Have questions? My “office hours” are on Playback 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday – Friday + I stream the creation of this article LIVE at 1:00pm ET Monday afternoons.
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):
I’m sure it’ll change through the year + there are differences to be made about teams vs. LHP or RHP, but it works as a general table that y’all should keep in mind.
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.
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: Spencer Strider (8)
- Removed: Pablo López (21), Justin Steele (22), Spencer Arrighetti (56)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (+3)
Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The True Aces
These pitchers are dope and make us feel dope.
1. Tarik Skubal – He’s obviously fine, y’all.
2. Garrett Crochet – It’s weird seeing him down to 6.7 feet of extension vs. 7.1 feet last year. Huh.
3. Paul Skenes – It’s Skenes. We cool.
4. Zack Wheeler – Wheeler has had two poor starts in a row, including a large emphasis on cutters and sweepers most recently. I wonder if those pitches will continue to get attention.
5. Jacob deGrom – He hasn’t been peak deGrom so far, though his last outing looked worse on paper than on the field.
6. Cole Ragans – PEW PEW PEW. You know, his slider and cutter haven’t been at their peaks this year.
7. Logan Gilbert – Glad to see him taking advantage of @TEA.
Tier 2 – AGA With Something To Prove
They have the AGA tag, though they all have a quirk that could mean they lose it by May.
8. Spencer Strider – Maybe this is too high. Maybe it’s too low. At the end of the day, we all know we’re not trading Strider for those below in our 12-teamers before his season debut on Wednesday.
9. Max Fried – We normally see a slow April from Fried. Not this year.
10. Tyler Glasnow – The weather got in the way of his previous outing. Glad we’re past that.
11. Michael King – A CGSHO against Rockie Road whilst having a poor sweeper and four-seamer. Oh baseball.
12. Hunter Greene – I wanted to give him AGA earlier and I’m glad he’s kept the same 99 mph velocity with sliders for strikes all season.
13. Chris Sale – Sitting sub 93 mph, he survived. Sitting 96+ mph and good command, he floundered. It’s not fair.
14. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Even without many high heaters, Yamamoto is at his peak.
15. Dylan Cease – I’m not lowering Cease a ton for having a terrible day at the park, though I was hoping those nightmares were a thing of the past.
16. Joe Ryan – Ryan hasn’t found his secondaries quite yet and even though his four-seamer is getting him to the finish line, he’s not as stellar as the rest without the support.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
17. Spencer Schwellenbach – One more start and he has it. I couldn’t give him AGA after a 1.50 WHIp day, it just didn’t seem right!
18. Tanner Bibee – You likely want him lower. I get it. Bibee had an awkward start to the year and I’m willing to give him a little more time before moving him down.
19. Shota Imanaga – The HRs showed up last time out. It happens, he’s the same guy.
20. Logan Webb – Webb had a rough day against the Yankees and I wouldn’t think too hard about it.
21. Jack Flaherty – His slider and curve are looking as good as they were at this time lasst year.
22. Bryan Woo – Woo is doing a fantastic impression of Zack Wheeler and I’m here for it.
23. Framber Valdez – It’s Valdez. You know what you’re getting.
24. Drew Rasmussen – He’s gone just five innings in each of his starts, but the quality is divine. He’s so hard to hit and I expect him to get a longer leash as we enter May.
25. Sandy Alcantara – I’m glad the velocity returned to 97 mph over the weekend and I’ll hand-wave the 1/4 K/BB given his lengthy time away on paternity leave + mourning for the tragedy in the D.R.
Tier 4 – So Dang Close To Greatness
I trust all these pitchers to produce this season while they also have heightened nightmare potential on a given night.
26. Corbin Burnes – Burnes’ cutter simply isn’t what it used to be while the secondaries haven’t stepped up to help. This is hopefully the lowest I have Burnes all season.
27. Robbie Ray – His last outing was a wild one in NYC, but I need to acknowledge that Ray isn’t dominating as much as I had hoped out of camp. He’s a Cherry Bomb, not a clear ace.
28. Freddy Peralta – His pitches were a little too tall and short last time out, but he’s generally pitching as well as we want him to be. Nothing new here.
29. Bryce Miller – Hey, you’re still great, right? Sure, the secondaries aren’t coming along incredibly well, but I just want to make sure the four-seamer is still dominating.
30. Ryan Pepiot – Pepiot pitched better than the last start looked on paper and I’m confident in his strikeout rate staying high.
