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):
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!
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: Corbin Burnes (25), Zach Eflin (47), Griffin Canning (51), Ryan Weathers (56)
- Removed: Hunter Greene (6), Ben Casparius (51)
- Net Change Inside Top 60: (-2)
Please understand how this affects movement across The List.
Tier 1 – The True Aces
These pitchers are dope and make us feel dope.
1. Tarik Skubal – He’s really looking like a guy in his own tier, isn’t he.
2. Zack Wheeler – The cutter and splitter are still phenomenal and helping him with his only weakness: LHB. As if he needed the help.
3. Paul Skenes – He’s dope, just not as consistently efficient as Skubal and Wheeler.
4. Jacob deGrom – I don’t see why we should have any doubts about deGrom right now.
5. Cole Ragans – I still wonder how good he could be if the slider and cutter were on point like in the second half of 2023.
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.
6. Max Fried – Fried is doing everything you could ask for and more. He won’t be Tier 1 without the flirtation with 30% strikes, sadly.
7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – He allowed a grand slam to the Sneks. No reason to change his ranking based on that.
8. Garrett Crochet – I’ve said we should “Sell, sell, sell,” Crochet and I stand by it. The extension is still down massively from last year, acting as a major warning sign. Considering the backlash from that statement, it makes for the right time to play it safe and make a lateral trade.
9. Michael King – King still produces even when he doesn’t have his best stuff. That’s an ace.
10. Joe Ryan – After enduring an illness that pushed him back two days, he excelled by hurling slower fastballs and not much else. That’s our man.
11. Bryan Woo – The List Curse affected Woo. So it goes, he’s still dope and makes us feel dope.
12. Logan Webb – Webb has deserved the AGA for a while and I’m happy I can give him his crown. The adjusted approach is working wonders.
Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night
They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.
13. Pablo López – The strikeouts are there and there’s still room to grow with a little more changeup and four-seamer precision.
14. Chris Sale – He’s certainly better as of late, but the slider has been more finicky than usual. 53% strike rate? Really?!
15. Nathan Eovaldi – It’s a huge jump for Eovaldi that I made after the OTC podcast (sorry Eric!) as I realized I meant to lift Eovaldi plenty. He’s simply been too good with all four of his pitches and I don’t see this slowing down massively.
16. Hunter Brown – His four-seamer velocity has fallen down to 96 mph and I still wish there was an elite secondary in the mix, but his wide variety at mid-to-upper 90s creates a high floor.
17. Spencer Schwellenbach – I thought about lowering him to Tier 4. In the end, I see Mr. Crescendo performing better than what we’ve seen over the last three weeks with his curve and cutter.
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.
18. Carlos Rodón – He’s sitting above a 30% strikeout rate and he’s deserved it with his embrace of the changeup.
19. Dylan Cease – After weeks of fighting with his mechanics, he nearly completed seven perfect frames in the Bronx. Considering he’s not missing any time, I’m not weighing in the “forearm cramp” that removed him early.
20. Freddy Peralta – The random appearances of Professor Chaos will always put me on edge. Just set and forget.
21. Robbie Ray – Once the fastball usage fell to welcome sliders, changeups, and curveballs, the walk rate came back down to expected levels. Things are lovely.
22. Jesús Luzardo – The sweeper is still cruising and to see the “off” days come without crooked ER marks is making me believe the catastrophic floor is a thing of the past.
23. MacKenzie Gore – The new slider is still making a huge impact and the stuff is doing the work against RHB.
24. Jack Flaherty – I had him on the precipice of AGA and I can’t given the recent results…but the slider and curve are still dominating. He hasn’t been able to sneak his four-seamer over the plate as well as the past, but I think that’ll stabilize in time.
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 more risk.
25. Corbin Burnes – Oh, so you’re not actually hurt? I guess we’re going to continue rolling with this, though I do think he was a bit fortunate against the Dodgers.
26. Framber Valdez – I don’t think about Valdez a whole lot. Or at least, I try not to. He’ll hurt plenty, then go bonkers for a few starts in a row and fix the mess he made.
