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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: Tarik Skubal (2), Garrett Crochet (8), Joe Ryan (15), Brandon Woodruff (31), Trevor Rogers (34)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: Nick Lodolo (42)
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 60: (+4)
Tier 1 – Highlander
1. Paul Skenes (PIT) – JohnTravoltaHoldingHisJacket.gif
Tier 2 – Can I Just Rank Them All as SP #2?
2. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – I’m writing this before he starts tonight and trust me, I’m shocked he’s here, too. I sat on the livestream looking at all the candidates for SP #2 and realized Schlittler was the only one without a good argument not to be #2. His three-pronged attack of four-seamers, cutters, and sinkers are vicious inside the zone + he even flexed over seven feet of extension in his last start. The madman.
3. Chris Sale (ATL) – Sale has been unreal and I just wish he didn’t have such a lengthy injury history. But they’ve been freak injuries! Some people are more prone to it than others, I wish it weren’t so.
4. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – Like deGrom! And yet, he’s killing it, too. Kinda wild him and Sale dodging surviving while so many others fall.
5. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – Ohtani and The Inquistor both have great cases for SP #2, except that they are stuck in a six-man rotation. Womp womp. I wonder if they’ll skip Ohtani at all this year.
6. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – You’re still legit, of course. But when you have others performing better and more regularly, it’s hard to put him so high.
7. Bryan Woo (SEA) – Do I believe Woo is washed up? Absolutely not! Two games (really one game and one inning) of far too many HRs and that’s it. If he rebounded without that first frame last start, he’d be #2. I hate that there is any haze with him.
8. Max Fried (NYY) – Fried is still legit, of course. Just not as electric.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
9. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – When you allow double-digit hits twice in three games, it’s hard to ignore the risk of a poor WHIP on a given night.
10. Tyler Glasnow (LAD) – The slider is a weird beast. Would be competing for a higher spot if not for so. Many. Injuries.
11. Cole Ragans (KCR) – Ragans has had three games of three HRs allowed. I think it’s safe to expect fewer HRs moving forward.
12. Nolan McLean (NYM) – We’re seeing some poor outings here and there, but there’s no reason to expect anything but success.
13. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – IM AN AGA. I’m glad he made us entirely forget about the start against the Dodgers.
14. Chase Burns (CIN) – Just one poor outing this year and otherwise the stud he was meant to be.
15. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – His stuff is among the best, the locations are not. It’s likely he’ll settle in as a great SP #2, but not quite an AGA, but I want to give him one more game before losing the status.
Tier 4 – Quality Volume Most Of The Time
16. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – If not for leaving the game with a cramp, Jay Mis would be with Burns in the AGA tier.
17. George Kirby (SEA) – Kirby is good. Not the greatest of great, but he’s solid. A perfect wall to leap for an AGA tag.
18. Dylan Cease (TOR) – The greatest Cherry Bomb of our time.
19. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – I don’t actually believe Gausman is destined to feature a sub 40% strike rate on his splitter, and shockingly enough, he still almost came through last time out.
20. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – Save for one blip when he returned from paternity leave, Rasmussen has been incredibly reliable. He’s even added a changeup to help with LHB, too. I love it.
21. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – Is he going to turn the corner or be stuck as a Holly all year? It’s hard to truly buy in until we see him sit 95/96 mph.
22. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – He’s going to be helpful a lot more than hurt you. Sadly, he lacks the juice of old.
23. Framber Valdez (DET) – Valdez is sturdy. You kinda know the drill at this point.
24. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – The volatility is still very present, and at least the HOTEL has cleaned up its act.
25. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – The start of the year looked terrible – absolutely – but the skills have been mostly the same. I’d be surprised if he continued to have those disaster outings.
Tier 5 – Is There More Or Is This It?
26. Robbie Ray (SFG) – Ray has proven to be reliably above-average, with moments of excellence.
27. Logan Webb (SFG) – We finally saw prime seven-inning Webb, even if it came with the evelated WHIP we’ve become accustomed to. I want another start before I push him up further.
28. Emerson Hancock (LAA) – That four-seamer was kinda wonky last start, but he’s commanded it oh-so well. He’s nothing like the Hancock of previous seasons and his ideal home park pushes him a touch higher than his peers.
29. Parker Messick (SEA) – But he just allowed HRs! And also had a great start in the past week. That poor outing was a whole lot of domination + a few blasts in a minor league park. He’s legit.