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Tier 5 – Same But Different
These are also 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.
31. Luis Castillo – Nothing new from Castillo as we hope he keeps living at the plateau.
32. Aaron Nola – Nola’s velocity is down but his command is solid and he should be a Holly throughout the season.
33. Carlos Rodón – One bad pitch to Lee and his start was ruined. His changeup and slider are working and that’s what matters.
34. Kodai Senga – The four-seamer is back to 96 mph and I love seeing a full seven pitch mix, even if the foundation is still four-seamer + splitter + cutter.
35. Sonny Gray – The sweeper and velocity are back. We’re cool here.
36. Hunter Brown – It wasn’t 98 mph, but the fastball looks better and I hope that can be his leader pitch this year.
Tier 6 – Why Do I Feel So Scared?
This is the toughest tier to rank and will likely be filled with landmines. Which will turn into the stud you dreamed of and which will be the bust?
37. Cristopher Sánchez – The slider took a step back and despite the increase in velocity, his sinker still leaks over the plate to allow plenty of hits. For him to rise the ranks, Sánchez has to spot the sinker better inside the zone.
38. Zac Gallen – He’s in an odd place. The curveball was barely featured in his last start (that’s his best pitch!) while dancing around the edges with heaters and mixing in more changeups than usual. I have a feeling I’ll be lowering Gallen in future weeks, but for now, we let it ride.
39. Bailey Ober – I wish Ober had a better slider. The changeup is still great and he’s generally okay at locating the four-seamer upstairs, but the slider to RHB seems to be the weak point. It already holds a massive 12% Mistake rate to RHB.
40. Nathan Eovaldi – The curve is legit, the splitter is legit, and I’m not worried about velocity flucations that are likely a product of cold weather.
41. Seth Lugo – He’s the Holly you drafted him to be.
42. Shane Baz – I may be raising Baz in future weeks. I love his curve and my only concern is that the four-seamer isn’t quite good enough to be mostly two-pitch – the slider and change are not massive impact secondaries.
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Tier 7 – I Think You’re Great. Please Be Great.
I’m likely too high on someone in here, though all have shown potential to be legit starters and flex a floor that you’re willing to stomach for the time being.
43. Nick Lodolo – He’s finally healthy for a long stretch of time and the changeup feel has improved as a result. I’m starting to fall for Lodolo a bit. We’ll see if the curveball can get the whiffs of old in tandem with a more effective slowball.
44. Jesús Luzardo – He’s been stellar out of the gate, but Luzardo has had both hot and cold stretches across the years. I’m encouraged by the new sweeper, but is a disaster waiting around the corner?
45. Kris Bubic – The four-seamer is a great foundation and I dig the changeup and slider underneath. We’re sure to see some volatility akin to his time as a starter in the past, but I’m seeing an arm who can produce all season.
46. Dustin May – Dustin is hard to hit and has the stuff to collect strikeouts in time. He hasn’t had 11+ starts in a single season during his career and it’s safe to expect development now that he has the runway.
47. Gavin Williams – Hey Gavin, mind flexing that cutter you’ve promised we’d see? Seems like the slider and curve could really use the help.
48. Jeffrey Springs – It’s not always sunshine and rainbows, but the changeup is still a legit pitch and will keep the production afloat.
49. Grant Holmes – We’ve only seen him for two starts (two!) and he got the short end of the stick with dates against the Dodgers and Phillies. He’s the same guy we expected him to be + his four inning outing came with 100+ pitches. He’s destined for six inning games in short time.
Tier 8 – At The Edge Of The Cliff
Now that we’re past the “hey, this is legit value I’m unlikely to drop this season”, it’s time to shift to pure upside. It’s why these rankings are more aggressive than projections or likely other rankings you’ve seen elsewhere. It’s a 12-teamer and you should be embracing the burn-and-churn of your starting pitchers.
50. Tylor Megill – The four-seamer and slider combo is the best I’ve ever seen them. It’s just three starts and bouts of chaos appear here and there, but I’m encouraged. This could be a long stay of Megill acting like Tylord.
51. Landen Roupp – I’m a fan of Roupp’s sinker and breaker against RHB + the cutter and changeup for LHB. It’s a good situation and a 25% strikeout rate is well within his grasp.
52. Jackson Jobe – He needs time to put together the arsenal properly to dominate as much as the stuff suggests, but he’s throwing strikes in the meantime and producing in the meantime, even if it’s not electric. That solid floor + upside for more is all kinds of fun.