27. Aaron Nola – I love the command across his arsenal these days with an embrace for the cutter to help in between.
28. Bailey Ober – He’s a standard Holly with a strikeout per inning.
29. Seth Lugo – Lugo is Lugo. You know what you’re getting.
30. Cristopher Sánchez – I’ll raise Sánchez when we’re further away from the forearm scare.
31. Sonny Gray – Sometimes he’s Gray, most of the time he’s Sonny.
32. Brandon Pfaadt – Pfaadt has done nothing but prove he’s a new arm with a changeup and curve to LHB & his stellar sweeper for RHB.
33. Kodai Senga – I’m a little skeptical about Senga’s outlook but he’s continuing to produce primarily with his four-seamer, cutter, and forkball combo. I wish the heater’s velocity was back up and the cutter was more reliable, but you can’t have everything.
A QUICK NOTE ABOUT THE LIST
This week I had to fundamentally change how I approached the rankings. It’s the typical time of the season when the exciting arms from earlier in the season are either becoming real (Luzardo, Eovaldi, Pfaadt, etc.) or are looking like a HIPSTER (Meyer, Hicks, May, Roupp, etc.). In addition, prospect and injured arms aren’t ready as reinforcements to replace quality arms on the IL, which drains the depth of the landscape to make typical Toby types a bit more appealing than usual.
That means the ranks of pitchers from 30-50 are a bit more aggressive than I’d normally place them. As always, the conversation should never be “This guy is too high/low because of past results.” It should be “This guy should be closer to these guys because of this skill/attribute, etc.” This List is forward thinking as much as possible.
That’s all. I’m legit surprised by many ranks this week, too.
Tier 6 – You’re Helping. I Think. Yeah.
These are arms who are either trending in the right direction or aren’t fading enough for me to be heavily concerned about dropping them far down the list in the upcoming weeks.
34. Zac Gallen – Gallen has gone Canibal McSanchez twice in his last three and I believe it to be a step in the right direction to deal with LHB.
35. Lucas Giolito – This looks awfully high, doesn’t it? I implore you to look at everyone below and see if there is another pitcher better laid out for high volume, Win potential, 25%+ strikeouts, and productive ratios. His velocity came back up to 94 mph after the rainy second start, displaying a new slider/cutter in the upper 80s that fills the massive hole of a #3 pitch. His heater has 18″ of vert with seven feet of extension, and the changeup is still elite. This is legit, y’all. I just need more reps to raise him up the ranks.
36. Clay Holmes – The Adobe has gotten dings from me for his inefficient arsenal, though I have to give him props for finding a way to the finish line constantly. There is regression coming with his inability to induce double-digit whiffs frequently, but who else is there to rank above him at this point?
37. Ryan Pepiot – The mix of elite stuff and good-enough command has me believing that Pepiot will only improve with more reps. Yes, I thought I was going to lower him as well. Seriously. Then I looked at everyone else and thought “Uh, he has similar command and a better arsenal.” Maybe he belongs in tier 7, but he’s in a better place than they are.
38. Nick Pivetta – Pivetta doesn’t seem destined for the higher ranks with his HR rates that are sure to increase as the weather heats up. We’re still starting him regularly now, though.
39. Shane Baz – I truly don’t believe Baz is as poor as three of his last starts have returned. The heater is back to 97/98 mph, the curve is a strike machine, and the changeup should be a huge help. Just stop throwing the slider, okay?
40. Nick Lodolo – Lodolo is solid. Not incredible, but a good trio of pitches that makes him a shockingly stable Holly.
41. Matthew Boyd – Boyd Boyz unite! He hasn’t even found his old slider yet and I’m still excited for what’s ahead. After a tough schedule to start the year, the matchups are easing up with a tick up on the heater and a much-improved changeup to take down RHB.
42. Kris Bubic – I haven’t thought a whole lot about Bubic lately and that’s a good thing. Thanks for being like Boyd but with a better four-seamer and slightly more erratic command.
Tier 7 – Why Do I Feel So Scared?
