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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: Blake Snell (16)
- Removed: Kris Bubic (35), Landen Roupp (50), Grant Holmes (56)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+2)
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 – Stud.
2. Zack Wheeler – Another stud.
3. Garrett Crochet – HE’S A STUD.
4. Paul Skenes – I hate that he’s limited. LET THE STUD COOK.
5. Jacob deGrom – He made it to 100 innings with no sign of slowing down.
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 – He’s arguably deserving of the first tier, but he just had to have one of his worst efforts over the weekend.
7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Nothing to be concerned about here. Expect him to continue getting just one start per week.
8. Bryan Woo – The dual fastball combo is still phenomenal.
9. Tyler Glasnow – He now has a sinker?! Expect the slider and curve to overwhelm soon, too.
10. Max Fried – Fried isn’t quite the same since the news of his blister, though without an IL stint, it’s wise to believe he’s fine moving forward.
11. Hunter Brown – Brown has struggled with his secondaries lately – the main reason for his late AGA tag – though he’s held the impressive 97+ mph velocity. We have to believe it’ll click into place again.
12. Robbie Ray – The man grinds. And grunts. And likely has better sliders than we’ve seen lately.
13. Carlos Rodón – He’s been solid all season and just earned a Golden Goal.
14. Framber Valdez – The curve is still thriving. The first year I’ve truly gotten on board. It’s cool.
15. Logan Gilbert – Hey Gilbert, mind throwing your slider for strikes next time out? K thx.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
16. Blake Snell – He’s finally back in the rotation and look at the time, it’s July 28th! You know, when Snell becomes the best pitcher in baseball. We don’t award AGA tags before they prove they have it back, but he did just go 4.2 IP without a hit in his last rehab start…
17. George Kirby – Kirby is embracing the BSB and nibbling the zone with four-seamers instead of giving in to prevent walks and allow for worse contact. It’s awesome and why he nearly returned twenty whiffs in his last outing.
18. Cristopher Sánchez – Sánchez has put up similar numbers to his teammate Zack Wheeler this season…except with 20 points more in the WHIP column at 1.09 (Yes, Wheeler has a 0.89 WHIP, lol).
19. Shota Imanaga – Yes, he just got trounced. Imanaga has done enough for us to hand-wave it.
20. Ranger Suárez – Phew. I was paranoid that Suárez hit his wall after a long gap between starts and he responded with a phenomenal performance against the Yankees. Atta boy.
21. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi is back and looking as fine as ever. Good ole reliable Eovaldi.
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.
22. Freddy Peralta – He still has remnants of Professor Chaos, but he’s sure had himself a lovely season thus far.
23. Nick Pivetta – Speaking of fantastic seasons, it’s Pivetta’s best by a mile with a 2.81 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in his first campaign under a 4.00 ERA. Just keep that HR rate down a little longer…
24. Seth Lugo – Lugo isn’t leaving pitcher friendly Kauffman, nor the great defense behind him. That’s a wonderful thing.
25. Andrew Abbott – It’s comforting to watch Abbott respond to his oddest performance of the season with a standard affair of success. I still can’t believe he displayed low four-seamers with very few changeups in his previous outing.
26. Sonny Gray – It has been all kinds of Gray for Sonny in his last two games, but I’m not seeing anything that showcases these outliers as strong indicators of continuous decline. Stick with him.
27. Logan Webb – He’s lost his feel for cutters and sweepers, making Webb his classic sinker/changeup approach that isn’t nearly as exciting as the man we saw in April. The results should still be better than what we’ve gotten, but he’s just a Holly unless his full arsenal returns.
28. Kodai Senga – We’ve watched Senga stumble in his last two and there’s no reason to believe he won’t get back up.
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.
29. Jacob Misiorowski – He’d have the “AGA tag by now if the Brewers didn’t limit him. At least he’ll still give you legit quality when he doesn’t reach five frames.
30. MacKenzie Gore – Gore has not featured great secondary command for a while, though the four-seamer still does wonders and keeps him nestled on your rosters.
31. Spencer Strider – I just wish the four-seamer was better. We just saw what it looks like when the slider isn’t at the top of its game and it ain’t pretty.
32. Brandon Woodruff – Woodruff has been nothing but great since his return, to all of our surprise. I’m struggling to understand why he went nearly 2x sinkers over four-seamers in his last start (the four-seamer is far superior), but regardless, he’s a force you can’t bench.
