Have questions? My “office hours” are on Twitch 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday – Friday + the aforementioned stream of The List.
It’s time for regular updates to THE LIST, where I rank the best 100 starting pitchers in baseball every week.
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 (Wins, not QS). 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.
Before we begin, here is the Top 100 List table without scrolling for those with PL Pro:
Per usual, I’ve taken all of our injured compatriots and thrown them into a separate table. 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 their value on your IL or bench.
It’s so hard to determine where injured arms should go, so I elected to merge the in-season List with the pre-draft rankings into one table that outlines the general area where they’d be ranked when at full strength.
I also get many questions about stashing minor league SPs and it’s not my best strength. I spend a ton of energy on SPs currently inside rotations that it’s difficult to stay on top of the budding minor league arms. That said, I have a very loose SP stash list, that is all about “If this guy were up right now, would he be an auto-add or a spec-add?”, with a sprinkle of favoring their ETA.
Treat it s a bonus table, not a proclamation of the future. It’s just a general idea and I’m sure I’m missing someone or may have one or two guys flipped in time. I have highlighted in green the guys I think who will be up before the ASB and make a solid impact:
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 HAVE MOVED IL ARMS OFF THE LIST. It’s the reason why a lot of arms have gone up.
- 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.
Injured Pitchers Removed From The List: Max Fried (10), Blake Snell (21), Robby Snelling (57)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: None
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 60: (+3)
Tier 1 – Highlander
1. Paul Skenes (PIT) – Oh no, his ERA isn’t sub 2.00! HOW DARE HE.
Tier 2 – Can I Just Rank Them All as SP #2?
2. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – No reason to stop now. He was the #1 ranked Yahoo player in my 6×6 QS league entering today, FWIW.
3. Chris Sale (ATL) – The tier name says it all. Sale has a stupid good case for SP #2.
4. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – deGrom allowed a few too many HRs. It happens.
5. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – Jay Mis is flirting with a 40% strikeout rate this year and a sub 6.0 Hit/9. It’s unreal.
6. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – Sánchez has done an absurd amount of work to help you forget the two starts of 23 hits combined. Please continue, I don’t want to remember.
7. Bryan Woo (SEA) – Two games with plenty of HRs and he’s been fantastic otherwise.
8. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – How can you put him so low?! Because he has an innings cap relative to the others. He’ll never pitch twice in one week. Sigh.
9. Chase Burns (CIN) – Burns had one blip and that’s it. Remember when he was hurt in the preseason and we didn’t know if he’d be okay?
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
10. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – This isn’t to say The Inquisitor is bad. Just not in the same groove as the second tier.
11. Nolan McLean (NYM) – You may be surprised to learn that McLean has allowed a run in every start this season. Even Ober has done that.
12. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – He got his AGA label back after his fastball sat 96+ mph, matching its form from 2025. He’s back. Probably.
13. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – IM AN AGA is still around, but the fastball velocity is dipping a little + Wrigley is no fun when it heats up. Prime sell high.
Tier 4 – Is There More Or Is This It?
14. Joe Ryan (MIN) – He seems completely fine since his injury scare, sitting 93+ mph in each of his last two. Just give me one more and the AGA label returns.
15. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Speaking of being fine, Eovaldi had his start skipped last Monday and I had no idea if an IL stint was incoming or not. Well, he pitched over the weekend and was a stud. He’s fine.
16. Dylan Cease (TOR) – Cease’s marks for the season are glorious n all, but as y’all know, he’s a textbook Cherry Bomb. I truly hope he sticks at an elite level the entire year. You never know with him.
17. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – Gausman is a solid Holly. Just lock him into your lineup, understand the WHIP may be a little higher than you want, and let it fly.
18. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – Another Cherry Bomb here in Gilbert, who dominates one day, then can’t execute an approach for a full outing in the next.
19. George Kirby (SEA) – The stuff and ability to locate is there, but the approach is not. I’m confident there is a recipe for dominance here, the question is if Kirby can find it.
