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: Pablo López (18)
- Removed: None
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (-1)
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 – Aces gonna ace and we have no notes this week. NO NOTES. For just Skubal, please read all the notes.
2. Garrett Crochet – His extension is still down but he’s crusing regardless with his expanded arsenal.
3. Paul Skenes – Strange to see such a low CSW on his splinker and four-seamer in the last outing, but whatever.
4. Zack Wheeler – Zack has messed around with adding sweepers, splitters, and cutters to his mix, as if he needed to revint the Wheeler.
5. Jacob deGrom – Y’all were terrified of that Dodgers start, weren’t you?
6. Cole Ragans – He finally had a clunker and walked a fair number of batters despite featuring a 60%+ strike rate on all his pitches.
7. Logan Gilbert – Just get that dang heater command in order, sir.
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. Max Fried – I don’t care if it was just two strikeouts, Fried is commanding and keeping the ratios super low earlier than usual. This is good.
9. Tyler Glasnow – Stupid leg cramps ruined what was likely to be another WOWZA Glasnow start.
10. Michael King – The King is wearing the crown. You love to see it.
11. Hunter Greene – We finally saw a moment of mortality, but the fastballs velocity is still very much there.
12. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – Yamamoto is finally making good on his promise. Thanks fella.
13. Spencer Strider – I dropped Strider after his velocity fell drastically throughout his debut. Not a huge shock and the expectation is for it to return shortly, but it may take a moment before Strider is Strider.
14. Dylan Cease – We’ve seen more of the volatility from Cease, and it’s just the nature of the beast.
15. Joe Ryan – Ryan’s secondaries aren’t heavily improved. That’s alright, his four-seamer is still incredible.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
16. Spencer Schwellenbach – We all wanted the AGA tag early and sadly Mr. Crescendo hasn’t beeen able to fully ramp into the man he’s supposed to be. He’ll get there.
17. Pablo López – Ayyy he’s coming back! Here’s to hoping he picks up where he left off.
18. Logan Webb – Webb’s arsenal is as good as I’ve seen it, with the changeup/sinker cooking against RHB once again.
19. Shota Imanaga – Imanaga is solid. I’m not quite sure if he’ll get to the IM AN AGA level again, but we’re all very happy with this.
20. Jack Flaherty – The breaking pitches are reminiscent of 2024’s first half and that’s a very good thing.
21. Bryan Woo – Woo hasn’t unlocked the full arsenal yet, but the heaters are still just as dominant.
22. Drew Rasmussen – He’s so dang hard to hit and on the verge of extending his leash to six frames a game. When that happens, he may receive overwhelming AGA votes.
23. Shane Baz – Baz’s curve is fantastic and the fastball velocity is generally 97+ mph. His recent Yankee start is more of an exception than reality.
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.
24. Chris Sale – Did you realize that Sale has yet to pitch six frames? Or allow fewer than 2 ER? It’s been rough. The skills aren’t, though, and I’m expecting a bounce back in short order.
25. Corbin Burnes – The cutter still isn’t what we need it to be. If the breakers come back into form (which they should), then Burnes is very much still a solid arm, but he’s not a stud without the ole Cutter.
26. Framber Valdez – Oh look, it’s the volatile side of Framber reappearing. I can’t wait for that glorious run that makes us forget about all the turmoil prior.
27. Freddy Peralta – We’ve seen both versions of Peralta thus far and we’re rolling with it. Good luck.
28. Robbie Ray – I don’t believe Ray to be the high walk guy he is at the moment. The secondaries will get strikes again, lean into this.
29. Ryan Pepiot – Pepiot’s stuff is outrageously good and I’m not allowing some rickety outings change the outlook. I look at Tier 5 and say “he has the same floor and a higher strikeout upside.” It’s close and I don’t mind if y’all want to push him back all the way to Tier 6.
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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.
30. Carlos Rodón – Rodón is looking like that stable Holly you want on your rosters.
31. Sonny Gray – Sonny is often showing his Gray side, but has the skills the adapt in each start to make it turn out alright. I’m not sure if that can last for ages, though.