53. Clay Holmes – The Adobe hasn’t flexed a game of high strike rates across his arsenal and it’s a bit frustrating. I think it’s in there and worthwhile holding onto, it’s just…annothing.
54. Max Meyer – How could you drop him?! He’s killing it! Because Meyer’s four-seamer has dropped from 96 mph each start, settling at 94 mph, matching its 2024 mark. The slider has fallen 3-4 ticks as well, and he’s starting to look a lot more like his former self than the excited arm we saw in the spring. Still holding, just less encouraged for a legit breakout. The new sweeper and sinker are additions, but are they enough?
Tier 9 – The Tobys Who Could Be More
These are potential Holly arms and I find myself shrugging and drafting most of them when I don’t have enough of a floor on my pitching staff.
55. Jordan Hicks – It was a stupid game in terrible NYC weather. His ranking change is more about grouping Tier 8 and Tier 9 separately. I made it like this so you can choose the kind of arm you want: safety = Tier 9. Upside fun = Tier 8.
56. Nick Pivetta – Pivetta did what he was supposed to do when hosting Rockie Road. Nothing new here.
57. Brandon Pfaadt – The curveball and changeup are still a large part of the gameplan to LHB and I’m more encouraged than ever before. I truly hope this sticks.
58. Bowden Francis – Hey Francis, I’m willing to look past the start against the Orioles, but if you do that again, it’ll only confirm that you can’t survive as a 92/93 four-seamer + splitter arm.
59. Justin Verlander – The ratios were rough, but he returned 20 whiffs last outing. You can thank the 95 mph heater and 88/89 mph slider that look far better than they have in recent years. This may be a fun return to form.
60. Kevin Gausman – I wish I was here to tell you that Gausman has his splitter back, but nope. His success against the Sawx came from high four-seamers, which have extra vert, but sat low-90s and I’m not ready to buy into this. Then why at 60? Well, he’d be inside the Top 40 if we did buy into it. At least here I’m willing to say there’s a chance.
Tier 10 – 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?
61. MacKenzie Gore – You can’t predict when Gore will perform well (great vs Dodgers, terrible against Marlins, for example). Will he be someone worthwhile to hold all season or should you have dropped him months ago? Good luck.
62. Roki Sasaki – Sasaki still needs a bridge pitch. He’ll have nights where the mid-to-upper 90s heater overwhelms as batters are on their heels expecting splitters, but the general outlook is uneven. Not to mention, the Dodgers will likely micromanage his workload as well.
63. Taj Bradley – To my chagrin, Bradley’s command is still heavily in question. I wish it weren’t so.
64. Hayden Wesneski – He’s encouraging with more than just a sweeper. Seven feet of extension + cutters, changeups, and curves to LHB make for a package that can work. Just stop throwing four-seamers, please.
65. Reese Olson – Olson hasn’t found a groove with his slider and changeup yet. I think it’ll get there, but you may be wrestling with this for a while.
66. Yusei Kikuchi – Kikuchi is not the guy we saw at the end of last season and I’m not interested in relying on the Angels to help Yusei figure this out.
Tier 11 – Fine, You Need Some Innings
These guys are a step down from the Tobys in Tier 10 but sure, I get why they’re rostered.
67. José Soriano – I love seeing the slider appear against RHB and hopefully we see growth that elevates Soriano into Tier 9 at the lowest.
68. David Peterson – The velocity came back to 92+ mph once removed from the NYC chill. There’s potential if he consistently shows feel for his changeup and slider.
69. Chris Bassitt – He looks like the Bassitt of old, though slightly slower on the heater. This should be fine.
70. Nick Martinez – I dig Martinez, but he’s a little more hittable than the sum of his parts would dictate. A solid streamer in most cases.
71. Matthew Boyd – I like Boyd this year, but not enough to hold through the poor matchups. The changeup is coming along well.
72. Michael Wacha – He’s a command arm with a phenomenal changeup and extra vert on the four-seamer this season. Don’t overstart him, though.
73. Merrill Kelly – Kelly is the same Toby you know in front of a good defense.
74. Brady Singer – I was excited about Singer’s addition of four-seamers and cutters, but they’ve dwindled with every start. I hope it’s not the same Singer we’ve seen for years.
