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: Michael Soroka (38), Ryne Nelson (69)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: Brandon Woodruff (32), Eury Pérez (46), Shane Bieber (58), Matthew Boyd (66)
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 70: (-2 Spots)
Tier 1 – Luke, We’ve Got Company
1. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – He’s still here. I wonder if he’ll dip under 60% fastballs again.
2. Paul Skenes (PIT) – Say what you want, Skenes’ floor is so good.
3. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – Sánchez is still producing, even if it’s not as good.
4. Chris Sale (ATL) – He’s still at 96/97 mph and that’s pretty dang cool.
5. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – When Cam is locating the four-seamer upstairs, he does things like 13 strikeouts in a game.
6. Chase Burns (CIN) – Burns now has a 2.00 ERA with a near 1.00 WHIP and 30% strikeout rate with a 9-1 record. It was time to bring him into the top tier.
Tier 2 – The Aces
7. Joe Ryan (MIN) – He’s pitching better than ever and will go more regularly than Ohtani and The Inquisitor.
8. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – He is mortal. A super shaky game this week, and it’s about dang time he had one. Everyone else has.
9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – I love how The Inquisitor is throwing high four-seamers and returning whiffs…outside of his most recent start.
10. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – Wheeler had three walks in his final frame on Sunday and I’m not going to read into it.
11. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – deGrom’s fastballs are easier to hit than ever, likely because the league has become used to the numerous pitchers with its shape and velocity. Still elite, of course.
12. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – Welcome to the club, Ras. After destroying the Dodgers, it was a clearly time to bring him into the fold.
13. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – I took away Gilbert’s AGA tag and he’s now gone five straight with 15+ whiffs in his last four, despite hitting exactly 15 whiffs just once in all games prior. Welcome back.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
14. Tarik Skubal (DET) – I’m waiting for Skubal to be HIM again before he gets the tag.
15. Bryan Woo (SEA) – Woo is getting back there. Why? Fewer HRs. It’s that easy.
16. Gerrit Cole (NYY) – He’s struggling to locate how he needs to, but the stuff is still elite. He’ll get there.
17. Logan Webb (SFG) – Webb is close to getting his AGA tag back. All that’s left are two tough opponents.
18. Hunter Brown (HOU) – Let’s see him take down lineups with ease a few more times.
Tier 4 – Far Sweeter Than Sour
19. Dylan Cease (TOR) – Cease looks exactly like Cease. That’s a good thing.
20. Bryce Miller (SEA) – Those who expect the whole piggyback situation to truly make a difference this year should fear not. There’s a very low chance this lasts for more than one turn for each starter.
21. Kyle Harrison (MIL) – Harrison’s change and curve have been lacking a touch over the last few outings, preventing him from ascending to the next tier. I want to see the four-seamer live high with proper support down low.
22. Max Meyer (MIA) – Meyer’s four-seamer is still exceptional, while he still has success even on days when the slider and sweeper uncharacteristically find their way up high often.
23. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – Luzardo’s first few weeks were rough, and he’s settled down beautifully since.
24. Carlos Rodón (NYY) – Despite the wonky ratios, Rodón continues to find strikeouts. Once he has a wrangle on all three of his main offerings – four-seamer, slider, and change – he’ll be dope.
Tier 5 – We Want This To Be More
25. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Eovaldi has allowed more HRs than normal, and that should come down over time. His splitty and curve were so good this weekend.
26. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – That sure was a disaster, eh? It happens. Don’t do anything silly.
27. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft has been a solid play. Not an elite play, but solid.
28. Nolan McLean (NYM) – McLean had a strikeout exhibition last time out, though I’m concerned it wasn’t sustainable. I need to see more from his arsenal than hyper-reliance on the sinker.
29. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – You were terrified after his four-start stretch of despair. We’re past that now.
30. Payton Tolle (BOS) – Tolle’s cutter is acting more like a slider, making his affinity for the Ras Pack feel a little…bootleg. I imagine we’ll get more whiffs on his four-seamer and sinker in the future, but lack of reliability in his cutter, curve, and change hold him back from a higher rank.
31. Gavin Williams (CLE) – Three straight starts of disappointment, as he’s shifted heavily from four-seamers to sinkers. There’s a middle ground to be found and I believe he’ll get there.
32. Brandon Woodruff (MIL) – Okay, I originally had Woody lower before his Still ILL tonight, but HOT DANG. Ten strikeouts?! Alright, we’re clearly rolling with him.
Tier 6 – Fine, You Need Some Innings
33. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – Ranger is a perfect example of a Holly.
34. Parker Messick (CLE) – I was shocked to see Messick push 96 mph with his high heaters. What’s next is nailing the changeup underneath and we’ve got ourselves something fun. Is he the best Cleveland starter in the second half?
35. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – You’re likely unhappy with this ranking. He’s been poor! He’s also sat just under 97 mph for two straight, a distance from his 94/95 mph self in April. He struggled to throw strikes with it and his changeup last time out, and I’m wagering he’ll keep the velo and make the fix.
36. George Kirby (SEA) – I’m still waiting for Kirby to take full advantage of his arsenal (inside sinkers, away sweepers to RHB, PLEASE). At the very least, he can be productive while staring up at his peak.
37. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp’s book is out: This year has become a real genesis for his career. Don’t quote me on that.
38. Sonny Gray (BOS) – It’s usually more Sonny than Gray. I know it feels like a cop-out with how often I say that, but he is who he is. The sweeper and sinker each play their part to earn strikeouts, while the kitchen-sink usually gets the job done to earn strikes.
39. Nick Lodolo (CIN) – That last start was rough. He was Singled Out terribly by the Mets, though he did himself no favors by tossing sub-50% strike curveballs. I hope you didn’t rage-drop the fella.
Tier 7 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
40. Jared Jones (PIT) – I’m not sure what we get next. Jones’ schedule was about to open up after a start in Coors, but a comebacker struck him in the elbow, removing him after three. Now we wait. X-rays were negative, so there’s hope we’ll see him soon.
41. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – His curveball was unreal last time out, as both breakers upped their velocity 1-2 ticks each. He failed to throw them successfully in the zone, though and I’m a little worried it was a Dennis rather than a moment to shed his TIARA.
42. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – Weathers’ issue is simple: The dang longball. It’s a noisy stat, where his five poor outings this year also happened to be the five games he allowed 2+ HR. The odds are in your favor.
43. Gage Jump (ATH) – Jump’s largest wart was his walk rate in the minors. We’ve seen no hint of its existence during his time in the majors, boasting super high strike rates on his four-seamer and slider (roughly 75% and 70%, respectively. DOPE!). It’s too bad he’s in Sacré Verde plenty of the time + I want to see more from his secondaries, especially the changeup, but the heater is doing wonderful things.
44. Robbie Ray (SFG) – Despite the great line, Robbie got away with one against Atlanta. He struggled to execute to RHB, but they saved him by aggressively attacking his pitches despite a hilariously low 25% zone rate. There’s still work to be done.
45. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – Sandy has been golden in QS leagues and I wonder if the slider/change approach leading the way is what we’ll see moving forward. It’s all a little questionable, still. If he gets dealt at the deadline, I’d be more inclined to raise him.
Tier 8 – Why Aren’t You Dope
46. Eury Pérez (MIA) – He’s back this week and if you recall, he was a difficult hold until his most recent outing…when he got severe hamstring cramps that sent him to the IL. I wonder who we get.
47. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – Gore has been much improved as of late and I’m inclined to lean into his four-seamer, curve, change, and slider for a bit.
48. Connelly Early (BOS) – Early had a great line with questionable execution. The skills are there, I cannot tell you it’s worthwhile to hold in hopes you’ll see it.
49. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – Oh Sheehan. You’re not destined to struggle with your slider this much every game, and you’re still going to help fantasy managers. I know it’s hard, y’all.
50. Framber Valdez (DET) – Every season, Valdez struggles until he doesn’t. He lives and dies with the curveball, and you should expect it to return soon enough.
51. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – Jeeeeeez that was terrible, wasn’t it? Peralta is not this bad for the next three months, and like all of these in this tier, it’s up to you to decide if you want to let him go to the wire, or take the chance on his upside.
Tier 9 – WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
52. Ben Brown (CHC) – What a run this has been, eh? He allowed his first HR of the last month, but the curveball is still doing legit work (29% SwStr rate!) and the sinker is helping to RHB. I still worry about the LHB approach and the hittable four-seamer, but why not keep rolling with it?
53. Griffin Jax (TBR) – The Rays aren’t letting Jax going long, likely to prevent his blister from popping. I don’t expect it to be the case forever, though, and he’s producing consistently.
54. Reid Detmers (LAA) – Detmers surprised me. I was watching his slider get worse with each start and expected a poor outing in Sacré Verde. Wait, that’s what happened. Yeah, but the slider was great! How cool is that? If the slider can keep going backfoot to RHB, then sign me up.
55. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – Wrobo Cop had an injury scare and bounced back with six shutout frames. We’re all cool here.
56. Will Warren (NYY) – Warren isn’t doing a whole lot with his sweeper and changeup, still relying a little too much on fastballs to get the job done. It’s fine, but just not it, you know?
57. Troy Melton (DET) – I was worried last week that Melton would hit the IL and I was pleased to see him feature the same command that has me unable to quit him. I’m cautious about his lack of whiffs, but I’ll take this version of him.
