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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: Aaron Nola, Jacob Misiorowski, Nolan McLean, Shane Bieber, Landen Roupp
- Removed: Zack Wheeler (2), Michael King (23)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (-3)
Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
This is final edition of the regular List this season. Next week will shift to focusing on team-by-team schedules and bucketing players based on their expected schedule. Here’s last year’s article for reference.
Tier 1 – The True Aces
These pitchers are dope and make us feel dope.
1. Tarik Skubal – He’s allowed 3+ ER in each of his last three outings and that can’t keep happening, right?
2. Garrett Crochet – He’s been a stud. Remember when I suggested selling him? HA.
3. Paul Skenes – I still marvel at the fact that Skenes is a kitchen sink arm with insane stuff.
4. Jacob deGrom – I think deGrom is the perfect example of why we need to reconsider what “injury prone” really means. He’s thrown 140.1 IP this year and it’s glorious.
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.
5. Blake Snell – Hot. Snell. Summer.
6. Joe Ryan – The four-seamer was amped up against the Yankees and hot dang was that fun to watch.
7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – He’s had some hiccups, but he’s still just as legit.
8. Bryan Woo – The slider has become a little more of a consistent offering, but it’s still just fastballs and that’s cool with me. I’m just happy he’s here.
9. Tyler Glasnow – Glasnow found his slider (finally) but the fastballs and curve are a little iffy.
10. Logan Gilbert – I’m still waiting for Gilbert to execute a consistent gameplan that works, but yeah, he should help a lot more than hurt.
11. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi is still dope and consistent. Gotta love it.
12. Cristopher Sánchez – THE LIST CURSE IS REAL. I’m sorry Pivetta.
13. Framber Valdez – The curve is alive with the sound of music. Gotta love it.
14. Hunter Brown – I still wish for the secondaries to do more, but the heaters are still putting in the work we need.
15. Robbie Ray – Ray’s deeper arsenal has allowed him to overcome more problems than usual, while still carrying the upside you want to see.
Tier 3 – 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.
16. Hunter Greene – He’s back and looks just a start away from the AGA label.
17. Brandon Woodruff – Woodruff gets the Cubs in his first true test. He’ll get the AGA tag if he comes through, too.
18. Shota Imanaga – I’m not sure he’s on the doorstep of the next tier, but there’s no reason to bench Imanaga at the moment.
19. Nick Pivetta – All my worries about Pivetta’s HR rates and his career of 4.00+ ERA seasons have been silenced in a true career year. Thanks dead ball…?
20. Carlos Rodón – He bounced back in his last start, though the changeup is still hard to bank on each time out.
21. Freddy Peralta – Peralta maneuvered through a tough Cubs crew today while having a small glimpse of Professor Chaos in the middle. I’m guessing that I’m more scared of his floor than others, as Peralta’s 15-5 record has made him one of the top SPs of the season.
Tier 4 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
22. Andrew Abbott – Speaking of guys I wish I were higher on in the pre-season, Abbott has barely lost a step in the second-half. I wish I could grant him the AGA label, but by principle, his stuff just doesn’t call for it.
23. Max Fried – Fried has been rough over the last two months and I regret not stripping him of the AGA badge sooner. He’ll be better down the stretch, but hot dang, he’s in a funk.
24. George Kirby – Kirby just displayed his floor as the fastballs are simply too dang hittable. That said, his overall command has been great outside of Sunday’s performance and you should expect production each time out.
25. Logan Webb – Webb’s strikeout explosion of the spring has simmered down now that the sweeper and cutter have taken a step back in his arsenal – the latter disappearing entirely in his last start. Webb can still be great focusing on sinker/change, but the ace of April and May is likely not returning.
26. Ranger Suárez – It’s the second half and Suárez always his a wall! Yes, that has happened, and also, his arsenal is looking solid at the moment. I’m still riding this.
27. Trevor Rogers – Rogers has been unstoppable and despite my concerns that his four-seamer lacks electricity and his feel for spin isn’t exceptional, I have no choice but to put him inside the Top 30 with his production.