This is the toughest tier to rank with pitcher stuck in purgatory with the Cherry Bomb tag. Which will turn into the stud you dreamed of and which will be the bust?
43. Tanner Bibee – The cutter is becoming the focus of his arsenal again (sweet!) but it’s not earning whiffs while the changeup isn’t what it used to be. He should get there in time and the clunkers aren’t as painful as others as we twiddle our thumbs patiently.
44. Sandy Alcantara – Sandy had a fantastic line after five before Careful, Icarus ruined the day in Chicago. That said, his changeup also went 4/16 strikes and the fastball wasn’t wielded with confidence like it used to. I know we all want Sandy to be this guy now, but let’s play this logically. There are 4 1/2 months left of the year. Do you believe Sandy will help or hurt you across that time? I absolutely believe he’ll get better, personally.
45. Bryce Miller – The same applies to Miller. He may be destined for an IL trip after mentioning his back problems after two starts ago and a small comment about “something” appearing mid-way through Sunday’s affair. In the end, his four-seamer isn’t suddenly worse than it was last year and I’m not ready to call this the new norm.
46. Drew Rasmussen – Rasmussen hasn’t gone six frames yet and that’s all kinds of frustrating. The thing is, he’s allowed to, but he either hasn’t been efficient enough to, or hasn’t been sharp enough to earn it. The fault lies in his cutter command that has taken a step back the last few weeks. That has always been his premium offering and to think it’s suddenly gone forever feels irrational.
Tier 8 – The Borderline Hollys
These are Holly arms and I can see how all of them can take the leap across the next month…or fall down the ranks quickly.
47. Zach Eflin – Eflin is a stable option on what should be a winning team. He’s just one game removed from his IL stint, but with worth starts proving everything is okay, he’ll jump into Tier 5 or 6.
48. Reese Olson – I love the slider and changeup. His sinker and four-seamer give me anxiety, though, especially the latter. We’re regularly starting him for now and hoping the fastballs iron out the kinks.
49. Ranger Suárez – Suárez got beat up in his first outing back from the IL but showcased the command of old, getting the results he deserved over the weekend. Sign me up for stability on a winning team.
50. Matthew Liberatore – Liberatore has displayed volatility throughout his career in the rotation and I’m a little cautious to say he’ll hold 95 mph consistently with feel for his whole arsenal. That said, the Cardinals defense is fantastic and as long as he keeps spotting heaters with his slider/cutter + curve, he’ll be a reliable six-inning arm.
51. Griffin Canning – I owe Canning an apology. He had a good run with what seemed to be the same arsenal from 2024, but with two starts against the Sneks and Cubs, it just didn’t seem right to hold on tight. Now that he cruised through both displaying a new slider with 3-4 inches of extra drop and spotting everything out of the heart of the plate, I’m ready to jump fully into this Vargas Rule. Do I think he’ll be fantastic in July? Absolutely not. But who cares, all of these arms are fragile.
52. David Peterson – I love his extension with a full arsenal that includes two secondaries for whiffs. He’s prime for another sparkling stretch akin to last season.
53. Michael Wacha – It’s hard not to fall for Wacha’s changeup merged with an embrace to nibble with the rest of his arsenal, including a four-seamer with added vert this year.
Tier 9 – 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.
54. Luis Castillo – I’m struggling with what to do with Castillo. The fastballs are getting worse and he’s earned just two whiffs on his slider + changeup across his last two games. Yikes. He’s been known to get better when the weather heats up, though it may be tough to stave off the downward trend we’ve seen for a few years.
55. Gavin Williams – Give it time. The man needs strikes in his life and we’re seeing a touch more embrace for the cutter, which should aid the four-seamer to avoid free passes. Or the sweeper and/or curve could return 65% strike regularly. WOULDN’T THAT BE NICE. The ceiling is simply too high to turn down right now, especially when it could appear overnight.
56. Ryan Weathers – He’s returning on Wednesday as a Still ILL and it’s in your best interest to stash this. His velocity has been up during rehab and he could be the complete pitcher we saw in the spring.