30. José Soriano (CLE) – I’m not going to judge Soriano harshly for his poor outing against the CrySox (he apparently had a stiff neck), even if all signs point to starts like those happening frequently. He certainly deserves a buffer game or two. Or maybe three…?
31. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft’s terrible outing was fresh off the bereavement list. He then had a lovely stroll down the Reds Carpet, leaning into his elite 85 mph curveball 44% of the time. That’s the Ashcraft I want to see. Still wish he had a little bit better heater and more trust in the slider, but you can’t have everything
32. Will Warren (NYY) – Warren is figuring out the sweeper and I’m here for it. It’s a lovely situation in New York and he should be there all year (if it truly comes down to six healthy pitchers in the rotation, I expect a six-man until something breaks).
33. Kyle Harrison (MIL) – Harrison’s four-seamer stuff and location are both as good as ever, with consistency locating the hook and/or the changeup down on a given night. He just needs one to come through on a given night. We’ve waited a long time for Harrison to lock into place and it appears 2026 is his year.
34. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – After struggling to land his changeup for a trio of outings, McShane has found his groove. But the fastball is worse! The ranking is #34. Not #3.
35. Edward Cabrera (CLE) – I was too harsh on Cabrera last week and I’m glad to see him continue to utilize sinkers over four-seamers. I also took a look at tier six and believe Cabrera to more reliable than any of those arms.
Tier 5.5 – The Pitcher List Hall Of Famers
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Tier 6 – I Don’t Know What To Do With You
36. Gavin Williams (KCR) – We don’t know what he’ll look like on a given night. Remember, you’re gonna like it in the end, but you’re not gonna like it.
37. Kris Bubic (SDP) – Bubic has soared twice in his recent favorable matchups, which may be influencing me too much for this ranking (vs. CHW, @SEA). After all, he didn’t have his changeup working over the weekend. That said, Bubic is sitting 92 mph and locating his heater effectively without damage. That’s the Bubic we like to see.
38. Michael King (MIA) – This is the tier of confounding arms who could fall next week or climb further. King’s command is not the asset it once was, and I almost feel he should fall further than this. At the same time, his four-pitch mix is dazzling when locked in and even three pitches working should result in constant success. We’ve seen him need some time to rev the engine, after all.
39. Eury Pérez (CHC) – This may be one of those rare times I actually believe in Home/Road splits, where this season is properly split between: Good = Home, Bad = Away. That said, I don’t think I’ve seen Eury have great command on his arsenal the entire season. Yes, that includes the 70%+ strike rate four-seamer, which he gets into the zone, but not upstairs where it needs to live.
40. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – Three stud outings in the best matchups, two terrible outings against mid teams, one VVPQS against the Giants, and 2 ER against the Dodgers. Watching him, it doesn’t feel dominating like the old days, and I sure hope that feeling returns.
41. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – Gore isn’t as poor as he has been lately. I know that sounds silly and maybe I’m just hand-waving when I should be more aggressively dropping him. However, he does boast a 30% strikeout rate this year. If only he could wrangle more out of his secondaries than the curveball. Stupid sub 50% strike rate on changeups. I think it’ll come together in time.
42. Nick Lodolo (CIN) – He’s back! Finally. I never know where to properly rank Still ILL arms, and figure he’ll be here next week once we get the first one out of the way. Not sure if I should have put him under the next tier of young upside arms.
Tier 7 – “Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!”
43. Logan Henderson (MIL) – I adore what I saw from Henderson yesterday. The new slider (it’s a sweeper) is the extra putaway offering he needs (three strikeouts!), and the four-seamer/change are still fantastic. I expect the Brewers to keep him in the rotation without a hiccup.
44. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – He’s a discount Luzardo. If you think about it that way, this rank makes a ton of sense. And no, he’s not going to move to the pen when Rodón + Cole return. What if he’s terrible for the next few weeks? Alright, in that slim chance hypothetical, he could, but I clearly don’t think he’ll pitch at that level.
45. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp is really close. He commands beautifully for most of his starts and occasionally has these single innings where the sinker eludes him. Figuring out how to get it back mid-inning is the last step before he explodes into the Top 30 SP.
46. Randy Vásquez (SDP) – Vásquez isn’t as electric as others, but the dude has good command, a wide arsenal, and a 96 mph heater. I’m game.