20. Carlos Rodón (NYY) – Rodón hasn’t impressed in his first starts since coming off the IL. This may be too optimistic of a ranking, and I’ll re-assess next week if he continues to be inefficient.
Tier 5 – Quality Volume Most Of The Time
21. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – He’s allowed more hits than usual across his last few and I’m wondering if there’s a reason for it. I could be missing something in his cutter or fastball command, or it may just be an oddity of the season.
22. Framber Valdez (DET) – No more four-seamers (ha) and a new slider for LHB are cool with me.
23. Gavin Williams (CLE) – SAY WHAT?! I know, this looks ridiculous, doesn’t it? I’ve wanted Gavin to have one skill this season and he’s featured it in six straight starts: Strikes. He’s held a 70%+ strike rate in five of his last six games. It came with a few clunkers, absolutely, yet he’s clearly made a tweak to find the zone far more than before. Now if he just dials it back a touch, he’s golden. I believe in a high-strike version of Gavin for the foreseeable future, and let’s be honest, Peralta and Luzardo aren’t locks every night.
24. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – Hey, why are you throwing shade at me? Is that you or Professor Chaos talking? Uhhhh. Six walks, eh, Peralta? SIX?! I gotta run, let’s catch up soon, yeah?
25. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – Luzardo at least has dominant outings to make up for his clunkers, like a true Cherry Bomb.
Tier 5.5 – The Pitcher List Hall Of Famers
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Tier 6 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
26. Parker Messick (CLE) – I’m a big believer in Messick’s command and he’s done nothing to push against it. He’s a QS darling.
27. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – McShane’s changeup feel is here to stay, y’all. He’s a strong SWATCH moving forward.
28. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft’s slider and curve are doing everything we could ask of them. I sure hope he hold this control.
29. Logan Henderson (MIL) – It’s difficult ranking Henderson and Harrison, and I’m going with the former for his more reliable arsenal, even if the sweeper/slider isn’t part of the equation anymore.
30. Kyle Harrison (MIL) – That four-seamer is so good at the top of the zone. It means he can succeed on a given night even when the change and curve are not killing it.
31. Michael King (SDP) – King starts a mini-tier of major names who I feel like I need to respect this high up, but have their own concerns. With King, his command can fluctuate in a game, leading to more walks than we’d like, but he has massive potential to go on a dominant run and hasn’t hurt us thus far.
32. José Soriano (LAA) – We’ve seen three poor outings in his last four, though the Dodgers start we just witnessed was ridiculous. Five great innings followed by four walks and a HBP to return 2 ER without a hit or error. How do they leave him in for that long?!
33. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – I’ve been waiting for Bradish to wake up for a while and now he’s put together a pair of fantastic outings, including ten strikeouts against the Athletics and all the whiffs against the Yankees. Give me one more, Bradish. Please.
34. Robbie Ray (SFG) – Ray is who he is – a worse Cherry Bomb than those in the tier above. Cool to see him embrace the changeup more these days.
35. Sonny Gray (BOS) – It’s usually Sonny, sometimes Gray. There’s a long track record of effectiveness that makes us hold him.
Tier 7 – I Feel Like The Guy With Too Many Limes
36. Will Warren (NYY) – Alright Warren, you’ve been solid save for a hiccup or two. I still wish your secondaries were deadlier and a larger part of your approach, but we’ll live.
37. Michael Soroka (ARI) – Soroka is locked in. His pitch separation is elite and even without stellar heaters, he’s spotting them well with his new cutter to make him a strong arm in all formats.
38. Ryne Nelson (ARI) – You know the drill. It’s an elite four-seamer with developing secondaries that have taken a small step forward this year to return a few more whiffs. He’s a low-end Holly.
39. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m a little worried about Hancock’s four-seamer. It was 14″+ vert in his exceptional season debut, and has fallen to sub 10″ across May. He’s produced nonetheless (save for one outing) and it could be nothing to worry about in the end.