57. Grant Holmes – The Real Estate Broker is still searching for his excellent curveball from last season. You’re so close, just keep leaning into it and it’ll come. Once it does, he’ll have the improved heater and consistent slider to paint a gorgeous canvas for the future.
58. Tylor Megill – The command has wavered over the last few weeks and I’m scared it’s not coming back. Look for the slider to land down-and-gloveside to RHB and for the four-seamer to stay upstairs like an unwanted family of mice. Please, just stay upstairs.
59. Shane Smith – His stamina is improving throughout the year, featuring 95 and 96 mph averages instead of 94 mph with pitch counts climbing past 85. Too bad he’s on the White Sox.
60. Landen Roupp – I jumped Roupp back and forth between Tier 9 and 11 and landed here given the absurd ceiling rooted in a fantastic curve. His cutter and changeup haven’t taken off as well as I’d hoped, but he’s still new to the mound. These are the things that improve over time.
Tier 10 – I Just Need To Get My Feet Under Me
These are your Toby types who I’m comfortable rostering moreso than the next tier. Not too much separates Tier 10 and 11, though these should be prioritized first.
61. Tony Gonsolin – I don’t love the arsenal, but I love the situation.
62. Merrill Kelly – Kelly is a stable Toby in the perfect team situation.
63. Tomoyuki Sugano – Sugano is flexing the command we heard about when he signed in the winter. If it sticks, he’ll rise into the Holly tier inside the Top 50. Roll with him for as long as he has it.
64. Dustin May – I don’t love the extreme sinker/sweeper approach at a lower 94 mph velocity, but I dig the team context. He’s never gone more than ten starts in a season and I’m curious to see how he evolves this year with routine outings. Show us the cutter some more, will ya?
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?
65. Kevin Gausman – He’s back! He’s gone. He’s back! He’s gone.
66. Jackson Jobe – This doesn’t include his start today against the Sawx. Jobe should improve over time as he figures out how to utilize the stuff in his arsenal. He doesn’t have horrible command unlike many other stuff-focused prospects, making me inclined to believe he’s worth the hold as he goes through the hurdles.
67. Cade Horton – I was wrong about Horton. I saw a terrible four-seamer under the hood and I was bamboozled. The dang thing is a cutter. That makes a cutter/sweeper approach that is good enough for his easy schedule ahead. Hopefully he adds more to the repertoire in the majors after not needing anything else when cruising in Triple-A – it’s a good two-pitch combo, but I still need something else for him to be legit.
68. Gunnar Hoglund – I like the overall arsenal and relative makeup, but I worry there isn’t enough juice + he may get displaced when JT Ginn returns. Or it could be Bido…Please be Bido.
69. Jack Leiter – We saw what Jack Zippo is capable of before he hit the IL with a blister. Here’s to hoping that rhythm returns sooner rather than later and who better to summon it than Rockie Road?
70. Will Warren – The four-pitch mix has promise and Warren looks locked into the Yankee rotation for the foreseeable future. It may be a bit rocky here and there for a bit, but there’s a Holly in there.
71. Ronel Blanco – He just destroyed the Reds with his slider/change combo looking just like early 2024. Sadly, the Rangers are tougher and it’s possible it was a mirage, just like it was with Meyer.
72. Max Meyer – Oh, hey, didn’t see you there. While you’re around, can you please find your sweeper and change again? And get back to 96 mph on your fastballs? K thx.
73. Tyler Mahle – Mahle’s lean into cutters with his four-seamer could work. I don’t love the splitter and slider and I’m not sold this will help more than hurt. It’s just a little too dull overall.
74. Taj Bradley – You never know what Bradley will bring to the table. The prototypical HIPSTER.
75. AJ Smith-Shawver – The splitter weirds me out. It’s an unreliable #2 pitch and AJSS is only here due to the favorable schedule + hopes he can nail his four-seamer command & curve.
76. Luis L. Ortiz – He’s getting whiffs with multiple pitches, while the command goes in and out. You really can’t bank on even five innings for a start.
Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Innings
I expect them to be rostered in your 12-teamers and will be solid stabilizers throughout the year.