Tier 5 – Don’t Mess This Up
These are Cherry Bomb arms who are stuck in no-man’s land. They feel like arms who belong in a higher tier, but still have to prove themselves.
28. MacKenzie Gore – Gore has now had two starts of redemption and I imagine this week will have me wishing I had him around #20.
29. Sonny Gray – He had been more Sonny than Gray lately, and the Yankees got to him despite pitching well above average. That’s Baseball, Suzyn. He’s still legit.
30. Eury Pérez – Pérez has improved his changeup (still a ways to go) and the four-seamer is still elite, while the curve and slider are serviceable, if not prime for whiffs.
Tier 5 – Ole Reliable
These are premier Holly types, but they aren’t as exciting as the ones above. You should be fine with them, there’s just a little less reward and a touch more risk.
31. Aaron Nola – It was a Still ILL on Sunday, don’t worry. It should be normal, good ole Nola soon.
32. Edward Cabrera – Cabrera has been on a tear and slowed down a touch on Thursday. Nothing to worry about here.
33. Matthew Boyd – Boyd Boyz, what a year this has been. Each start will continue to feel a bit precarious with his hittable four-seamer and lack of stellar breakers, but that changeup is just so good.
34. Merrill Kelly – Kelly is a solid Holly and that’s cool with us.
35. Noah Cameron – Cameron’s command has exceeded expectations, especially for a rookie. There may be some enforced limitation at some point, but you can’t assume it’ll happen. We should keep moving forward.
Tier 7 – Come On, Be Dope Already
I can’t rank them any lower but they also don’t deserve to be in Tier 4, nor proven enough to be taken over Tier 5, but they need to be rostered right now.
36. Shohei Ohtani – It’s time, right? He just tossed 80 pitches and while it wasn’t five frames, it sure seems like that’s the next step.
37. Jacob Misiorowski – He’s on a pitch count and we don’t know how much he’ll actually go in games (hopefully five frames). That said, even at four innings he’s displayed legit value – ignore the Still ILL from this weekend.
38. Dylan Cease – What do we do with you. On one hand, Cease should be providing far better results. On the other, it’s as maddening as anything. We have seven weeks left – if you’re in the hole for strikeouts, go go go. If you have to carefully manage your ratios, then maybe it’s not for you. Rank him higher, rank him lower, do whatever you want.
Tier 8 – This Is Good. Probably
You won’t drop them and see them as solid arms but you know there’s something weird going on that doesn’t make you as confident as you’d like.
39. Kodai Senga – Senga looked a lot better with his splitter last time out and I’m willing to bank that the cutter will be a 60%+ strike pitch moving forward.
40. Max Scherzer – Scherzer has produced and that’s it. Kinda wild, isn’t it?
41. Ryne Nelson – Nelson’s four-seamer is elite and I love his focus on sliders and cutters as of late. The slider is emerging as a proper #2, setting the stage for a phenomenal conclusion to the year.
42. Seth Lugo – This is the roughest patch we’ve seen for Lugo in two years, if not more. The curveball is still legit, though, and I’m willing to wager that he’ll navigate it.
Tier 9 – 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. Nolan McLean – Is this too high? Is it too low? The rankings from here to #70 or so are a whole lot of Anyone’s guess so why not go for the electric prospect with two legit breaking balls, good velocity, and a wide arsenal? I watched a stud make his debut over the weekend and while there’s a chance the walks are bothersome moving forward, I’m holding tight.
44. Spencer Strider – Strider’s fastball is not what it used to be. I was tempted to shove him further down, but the slider is still a massive beast of a breaker.
45. Jesús Luzardo – Luzardo is who he is. I don’t quite get why the changeup has dropped masssively in usage as of late. It’s still a fantastic pitch!
46. Gavin Williams – I didn’t touch Gavin as I expected his start following the 120+ pitch bid at history to cause a hangover outing after. With all that out of the way, I’m excited for the full package to be there of five pitches for strikes, elite extension, and 96/97 mph velocity.
47. Jack Flaherty – If you don’t understand how I could still like Flaherty after his disaster against the White Sox, this video explains everything.