40. Connelly Early (BOS) – Early might not look incredible in the shallow stats, but his wide arsenal from the left side grants a higher floor than many of his youthful peers, at the cost of strikeout electricity. That’s completely fine with me – don’t ignore the possibility he takes steps further as he digs his cleats into the mound for months.
41. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – I’ve focused a ton on Sheehan’s velocity drop this year, and yet, his arsenal’s SwStr rates are nearly identical to their 2025 marks. We ride.
42. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – Prielipp finally had good weather and guess what? His best start of the year with six frames and eight strikeouts. Well, if you just look at the results. His slider command was far worse, floating upstairs a ton instead of nailing the backfoot to RHB and landing down-and-away to LHB, but the changeup and four-seamer worked just fine with some solid curveballs in the bunch. We like this guy. A lot.
43. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – It feels precarious, still. Weathers’ fastball is more hittable than you’d think with his ability to gas it up into the upper 90s, and his injury history makes me question how much longer he’ll stay on the field. However, as long as he’s here, we’re chasing that strikeout upside and solid Win chance.
44. Payton Tolle (BOS) – I do my best to avoid pitchers who seemingly struggle to seuqence properly during an at-bat. That is, they can put the heater here, changeup there, cutter inside, etc. Tolle isn’t one of those arms – HERE. HIT FASTBALL. NO? MAYBE CUTTER? (I’m so sorry Tolle, you’re not anything like this caveman I just created) – and he can get away with it when he throws strikes given his excellent stuff, rooted in high velocity and elite 7.5+ feet extension.
45. Max Meyer (MIA) – This is the best I’ve ever seen Meyer, carrying an 18″+ vert four-seamer that allows him to have a proper fastball foundation to set up his phenomenal breaking balls.
46. Landen Roupp (SFG) – It’s been a difficult schedule and you should get excited for the full season of Roupp. He wields his arsenal beautifully, save for a few moments each start when he loses a batter or two. Great home park + the improved feel = legit moving forward.
47. Bryce Miller (SEA) – Miller showed up with absurd gains in his Still ILL last week. We’re talking better velocity (2-3 ticks!), better movement, Papa John’s.
48. Spencer Strider (ATL) – This isn’t the old Strider, but it may be a little better than last year’s Strider. He’s earned a little more vert on the heater and…well that’s it. I hope that’s enough, but I have some doubts.
Tier 8 – Fine, You Need Some Innings
49. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – This ranking was made before tonight’s game against the Rays and OH BOY WE’RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT ONE IN THE ROUNDUP. I’m not going to change it retroactively, despite my view that Rogers has looked a lot better than the results have indicated. I wonder what I’ll find tonight. After such a bad performance, I’d likely move him into the middle of Tier 9, unless something obviously unlucky happened.
50. Davis Martin (CHW) – Davis keeps cruising and his stuff isn’t as bad as you’d think – 95 mph velocity, a wide array of pitches, it’s not so unbelievable.
51. Merrill Kelly (ARI) – This is the Kelly we’ve been waiting for. Start the fella and let it ride.
52. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – Same with Suarez. He’s found his groove and you keep starting him.
53. Nick Lodolo (CIN) – Lodolo hasn’t quite gotten to where we want him to be, and I see it as shaking off some rust. He’ll have better than a 48% strike rate on his curve, I promise.
54. Bryce Elder (ATL) – The legend grows, even if we all know it can’t last forever. We’ll hop off when the wheels are over the cliff.
55. Michael Wacha (KCR) – Wacha is maneuvering games effectively with his deep arsenal. Like Elder, it’s a Vargas Rule and we’ll talk later.
56. Nick Martinez (TBR) – Martinez feels like the least believable of the bunch. Here’s to him defying the odds as we hold until he gives us a great reason not to. That changeup can’t be this good forever, right?
Tier 9 – WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
57. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – I question if the command is good enough, though he did perform better in his last outing, especially with his slider.
58. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – Alcantara made a major adjustment last start with a heavy focus on a harder slider (cutter?) and his changeup, while he avoided throwing heaters over the heart of the plate. It was just one outing, but it could mean an adjustment for the future.