32. Hunter Brown – If he’s actually sitting 97/98 mph for the season, sure I get it. I still wonder what his hero pitch is. I guess that heater…? There isn’t a legit secondary and that has me more scared than others.
33. Nathan Eovaldi – Eovaldi’s curve and splitter are working while the four-seamer and cutter earn strikes. I love this version of Eovaldi.
34. Cristopher Sánchez – He embarassed the Marlins with his changeup (50% usage!) but I’m not sure that’s sustainable. The sinker is likely to still be a problem over the middle of the plate and allow more hits than ideal.
35. Kodai Senga – I like Senga’s wide arsenal, though I’m surprised the cutter usage has taken a step back, not the four-seamer.
36. Seth Lugo – Yep, he’s Lugo. A good ole Holly you’re never gonna drop.
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. Bryce Miller – Byrce hasn’t taken a step forward since last year and is using a sinker/four-seamer mix that needs a bit more tweaking. His luck from last year isn’t carrying over as if he upset Koufax or something.
38. Tanner Bibee – Bibee hasn’t had his cutter on point and it’s messing everything up. I’m expecting the pitch to return in time, but why does he have the face the Yankees this week?
39. Sandy Alcantara – The velocity is at 97 mph, but the command has been worse since his hiatus after welcoming a new child to the world. I have to believe he’ll improve over time, but there is a feeling he’s not quite the same post TJS.
40. Jesús Luzardo – Luzardo has just been too good with his new sweeper. But he wasn’t great against the Giants! You know, I kinda dug it. Not the bottom line itself, but the fact that on a night Luzardo didn’t have his stuff working, the result wasn’t as catastropic as we’re used to seeing. Those nights will happen – the best are the ones who limit the damage.
41. Nick Lodolo – Lodolo is healthy and looking as solid as he’s ever been. I’m on board with this for the first time in a long time.
42. Bailey Ober – Bailey, can you please return to your Oberizzi self again? WE NEED YOU.
43. Aaron Nola – Nola’s velocity is still down and I’m worried about it. The command isn’t terrible, but the fastballs are hittable and that’s a scary thing.
44. Luis Castillo – Speaking of hittable heaters, Castillo’s aren’t getting any better and the slider/change are not able to keep the water out of the boat. This may be the stark decline we’re always afraid of.
45. Zac Gallen – SPEAKING OF HITTABLE HEATERS, Gallen was forced to use more of them when his curve left him and it was rough. In fact, he’s only had one truly great outing this year and we’re all terrified. It’s the hardest thing we do in fantasy – when is it time to drop these arms? Last year, it was Gausman and Bobby, before that Manoah, etc. Go with your gut – mine says Gallen is enough of a vet to figure something out to be worthwhile this year, but I don’t blame anyone moving on.
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.
46. Landen Roupp – Yeah, he’s pretty dope. The curveball is absurd and he reminds me of a young Nola with his sinker/curve. We’ll see more changeups and cutters when he faces more LHB and I’m looking forward to those getting refinment as well to make him more of a stable arm with the same high strikeout rate.
47. Dustin May – He’s safer than Roupp (all of Tier 7 is) but doesn’t have nearly the same strikeout ceiling. He’ll get a fair number in time once he gets more reps with his curve and cutter, don’t worry.
48. Chris Bassitt – The dude has a sub 1.00 ERA and just fanned ten against Atlanta. Yes, he’s looking like his old self.
49. Grant Holmes – Atlanta is letting him toss 100 pitches and he’s exhibited production already despite not being at his peak. Once the curve and slider are earning whiffs and the four-seamer gets strikes, you’ll be signing his name through the markets.
50. Kris Bubic – Bubic has a solid four-seamer foundation with a change and breakers that should make for a legit Holly type throughout the year.
51. Nick Pivetta – Pivetta’s embrace of a larger arsenal to RHB has me exhaling. It’s about dang time, fella.
52. Max Meyer – The velocity is back! I was terrified when I saw his slider and four-seamer sit at their respective 2024 levels but we’re up two ticks again and LIFE IS GOOD.
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.
53. MacKenzie Gore – Gore is only allowed to dominate in the toughest matchups and yes, that’s all kinds of frustrating. I have to mention, though, 28 whiffs with the greatest RHB precision he’s ever had is one of those things that makes you dream he’s unlocked something sustainable. Just look at this strikezone plot.