48. Ryan Pepiot – Pepiot literally allowed five straight baserunners after tossing 5.2 IP of shutout ball, two baserunners, and eight strikeouts, and left the game. Flaherty and Pepiot, I hope you guys get a room to grieve together.
49. Shane Bieber – HE’S BACK. It’s his return from the IL this Friday and given the whiffs on his breakers in Triple-A, I’m slotting him into the Top 50. It’s a Still ILL n all, and I expect Bieber to be a clear play the rest of the year. Maybe that means he should be ranked higher, I’m not sure. Let’s see what we get.
50. Will Warren – Where did your changeup go? That was one of my favorite elements of Warren – two legit whiff pitches, each for one side of the plate – and now he’s going a pair of heaters + a sweeper. BRING IT BACK!
Tier 10 – 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.
51. Drew Rasmussen – Rasmussen has been 5/6 innings consistently and still holds the #1 PLV four-seamer in baseball. The dude just helps your teams.
52. Cristian Javier – I can’t say a whole lot about Javier given his Sunday start was shrouded by an illness that had him leave early. He’s a solid arm with potential to soar down the stretch.
53. Cam Schlittler – The fact that Cam has been productive despite failure to locate his secondaries low is incredible. Just imagine how good he’ll be when he unlocks the skill.
54. Zebby Matthews – He throws strikes with an above-average four-seamer, has a legit slider, and three other pitches. He’s made to be a stud and we’re just in the development phase now.
55. Jacob Lopez – I don’t believe he’s destined for dominance like the rest of the crew here, but his cross-body mechanics + seven feet of extension make him super hard to hit when he’s able to locate decently well. Problem is, that’s all about rhythm. It looks like he’s in one now and let’s hope that lasts.
56. Emmet Sheehan – It’s a great four-seamer and slider with a solid changeup + his intent to go BSB has me enthralled. We haven’t seen him fully come through yet, unfortunately.
Tier 11 – They Will Drive You Up The Wall
I’m willing to bet this tier will upset people the most. I see them as HIPSTER arms who could potentially smooth out into stable arms or make you wish in August that you never drafted them. Who knows when they’ll perform at their potential?
57. Sean Manaea – Manaea is still two-pitch with heaters and sweepers and while we’ve seen that work in the past for him, at 91/92 mph and “the book” out on him, I wonder if this isn’t meant to last.
58. Lucas Giolito – It was cool to see the slider dominate last time out, but I still get the sense that there’s something off each time he starts.
59. Yu Darvish – Darvish has these moments where he can’t execute anything he wants to before it suddenly becomes clear and he’s untouchable. Given that he’s succeeded regularly across his career, I’m confident he’ll help in the next seven weeks.
60. Luis Castillo – Castillo is on the opposite side of the curve, where his secondaries are struggling and his heaters are getting hit more than they were in the first four months.
61. Kevin Gausman – The ERA has been suspect, but the WHIP has been glorious across the year with a solid strikeout rate. It’s a weird shift from previous seasons, though start-to-start is a child’s game. The splitter loves me. The splitter does not. The splitter LOVES ME.
62. Casey Mize – Mize’s four-seamer is solid, the splitter is working, and the secondaries are doing their best. I thought he could turn into a Holly, but it seems like he’s just a high-end Toby.
63. Brayan Bello – Same with Bello, who turned his season around and has been able to locate his sinker beautifully to RHB. What a world.
Tier 12 – Riding The Magic Bus
Here are your Frizzle and Cherry Bomb 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.
64. Landen Roupp – He’s not stretched out yet. I’d have him in Tier 11 if he were – the three-pitch mix of sinkers, curves, and changeups have been sustainable for a while.
65. Joey Wentz – Some may want Waldrep over Wentz, but I believe in the 7.3 feet of extension (6.5 feet last year!) with high vert on the heater and a legit cutter + solid curve. It works, even if not the most overwhelming, and comes with solid command.
66. Hurston Waldrep – I was very much out on Waldrep in the pre-season and I’m stoked to see him embrace a wider arsenal. He doesn’t have the largest difference in pitch movement, but the variety mixed with good velocity and a whiffable splitter means this can certainly work. I am a little skeptical that the command is as good as it has been.