77. Justin Verlander – The velocity was back to 95 mph, but I’m waiting for a start with prime four-seamer and slider command before trusting him against tough lineups like the Diamondbacks.
78. Clarke Schmidt – Schmidt’s command bothers me a bit and I’m not certain he’s efficient enough to demand a roster spot each week, especially with his recent injury questions.
79. Jameson Taillon – Taillon finally had a bump in the road at Citi Field, possibly ending his Vargas Rule stretch. The sweeper was still great, though, and I’m optimistic he’ll be decent for 12-teamers moving forward.
80. Bowden Francis – Francis’ four-seamer can generate outs and get him through six. The splitter just isn’t enough support for me to lean on him against above-average squads.
81. Chris Bassitt – The curve has let him down more often as of late, leaving Bassitt as mostly a sinker/cutter arm and a sprinkle of six other pitches. Hopefully the curve returns and dominates.
82. Brayan Bello – There’s upside in Bello if the sinker, change, and slider can attack batters constantly. I haven’t seen that in a while.
83. Nick Martinez – I love the changeup. It’s abandoned Martinez a bit too often this year and the rest of the arsenal isn’t much to write home about. He relies too heavily on precision on the edges for me to consider him more than a Toby.
84. José Soriano – Hey Soriano, mind getting that sinker inside to RHB? And feature the slider for strikes? K thx.
85. Brady Singer – This is old Singer. The sinker/slider guy who is recently struggling to get whiffs on his slider. It’s a weird moment.
86. Eduardo Rodriguez – Those high strikeout games sure are interesting. I don’t buy it at all (think Lugo’s 10 strikeout games last year) but he’s still pitching in a good situation and can go six frames.
87. Michael Soroka – Soroka was killing it through five until the sixth ruined the day. His slider is looking great and I hope the 6/18 whiff change we saw in rehab can show up.
88. José Berríos – He’s The Great Undulator. There’s always a chance if that’s your thing.
Tier 13 – I Need A Purpose
These arms could return a fantastic start and you’re desperate to chase something more than a boring streamer. You want to risk it all to get the next big thing.
89. Lance McCullers Jr. – It was an atrocious second start, and it’s disgusting that he received death threats afterward. His stuff is still filthy and he’s displayed far better control in the past, even if not stellar. Don’t count him out for value this year.
90. Jordan Hicks – He’s back up to 98 mph! And can’t command the splitter or sinker. But maybe he does this week…Probably not?
91. Andrew Abbott – I’m failing to see what we should latch onto from Abbott. It’s sub 92 mph on the four-seamer with an unreliable changeup and curve.
92. Jake Irvin – The velocity returned to 92 mph but the curveball was lolipopped over the plate too often. With a touch schedule this week, it’s better to keep him on the wire. Keep an eye on him though – if he’s dotting the edges again, he could be ready for another run.
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.
93. Colin Rea – Don’t bank on Rea for a long time, but sure, start him against the Marlins.
94. Ben Brown – He gets the Marlins this week and next week. That’s worth a stream, even if he’s just two-pitch.
95. Ryan Gusto – If Gusto has his four-seamer spotted upstairs and not chaotic like his last outing, he can take advantage of the Royals. Especially if there’s more from his breakers on display.
96. Luis Severino – He’s a 15-teamer Toby who we stream in shallower leagues when he faces a team like, oh I don’t know, the Giants,
97. Clayton Kershaw – No, I don’t believe Kershaw will make a large impact for your squads. He does pitch for the Dodgers, though, and that could mean a sneaky Win or so. Just keep your expectations very low.
98. Cade Povich – It’s not a terrible schedule and Povich could click into place for a two-step this week. I think he still needs reps to refine his approach, but he could produce on a given night.
99. Tanner Houck – He’s getting torched by the Tigers as I write this, and yet you may still want to consider a rebound over time. He can’t be this bad forever, right?
100. Chase Petty – Petty was horrible in each of his first two starts in the bigs. He’s not a man destined for six walks per start, in fact he was a command arm in the spring. He’s mid-to-upper 90s with a low 90s slider that looks oh-so-filthy and is sure to click in eventually. Who knows, it could be his next outing.