33. Dylan Cease – Cease’s first half was rough. His fortune is sure to be far better in the final two months.
34. Eury Pérez –His four-seamer is fantastic and he’s producing despite room to grow with his secondary feel.
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.
35. Matthew Boyd – Boyd hasn’t let us down yet. There is a lower floor in there and here’s to holding it off for just a little longer.
36. Nick Lodolo – I considered a larger boost after his complete game shutout, though it’s the Dodgers this week and he essentially pitched how he has for a while now. Lodolo is solid and if he can get the curveball to putaway RHB again, the strikeouts will flow.
37. Sean Manaea – Manaea has been fantastic for managers holding him in their IL spots for many months. There is some caution, though – his velocity dipped massively through the final two frames of last week’s start. We haven’t seen any news on it, hopefully suggesting it won’t return moving forward.
38. Noah Cameron – Cameron has been the rock you tried to find in your drafts. The command wasn’t at its peak in his last outing and I’m a little scared of the Jays this week, but we’re holding tight.
39. Merrill Kelly – I wonder where Kelly will end up by Friday morning. Wherever it is, it’ll likely be with a better defense and with a solid Win chance.
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.
40. Jack Flaherty – Flaherty looked exquisite against the Jays. Here’s to more of that.
41. Chase Burns – We’re still waiting to feel safe with Burns, even if the talent is obvious.
42. Jesús Luzardo – He allowed a grand-slam with two outs in the fifth, changing his start from 2 ER to 6 ER. But it was SUCH a poor 1-1 changeup! Yeaaaah, he also walked five batters. I know. It’s also interesting how just one pitch can completely swing our opinion of a pitcher, you know? Anyway, Luzardo’s volatility isn’t something new and I generally believe he’s helpful more often than harmful.
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.
43. Edward Cabrera – Cabrera has been shockingly fantastic since May 4th, with a 2.47 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 26% strikeout rate and sub 7% walk rate. Yes, that ECab. He’ll be dealt at the deadline and I hope he continues to focus on the changeup, curve, slider, and sinker, while pushing the four-seamer out of the arsenal as much as possible.
44. Trevor Rogers – Rogers has been far better than any of us expected and we just keep rolling with it, even if he’s not firing on all cylinders.
45. David Peterson – He’s a bit of a WHIP killer, but the rest is too good to pass up.
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.
46. Ryan Pepiot – As much as I love Pepiot, he hasn’t put it all together yet to demand success consistently. He has all the pieces, but I’m getting a little tired waiting for the next step.
47. Luis Castillo – Castillo is hanging on by a thread with his fastballs and I’m concerned more lineups will attack those pitches moving forward. The slider/changeup are not what they used to be.
48. Kevin Gausman – Gausman looked phenomenal over the weekend. It could be the start that sends him on a glorious stretch like the old days.
49. Zebby Matthews –After a disappointing return to the majors, Zebby showed us his legitimacy with 97+ mph heaters and legit 90 mph sliders. There’s still some polish needed, but hot dang is that cool.
50. Will Warren – The sweeper was better! Here’s to the changeup joining the party.
51. Shane Baz –Come on Baz, get the curveball down and that’s all there is to it. YOU’RE RIGHT THERE.
52. Max Scherzer – He’s fanned at least seven in three of his last five starts. It’s not a bad idea to lean in Mad Max when he’s on the bump.
53. Cam Schlittler – I believe in the skillset and as long as he’s starting every five days, I want him on my rosters. Just get the secondaries lower, please.
54. Lucas Giolito – He’s had a pair of rough matchups and didn’t get through them as well as we’d hope, nor has his changeup been great. He should be fine the rest of the way, but there will be highs and lows. At least he’s a good shot for a Win each start with a strikeout per inning.
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.
55. Justin Verlander – Verlander has been doing exactly what we want him to be doing. And now it’s the Pirates twice! Sign me up for that 95 mph heater and well commanded fastball + slider.
56. Ryne Nelson – The four-seamer is so hard to hit and hopefully he finds a legit #2 pitch to let him soar into the Top 40 SP.
57. Yu Darvish – Darvish hasn’t found it yet. He’s always found it in due time across his career and the velocity isn’t down.