Tier 12 – Ms. Frizzle’s Students
You’re likely upset to see some of these guys higher than others. But winning 12-teamers is all about the Ms. Frizzle method: Take chances, make mistakes, get messy! Chase the upside over the others if you’re in position to do so.
75. Shane Smith – Yes, he’s very exciting…for about three innings. He doesn’t have the stamina to hold 96 mph past 60 pitches and it may take some time for him to get there. Don’t forget, he also has the White Sox offense behind him for any chance at a Win.
76. Bobby Miller – NOT AGAIN. Listen, we’re in the mid-70s. The other names below? None are locks to help your 12-teamers. Why not take a shot and see if rejoining the Dodgers ignites something in him? The stuff is still there.
77. Luis L. Ortiz – After sitting around 30% HiLoc on his four-seamer in two starts, Ortiz flexed 60%+ HiLoc on the pitch and had a ten strikeout game. When you throw 96 mph with a flat HAVAA, it can be as simple as that. I wouldn’t clasify Ortiz as a consistent command arm, though, which has me spec adding Ortiz and hoping it sticks for a good floor matchup against the Pirates.
78. Will Warren – Like Ortiz, Warren’s four-seamer has suddenly become interesting. Its HAVAA has become flatter with each start, while adding vert overnight. It may not stick, but his last start against the Giants turned this sinker/sweeper/change arm into having a legit weapon against LHB with his strong four-seamer. Pretty cool and I sure hope we see it again.
79. Matthew Liberatore – Liberatore’s slider was legit and I love that he experimented with changeups to RHB. They weren’t stellar, but they helped and they could improve over time. This may be the start of a fun run, or dissipate as soon as next start.
80. Walker Buehler – Yes, he finally had a great outing. The approach was better and had the idea of a plan, but I doubt we’ll see another step forward. But we could…
81. David Festa – He returned to the rotation over the weekend and I’m not sold his command is at a place where we should buy back in. Give me a legit slider and we’ll talk.
82. Easton Lucas – The Jays are turning to Lucas to replace Scherzer and his 92/93 mph four-seamer from the left side carried 17-18″ of vert and was wildly successful upstairs against the Red Sox. It could just be a Boston thing, but maybe there’s something there.
83. Edward Cabrera – He’s back! And throwing far more sliders to RHB! PLEASE KEEP DOING THAT.
Tier 13 – Fine, You Need More Innings
These guys are a step down from the Tobys in Tier 10 but sure, I get why they’re rostered.
84. Ronel Blanco – Blanco is still a decent Win arm, even if he’s suddenly throwing curves instead of sliders. I really don’t understand that one.
85. Jake Irvin – Irvin’s curveball was on point and had him looking like his first half self in his last outing. Now with the Pirates ahead, it’s a great time to take a shot and hope you don’t want to drop.
86. Eduardo Rodriguez – Surprise! He’s not a double-digit strikeout arm. He’s a decent Toby with a good defense, though.
87. Mitch Keller – Keller will continue to frustrate me, but if he wants to go slider heavy, then you have my attention.
88. Clarke Schmidt – He’s returning to the rotation likely one start early due to Stroman’s injury after tossing roughly 60 pitches in his last rehab start. Don’t expect him to long this week and I don’t see Schmidt as a Top 40 SP this year. Hopefully Top 50, but likely a solid Toby.
89. Tanner Houck – Houck’s slider is worse and I don’t trust the splitter to dominate LHB. He can pull six innings out of a hat, though. He’s awesome at parties.
90. Luis Severino – I like seeing Severino lean on the cutter more to LHB, though the whole package doesn’t carry enough weight to force a hold in 12-teamers.
91. Erick Fedde – He’s as Toby as it gets.
92. Casey Mize – I’m not seeing enough improvements from last year with his fastball still at 94/95 mph and lacking a great breaking ball to complement the heater/splitter combo.
93. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator. If you want to set and forget, you do you.
Tier 14 – Streamers and WannabeTobys
I like their matchups and they could be productive for a week before we let them go back to the wire.
94. J.T. Ginn – I love seeing Ginn up his sinker velocity two ticks and carry an extra inch of drop. It was his first start of the year, though, and it may have be adrenaline-focused. Consider a stream against the Brewers and hope it’s more of the same.
95. Osvaldo Bido – He’ll get the White Sox and as long as he throws strikes, that should be fine.
96. Andrew Abbott – I wasn’t impressed by Abbott’s 2025 debut, sitting two ticks down and going changeup-heavy to RHB…at 50% strikes. He’s always been a strange one that I’ve never quite understood and I hope there’s something to latch onto when he faces the Orioles this week.