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!
Ryne Nelson (ARI) – With Burnes not actually hitting the IL, Nelson is back to the bullpen. I’m kinda sad about it after he displayed a gorgeous four-seamer in his sole start.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – He hit the IL and isn’t worth the stash. Pretty interesting with increased velo at first and more sink. Keep an eye on him for deeper leagues, but definitely not in 12-teamers.
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – Sometimes, the sunshine and rainbows are the friends we made along the way. And the ones we removed from our lives.
JP Sears (ATH) – Sears is a week-to-week arm if there’s a great matchup and nothing better.
Osvaldo Bido (ATH) – Same goes for Bido.
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. Now he’s out of it and we wait.
Charlie Morton (BAL) – Morton is out of the rotation.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – He’s flexed strikeouts at times and then they disappear randomly. Far too risky.
Kyle Gibson (BAL) – Gibson’s time in the rotation has gone just as expected.
Hunter Dobbins (BOS) – The third Hunter enters the Red Sox rotation for Buehler and doesn’t have enough electricity. Too little to risk the Shag Rug.
Sean Newcomb (BOS) – Annnnd he’s in the bullpen. Even if he comes out of it, we stay away.
Bryse Wilson (CWS) – You’re always here. Somewhere else, but always here.
Davis Martin (CWS) – The kick change! It’s a thing! And not as elite as the name makes it sound!
Jonathan Cannon (CWS) – This has moments of being cool and then failing to locate the very next inning.
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.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) – Senz-A does what Senz-A does.
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.
Germán Márquez (COL) – COL
Kyle Freeland (COL) – Story
Ryan Feltner (COL) – Broooo
Tanner Gordon (COL) – Oh hey, another Colorado pitcher, this time with two first names. DOUBLE WHAMMY.
Keider Montero (DET) – Montero’s fastball has shown some extra life in a few games this year. The slider can miss bats, too, but the overall package is too meh and comes without security in the rotation once Mize is ready to return.
AJ Blubaugh (HOU) – He had a spot start and I wasn’t too impressed by what we saw. I don’t believe we need to be stashing him.
Colton Gordon (HOU) – The Astros may call up Gordon for a spot start this week to help rest their arms for a long stretch of games. He’s a low-90s southpaw with a meh fastball + big sweeper and 83/84 mph change he can throw for strikes. If the control is there, it’s possible he performs against the Royals. We don’t start MLB debuts, though.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) – Oh right, Lorenzen. You’re making a Grave Mistake without the ratios you want on most nights.
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) – If Anderson were getting a decent matchup, he’d be on The List. Sadly, it’s the Dodgers and you don’t have to hold him through it.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) – Kikuchi had a good outing and I still have zero confidence in him. There are better plays to make.
Ben Casparius (LAD) – Annnnd he’s back to the pen. I hate it. LET THE MAN START.
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.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – I know, I KNOW. He 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 with a ton to fix.
Landon Knack (LAD) – He could get us a cheap Win, but Roberts has pulled him one out shy of completing the fifth before. Sigh.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) – He’s getting the second game of the year for the Marlins. Yup. It’s possible the splitter is cooking…?
Edward Cabrera (MIA) – He could be back on The List soon. He’ll get the White Sox and I’m still waiting for a start where he actually executes what he’s trying to do. One day.
Eury Pérez (MIA) – He tossed a single frame in his first rehab start with two strikeouts and 98 mph velocity. Y’all should consider stashing in your IL spots soon if you still can.
Valente Bellozo (MIA) – I’ll give props that Bellozo is pitching better than he has in the past, but there’s still a long distance for him to climb before becoming fantasy relevant.
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..
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) – We initially thought Woodruff was returning on Saturday, until he rolled his ankle and now there’s an asterisk that he may be pushed back slightly. Fun.
Chad Patrick (MIL) – His four-seamer can earn whiffs and we’ve seen a start or two with supreme cutters, but even if both are cooking together, it’s not a lock for production.