54. Jordan Hicks – How can you have Hicks so high?! Because y’all are underrating the schedule and the fact that Hicks sat 99 mph in his last start. This isn’t like last year when he pumped 97/98 mph for one game, then fell to 95/96 mph after. He’s going through a gauntlet of offenses and I see a much improved Hicks to steer your teams this year. Probably.
55. Gavin Williams – This is acknowleding how rough things have been while also recognizing that he’s likely to add a bridge pitch to give his elite four-seamer a bit of help. Feel free to move on if you’d like – I don’t believe this three-pitch version of Gavin is here to stay.
56. Jackson Jobe – Give Jobe some credit – he’s trying to figure out what to do with his arsenal while experiecing the life of a starter in the majors for the first time and still producing in the moment. Sure, it’s not the absurd lines you wanted when you drafted him, but the potential is very much there and not hurting your squads as he plods along his journey.
57. Tylor Megill – I kinda want to lower Megill more after his BSB approach disappeared in his fourth start, but I need to give him a chance to get it back once before I completely jump ship. Tylord, come back. I know you’re in there.
Tier 9 – The Tobys Who Could Be More
These are potential Holly arms and I can see how all of them can take the leap across the next month.
58. Justin Verlander – You saw a glimpse of it against the Angels on Sunday – Verlander still has it in him to be a legit six inning darling. He didn’t even have his best slider in that one and with two ticks increased velocity and the four-seamer back on track, I see a stable “Holy’ arm in the future. Just do it ONCE, please.
59. Kevin Gausman – I get it. You’re going to hold onto Gausman given how well it’s gone thus far. I don’t buy that he’s a four-seamer dominant pitcher all of a sudden, but I get it. Roll with it for as long as it works.
60. Brandon Pfaadt – Pfaadt should be a stable arm now that he’s figured out a LHB approach. IT’S ABOUT TIME.
61. Jake Irvin – Irvin is hinting at his 2024 first half with his current curveball feel, including a dominant two-step against the Pirates and Coors. You should be rostering Irvin until he breaks, once again.
62. Bowden Francis – The four-seamer is still performing and he’ll drive me up the wall as I don’t quite get it without more support from his secondaries, but sure, we keep going.
63. Clay Holmes – The Adobe needs to show more consistency earning strikes across his arsenal for me to push him back above Tier 9.
Tier 10 – You Want To Ride The Magic Bus
It’s a little section of arms who everyone is buzzing about. So why not, take a chance and figure out if these stick.
64. Matthew Liberatore – I’m digging Liberatore sitting 95 mph for two starts while also vastly increasing his slider usage to both LHB and RHB. Let’s take a chance a go for this instead of the shrugs below.
65. Andrew Abbott – Abbott’s low fastball velocity has me a little skeptical, but the changeup was much better in his second outing and I’d go for it. If that slowball is real, the curve and four-seamer should do enough to make lives tough for RHB and LHB alike.
66. Shane Smith – He’s super fun to watch with the changeup, but there’s more polish left add + his stamina isn’t quite where we want it to be yet. Oh, and the White Sox.
67. Tyler Mahle – Mahle has overperformed with his 92 mph fastball and underwhelming splitter + slider and I don’t buy it, but sure, let’s Vargas Rule this one.
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?
68. Roki Sasaki – Sasaki is trying to make his slider work. It’s not working. Maybe sinkers or cutters instead?
69. Taj Bradley – Will Taj have his command? Will he not? Who knows. Enjoy the anxiety all year.
70. Jeffrey Springs – It’s hard to tell when we’ll get tears or sunshine & rainbows. At least the changeup is still good.
71. Yusei Kikuchi – I kinda want to lower Kikuchi to Tier 13 but I recognize that he’s been decently productive and still has a great schedule ahead.
Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Innings
I expect them to be rostered in your 12-teamers and will be solid stabalizers throughout the year.
72. David Peterson – I really dig his extension and I may be underrating Peterson. I think I need more validation in the slider and changeup both working on a given night.