59. Edward Cabrera (CHC) – Why can’t we just get the same approach from Cabrera in every start?
60. Eury Pérez (MIA) – I can’t trust him to execute, even if the stuff is so good. I’m like everyone else in the industry – he should be better than this – and yet, he doesn’t locate effectively. But his approach to RHB was better! It was! And it was one game + his LHB approach was terrible. Fiiiine.
61. Foster Griffin (WSH) – That was a rough day at the park, eh? I think he’s done so well that we can’t write him off completely after a terrible game where batters took advantage of mistakes middle-down. His arsenal was generally the same, just the wrong side of the coin.
62. Reid Detmers (LAA) – My fear is that Detmers will struggle to find his April slider, just as he has in many other seasons when June arrives. The slide piece has declined a bit lately, and I wonder if it’s time to jump ship.
63. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – Gore should be so much better than this. He really hasn’t given you a great reason to hold, but he has all the tools to make it work. Hopefully the home park will at least let the odds be in his favor moving forward.
Tier 10 – These Could Be Holds All Year
64. Christian Scott (NYM) – I dig Scott at least as a Toby for the year, and possibly a Holly as he gets more frames for the Mets. They need him to go six often and his four-seamer, sweeper, cutter are a good enough trio to come through consistently. Please throw away that Still ILL from weeks ago.
65. Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – The Pasta Pirate has frustrating command, but the stuff is legit, featuring elite extension, a super flat four-seamer, a curveball he adores, and a slew of other pitches to mix over the plate. The games where he has that hook cooking without a terrible feel for the heater, he’ll come through. It’s like a prime McCullers.
66. Randy Vásquez (SDP) – I see a Toby here with the chance to be more if he can hold onto the 95/96 mph velocity and keep getting whiffs on his cutter. It can be such a deadly pitch.
67. Peter Lambert (HOU) – Lambert has a long leash in Houston and enough in the belt to get through six innings constantly + there are nights when the heater and changeup go BSB and he carves the lefties he sees.
68. Casey Mize (DET) – Mize returned from the IL and before his injury, I was intrigued by his newfound confidence in the slider. The Still ILL picked up where he left off, and I’m wondering if Mize is entering a new phase of his career. We’re talking a 40%+ CSW slider to mix with a decent fastball and whiffable splitter.
Tier 11 – What Will They Become?
69. Griffin Jax (TBR) – I’m awfully curious if Jax can hold his 95/96 mph velocity when stretched out to 80 pitches. If so, there’s a lot to like here…if he can find the zone enough.
70. Trevor McDonald (SFG) – If McDonald were locked into the Giants’ rotation, he’d be at least one tier higher, arguably three. He features a true sinker + an excellent breaker + a developing changeup to LHB. We just don’t know if he’s sticking around if Logan Webb returns this week. He should take Houser or Mahle’s spot, but we’ll see.
71. Zebby Matthews (MIN) – I wasn’t convinced by Zebby’s season debut, with lower velocity and questionable locations inside the zone. Be careful.
72. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Abbott has found some good fortune lately, but I’m waiting for his changeup and four-seamer combo to take down RHB effectively before I buy in.
73. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – It’s still 93/94 mph fastballs with a slider. He spots them well, sure, but with a terrible whiff rate, it’s not sustainable at all.
74. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – Cantillo has a legit changeup…at times. He’s lost the feel for his arsenal lately and I don’t trust the fastball to avoid punishment. There’s upside for a a fair number of strikeouts on a given night when the slowball is cooking, though.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
75. Sean Burke (CHW) – It’s time for the streamers of the week. Burke will head to @TEA and maybe he puts it all back together.
76. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – Seems like a solid stream hosting Rockie Road.
77. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – I don’t buy the fastballs, but the curve is legit and he’ll get to use it plenty against the Mets.
78. Matthew Liberatore (STL) – Libby has been better in his last two, though I’m not too confident he’ll spot his arsenal well against the Pirates. I’d be very cautious against the Reds, though.