47. Michael Soroka (ARI) – You expected me to drop Soroka further, didn’t you? It was an anomaly of an outing and now he gets the Pirates. I’m expecting a full recovery there and we forget all about the pain.
48. Connelly Early (BOS) – I’m seeing positive regression coming Early’s way with his low putaway rate, and his last outing against the Astros looked more like a product of tipping as Correa was seen giving signs and whispering to his teammates before they stepped into the box. It makes sense to me given Early’s fantastic four-seamer and changeup command, though it’s absolutely possible I’m biased toward Early and holding too tight. I have no issues with anyone wanting to swap Early for any of these arms, though I fully endorse holding him. He’s discount Max Fried.
49. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – While Joe Ryan hasn’t officially hit the IL, we all know it’s coming. It should silence any doubt of Prielipp sticking in the rotation (I think SWR would have gotten the boot, personally), and we have yet to see him get settled in. His changeup has held him back thus far and it should be far better moving forward. It’s a full arsenal, y’all.
50. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – As much as I want to lift Sheehan further after all the whiffs and strikeouts last start, I hate to report that he topped out at 95.3 mph. But he’s still effective at the lower velocity! Thus far. And it was clear that his heater wasn’t quite the overwhelming pitch it was before.
51. Reid Detmers (LAA) – Detmer’s embrace of his old changeup has me more excited than I expected to be. I have to warn you, though: Detmers has been an exciting name after April for many prior seasons, with the failure point coming from a loss of his slider command. So far so good…
52. Max Meyer (MIA) – Speaking of sliders, Meyer’s pair are elite, and we just saw the four-seamer take a leap forward to catalyze his most impressive start since he faced the Reds last season. I don’t want to get too excited, but if it sticks, he’s climbing.
53. Noah Schultz (CHW) – Schultz doesn’t have the obvious upside of Tolle or Meyer, but his trio of sinker/four-seamer/cutter are clearly hard to hit. He’s displayed some chaos with his cutter and change, but the overall package looks to be a stable one for the year.
54. Payton Tolle (BOS) – I’m writing this after Tolle has fanned three in two frames, hoping he can make it through at least five against the Tigers without taking his hand off the wheel. That’s the real question – Will he control his four-seamer consistently? On top of that, will he ever find the confidence in his secondaries to steer the ship when the heater is falling behind?
Tier 8 – The Banisters Before The Cliff
55. Ryne Nelson (ARI) – Yes, those two starts were terrible. They were also massive extremes and he was good ole Nelson over the weekend against the Cubs. We also saw a new changeup appear that…needs work. But hey! Something new!
56. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – Yeah, he’s fine. No reason to expect anything but a solid Toby.
57. Clay Holmes (NYM) – I dig how The Adobe has embraced his sinker and added the ability to throw it inside the zone with ease. It’s also cool seeing him lean into the curveball to RHB, which helped plenty in his last start. I wonder if that’ll be a regular thing or if it was a day where he felt it during his warmup bullpen.
58. Foster Griffin (WSH) – This has all the feelings of a Vargas Rule, but maybe he’s just a good ole SWATCH with his wide arsenal and 91/92 mph velocity from the left side.
Tier 9 – Fine, You Need Some Innings
59. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – Do I want to drop Bradish? Nah. Do I have any choice but to rank him this far down after failing to display any growth once again? Sure don’t. I’ll continue to tell you that Bradish will turn it around at some point, though every start is harder and harder to deny value now over his potential later. Do what is right for your situation.
60. Chase Dollander (COL) – Okay, fine. We don’t start him at home against above-average offenses, which means he’s fine for about 80% of his starts. That’s cool with me.
61. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Just read what I wrote about Bradish. I hope we remove the TIARA from both these gents soon.
62. Griffin Canning (SDP) – I did not expect Canning to return and perform so dang well. He showcased a much better four-seamer than we saw last year and while I didn’t believe in his fantastic performance in the first half of 2025, I’m more inclined to take a chance now with a four-seamer that is actually worthwhile.
63. Jake Bennett (BOS) – It was only one start, but Bennett’s elite extension mixed with decent velocity and a great changeup has SWATCH written all over it. I just want a little more of a sample, especially to get a glimpse of his breakers a bit more.