97. Mitchell Parker – Need a start? Parker against the Pirates should be fine. If he ever gets into a place where he can locate his arsenal, Parker has actual upside. Okay, maybe also with an extra tick or two of velocity. Sadly, that’s unlikely.
98. JP Sears – It’s the White Sox. Just get the sweeper over the plate and elevate the four-seamer. Please.
99. Tyler Anderson – Anderson’s changeups are still great and he could find six frames against the Giants this week.
100. Landon Knack – Yes, it was terrible last time. He’ll get Rockie Road and a good shot at a cheap Win.
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!
Joey Estes (ATH) – He beat Spence and holds a rotation spot because he can locate. Sadly, the stuff is located on the far left side of the scale. Ayyyy.
Mitch Spence (ATH) – They put him in the bullpen. I. KNOW.
AJ Smith-Shawver (ATL) – He’s off to Triple-A and I don’t think he’s worth stashing. He needs better four-seamer command and a proper set of secondaries.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – I guess he’s getting starts, but hot dang is it not fun.
Brandon Young (BAL) – He could be the replacement for Eflin in the rotation and let’s see how this goes first. I don’t have high hopes.
Cade Povich (BAL) – I don’t see a high enough ceiling to chase him in drafts, even for the first week. He can turn into a 12-teamer Toby, but for now, I’d rather take a better first matchup and go from there.
Charlie Morton (BAL) – He’s not a streamer I want to rely on.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He’s flexed strikeouts at times and then it disappears randomly. Far too risky.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) – I’m not seeing enough from Sugano thus far to trust he can be the Toby we want him to be.
Kyle Gibson (BAL) – He’ll show up around the end of April once stretched out. Not that you’ll want to roster him when that time comes, of course.
Cooper Criswell (BOS) – Looks like the Red Sox will have Criswell cover for Fitts in the short term. There could be five frames in there and you really should set a higher bar.
Sean Newcomb (BOS) – Wow, he actually did it. No, not even in a good matchup do I want to chase this.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) – It’s a pair of tough matchups this week. Don’t worry, he’ll be back.
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) – This has moments of being cool and then failing to locate the very next inning.
Davis Martin (CWS) – The kick change! It’s a thing! And not as elite as the name makes it sound!
Martín Pérez (CWS) – The command was worse and I don’t want to ride this train any longer.
Sean Burke (CWS) – His fastball velocity is down and the breakers aren’t earning whiffs. He could be back on The List soon, but Smith is the more intriguing one at the moment.
Ben Lively (CLE) – He’s barely a 15-teamer Toby who can pull off a stream with the right matchup.
Logan Allen (CLE) – You made the rotation?! Really?! I don’t care if you face the White Sox. Sorry.
Ben Brown (CHC) – Without a third pitch, I don’t see this working out, even if he has moments when it does.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Carson Spiers (CIN) – Maybe Spiers can dot the edges against the Rangers next week? It’s super boring and at home. No thanks.
Germán Márquez (COL) – COL
Ryan Feltner (COL) – Story
Kyle Freeland (COL) – Broooo
Antonio Senzatela (COL) – oooooo
Bradley Blalock (COL) – ahhhhh. COL Story, broaaah? You get the point.
Chase Dollander (COL) – No, I didn’t want to add Dollander. It’s Coors + the Shag Rug and he’s not as filthy as you think. The velocity is there for a rare peak moment, but the fastball isn’t as electric as other young arms and the secondaries are still in development.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) – Hurt and we’ll see how he looks when he returns.
Ryan Gusto (HOU) – He has a ton of vert on the four-seamer and has obvious intent upstairs, but there isn’t much else there. Maybe I’ll get excited in his next start or two while he replaces Arrighetti.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) – Oh right, Lorenzen. You’re making a Grave Mistake without the ratios you want on most nights.
Kyle Hendricks (LAA) – He’s not the worst AL-Only streamer. At least he’s able to go six.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – The Jack of One Trade has tried to add more and it could work out in time, but he’s a week-to-week streamer.
Clayton Kershaw (LAD) – I don’t have Kershaw in the IL table because I personally don’t see a case where you’re dropping someone to activate Kershaw in his first (or second) start back from the IL in 12-teamers. He’s not that guy anymore, y’all.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – He’s back down to the minors. For now. Not worth stashing and only a matchup play.