73. José Soriano – If the slider becomes a huge thing against RHB, he could break out of this tier. For now, just throw sinkers and curves for strikes and we’re cool.
74. Reese Olson – I haven’t seen Olson look peak yet this year. Hopefully we do so.
75. Nick Martinez – Martinez has a solid arsenal that he moves around the zone. Not a massive ceiling as only the changeup truly stands out (and he doesn’t use it as such), but he should be a proper Toby.
76. Michael Wacha – Wacha’s slowball is elite and he does a great job moving the heater and cutter around to adapt for it.
77. Matthew Boyd – Boyd has Holly potential and once the schedule frees up, he could go on a run that turns heads.
78. Merrill Kelly – Kelly has a great defense behind him and is doing what you want him to do…save for getting leg cramps with one out left for the Quality Start.
79. Walker Buehler – I’m including Monday’s game against the White Sox. But then why is he so low? Because it was the White Sox and his four-seamer is still mid with the way he’s using it at 93 mph (great HAVAA though!). The sweeper to RHB was stellar and it’s a step in the right direction, but he’s just a Toby for now. I’d chase other things.
80. Clarke Schmidt – He’s still getting stretched out and I’m not even sure he’s that productive of an arm when he is fully ready. Helpful, yes, but how long until we feel secure about it?
Tier 13 – 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.
81. Luis L. Ortiz – The high four-seamer returned for his second straight start and I want to raise him higher. I’m still not convinced the command is there yet (it was a low strike rate despite the 60% hiLoc%) but if the intent continues to be, things should turn out well.
82. Will Warren – Warren was bamboozled in his last outing, but still had the lower arm angle that makes for improved four-seamers upstairs. His next outing could be far better.
83. David Festa – He’ll get the White Sox this week, which makes for a good canvas to see if Festa can produce closer to his ceiling. Just get those secondaries down dangit.
84. Brayan Bello – He’s back from the IL and I’m awfully curious what we get. Likely on a pitch count of some kind (80 pitches?) and I’ll be monitoring the feel of all three weapons – sinkers, sliders, and changeups. When all three work, he’ll shine.
85. Hayden Wesneski – Wesneski has near seven feet of extension and a legit sweeper, but I want to see more from the rest of the arsenal before endorsing him further, even if he’s stationed on the Astros.
86. Edward Cabrera – I know. Cabrera is focusing on more sliders to RHB, though, and there is a visible path for Cabrera to carry plenty of success. JUST SAYIN’. Don’t chase it if you just need innings.
Tier 14 – Fine, You Need More Innings
These guys are a step down from the Tobys in Tier 11 but sure, I get why they’re rostered.
87. Eduardo Rodriguez – Erod has done awfully well as of late and no, I don’t believe he’s capable of putting up the same strikeout numbers this year. He’s fine.
88. Brady Singer – He’s back to sinker/slider with the rare cutter and four-seamer and I like this Singer far less than the other.
89. Casey Mize – Many are cool with Mize, I’m not. I don’t think he has all that much outside of the splitter and four-seamer, the latter of which has fluctuated more than I’d like.
90. Jameson Taillon – He’s on a run at the moment even against tough lineups with his sweeper killing it to RHB. Let’s hope that continues.
91. Luis Severino – It’s Severino. You know what he does and it’s okay.
92. Erick Fedde – Fedde is trying to be Spider-Man and we all wish him the best.
93. Tobias Myers – He’s returning from the IL and I’d give this a start or two before actually jumping in. He should be 12-teamer viable after his first or second start, though.
94. Tanner Houck – Houck got results against the White Sox, but you know the drill. The splitter command wasn’t exclusively gloveside and the sweeper is still missing four inches of horizontal run.
Tier 15 – Streamers and WannabeTobys
I like their matchups and they could be productive for a week before we let them go back to the wire.
95. Tyler Anderson – It’s the Pirates and we love starts like these for Tyler.
96. J.T. Ginn – The sinker is super interesting, but sadly its velocity dropped in his last start. Still consideration for the Rangers, though. He could be something.
97. Andrew Heaney – He’s on a heater and the Angels could keep that afloat? I have little faith in this lasting much longer, if at all.