64. Spencer Strider (ATL) – I don’t want to judge him after not only a Still ILL, but one in Coors, though I know we were all hoping for better than 94.6 mph, especially when we often see some adrenaline in these shorter outings. That said, it seems as though he has more vert given Coors normally reduces vert 3″+ and Strider featured a drop of just 1.5″ from last year’s mark. Is that enough for him to be a legit Holly at the very least? I don’t think so, and the lean into sub 80 mph curveballs to LHB isn’t doing it for me, either.
65. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – I wonder if we’re all going to want to move on from Yesavage next week. How could you say that? Because he was terrible in his rehab starts and his first two outings have come with highly suspect locations. He’ll get the Tigers and Yankees after his date with the Angels this week and I may quiver in my boots if he’s still struggling with both his slider and splitter.
66. Taj Bradley (MIN) – Despite all the signs of Bradley reverting back to his former self of having great stuff but not knowing where the ball is going, he rebounded and I get it. You can’t move on from Bradley yet. And hey, maybe there is something that is helping him recover during at-bats moreso than before. It doesn’t seem like it, but sure, test the waters until it’s clear.
Tier 10 – You Could Do Worse For Now
67. Tyler Mahle (SFG) – We’re entering Toby Town now and Mahle would have had two solid outings in a row if it were not for a Careful, Icarus against the Phillies. He still has a solid matchup ahead, and I’m rolling with him.
68. Michael Wacha (KCR) – Wacha’s last two don’t look good on paper, but one was a Careful, Icarus, the other Sacré Verde. Now he’ll get the LHB-heavy (exclusive?) Guardians, who will be all kinds of susceptible to Wacha’s changeup, bringing back Wacha’s confidence to keep the Vargas Rule alive.
69. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – He was cruising for his second straight outing until a hamstring twinge took him out. He should be good to go for his next one, though I wonder if his rhythm has been disrupted.
70. Seth Lugo (KCR) – Lugo allowed 14 hits, then had himself a decent outing, though I want to note that his curveball is over two ticks down from last season. His time in your lineups may be coming to an end soon, especially if the same Guardians lineup Wacha will feast upon is amplified by Lugo’s questionable LHB attack.
71. JR Ritchie (ATL) – A few starts down and I’m still trying to make out what to expect from Ritchie. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff – moreso on command and a changeup – and he could be a Toby or another prospect arm that doesn’t do enough. I’m leaning toward the former. For now.
72. Christian Scott (NYM) – I wish it weren’t Coors this week. He gave us all a good example of why Still ILL exists, then was stellar against the Angels, flexing a strong upstairs four-seamer, a reliable cutter, and whiffable breaker. I think the Mets will keep Scott in the rotation all year, but it’s a bit of a gamble and you’ll have to endure a week of Scott on your bend.
73. Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – I know how strange it seems to be encouraged after his last outing with all the walks, but the Pasta Pirate is flexing a really good four-seamer. Elite extension and HAVAA, with surprising vert. However, if his curveball is as terrible as it was against the Red Sox, he won’t be able to get very far. There’s legit upside here.
74. Davis Martin (CHW) – One of the most successful Vargas Rule arms on your waivers, and I simply cannot chase it. His arsenal just doesn’t speak to anything great.
75. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – Here’s to hoping he can nail down the changeup and curveball while avoiding contact on his four-seamer, eh? You never know what you’ll get.
76. Sean Burke (CHW) – Burke has had a sparkling trio of outings, though his Saturday performance against the Padres is the one that piqued my interest, featuring 20″ of vert and much better breaking ball command than usual. There could be something to this (did he raise his arm angle?) and maybe it’s worthwhile to take the chance.
77. Brandon Sproat (MIL) – He’s great for a while, then it falls apart in a flash. Sigh. He gets the Cardinals on Tuesday and it’s my last hope until he has a rough set of matchups. It’s in there, I see it for multiple innings each time he heads out there.
Tier 11 – Six Innings Often, But At What Cost?
78. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – Six frames. Zero strikeouts. A formerly 96 mph four-seamer (as a starter) is down to 93 mph. He’s mostly just four-seamer/slider with a 6% SwStr rate. And yet, he has a 1.25 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 36 innings. This cannot last, y’all.
79. Noah Cameron (KCR) – There’s no need to go out and grab Cameron before his start against Cleveland (let’s just see him succeed first), even if I think it’ll be decent and pave the way for a redemption tour. He’s not nearly as bad as the lines have been, with improved velocity, good command, and a lot of blegh getting in the way of a stable flow.