58. Troy Melton – Paddack in a Tiger, but Olson is out for the year. That leaves Melton’s spot open and I love the arsenal: Hard and productive four-seamers with a wide arsenal that he can throw for strikes. Ignore the line of the MLB debut and this week could have him being all the rage. Yes, I know it’s daring to say that right before he starts against Arizona, BUT I BELIEVE.
59. Gavin Williams – He’s still figuring it all out and I can’t tell you when he will perform consistently, if at all this year.
60. Tanner Bibee – I don’t trust his command, but there have been more whiffs as of late. Maybe it’s around the corner.
61. Quinn Priester – Despite the ten strikeout game against the Dodgers, I find it hard to trust Priester. The cutter and sinker can be great, but he rarely commands them well, while the slider is generally productive but not an arsenal savior.
62. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi just went 0/30 whiffs on his slider. Surely that can’t happen again, right?
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.
63. Brayan Bello – He’s better than his April self, but doesn’t have an electric arsenal. He’s a Toby.
64. Casey Mize – Mize does what he does for a winning team – good fastballs and splitters with a developing set of breakers.
65. Michael Soroka – The curve is great, the fastballs are well spotted, and that’s generally enough to give him a chance for six on a given night.
66. Cade Horton – Cade has the most potential of this crew, but may need more time to nail down his four-seamer command and return more whiffs on his sweeper.
67. Matthew Liberatore – Liberatore may have a shorter leash in the second half, while nothing in his arsenal is particularly incredible. He’s fine for a QS chance with the great St. Louis defense behind him.
68. Zach Eflin – While I don’t like going after Eflin this week against the Jays, I’d wager Eflin as a strong back-end option in 12-teamers the rest of the way.
69. Michael Wacha – It’s a great situation with a strong changeup. The WHIP and strikeouts aren’t beautiful, but if you need a decent ERA and QS/Win chance, he’s your guy.
70. Brandon Pfaadt – I’m not as much of a believer as others that Pfaadt’s cutter has fixed things (nor that the reduction in four-seamers is a good change), but at least he’s had a better sweeper feel.
71. Chris Paddack – The move to Detroit grants a larger Win chance and I wonder if him and Mize can share a few things between them given their arsenal overlap. He’s fine.
72. Brady Singer – Singer showed us both sides of the coin across his last two starts, though the latest had as good command as we’ve seen from Singer. Here’s to that version sticking around for more.
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?
73. Zac Gallen – With the expectation of Gallen leaving Arizona this week, I recommend stashing him where you can. Who knows what can be unlocked in a new city.
74. Sandy Alcantara – Same with Alcantara. A change of scenery can go a long way and we know the upside.
75. Bailey Ober – Ober is expected back this week and considering he pitched hurt for a long while, you have to believe he’s capable of better now that he’s healthy.
76. José Soriano – He lives and dies by the sinker, which has been around a little more as of late. Please stick.
77. Drew Rasmussen – Unfortunately, we can’t expect more than five frames from Rasmussen on a given night. It’s up to you to decide if that’s worth your roster spot.
78. Clay Holmes – The Mets said they were going to limit The Adobe and haven’t done so yet. We can only press our luck so much.
79. Slade Cecconi – The Slade Brigade (Stop summoning us!) likely wants him higher, while I still struggle to find something sustainable in his approach. Be careful.
80. Emmet Sheehan – What is the plan? I’m guessing Sheehan gets a rotation spot over May and if so, he’s in Tier 10 at the very least. The confusion of his role moving forward has him down this far, while his skills suggest a far better ranking. I truly hope he has a secure rotation spot entering 2026 and beyond.
81. Joe Boyle – He has a rotation spot with Taj demoted to the minors, however he’ll get the Yankees, Dodgers, and Yankees up next. For a guy who still has control issues, that’s a whole lot risk.
82. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator and you already know what you’ve gotten yourself into. I prefer to avoid him alltogether.
83. Kumar Rocker – The cutter is his best pitch…so why was it his fourth offering last time out?! I DON’T GET IT.
84. Richard Fitts – It’s unclear what the Red Sox have in store for the deadline, leaving Fitt’s spot up in the air + we saw him at 95 mph (not 97 mph) in his last outing.
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.
85. Colin Rea – He’s a solid streamer with the Brewers up next.
86. Mitch Keller – Keller is a bit of a Vargas Rule for deeper leagues, but a date in San Francisco should be decent enough.