67. Spencer Arrighetti – We haven’t seen that start from The Pasta Pirate yet, including a rough go of it in his last outing, but the signs are there with a ton of whiffs in his Still ILL and a deep arsenal. It’s just been two starts since an extended IL stint – I’m willing to bank that it’ll come together this start or next.
68. Luis Gil – Gil just returned a game with 60%+ strikes on all three of his pitches. This is the way. Like Arrighetti, he might need one or two more to get a feel for it, but the talent is there.
69. Nestor Cortes – Oh hey, another arm who is recently back from the IL and displayed the ability we wanted from him that suggests more of a Top 50 SP!
70. Ryan Bergert – The Royals are letting him start over Falter and the slider + sweeper find whiffs while the high very four-seamer looks great upstairs for a BSB. If only he had a little more velocity than 92/93 mph…
71. Shane Baz – Baz is so dang close, but then throws some terrible pitches over the plate that ruin his night. The new cutter is far better than the old slider, the heater should still be successful, and the curve just needs to get low. But yes, I understand wanting to wait until he has an explosive start before trusting that it’ll happen.
72. Sandy Alcantara – We just saw the most promising start from Alcantara with great changeups that led to productive outs via fastballs. Now do it again, please.
73. Cade Cavalli – Cavalli’s mid-to-upper 90s fastballs merged with a 85-89 mph curveball is all kinds of enticing, though the volatility is clearly there.
Tier 13 – 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.
74. Quinn Priester – I just don’t like the sinker, alright? THE MATH DOESN’T MATH.
75. José Soriano – He’s a HIPSTER with a good sinker and curve that let’s us flip a coin.
76. Jose Quintana – Quintana gets on good stretches where he locates what he wants and can take care of weak lineups along the way.
77. Bailey Ober – Ober just located his four-seamer upstairs like the days of Oberizzi…at 90 mph. It’s an encouraging sign, though, and I hope he takes a step forward.
78. Justin Verlander – Verlander just dominated the Rays, though it was through an overperforming four-seamer without his best slider. I still see a volatile arm here who you need to be careful picking his spots.
79. Adrian Houser – Houser cannot be stopped. Oh wait, he was against the Mariners. Fine. Play the matchups well.
80. Charlie Morton – Morton is still earning strikeouts galore with his curve, even if there will be ratio bumps along the way.
81. Brady Singer – Singer’s slider and sinker command were incredible in his last start, but will they continue to be spotted so well?
82. Jameson Taillon – Taillon returns from the IL right now and while that’s a Still ILL, I see him taking full advantage of his situation to be a solid Toby.
83. David Peterson – The WHIP can be tough to swallow, but the elevated Win chance and strikeout ability makes him a decent Toby.
84. Zack Littell – Alright Littell, your slider and splitter are still slashing through innings. No, this Vargas Rule may not last for another month, but I understand those who want to stay on the ride.
85. Clay Holmes – We just saw The Adobe repair his foundation with feel for all his secondaries after weeks of struggling. Here’s to hoping it’s a full return to form.
Tier 14 – 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. Matthew Liberatore – I’m not a fan of Liberatore these days, but it’s the Marlins for the first of two starts this week. Surely that’s good enough, right?
87. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi gets to stroll down the Reds Carpet and I’m fine with that.
88. Colin Rea – Rea has been a solid streamer this year and I get that you may endure a start against the Brewers to keep him for September.
89. Michael Wacha – He’ll get the Rangers and Tigers this week. You might see the drop in rankings as a huge negative, but honestly, it’s not a different view of Wacha. Just that he’s a streamer and doesn’t need to be rostered when the matchup doesn’t look right.
90. Jason Alexander – This may be his last start with many Houston arms on the verge of returning to the rotation, but it’s possible his date with the Orioles brings out his beck Neckbeard approach to earn more time.
91. Jack Perkins – Perkins just had a whiffapolooza and I’m awfully curious if he can tap into that well continuously. Good luck against the Twins.