98. Ronel Blanco – Blanco is all kinds of weird with curves showing up out of nowhere. He could make it work against the Jays for a Win, though.
99. Jack Kochanowicz – A date with the Pirates works for me.
100. Jose Quintana – He gets the Giants and that could be worthy of a stream.
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 entered the rotation and did little to impress. We wait.
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.
Sean Newcomb (BOS) – Wow, he actually did it. No, not even in a good matchup do I want to chase this.
Colin Rea (CHC) – He’s doing his best to fill Steele’s shoes and it’ll take a few more games to get stretched out enough to consider him as a streamer.
Davis Martin (CWS) – The kick change! It’s a thing! And not as elite as the name makes it sound!
Jairo Iriarte (CWS) – With Martín Pérez out indefinitely, Iriarte is getting the first crack at the open rotation spot. Good luck fella, we’ll be cheering you on as we watch your performance on the wire.
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) – This has moments of being cool and then failing to locate the very next inning.
Martín Pérez (CWS) – He was moved to the 60-day IL with forearm soreness and it seems like this is a bigger deal than they initial made of it. Bummer.
Sean Burke (CWS) – His fastball velocity is still down and he’s working on putting it all together again.
Ben Lively (CLE) – He’s barely a 15-teamer Toby who can pull off a stream with the right matchup.
Logan Allen (CLE) – You’re seeing some decent results from Allen but the arsenal doesn’t speak to viability.
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. Maybe he’s worth a play on the road, but even that’s risky.
Keider Montero (DET) – He’s not doing enough to get us excited to add him unless the perfect matchup comes along.
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.
Bobby Miller (LAD) – He didn’t have a good slider or cutter in his return, going fastball and curve mostly and it hurt him in the end. We wait until he returns again and hopefully with a better slider.
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.
Landon Knack (LAD) – He nearly got us the cheap Win, but Roberts pulled him early. Sigh.
Matt Sauer (LAD) – Uhhhh, don’t? It’s likely a bullpen game as they wait for reinforcements.
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.
Logan Henderson (MIL) – Expected to be demoted to the minors with Tobias Myers returning. It’s a bummer, he deserves it more than Chad and Quinn BUT WHATEVER. He’s not on the stash list because I generally don’t think he’s that great. Fastball/changeup that need great command on a given night or it’ll be failure. He really needs a third offering to help mask the 92/93 mph heater (for when it isn’t located upstairs effectively).
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) – He’s been a touch better but I’m not seeing enough change to chase it.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He just doesn’t do enough. Where’s Zebby?
Zebby Matthews (MIN) – I get the most questions about stashing Zebby and while I’m not against it, I don’t feel the need to do so in my 12-teamers. There are plenty of strong arms for streams across the week and value now >> value later. He’ll be around the 60s/70s or so when he gets the call, hoping he can come through on his potential.
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.”
Carlos Carrasco (NYY) – Cookie showed he can go five frames of 3 ER or less. That could be a Win!
JP Sears (OAK) – Sears is a week-to-week arm if there’s a great matchup and nothing better.
Osvaldo Bido (OAK) – Same goes for Bido.
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.
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.
Mitch Keller (PIT) – It feels weird, I know, but the ceiling isn’t a reliable one and it’s Coors this week. You really don’t need to hold Keller.
Thomas Harrington (PIT) – The Pirates may be looking to Harrington for starts and he doesn’t bring the juice Buster would be excited for.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m glad he’s had a moment of decency on the bump. Definitely not a believer, sadly.
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 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? Does it matter?
Patrick Corbin (TEX) – Corbin hath returned and no, he’s not a new man you can trust.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – Leiter makes a rehab start on Tuesday and could return on Sunday. I’d be cautious in that first start and would keep him in my IL slot if I could to assess his status. Hopefully the blister hasn’t demolished the new command he flexed.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – After throwing sinkers and curves, Rocker reverted to four-seamers and sliders and was much better, though he faced mostly RHB. He’s still struggling to get LHB out, but tossing 50%+ sliders is a good idea. I hope that sticks.
Easton Lucas (TOR) – We saw one good outing with his four-seamer upstairs and the other two showcasesd how little else he has, in addition to the pitch’s inconsistency.