80. Steven Matz (TBR) – It may the end of the line for Matz this week with a tougher schedule coming his way, though the sinker and changeup command have been fun to watch.
81. Luis Severino (ATH) – He’ll get two games away from Sacré Verde this week and I consider Sevy a solid play on the road and sometimes at home. He has a better feel for his arsenal this year.
82. Aaron Nola (PHI) – Look, he’ll get the Marlins. Let’s just see how he does there and chat, alright?
83. Shane Baz (BAL) – I know he did just fine in his last start. I was hoping to see more gains from his arsenal by now, and they aren’t there. I’m not sure it’s worth it.
84. Peter Lambert (HOU) – As intrigued about Lambert this season, he gets the Dodgers next following the worst performance of his season. Likely best to avoid until next week.
85. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Who knows what you’ll get each night. At least he has a long leash for those in QS leagues.
86. Jack Leiter (TEX) – He’s a prototypical HIPSTER, showcased by four perfect frames, then leaving the game with ten strikeouts…and five runs to his name against the Tigers. As much as I want him to put it all together, I don’t know how I can believe he’ll suddenly learn to find the command he’s never had.
87. Bryce Elder (ATL) – Oh look, another Vargas Rule. I really wish I could get behind this one.
88. Nick Martinez (TBR) – Same with Nick Mart. I’m thrilled for him, but the schedule isn’t favorable and I’m not seeing a direct area of growth that suggests this will be real.
Tier 12 – Good Enough? Maybe?
89. Jameson Taillon (CHC) – He’ll get the Reds Carpet this week, making for an ideal streamer.
90. Colin Rea (CHC) – Same goes for Rea. Gotta love it.
91. Merrill Kelly (ARI) – I don’t think he’s the pitcher you’ve seen thus far, but I also don’t want to hold onto him for his Spider-Man ceiling until he figures it out.
92. Zac Gallen (ARI) – Gallen gets a better matchup this week and hopefully his shoulder is okay.
93. Mitch Keller (PIT) – He took advantage of the Reds Carpet as he should have. Wish I had more things to say.
94. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – Back-to-Back 10 strikeout games are cool, but they came with highly unsustainable putaway rates (35%+!) and he’s still rocking just one good breaker and a pair of suspect fastballs.
95. Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) – No, he won’t get ten strikeouts on the reg. Sorry.
96. Chad Patrick (MIL) – How long will he go? The Brewers have an odd leash with him and I still question if his arsenal is good enough to take down a LHB-heavy crew like the Nationals.
97. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – He’s trying to make a case to be a Toby. Not a terrible option for QS leagues, but not something I want to go for.
98. Janson Junk (MIA) – He finally located his four-seamer upstairs last start, but failed to earn a single whiff on his breakers across 30 thrown. There’s still work to be done.
99. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – He throws hard and has a fun changeup. I’m not convinced he knows where it’s going, and that four-seamer is your standard Empty Velocity heater.
100. Luis Castillo (SEA) – I’m not even sure I should have him at #100. His arsenal is as poor as it’s ever been.
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
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) – He’s doing a lot of the right things to LHB, but it’s still not quite working. I don’t feel incentivized to chase this. The Diamondbacks didn’t either, as he was removed for Kelly, not Soroka. Welp, see ya later.
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…
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – He’s dealing with arm soreness, but still made his last start and it wasn’t good. Riiiiight.
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.
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.
Cade Povich (BAL) – Povich’s first proper outing was a success, but it wasn’t the most believable outing, even at 17 whiffs. He gets the Yankees this week and I’d wait for a better opportunity.
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) – You just saw how bad it was. If dropped in your deeper formats, he’s a decent add, but there’s no reason to chase it now.
Sonny Gray (BOS) – Is he returning this week? If so, he’d be right around Lodolo.
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?!
Shane Smith (CHW) – After an eight strikeout game across just eleven outs, Smith was demoted. Their opening day starter. Demoted.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) – This is getting so hard to watch. It’s the worst month we’ve seen from Abbott as he’s struggling to find a consistent rhythm executing his pitches.
Brady Singer (CIN) – He gave us a VPQS against a poor Marlins crew. Ehhhhhhh.
Brandon Williamson (CIN) – I can see the world of Williamson being a solid SWATCH with his cutter and change. We’re not there yet.
