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 51 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | +4 |
| 52 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | +8 |
| 53 | Yu DarvishT9 | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 54 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 55 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Cherry Bomb Team Context Effect Injury Risk | -8 |
| 56 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 57 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +11 |
| 58 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Frizzle Wins Bonus | -7 |
| 59 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Frizzle Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 60 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 61 | Richard Fitts | STL | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | -2 |
| 62 | Troy Melton | DET | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 63 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 64 | Brayan BelloT10 | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 65 | Cade Horton | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 66 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 67 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 68 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 69 | Brady Singer | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 70 | Quinn PriesterT11 | MIL | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 71 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 72 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 73 | Max Scherzer | TOR | Frizzle | -2 |
| 74 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | -2 |
| 75 | Jacob Lopez | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | - | |
| 76 | José SorianoT12 | LAA | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 77 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 78 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Hipster Rotation Spot Bonus | +21 |
| 79 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 80 | Charlie Morton | SD | Vargas Rule Strikeout Upside | - |
| 81 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | - |
| 82 | Slade Cecconi | CLE | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | +1 |
| 83 | Zack Littell | WSH | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +1 |
| 84 | José Berríos | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | -5 |
| 85 | Adrian Houser | SF | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 86 | Tomoyuki SuganoT13 | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 87 | Dean Kremer | BAL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 88 | Colin Rea | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
| 89 | Jose Quintana | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 90 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 91 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 92 | Janson Junk | MIA | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -18 |
| 93 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 94 | Logan Allen | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
| 95 | Zac GallenT14 | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 96 | Justin Verlander | DET | Hipster Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 97 | Chris Paddack | MIA | Hipster Quality Starts | -31 |
| 98 | David Festa | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 99 | Brandon Walter | HOU | Hipster Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 100 | Hayden Birdsong | SF | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