79. Michael McGreevy (STL) – McGreevy has had a wild season, including high strikeout games that make little sense. Who knows, maybe he can keep it going against the Pirates and even further than that.
80. Stephen Kolek (KCR) – With Bubic hitting the IL today, Kolek is keeping his rotation spot to host the Mariners even if Ragans returns. He’s a possible QS arm if you’re looking for it.
81. Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) – It feels so wrong to put Carmen above Bubba, but he’s getting opened for and it creates a decent win chance when he heads to St. Louis. Please throw more breakers.
82. J.T. Ginn (ATH) – I’m not in love with his whiffability. I do like his long leash and solid precision to find the edges. That may be enough for @LAA and @SDP this week.
83. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – Don’t expect more than six, if even that, but with two decent starts (ATH, TEX), Ureña’s changeup could do enough to provide value.
84. Noah Cameron (KCR) – Cameron’s command was a step up last game and he’ll get the Red Sox in Kansas City. That seems like a decent outing to test the waters.
85. JR Ritchie (ATL) – Two starts of @MIA and WSH await. I heavily question if the stuff is there to prevent a low floor, but the changeup could work against the LHB-heavy Nats again + the Marlins are the Marlins.
86. Dustin May (STL) – He’s gotten more whiffs lately and has a great chance to go six.
87. Noah Schultz (CHW) – Schultz’s command has been far worse than what we saw in the debut, but it is @TEA and @SFG this week. He’s not destined to pitch poorly forever.
Tier 13 – The Ball And Chains
88. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Dude, I don’t know. Stop throwing max effort so often and focus on precision? Maybe that’s all it is?
89. Zach Thornton (NYM) – He’s making his debut on Wednesday for the Mets and he’s a slingin’ southpaw with a 91/92 mph sinker and pair of breakers he loves. It’s a PILOT rule, but the Mets will give him an extended look if he does well, given the long absence ahead of The Adobe.
90. Zac Gallen (ARI) – The results haven’t been there at all, and his velocity dropped last time out. There’s a chance he can locate well enough to take advantage of a great schedule – SFG and Rockie Road.
91. Jack Leiter (TEX) – He heads to Coors this week and he’s a quintessential HIPSTER.
92. Mitch Keller (PIT) – He’s so boring. There’s value in QS leagues and at least one of his two starts this week (@STL, @TOR) could be worthwhile, I just don’t see enough of a ceiling to chase it in standard 12-teamers.
93. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Flip a coin and hope for the best.
94. Shane Baz (BAL) – I have yet to see Baz take that step forward, but at least he has a long leash and could go six strong against the Rays.
95. Griffin Canning (SDP) – Here I was, telling you that Canning was pitching far better than the results, and he gets obliterated in a decent matchup. Now he gets the Dodgers, and I hope there’s promise for success after.
96. Seth Lugo (KCR) – Lugo’s curveball velocity has been done all year and the good luck has faded. But sure, if he can locate the kitchen sink well, he could perform against either the Red Sox or Mariners in his home park.
97. Mike Burrows (HOU) – There are whiffs, but the command ain’t letting him execute consistently. Here’s to a breakout game against the Twins that is likely not going to happen.
98. Aaron Nola (PHI) – His command isn’t there and even if the Reds Carpet is still a thing, the floor isn’t worth it.
99. Ben Brown (CHC) – I know many are into BB, but I preach caution. It’s a 2.5 pitch mix (four-seamer, sinker, curve) where the heaters are lackluster, leaving the curveball as the only redeeming quality. He’s not fully stretched out yet, and those seven strikeouts from his last start required a 35% SwStr rate on his curveball. That’s just not going to happen regularly. He needs a proper #3 pitch.
100. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – We saw Sasaki finally give us an outing worth our time, with Savant deciding to call half his splitters as a forkball, despite little difference in movement. It was the best slider command he’s had all year + the Angels failed to punish his four-seamer as so many others have, and his 75% overall strike rate was far-and-away the best of the season. Many red flags here to consider before adding him to your squads.