Chase Petty (CIN) – He’s getting the call to replace Williamson and I’m not expecting the control to be there.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – Lowder got trounced. Welp, hope we can try him against a poor team again in the future.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) – Sorry Slade Brigade, I just can’t keep paying the weekly dues.
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.
Ryan Feltner (COL) – This ain’t it.
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) – I’m just happy he gets regular starts. There’s a touch of value on the road.
Jack Flaherty (DET) – I was hoping to see something new to get me interested in Flaherty again. While he did have more velocity before the Boston start, it’s just not enough.
Justin Verlander (DET) – Close to making The List and he could settle in as a Toby…when returning from his hip injury.
Keider Montero (DET) – Verlander went down, and Montero stepped in. The exciting fastball from the spring has vanished.
Ty Madden (DET) – We’re gonna get a whole lot of chaos in Detroit with both Mize and Skubal now on the IL. Oh, and Sawyer Gipson-Long hurt in Triple-A, too. WHERE ARE YOU TROY MELTON.
J.P. France (HOU) – BONJOUR. Oh hey, France. I said BON-JOUR. Not now, I’ll greet you when you show me something on the bump, on a team. Somewhere. D’accord.
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.
Mike Burrows (HOU) – As much as I want to believe that Burrows will be more like the 4.2 innings of perfection and not the five baserunners that followed, he gets a terrible schedule ahead. Just wait and see.
Ryan Weiss (HOU) – He’s not nearly efficient enough to get a roster spot on your squads.
Caden Dana (LAA) – I wonder how he looks in his latest opportunity to stick in the rotation.
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.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) – Kikuchi’s slider is still cool, but nothing else is there. Incredibly volatile, to the point that he reverted back to his old arm angle in his last start and barely touched his slider. You simply don’t know what he’ll do. But the new arm angle! Yeah, it could stick. Or not. And will the slider return? WHO KNOWS.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – Until he has a proper mix, I’m very out on Sasaki. I dig the harder splitter, but can you give us one great outing first?
Chris Paddack (MIA) – The upside is too limited and now he’s sitting 92/93 91 mph. No thanks.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – He’s sub 89 mph lol.
Joe Ryan (MIN) – He’s not officially on the IL yet, but we know. Elbow soreness and no reports yet? Please don’t be gone for long.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – SWR was a wild card entering the year and after an unimpressive spring, it’s best to wait and see.
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 just an opener, y’all. Not stretched out at all.
Carlos Rodón (NYY) – It should be a rehab start this week and a return to the majors after that. Expect him around the mid 20s or so.
Elmer Rodríguez (NYY) – With Rodón nearly here, Elmer should only get one more start, and I’m not seeing enough right now to chase a repeat against the Rangers. He needs a better LHB attack, too.
Luis Gil (NYY) – He’s the same chaotic arm we remember and now he’s in the pen. Womp womp.
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) – The Padres signed Giolito as we wait to see when he makes his first start. He spoke in an interview that he’s been training to be ready whenever the call comes, though we have no idea what the quality will be. Remember, he had elbow problems last fall.
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 the schedule opens up. Borderline for The List when he gets a team like the Marlins. Wait, maybe not the Marlins…
Trevor McDonald (SFG) – He’s getting the start on Monday and I’m not interested. We’re not going the same fella who won us our playoffs with a Rockie Road start last September.
Andre Pallante (STL) – Hopefully the cut four-seamer is jamming LHB and the sinker/slider does the trick…?
Dustin May (STL) – He isn’t getting strikeouts yet, nor a good enough schedule to chase the ratios.
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.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) – I have yet to see a game where Liberatore has his full arsenal cooking, which isn’t as spectacular as his SWATCH peers. He has the leash for six frames, and I’m only considering him in the easiest of matchups for now.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – I know, he got great results! He also did it with a two-tick lower velocity. Oh dang. Not something to believe in.
Griffin Jax (TBR) – They’re stretching him out to start and I’m curious how much the velocity dips as he extends past 70 pitches. We’re still under 50 as of now, and I’d wait until he sees the fifth.
Jesse Scholtens (TBR) – There just isn’t enough upside here.
Jacob Latz (TEX) – He stepped in for deGrom over the weekend once, and now he’s back to the pen.
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.
Eric Lauer (TOR) – He just returned 17 whiffs against the Athletics and I was in shock. His fastball is not this good, and it was even worse in Chicago, sitting three ticks down at 88 mph. Nooooope.
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.