DL Hall (MIL) – Hurt and we’ll take a look when he returns.
Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – The Brewers have suddenly made Wednesday a TBA SP and it could be Misiorowski after making his last start on Friday. I’m 100% all in for a spec add if he’s confirmed (feel free to do so for fun now and drop later if not) and I was impressed by Misiorowski’s ability to get his four-seamer in the zone across his last few Triple-A games. If promoted, he’s in the first Frizzle tier on The List with Bubic and friends.
Jose Quintana (MIL) – I was just about to confirm Quintana on The List until it came out that he has a “cranky arm”. Nope, don’t like that. He could start Friday or he could spend time on the IL.
Logan Henderson (MIL) – 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 a 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 not seeing enough to hold onto him for the moment.
Tobias Myers (MIL) – Optioned to the minors. Bummer.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – He’s at 93 mph and lacks a third pitch. I don’t care if it’s the Giants.
David Festa (MIN) – He’s back in the minors with the return of PabLó. The command is still an issue and I don’t think he’s worth a stash.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – He’s doing just enough to prevent Zebby from getting the call. Nick, he had 93+ mph with nearly 20″ of vert on his four-seamer! Fine, it was good and likely not sustainable. WE WANT 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.
Blade Tidwell (NYM) – The Mets had a doubleheader and gave Tidwell the call as the extra man for the day. Tidwell’s four-seamer comes with legit vert and mid-to-upper 90s velocity, though the secondaries weren’t at their best on the adrenaline-fueled day. I’d spec add him in the future if he looks to be entering a secure place in the rotation.
Carlos Carrasco (NYY) – DFA’d/optioned by the Yankees. It was fun. Ish.
Andrew Painter (PHI) – We’re about to get some Triple-A data for Painter and you might want to add him before that start. That data may send the hype levels to another level. That said, he won’t be up for a few weeks with some Triple-A games under his belt, likely around the start of June. He’ll be in the 60s at that time.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – He’s out of the rotation now that Suárez is back. You gave it your all, Walker.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – After a lovely run, Heaney has turned back into a pumpkin. That’s the Heaney way.
Bailey Falter (PIT) – The ceiling isn’t worth the jump. Until he’s on the Rays. ONE DAY.
Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Is now the time to start stashing Bubba? I’d say so. It feels about two weeks away and given everything we’ve seen and read, he’ll be a Top 60ish starter with potential for much more.
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) – You really don’t need to hold Keller.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m glad he’s had a moment of decency on the bump. Definitely not a believer, sadly.
Logan Evans (SEA) – He’s taking Gilbert’s spot in the rotation and there isn’t enough for us to chase at the moment. Maybe the command is better post-debut, though the stuff doesn’t seem overwhelming. Surely there are better options.
Andre Pallante (STL) – The stuff is…eh. I’d rather not.
Erick Fedde (STL) – We can’t rely on him for the moment. Maybe he’ll return later.
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) – He’s back to the bullpen. Womp womp.
Kyle Hart (SDP) – Optioned to the minors for now.
Randy Vásquez (SDP) – I don’t dig his overall approach. There’s nothing to speaks to production in 12-teamers.
Stephen Kolek (SDP) – He’s stepping in for a moment and he’s not a 12-teamer streamer you want to chase.
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.
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.
Eric Lauer (TOR) – You really can’t do this.
José Ureña (TOR) – He tossed two innings in his last “start”. Yay.
Spencer Turnbull (TOR) – He signed with the Jays and he could get a shot at some point. That’s not to say he’ll be just as good as he was during that lovely early run with the Phillies, but let’s keep an eye on it. Not an auto-add to The List when he gets a chance in the rotation.
Brad Lord (WSN) – Soroka is back, which means Lord has returned to the pen.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) – I kinda dig his potential, but y’all see the downside clear as day.