92. Dustin May – We got a new version of May in his second start for the Red Sox. It was a deeper arsenal with better command across the board and boy do I hope that’s real. Maybe don’t go after his start against the Yankees over the weekend, but the Orioles first seem like a decent roll of the dice.
93. Zac Gallen – It’s the Guardians + Reds Carpet. I know it’s been awfully rough this year, but can you really turn that down?
94. Mike Burrows – We’ve seen Burrows have his four-seamer, change, and slider work in tandem and what better time to do so than Rockie Road this week?
95. Michael McGreevy – Don’t expect strikeouts against the Marlins. If you need some ratio help or a QS, he’s your guy.
96. Shane Smith – Smith is looking better as of late, but sadly he has to deal with Atlanta this week, then the Royals, then the Yankees. Yikes. And yet, it’s possible he comes through.
97. Eric Lauer – With Bieber returning, it’s possible the Jays rescind their statement on a six-man rotation. However, Lauer has been so productive that I wouldn’t be surprised if he still gets to start against Miami this week.
98. Dean Kremer – Kremer just killed it against the Astros and here’s to him doing it a second time. Don’t forget, he is Dean Werewolf.
99. Cade Povich – Povich fanned ten as a follower, boasting a Gallows Pole along the way thanks to great four-seamer, changeup, and curveball command to RHB. Please repeat that.
100. Chris Bassitt – He’ll get the Pirates this week and that seems like a decent stream for a Win, even if he’s been awfully disappointing this season.
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.
Anthony DeSclafani (ARI) – Arizona is going to go Dancing With The Disco, but it’s at 4:00am and the “disco” looks like a random 24 hour laundromat. Update: Nah, he’s hurt with a thumb injury. He went too hard agreeing with everyone on the dance floor, obviously.
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) – He’s been such a struggle.
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – He’s a decent streaming option when the opportunity arises.
Nabil Crismatt (ARI) – The changeup is cool, the rest is not.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – I still have hope, but why risk it now?
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – I know he’s going into @TEA but he’s too inconsistent and I don’t know when it’ll be sunshine and rainbows.
Luis Morales (ATH) – We saw him open and feature 97 mph velocity with a whole lot of chaos in under three frames and then survive in his last one. Nah, I can’t do it.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – Absolutely not.
Carlos Carrasco (ATL) – Atlanta traded for him because what else are they going to do?
Erick Fedde (ATL) – Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. New team, same blegh experience!
Brandon Young (BAL) – That was one cool performance against the Astros, eh? Thing is, the Orioles aren’t likely to let him spin in the rotation for much longer and it was clearly one of those nights and not a showcase of legitimacy moving forward. Until he does it routinely. Then he’ll be on The List, of course.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) – It’s the Red Sox this week. No thanks.
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.
Richard Fitts (BOS) – He was sent back down to the minors. Why can’t we have nice things?
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. Yes, I noticed he has a different windup (from the stretch now). I’m not sold yet.
Ben Brown (CHC) – The Cubs have still needed Brown in the rotation here and there and sadly his Huascar Rule breaking arsenal is not for me.
Cade Horton (CHC) – He left his start on Monday with a blister literally as I was writing these notes. I’m assuming it makes for an IL stint and if he’s fine for next time, imagine him in the 50s/60s.
Aaron Civale (CHW) – The floor is too low.
Davis Martin (CHW) – He’s kinda interesting but the ceiling is too Hobbit Hole for me.
Sean Burke (CHW) – The White Sox demoted Burke to the minors.
Tyler Alexander (CHW) – T-Lex doesn’t go long like his buddy the brontosaurus. Those don’t actually exist. YOU DON’T ACTUALLY EXIST.
Yoendrys Gómez (CHW) – His breakers are awesome. I hate the heaters, though, and I’m not ready to trust the comand.
Nick Lodolo (CIN) – He has a blister and may return to the rotation this week. I’d have him in the 40s somewhere.
Nick Martinez (CIN) – He’s a questionable streamer when he gets the chance, 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) – I can’t believe the Guardians demoted him. LET. HIM. DEVELOP. He should be a quintessential part of the rotation next year and Triple-A isn’t where he should be.