Wait. You forgot [THIS PITCHER]!
You should be able to find them below, but there are rare times that I removed a pitcher from The List and their name somehow got lost in the shuffle. If there is a super-obvious name that is somehow missing, you better believe it was in error. Simply let me know if I goofed, and I’ll make a swift update.
The following pitchers are sorted not by rank, but by team. I have written a small note on every arm who is currently inside a rotation – if they are not in a rotation, they are ineligible for The List.
Honorable Mentions
Aaron Civale (ATH) – When is the last time you’ve actually been able to trust Civale? I did after his three starts and got burned. Do we have to update the sign? Zero days…
Jacob Lopez (ATH) – I’m not in on Lopez until I see a fun K/BB game from him.
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – We haven’t seen a four-seamer worthy of Sunshine and Rainbows for three starts. He lost a ton of vert, y’all.
Luis Severino (ATH) – I’m not a fan of Sevy at home in Sacré Verde and his away starts aren’t so incredible.
Didier Fuentes (ATL) – We saw him for one start, then he went back to the minors as Ritchie swooped in. Now he’s in the pen. I wonder when we’ll get the Fuentes experience again.
Grant Holmes (ATL) – He’s not going long and he hasn’t broken the Huascar Rule. Not worth it.
Martín Pérez (ATL) – Hey. You. Why are you doing this to yourself. He was DFA’d, you know. And he came back! For six shutout frames! Very true. And who knows how much longer that will go on for?
Brandon Young (BAL) – He’s stepping in for a hurt Dean Kremer and there may be a touch of 15-team value here. I don’t like his arsenal enough to chase in 12-teamers.
Chris Bassitt (BAL) – Maybe this is too low for an arm who has a shot to six frames for a winning team, but then again, Bassitt is so boring.
Brayan Bello (BOS) – Annnnnd we’re back in the doghouse. The ceiling just isn’t worth the floor.
Colin Rea (CHC) – He’s a decent streaming option when the schedule aligns. It’s not there right now.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) – Same goes for Taillon.
Javier Assad (CHC) – Maybe he wins the role in time and it would be super boring.
Anthony Kay (CHW) – As much as I see the path toward legitimacy from Kay, he hasn’t found the consistency yet. He’s walked too many and failed to nail the approach that should work when executed.
Erick Fedde (CHW) – Oh, we’re back with the White Sox again? What’s your agenda?!
Brady Singer (CIN) – He gave us a VPQS against a poor Marlins crew. Ehhhhhhh.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) – I’m waiting for Cecconi to produce a string of starts to force me to consider him again.
Jose Quintana (COL) – He’s in Colorado now, and has the rare moments of being a solid streamer when on the road. Rare.
Kyle Freeland (COL) – Same ole, same ole.
Michael Lorenzen (COL) – You can’t do anything, even with all of your strength.
Tanner Gordon (COL) – You know better.
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) – I’m just happy he gets regular starts. There’s a touch of value on the road
Brant Hurter (DET) – Hurter is the bulk arm for maybe another start or two before Troy Melton returns. I’d much rather stash Melton instead.
Jack Flaherty (DET) – He had a ten strikeout gaem that was unsustainable and returned back to…him.
Kai-Wei Teng (HOU) – Naaaaaah. The breakers can be cool, but it’s really not it, let alone the major question of his length.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) – There’s always a chance he has one of those fun games, but hot dang, the floor is so rough.
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – I need to see him look like a reliable arm before we jump back in.
Cole Ragans (KCR) – Is he returning? Both Coles and Webb could return from the IL this week and let’s treat them all like a “Still ILL’.
Alek Manoah (LAA) – Oh dear. Please don’t.
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) – He returned and it was difficult to watch his Still ILL against the Dodgers. I don’t see exciting stuff of old, sadly.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – I saw some terrible command from Jackie K. this weekend and I don’t like his schedule ahead. He was one of the last arms removed from The List.