87. Tyler Anderson – He gets the White Sox this week and his changeup is still cooking.
88. Logan Allen – It’s Rockie Road ahead. Despite my hesitations to trust Allen, that’s good enough for me.
89. J.T. Ginn – I dig the 95 mph sinker with legit drop we just saw from Ginn. I’m not sure he can keep that up, though.
90. JP Sears – Sears had the best command I’ve ever seen from him with four-seamers up, sweepers for called strikes, and changeups down. Who knows, maybe he’s dealt before the deadline and finds himself in a perfect situation.
91. Eric Lauer – Lauer somehow finds strikeouts with his four-seamer and cutter combo. Against the Orioles, that might be enough.
92. Chris Bassitt – He’s a solid play for a Win against the Orioles given how hot the Jays offense has been.
93. Jacob Lopez – Lopez is a little too command focused for my taste, but there is strikeout upside against the depleted Arizona offense.
94. Janson Junk – Janson hasn’t been the JunkBaller we saw a few weeks ago, but maybe he’ll succeed against the Judge-less Yankees.
95. Frankie Montas Jr. – He gets the Padres and Giants this week. Maybe there’s a Win there?
96. Jose Quintana – Quintana has survived lately, though the LHB-heavy Nationals may not be the best matchup for his changeup-focused approach.
Tier 14 – Patience Is A Virtue
These arms have tested your patience. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do.
97. Jack Leiter – Despite a strong final line in his last start, Leiter didn’t showcase enough polish to make me believe he’s turned a corner.
98. Adrian Houser – I just don’t buy it. Maybe it’s too low n all, but to me this is an absolute Win of a trade for whatever the White Sox get for Houser and I expect struggles to follow him wherever he goes. All we can do is hope for a good matchup.
99. Pierson Ohl – The Twins announced Ohl’s callup for Tuesday’s game shortly before publication and I wanted to get him on here. Ohl has a wide arsenal focused on his 92/93 four-seamer and changeup, with mid-80s cutters and sliders he can confidently throw for strikes. The heater has a little extra vert than expected while the changeup feel is far better than we typically see from RHP. It’s why he has a 2.17 ERA across 66.1 IP with 79 strikeouts, though we generally see changeup-focused RHP struggle more than others to carry their success into the majors.
100. Joey Wentz – Look. Atlanta needs arms and Wentz has had a little more success than his peers. The cutter and curve are cool and he might be stretched out to 5+ frames this week for a sneaky Win or two. IT’S POSSIBLE.
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.
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.
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.
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – I’m typically fine with Erod as a streamer but it’s @DET and @ATH this week.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – Absolutely not.
Carlos Carrasco (ATL) – Atlanta just traded for him because what else are they going to do?
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.
Erick Fedde (ATL) – Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. New team, same blegh experience!
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.
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 start Morton against Toronto, even if his curve is solid and he’s at 95 mph on his heater.
Cade Povich (BAL) – Povich could return this week and like the rest of the rotation, we don’t want to start him against the Jays, especially for a Still ILL.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He gets the Jays. Absolutely not.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) – Sugano took advantage of Rockie Road and now gets Toronto.
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) – I expect the Cubs to have a full rotation once the trade deadline passes while Ben and his Huascar Rule breaking arsenal are back to the pen.
Chris Flexen (CHC) – It is so hard for Flexen to find a beach these days.
Aaron Civale (CHW) – I nearly put him on The List after he had a strong outing with cutters and curveballs leading the way. In the end, he gets the Angels up next, though, and it’s worthwhile to stash him. Who knows where he’s pitching this time next week.
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!
Joey Cantillo (CLE) – This may be a shock after all the praise I’ve given Cantillo, but I have a good reason! He was down 2.7 mph on his fastball on Sunday in concert with erratic command that returned a sub 60% strike rate on all his pitches. I think he’s hurt and at the very least, if he does start next, I wouldn’t do it. He’s not such a hot commodity that you should favor him over others at this moment.
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.
Parker Messick (CLE) – We may see Messick soon for his MLB debut and it’s incredibly blegh southpaw stuff. No thanks.
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.
Dallas Keuchel (KCR) – Yes, he’s actually going to pitch for the Royals. I know.
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 happened and returned 1 ER in five frames (two unearned). 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.
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.
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. He’d be around tier 12 were he to return this week.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s back on the squad with Zebby hitting the IL and I’d prefer to chase something else.