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 | +8 |
| 3 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +6 |
| 4 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 5 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 6 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -2 |
| 7 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | -4 |
| 8 | Max Fried | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 9 | Cristopher SánchezT3 | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +2 |
| 10 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 11 | Cole Ragans | KC | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +2 |
| 12 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 13 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +4 |
| 14 | Chase Burns | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 15 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -1 |
| 16 | Jacob MisiorowskiT4 | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 17 | George Kirby | SEA | Ace Potential Quality Starts Injury Risk | +1 |
| 18 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 19 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +5 |
| 20 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | +5 |
| 21 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Ace Potential Ratio Focused Stash Option Injury Risk | +1 |
| 22 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 23 | Framber Valdez | DET | Holly Quality Starts | +3 |
| 24 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Holly Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 25 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Quality Starts | +8 |
| 26 | Robbie RayT5 | SF | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 27 | Logan Webb | SF | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 28 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | +13 |
| 29 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | +13 |
| 30 | José Soriano | LAA | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 31 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Holly Ratio Focused | +7 |
| 32 | Will Warren | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | +11 |
| 33 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +22 |
| 34 | Shane McClanahan | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +11 |
| 35 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Holly Wins Bonus | +25 |
| 36 | Gavin WilliamsT6 | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 37 | Kris Bubic | KC | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +12 |
| 38 | Michael King | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 39 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 40 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +8 |
| 41 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 42 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | +UR | |
| 43 | Logan HendersonT7 | MIL | Holly | +UR |
| 44 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +9 |
| 45 | Landen Roupp | SF | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 46 | Randy Vásquez | SD | Holly Wins Bonus | - |
| 47 | Michael Soroka | ARI | Holly Strikeout Upside | - |
| 48 | Connelly Early | BOS | Holly Ratio Focused | -9 |
| 49 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Stash Option | +1 |
| 50 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Frizzle Quality Starts Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +7 |
| 51 | Reid Detmers | LAA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 52 | Max Meyer | MIA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +20 |
| 53 | Noah Schultz | CWS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 54 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 55 | Ryne NelsonT8 | ARI | Toby Wins Bonus | +6 |
| 56 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 57 | Clay Holmes | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | +22 |
| 58 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Toby Quality Starts | +22 |
| 59 | Kyle BradishT9 | BAL | Hipster Quality Starts Strikeout Upside Stash Option | -22 |
| 60 | Chase Dollander | COL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 61 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside Stash Option | -5 |
| 62 | Griffin Canning | SD | Frizzle | +UR |
| 63 | Jake Bennett | BOS | Frizzle | +UR |
| 64 | Spencer Strider | ATL | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 65 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 66 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Vargas Rule Strikeout Upside | +21 |
| 67 | Tyler MahleT10 | SF | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 68 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 69 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 70 | Seth Lugo | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 71 | JR Ritchie | ATL | Frizzle Quality Starts | -2 |
| 72 | Christian Scott | NYM | Frizzle | +UR |
| 73 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 74 | Davis Martin | CWS | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | +7 |
| 75 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 76 | Sean Burke | CWS | Frizzle | +UR |
| 77 | Brandon Sproat | MIL | Frizzle Wins Bonus | -13 |
| 78 | Justin WrobleskiT11 | LAD | Vargas Rule Team Context Effect | -5 |
| 79 | Noah Cameron | KC | Hipster Quality Starts | -4 |
| 80 | Steven Matz | TB | Vargas Rule Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 81 | Luis Severino | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 | |
| 82 | Aaron Nola | PHI | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 83 | Shane Baz | BAL | Hipster Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | -5 |
| 84 | Peter Lambert | HOU | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -13 |
| 85 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 86 | Jack Leiter | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | - |
| 87 | Bryce Elder | ATL | Vargas Rule Quality Starts | +3 |
| 88 | Nick Martinez | TB | Vargas Rule Wins Bonus | +11 |
| 89 | Jameson TaillonT12 | CHC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 90 | Colin Rea | CHC | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | +UR |
| 91 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts Stash Option | -15 |
| 92 | Zac Gallen | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 93 | Mitch Keller | PIT | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -5 |
| 94 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 95 | Carmen Mlodzinski | PIT | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 96 | Chad Patrick | MIL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 97 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -5 |
| 98 | Janson Junk | MIA | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 99 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 100 | Luis Castillo | SEA | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -16 |
Labels Legend
Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