Tony Gonsolin (LAD) – I guess he’s a better injury stash than Kershaw, but the same rule applies.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – He’s getting the second game of the year for the Marlins. Yup. It’s possible the splitter is cooking…?
Connor Gillispie (MIA) – You know, he’s not the worst but far too unrefined.
Aaron Ashby (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Aaron Civale (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Chad Patrick (MIL) – You don’t even know who he is.
DL Hall (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Elvin Rodríguez (MIL) – He has glimpses of being great. Glimpses.
Jose Quintana (MIL) – Quintana returned and it was a great line without a whole lot backing it up. Be careful.
Quinn Priester (MIL) – Priester is getting his shot and I’m seeing enough to hold onto him for the moment.
Tyler Alexander (MIL) – T-Lex was throwing no-hit ball! That’s awesome and it’s in the past.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – You thought it was a great two-step, didn’t you? Yeesh.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – It’s not a bad pair of outings ahead, though I see it as a low ceiling play where there are others who can turn in a better return and have potential for more.
Griffin Canning (NYM) – I don’t see anything new this year that says “Hey, he won’t be the third-worst qualified ERA starter in the bigs for the second year in a row.”
Marcus Stroman (NYY) – He got his wish and it’s been just as poor as we expected.
Carlos Carrasco (NYY) – Cookie showed he can go five frames of 3 ER or less. That could be a Win!
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – Suárez is out for a few starts with a barking back. The Phillies have nothing but Walker to find some innings. Good luck.
Bailey Falter (PIT) – The ceiling isn’t worth the jump. Until he’s on the Rays. ONE DAY.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – One of the last ones out – he pitched decently well in his follow up from dominating the Yankees, but the floor makes the ceiling too far to chase.
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) – There was a moment he could make it work. Sadly, he’s not a guy to believe it’ll work for 5+ frames.
Thomas Harrington (PIT) – The Pirates may be looking to Harrington for another start and he doesn’t bring the juice Buster would be excited for.
Casey Lawrence (SEA) – He may get a start for the Mariners this week and you didn’t know about it. It’s okay, you can forget about this.
Luis F. Castillo (SEA) – He’s not enough, sadly. Make sure you do everything to not confuse him with Luis DAWG Castillo.
Andre Pallante (STL) – The velocity is better, the stuff is…eh. I’d rather not.
Miles Mikolas (STL) – His four-seamer was one of the worst pitches in baseball last year and is now two ticks slower.
Steven Matz (STL) – We’re going to see Matz get a start as the Cardinals don’t have an off day this week. Think nothing of it.
Kyle Hart (SDP) – He’s not stretched out in full and I want to see him dominate with both sweepers and changeups before I can trust him to be a reliable Win-focused “TOBY”
Randy Vásquez (SDP) – I don’t dig his overall approach. There’s nothing to speaks to production in 12-teamers.
Zack Littell (TBR) – Is he going to be long for the rotation? Littell may have another week until Boyle replaces him, we’ll see.
Patrick Corbin (TEX) – Looks like Corbin is starting this week despite not being fully ramped up. As if that changes things.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – He’s throwing sinkers and curves not…? And not sitting 96/97? And can’t go five frames? Stop holding on this hope.
Tyler Mahle (TEX) – The ceiling isn’t high enough to justify holding through adjustment back to the majors.
Brad Lord (WSN) – WHO?!.GIF. He’s in for Soroka and expect nothing.