José Berríos (TOR) – You’re better off streaming with his heading into Coors. Dropping Berríos is not an issue in a 12-teamer.
Brad Lord (WSN) – WHO?!.GIF. He’s in for Soroka and expect nothing.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) – I kinda dig what he’s doing as of late, but it’s not a good matchup this week and you shouldn’t hold on over streaming options.
Trevor Williams (WSN) – #NeverTrevor
SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarik SkubalT1 | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 2 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 5 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 6 | Cole Ragans | KC | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 7 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 8 | Max FriedT2 | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 9 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +1 |
| 10 | Michael King | SD | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 11 | Hunter Greene | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 12 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 13 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -5 |
| 14 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 15 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 16 | Spencer SchwellenbachT3 | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 17 | Pablo López | MIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 18 | Logan Webb | SF | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +2 |
| 19 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 20 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 21 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Ace Potential Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +1 |
| 22 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 23 | Shane Baz | BAL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +19 |
| 24 | Chris SaleT4 | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -11 |
| 25 | Corbin Burnes | ARI | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +1 |
| 26 | Framber Valdez | DET | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -3 |
| 27 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 28 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 29 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 30 | Carlos RodónT5 | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 31 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 32 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Holly Wins Bonus | +4 |
| 33 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Wins Bonus | +7 |
| 34 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 35 | Kodai Senga | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 36 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +5 |
| 37 | Bryce MillerT6 | SEA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -8 |
| 38 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -20 |
| 39 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -14 |
| 40 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 41 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 42 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -3 |
| 43 | Aaron Nola | PHI | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -11 |
| 44 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -13 |
| 45 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -7 |
| 46 | Landen RouppT7 | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 47 | Dustin May | STL | Holly Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 48 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Holly Ratio Focused | +21 |
| 49 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 50 | Kris Bubic | KC | Holly Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 51 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Holly Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 52 | Max Meyer | MIA | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 53 | MacKenzie GoreT8 | TEX | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 54 | Jordan Hicks | CWS | Frizzle Ratio Focused | +1 |
| 55 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Frizzle Quality Starts | -8 |
| 56 | Jackson Jobe | DET | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 57 | Tylor Megill | NYM | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 58 | Justin VerlanderT9 | DET | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 59 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 60 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 61 | Jake Irvin | WSH | Holly Quality Starts | +24 |
| 62 | Bowden Francis | TOR | Holly Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | -4 |
| 63 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Holly Hipster Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 64 | Matthew LiberatoreT10 | STL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +15 |
| 65 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +31 |
| 66 | Shane Smith | CWS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 67 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Frizzle Quality Starts | +UR |
| 68 | Roki SasakiT11 | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 69 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 70 | Jeffrey Springs | Hipster Quality Starts | -22 | |
| 71 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 72 | David PetersonT12 | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 73 | José Soriano | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -6 |
| 74 | Reese Olson | DET | Toby Strikeout Upside | -9 |
| 75 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | -5 |
| 76 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 77 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | -6 |
| 78 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -5 |
| 79 | Walker Buehler | SD | Toby Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 80 | Clarke Schmidt | NYY | Toby Wins Bonus | +8 |
| 81 | Luis L. OrtizT13 | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 82 | Will Warren | NYY | Frizzle Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 83 | David Festa | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 84 | Brayan Bello | BOS | Frizzle Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
| 85 | Hayden Wesneski | HOU | Frizzle Team Context Effect | -21 |
| 86 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 87 | Eduardo RodriguezT14 | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 88 | Brady Singer | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 89 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 90 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 91 | Luis Severino | Toby Quality Starts | -1 | |
| 92 | Erick Fedde | CWS | Toby Quality Starts | -1 |
| 93 | Tobias Myers | NYM | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 94 | Tanner Houck | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | -5 |
| 95 | Tyler AndersonT15 | SD | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +4 |
| 96 | J.T. Ginn | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus | -2 | |
| 97 | Andrew Heaney | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR | |
| 98 | Ronel Blanco | HOU | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -14 |
| 99 | Jack Kochanowicz | LAA | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 100 | Jose Quintana | COL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