Travis Adams (MIN) – He’s followed for a few games and could do so again now that Paddack has been traded. You don’t want to do this.
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.
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 at some point during 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) – He’s starting…for now. This ain’t it.
Carson Whisenhunt (SFG) – Whisenhunt is making his debut the night this is published and I have very low expectations, let alone the fact that we don’t start pitchers for MLB debuts.
Hayden Birdsong (SFG) – Demoted to the minors.
Spencer Bivens (SFG) – Is he actually going to get innings? He shouldn’t, really.
Taj Bradley (TBR) – Demoted to the minors.
Zack Littell (TBR) – His Vargas Rule has come to an end. Probably.
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.
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.
Adam Macko (TOR) – It’s a double-header for the Jays and Macko could make his MLB debut. He does not have the juice, y’all. Buster would be so sad.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – On the IL with a shoulder injury. We’ll wait until he’s healthy and see how he looks.
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 is leaning into his slider more often and maybe there’s something to that. I sure hope so.
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 | - |
| 7 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 8 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +1 |
| 9 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 10 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus Injury Risk | -3 |
| 11 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 12 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 13 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 14 | Framber Valdez | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | -1 |
| 15 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 16 | Blake SnellT3 | LAD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 17 | George Kirby | SEA | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +3 |
| 18 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 19 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Injury Risk | -2 |
| 20 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 21 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Ace Potential Injury Risk | -2 |
| 22 | Freddy PeraltaT4 | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 23 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 24 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 25 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 26 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 27 | Logan Webb | SF | Holly Quality Starts | -5 |
| 28 | Kodai Senga | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 29 | Jacob MisiorowskiT5 | MIL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -13 |
| 30 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 31 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 32 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +8 |
| 33 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 34 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 35 | Matthew BoydT6 | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 36 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 37 | Sean Manaea | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 38 | Noah Cameron | KC | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 39 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 40 | Jack FlahertyT7 | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 41 | Chase Burns | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 42 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 43 | Edward CabreraT8 | CHC | Toby Strikeout Upside | +28 |
| 44 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 45 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | +6 |
| 46 | Ryan PepiotT9 | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 47 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -2 |
| 48 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +31 |
| 49 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 50 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 51 | Shane Baz | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 52 | Max Scherzer | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +21 |
| 53 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Cherry Bomb Team Context Effect | +2 |
| 54 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -8 |
| 55 | Justin VerlanderT10 | DET | Frizzle Wins Bonus | +41 |
| 56 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 57 | Yu Darvish | SD | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 58 | Troy Melton | DET | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 59 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | -2 |
| 60 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | +17 |
| 61 | Quinn Priester | MIL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 62 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 63 | Brayan BelloT11 | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 64 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | -12 |
| 65 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +1 |
| 66 | Cade Horton | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 67 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 68 | Zach Eflin | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 69 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 70 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +20 |
| 71 | Chris Paddack | MIA | Toby Wins Bonus | +26 |
| 72 | Brady Singer | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 73 | Zac GallenT12 | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts Stash Option | +22 |
| 74 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Hipster Quality Starts Stash Option | +UR |
| 75 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Hipster Quality Starts Injury Risk | +UR |
| 76 | José Soriano | LAA | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 77 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Hipster Ratio Focused | -29 |
| 78 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 79 | Slade Cecconi | CLE | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 80 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Hipster Wins Bonus | -22 |
| 81 | Joe Boyle | TB | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 82 | José Berríos | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | +2 |
| 83 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Hipster Rotation Spot Bonus | -5 |
| 84 | Richard Fitts | STL | Hipster Rotation Spot Bonus | -23 |
| 85 | Colin ReaT13 | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 86 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -5 |
| 87 | Tyler Anderson | SD | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 88 | Logan Allen | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +6 |
| 89 | J.T. Ginn | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR | |
| 90 | JP Sears | SD | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 91 | Eric Lauer | TOR | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 92 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 93 | Jacob Lopez | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -18 | |
| 94 | Janson Junk | MIA | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -2 |
| 95 | Frankie Montas | SD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 96 | Jose Quintana | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -7 |
| 97 | Jack LeiterT14 | TEX | Frizzle | +UR |
| 98 | Adrian Houser | SF | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | -13 |
| 99 | Pierson Ohl | COL | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus Stash Option | +UR |
| 100 | Joey Wentz | ATL | Frizzle Wins Bonus Stash Option | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