Eric Lauer (LAD) – The Jays DFA’d him and he’s a reliever for the Dodgers now. Noooope.
Braxton Garrett (MIA) – I may be adding him to The List next week, but it’s Atlanta now and he was rough in his Still ILL.
Janson Junk (MIA) – Junk, you rascal. Once I feel confident he can command his stuff well, I’ll add him.
Brandon Sproat (MIL) – As much as I believe it’ll get better as the season goes on, sub 40% strikes on his cutter last time was a perfect representation of Sproat’s inability to take the next step forward.
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) – Maybe he returns this week? Who knows. I hope he’s alright.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – He’s sub 89 mph lol. But a CGSHO! It was a night of impeccable command. That disappeared. Fiiiiine.
Kendry Rojas (MIN) – There may be times he gets the pearl, but don’t expect a whole lot of frames. He’s not a proper starter.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – SWR was a wild card entering the year and it sure is wild how wrong this has gone.
David Peterson (NYM) – He’s a Toby at best. I don’t trust him.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – I gave him an honest try. Rockie Road should be better. It wasn’t. How can we hold him after that?!
Tobias Myers (NYM) – He’s not stretched out. I don’t expect the Mets to use him outside the pen or anything above 50 pitches a game.
Gerrit Cole (NYY) – Is he returning? If so, he’d be under the AGA tier around 20 or so, needing a few starts to showcase he’s back.
Andrew Painter (PHI) – He just ain’t it. It’s sad, I know.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – He’s still here and it’s kinda wild – even without his cutter leading the way in the spring despite it carrying him last season. Update: He gone.
Germán Márquez (SDP) – He has those days with a good curve and I’m happy for him. I can’t risk it on a given day.
Lucas Giolito (SDP) – I know, how COULD I?! Because he sat 90.4 mph, that’s why. I was intriguied last year when he was around 93/94 mph. In no way can I possibly endorse this if the stuff isn’t there.
Matt Waldron (SDP) – Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer.
Walker Buehler (SDP) – I’m not buying that the Padres fixed him.
Adrian Houser (SFG) – A 15-teamer Toby when he proves he can handle weak opponents. I wonder if he gets bounced for McDonald…
Logan Webb (SFG) – Another arm who tossed a bullpen and we don’t know if he’ll pitch this week. It’s a Still ILL if he does.
Tyler Mahle (SFG) – I don’t want to start him in Sacré Verde up next and despite poor luck thus far, I don’t feel the need to hold past it.
Andre Pallante (STL) – Hopefully the cut four-seamer is jamming LHB and the sinker/slider does the trick…?
Hunter Dobbins (STL) – It was an interesting start with great opening frames, then five walks across his final seven batters. No need to monitor his return to the majors for now. It’s a wait-and-see when he does.
Kyle Leahy (STL) – I wanted to keep him on The List, but I don’t see the value proposition being in your favor yet. His 7.2 feet of extension and 90 mph cutter are fun, but the command is not. I can see him blossoming in May/June.
Jesse Scholtens (TBR) – There just isn’t enough upside here.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – Rocker has gone slider-heavy (not cutter heavy) and I have no idea what we’ll see next. My closest comp for him is Márquez. Blegh.
José Berríos (TOR) – Oh look! The Great Undulator may return this week. Okay, so anyway…
Max Scherzer (TOR) – I can see Scherzer actually performing well in his next start or two, but he just got demolished by the Twins. Can’t go for that.
Patrick Corbin (TOR) – No, this is not the time to restart your PC. You can’t make that joke everytime. YES I CAN.
Spencer Miles (TOR) – He’s being used a follower in the place of Lauer and it’s not worth your time.
Jake Irvin (WSN) – He’s had a good start or two and I’m not ready to believe he’s going to soar for the next few weeks.
Miles Mikolas (WSN) – You actually CTRL-F’d Mikolas?!
Zack Littell (WSN) – I wonder how stretched out he is and how close he is to his peak. I think he got away with a whole lot last season and his new team context only hurts.
Good luck everyone!