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 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 3 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 4 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 5 | Cole Ragans | KC | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 6 | Max FriedT2 | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 7 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 8 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 9 | Michael King | SD | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 10 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 11 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +1 |
| 12 | Logan Webb | SF | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +1 |
| 13 | Pablo LópezT3 | MIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 14 | Chris Sale | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 15 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +14 |
| 16 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 17 | Spencer Schwellenbach | ATL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 18 | Carlos RodónT4 | NYY | Cherry Bomb Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 19 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 20 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 21 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 22 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 23 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 24 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 25 | Corbin BurnesT5 | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +UR |
| 26 | Framber Valdez | DET | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 27 | Aaron Nola | PHI | Holly Quality Starts | +1 |
| 28 | Bailey Ober | MIN | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 29 | Seth Lugo | KC | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 30 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk | +2 |
| 31 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 32 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +14 |
| 33 | Kodai Senga | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 34 | Zac GallenT6 | ARI | Holly Quality Starts | +6 |
| 35 | Lucas Giolito | SD | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +10 |
| 36 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Holly Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 37 | Ryan Pepiot | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 38 | Nick Pivetta | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 39 | Shane Baz | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -13 |
| 40 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 41 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +20 |
| 42 | Kris Bubic | KC | Holly Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 43 | Tanner BibeeT7 | CLE | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -5 |
| 44 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -7 |
| 45 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -10 |
| 46 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -21 |
| 47 | Zach EflinT8 | BAL | Toby Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 48 | Reese Olson | DET | Toby Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 49 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus | +13 |
| 50 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Toby Strikeout Upside | +14 |
| 51 | Griffin Canning | SD | Vargas Rule Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 52 | David Peterson | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | +11 |
| 53 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +7 |
| 54 | Luis CastilloT9 | SEA | Hipster Quality Starts | -13 |
| 55 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | -2 |
| 56 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 57 | Grant Holmes | ATL | Hipster Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 58 | Tylor Megill | NYM | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 59 | Shane Smith | CWS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +17 |
| 60 | Landen Roupp | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 61 | Tony GonsolinT10 | SD | Toby Wins Bonus | -9 |
| 62 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +8 |
| 63 | Tomoyuki Sugano | COL | Toby Quality Starts | +16 |
| 64 | Dustin May | STL | Toby Ratio Focused | -6 |
| 65 | Kevin GausmanT11 | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | -11 |
| 66 | Jackson Jobe | DET | Frizzle Stash Option | -19 |
| 67 | Cade Horton | CHC | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 68 | Gunnar Hoglund | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | -11 | |
| 69 | Jack Leiter | TEX | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 70 | Will Warren | NYY | Frizzle Wins Bonus | +19 |
| 71 | Ronel Blanco | HOU | Frizzle Wins Bonus | +20 |
| 72 | Max Meyer | MIA | Frizzle Stash Option | -16 |
| 73 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Hipster Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 74 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 75 | AJ Smith-Shawver | ATL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 76 | Luis L. Ortiz | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 77 | Justin VerlanderT12 | DET | Toby Quality Starts | -9 |
| 78 | Clarke Schmidt | NYY | Toby Wins Bonus | +2 |
| 79 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 80 | Bowden Francis | TOR | Toby Quality Starts | +1 |
| 81 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | -14 |
| 82 | Brayan Bello | BOS | Toby Wins Bonus Injury Risk | -16 |
| 83 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | -12 |
| 84 | José Soriano | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -12 |
| 85 | Brady Singer | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 86 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 87 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +8 |
| 88 | José Berríos | TOR | Toby Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 89 | Lance McCullers Jr.T13 | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -30 |
| 90 | Jordan Hicks | CWS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 91 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 92 | Jake Irvin | WSH | Frizzle Quality Starts | -5 |
| 93 | Colin ReaT14 | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 94 | Ben Brown | CHC | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 95 | Ryan Gusto | MIA | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 96 | Luis Severino | Streaming Option Quality Starts | - | |
| 97 | Clayton Kershaw | SD | Streaming Option Team Context Effect Injury Risk | +UR |
| 98 | Cade Povich | BAL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 99 | Tanner Houck | BOS | Streaming Option Quality Starts Rotation Spot Bonus | -15 |
| 100 | Chase Petty | CIN | Strikeout Upside Stash Option | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