Trevor Williams (WSN) – #NeverTrevor
SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES
| Rank | Pitcher | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarik SkubalT1 | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 2 | Garrett Crochet | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Paul Skenes | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Zack Wheeler | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 5 | Jacob deGrom | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 6 | Cole Ragans | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 7 | Logan Gilbert | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 8 | Spencer StriderT2 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 9 | Max Fried | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 10 | Tyler Glasnow | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 11 | Michael King | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 12 | Hunter Greene | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 13 | Chris Sale | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 14 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 15 | Dylan Cease | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 16 | Joe Ryan | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 17 | Spencer SchwellenbachT3 | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 18 | Tanner Bibee | Ace Potential Quality Starts | - |
| 19 | Shota Imanaga | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 20 | Logan Webb | Ace Potential Quality Starts | - |
| 21 | Jack Flaherty | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 22 | Bryan Woo | Ace Potential Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +4 |
| 23 | Framber Valdez | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +1 |
| 24 | Drew Rasmussen | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | +11 |
| 25 | Sandy Alcantara | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | - |
| 26 | Corbin BurnesT4 | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -9 |
| 27 | Robbie Ray | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 28 | Freddy Peralta | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 29 | Bryce Miller | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -2 |
| 30 | Ryan Pepiot | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 31 | Luis CastilloT5 | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 32 | Aaron Nola | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 33 | Carlos Rodón | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 34 | Kodai Senga | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 35 | Sonny Gray | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 36 | Hunter Brown | Holly Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 37 | Cristopher SánchezT6 | Holly Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 38 | Zac Gallen | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 39 | Bailey Ober | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 40 | Nathan Eovaldi | Holly Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 41 | Seth Lugo | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 42 | Shane Baz | Holly Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 43 | Nick LodoloT7 | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 44 | Jesús Luzardo | Holly Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 45 | Kris Bubic | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 46 | Dustin May | Holly Ratio Focused | - |
| 47 | Gavin Williams | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -3 |
| 48 | Jeffrey Springs | Holly Quality Starts | +4 |
| 49 | Grant Holmes | Holly Wins Bonus | +8 |
| 50 | Tylor MegillT8 | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 51 | Landen Roupp | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 52 | Jackson Jobe | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 53 | Clay Holmes | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 54 | Max Meyer | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 55 | Jordan HicksT9 | Holly Ratio Focused | -5 |
| 56 | Nick Pivetta | Holly Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 57 | Brandon Pfaadt | Holly Quality Starts | +8 |
| 58 | Bowden Francis | Holly Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +5 |
| 59 | Justin Verlander | Holly Quality Starts | +17 |
| 60 | Kevin Gausman | Holly Hipster Quality Starts | +19 |
| 61 | MacKenzie GoreT10 | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 62 | Roki Sasaki | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 63 | Taj Bradley | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 64 | Hayden Wesneski | Hipster Team Context Effect | +16 |
| 65 | Reese Olson | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -16 |
| 66 | Yusei Kikuchi | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 67 | José SorianoT11 | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 68 | David Peterson | Toby Wins Bonus | +7 |
| 69 | Chris Bassitt | Toby Rotation Spot Bonus | -2 |
| 70 | Nick Martinez | Toby Ratio Focused | -2 |
| 71 | Matthew Boyd | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 72 | Michael Wacha | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 73 | Merrill Kelly | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 74 | Brady Singer | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 75 | Shane SmithT12 | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +19 |
| 76 | Bobby Miller | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 77 | Luis L. Ortiz | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 78 | Will Warren | Hipster Wins Bonus | +20 |
| 79 | Matthew Liberatore | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +20 |
| 80 | Walker Buehler | Hipster Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 81 | David Festa | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 82 | Easton Lucas | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 83 | Edward Cabrera | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 84 | Ronel BlancoT13 | Toby Wins Bonus | - |
| 85 | Jake Irvin | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 86 | Eduardo Rodriguez | Toby Quality Starts | -8 |
| 87 | Mitch Keller | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 88 | Clarke Schmidt | Toby Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 89 | Tanner Houck | Toby Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 90 | Luis Severino | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 91 | Erick Fedde | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 92 | Casey Mize | Toby Quality Starts | -10 |
| 93 | José Berríos | Toby Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 94 | J.T. GinnT14 | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 95 | Osvaldo Bido | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 96 | Andrew Abbott | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -19 |
| 97 | Mitchell Parker | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 98 | JP Sears | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 99 | Tyler Anderson | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 100 | Landon Knack | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
It feels like you are low on Pivetta. Maybe he hasn’t changed too much as a pitcher from last year, but the move from Boston to SD is a significant upgrade in park factors. He’s been a top 25 pitcher so far by k-bb, SIERA, FIP; and he’s top 15 by most pitcher list metrics. He does have a Rocky Road start in there, but he also has an Atlanta start where he pitched great. Given all that, it’s hard to see him behind guys like Jackson Jobe (1.7 k-bb), Gavin Williams (14.3 k-bb), Grant Holmes (7.5 k-bb), Roupp, and others . Sure, those pitchers have potential, but their performance hasn’t come close to Pivetta yet. To me, Pivetta belongs in the top 40 at least, not down past Jordan Hicks.
Just traded Lodolo and May to get back Rasmussen. 10-team Yahoo. Foolish?
Where would you have Bubba and Painter in top 100 if got called up today?