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul SkenesT1 | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 2 | Cam SchlittlerT2 | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 4 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 5 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 6 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +3 |
| 7 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 8 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 9 | Chase Burns | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 10 | Yoshinobu YamamotoT3 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -4 |
| 11 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 12 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 13 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 14 | Joe RyanT4 | MIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 15 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | +30 |
| 16 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 17 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Ace Potential Quality Starts | -2 |
| 18 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -4 |
| 19 | George Kirby | SEA | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | -2 |
| 20 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 21 | Drew RasmussenT5 | TB | Holly Ratio Focused | -5 |
| 22 | Framber Valdez | DET | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 23 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Holly Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 24 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Holly Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 25 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 26 | Parker MessickT6 | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 27 | Shane McClanahan | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 28 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Holly Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 29 | Logan Henderson | MIL | Holly Quality Starts | +5 |
| 30 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +8 |
| 31 | Michael King | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 32 | José Soriano | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 33 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +16 |
| 34 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 35 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Cherry Bomb | -3 |
| 36 | Will WarrenT7 | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 37 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 38 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | Holly Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 39 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 40 | Connelly Early | BOS | Holly Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 41 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Holly Quality Starts Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +13 |
| 42 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Holly Strikeout Upside Stash Option | +4 |
| 43 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -3 |
| 44 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 45 | Max Meyer | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 46 | Landen Roupp | SF | Holly Quality Starts | -5 |
| 47 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Cherry Bomb Injury Risk | +14 |
| 48 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +8 |
| 49 | Trevor RogersT8 | BAL | Frizzle Injury Risk | +1 |
| 50 | Davis Martin | CWS | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | -6 |
| 51 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Toby Quality Starts Stash Option | +18 |
| 52 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Toby Quality Starts | +18 |
| 53 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Frizzle Injury Risk | -10 |
| 54 | Bryce Elder | ATL | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | +8 |
| 55 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 56 | Nick Martinez | TB | Vargas Rule Wins Bonus | +16 |
| 57 | Trey YesavageT9 | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +18 |
| 58 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Hipster Quality Starts | -5 |
| 59 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Holly Hipster Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 60 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 61 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Hipster Quality Starts | -6 |
| 62 | Reid Detmers | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 63 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 64 | Christian ScottT10 | NYM | Toby Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 65 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Toby Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 66 | Randy Vásquez | SD | Toby Wins Bonus | - |
| 67 | Peter Lambert | HOU | Toby Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 68 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Quality Starts | +UR |
| 69 | Griffin JaxT11 | TB | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 70 | Trevor McDonald | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Ratio Focused | +8 |
| 71 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 72 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Frizzle Quality Starts | +8 |
| 73 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Hipster Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | +9 |
| 74 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 75 | Sean BurkeT12 | CWS | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 76 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 77 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +17 |
| 78 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 79 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 80 | Stephen Kolek | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +20 |
| 81 | Carmen Mlodzinski | PIT | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +14 |
| 82 | J.T. Ginn | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +16 | |
| 83 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +14 |
| 84 | Noah Cameron | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 85 | JR Ritchie | ATL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 86 | Dustin May | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 87 | Noah Schultz | CWS | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -24 |
| 88 | Bubba ChandlerT13 | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside Stash Option | -15 |
| 89 | Zach Thornton | NYM | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus Stash Option | +UR |
| 90 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Hipster Quality Starts | -7 |
| 91 | Jack Leiter | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 92 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Hipster Quality Starts | -8 |
| 93 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 94 | Shane Baz | BAL | Hipster Quality Starts | +UR |
| 95 | Griffin Canning | SD | Hipster Wins Bonus | -27 |
| 96 | Seth Lugo | KC | Hipster Quality Starts | -25 |
| 97 | Mike Burrows | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -18 |
| 98 | Aaron Nola | PHI | Hipster Quality Starts | -10 |
| 99 | Ben Brown | CHC | Hipster | +UR |
| 100 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | Hipster Team Context Effect | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Allan Dranberg/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X