Logan Allen (CLE) – It’s a whole lot of mediocrity. You can do better.
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) – The Guardians demoted Joey Cantillo and are expected to give Messick his MLB debut this week in his place. I’m not interested, personally. I see overall meh stuff and not enough sauce for me to spec add.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) – Sorry Brigade, but you know he’s not the dude you want to chase, even with a decent matchup this week.
Tanner Bibee (CLE) – I’m tired of waiting for him to click, you know? We were tired three months ago. WHATEVER.
Anthony Molina (COL) – You know the drill.
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.
Chris Paddack (DET) – Literally the last one off The List. I don’t think he pitched as poorly as the nightmare start suggested, but he’ll get the Royals and I don’t see anyone jonseing for Paddack right now.
Sawyer Gipson-Long (DET) – He’s back in Triple-A, likely to stretch out or possibly continue as a reliever in preparation for the playoffs. 2026 is his year, y’all.
Troy Melton (DET) – He was glorious in his spot start and now it’s back to the pen. Sigh.
Bailey Falter (KCR) – Falter hasn’t been traded to the Rays yet… he was traded to the Royals instead and started experimenting with the slider. AND THEY SENT HIM TO THE PEN. I hate it.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) – Lorenzen has a rotation spot now and there is some desperate QS upside in there, but hot dang, why are the Royals starting him over Falter? WHY?!
Stephen Kolek (KCR) – He was traded to the Royals. This still ain’t it.
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.
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) – Ah yes, a streamer without a good matchup this week.
Victor Mederos (LAA) – He isn’t demanding fantasy value.
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – I know he’s made it work but I just CAN’T DO IT.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – He’s not on the IL table for the same reason he wasn’t on The List before he hit the IL. Sasaki doesn’t have a third pitch, his splitter doesn’t get enough strikes, and his heater is under 95 mph. He isn’t a hold for 12-teamers and his timeline to return is unknown.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – It’s possible the splitter is cooking on a given night. I guess.
Janson Junk (MIA) – The JunkBaller pitched well in Fenway, but the schedule does him no favors.
Ryan Gusto (MIA) – Gusto has a touch of intrigue and if the Marlins were to give him runway, I’d consider him for a stream here and there. I don’t see a regular spot for him at the moment. Maybe over Quantrill…
Chad Patrick (MIL) – I’ll keep an eye on Patrick. It’s not the best situation for now, though.
José Ureña (MIN) – If you start José, Ureña boatload of trouble.
Mick Abel (MIN) – The Twins traded for him and I assumed he’d take a starter spot right away. NOPE! CHUCK TESTA! I think he has legit skills and I just want him to get comfortable innings in 2025 so he has a clear spot heading into 2026.
Pierson Ohl (MIN) – He’s starting, no he’s a reliever, no he’s starting, no it doesn’t matter whichever he does for now.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s dealing with a stomach bug and shouldn’t be considered when he returns.
Taj Bradley (MIN) – Traded to the Twins and still in the minors for now.
Thomas Hatch (MIN) – This ain’t it.
Frankie Montas Jr. (NYM) – A desperate streamer for a Win chance.
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. JUST KIDDING. He might get one more. AGAIN. He can’t keep getting away with it.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – Heaney has been demoted to the bullpen
Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – There is some fun here, but he’s not stretched out enough and I’m not ready to chase it.
Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Is now the time to start stashing Bubba? I’d say so. This should be the week he gets the call and given everything we’ve seen and read, he’ll be a Top 60ish starter with potential for much more.
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) – I kinda dig his stuff with 96/97 mph and a mid-80s curve with legit movement. Command ain’t there, nor is the four-seamer shape.
Johan Oviedo (PIT) – He’s a Young Gun who we need to see more from before jumping in.
Mitch Keller (PIT) – Keller ain’t it, y’all. You can do better.
Bryce Miller (SEA) – Miller could return this week in a Still ILL and I just hope he’s actually pain free. He’ll be in the 40s or so when he does return.
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.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – Don’t walk Miles in his shoes.
JP Sears (SDP) – He’s coming back from the minors to face the Giants and it’s a wait-and-see.
Kai-Wei Teng (SFG) – We’ll see him until Landen Roupp returns and despite a fun set of secondaries last time, I’m not interested against the Padres.
Joe Boyle (TBR) – It’s really hard to believe he’s suddenly going to click.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – There’s too much still left to fix.
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.
José Berríos (TOR) – It’s the Cubs now and is The Great Undulator really worth the stress?
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 season.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) – Parker is leaning into his slider more often and maybe there’s something to that. I sure hope so.
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarik SkubalT1 | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 2 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 3 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 4 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 5 | Blake SnellT2 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +5 |
| 6 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 7 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 8 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 9 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 10 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 11 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk | +2 |
| 12 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 13 | Framber Valdez | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +2 |
| 14 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 15 | Robbie Ray | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 16 | Hunter GreeneT3 | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 17 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +2 |
| 18 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Injury Risk | +2 |
| 19 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 20 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 21 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Ace Potential Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 22 | Andrew AbbottT4 | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 23 | Max Fried | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | -11 |
| 24 | George Kirby | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | -6 |
| 25 | Logan Webb | SF | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 26 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Wins Bonus | -5 |
| 27 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Holly Quality Starts | +7 |
| 28 | MacKenzie GoreT5 | TEX | Ace Potential Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 29 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 30 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 31 | Aaron NolaT6 | PHI | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +UR |
| 32 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 33 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 34 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 35 | Noah Cameron | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +3 |
| 36 | Shohei OhtaniT7 | LAD | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +41 |
| 37 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 38 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 39 | Kodai SengaT8 | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | +8 |
| 40 | Max Scherzer | TOR | Holly Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 41 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Holly Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 42 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | -5 |
| 43 | Nolan McLeanT9 | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 44 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 45 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 46 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -3 |
| 47 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 48 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 49 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Cherry Bomb Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
| 50 | Will Warren | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 51 | Drew RasmussenT10 | TB | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +16 |
| 52 | Cristian Javier | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 53 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Frizzle Team Context Effect | +1 |
| 54 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 55 | Jacob Lopez | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +25 | |
| 56 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Frizzle Wins Bonus | -5 |
| 57 | Sean ManaeaT11 | NYM | Toby Strikeout Upside | -11 |
| 58 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 59 | Yu Darvish | SD | Toby Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 60 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 61 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Toby Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 62 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 63 | Brayan Bello | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 64 | Landen RouppT12 | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 65 | Joey Wentz | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +14 |
| 66 | Hurston Waldrep | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +20 |
| 67 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -15 |
| 68 | Luis Gil | NYY | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -11 |
| 69 | Nestor Cortes | SD | Frizzle Wins Bonus | -10 |
| 70 | Ryan Bergert | KC | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 71 | Shane Baz | BAL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | - |
| 72 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Frizzle Quality Starts | +UR |
| 73 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 74 | Quinn PriesterT13 | MIL | Vargas Rule Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 75 | José Soriano | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 76 | Jose Quintana | COL | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 77 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | -9 |
| 78 | Justin Verlander | DET | Toby Wins Bonus | -13 |
| 79 | Adrian Houser | SF | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | +18 |
| 80 | Charlie Morton | SD | Vargas Rule Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 81 | Brady Singer | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 82 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 83 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | -22 |
| 84 | Zack Littell | WSH | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 85 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | +13 |
| 86 | Matthew LiberatoreT14 | STL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -17 |
| 87 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | - |
| 88 | Colin Rea | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -7 |
| 89 | Michael Wacha | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -19 |
| 90 | Jason Alexander | HOU | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 91 | Jack Perkins | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -6 | |
| 92 | Dustin May | STL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 93 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts Stash Option | +6 |
| 94 | Mike Burrows | HOU | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 95 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -13 |
| 96 | Shane Smith | CWS | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -12 |
| 97 | Eric Lauer | TOR | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 98 | Dean Kremer | BAL | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 99 | Cade Povich | BAL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 100 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -8 |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