58. Shane Bieber (TOR) – We’re getting Biber back soon and I have no idea what we’ll get. It’s a Still ILL and who knows? Maybe it’ll be like Woody and shoot up from this tier into the Top 35.
59. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – I LOVE how threw low four-seamers last start and it helped him have a ton of whiffs on his slider in the dirt to RHB. I wonder if that’ll stick.
60. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – Hancock has gone from legit vert to legit sink, and I cannot tell you I’m a fan like I was. He’ll get piggybacked this week in all likelihood (for likely the first and last time), and I’m not ranking him any differently based on the Seattle rotation change – it’s not destined to last long.
61. Michael King (SDP) – DUDE. You’re better than this. We know this. And also, you can drop him if there’s something out there that will help. I wouldn’t be shocked if an IL stint arose soon that gave him some time to figure it out.
62. José Soriano (LAA) – Throw away the first month of the season and it’s 2025 Soriano. I think that’s the wise way to think of this.
63. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – Rogers is starting to get a little hot, featuring 94/95 mph heaters at the top of the zone. The slowball wasn’t quite there over the weekend, but I wonder if he’ll keep rising each week.
64. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – Sasaki’s command has come and gone. I’m not sure what to make of him now and stay more skeptical than faithful.
Tier 10 – It’s Something
65. Dustin May (STL) – Ouch. He’s not the guy you saw on Sunday, but he’s likely not a sub 3.00 ERA arm, either.
66. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – Hey Boyd, are you legit coming back now? That would be awesome.
67. Edward Cabrera (CHC) – There’s a decent QS chance in here, but boy can he be frustrating to roster.
68. Casey Mize (DET) – Mize’s slider looks to be back where it was, and I think we’ll like having him in our lineups…once the schedule eases up.
69. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – Ureña lost his changeup for two games and found it in Sacré Verde. Gotta keep rolling with it.
70. Foster Griffin (WSH) – He’s a Toby’s Toby.
71. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Abbott continues to find a way. It’s pretty incredible, isn’t it? The ERA masks how precarious the whole thing has been.
72. Merrill Kelly (ARI) – Kelly’s changeup took a vacation day without telling us. It’ll return.
73. Noah Cameron (KCR) – Cameron’s command is better than the start of the year, but I’m not quite ready to trust him fully.
Tier 11 – What Will They Become?
74. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – Duuuude, that start was awesome. His heater came in two ticks harder + his curveball & changeup led the way with the fastball sitting high deep in counts. It was just one start, but hot DANG I want it to be real.
75. Shane Baz (BAL) – Baz has had a good stretch, but there isn’t much in the arsenal to suggest sustainability.
76. Sean Burke (CHW) – Burke is a 15-team Cherry Bomb. He can go off against the Yankees for ten strikeouts, then burn you next time out. Dang secondaries, what will we get from you?
77. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – I’m not seeing a refined approach from Bubba quite yet.
78. Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – Will the Pasta Pirate learn to use more than two sauces? The cutter, the sweeper, the slider…you don’t have to just go four-seamer/curve from the get go!
79. Christian Scott (NYM) – He’s returning from the IL and here’s to hoping he can become the steady six-inning arm he’s destined to be.
80. Shane Drohan (MIL) – I left Drohan off The List last week and shouldn’t have given a matchup against the Guardians. It wasn’t all too impressive, but the Brewers could keep him in the rotation over Sproat or Gasser, and I’ll give the southpaw a longer audition.
81. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Bibee had a string of success, possibly due to his sinker affinity. However, the pitch isn’t special and hitters are likely not surprised any longer by the approach change.
82. Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – SNIP SNAP SNIP SNAP. That reverse slider is so dang weird, and it even looked like there were two different versions (maybe a splitter edition…?). Eleven strikeouts are great n all, but will he be able to command the breaker effectively each time out?
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
83. Sean Manaea (NYM) – I’m encouraged by Manaea’s command, but not quite enough to lean into holding him indefinitely. Once we see a 6+ inning game of excellence, I’ll reconsider.
84. Peter Lambert (HOU) – Lambert is a boring ole Toby. And that’s totally cool.
85. Stephen Kolek (KCR) – He’s not as bad as what we just saw. He’s also not as good as he was before that.
86. Javier Assad (CHC) – Assad isn’t going to get you strikeouts, but the ratios are just fine, y’all. He’s a good streamer for ratios against weak teams.
87. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – He’s a Toby, alright.
88. Nick Martinez (TBR) – He hasn’t completely skidded to a halt, but Martinez isn’t doing a whole lot to demand he sticks around in your rotations.
89. Davis Martin (CHW) – Martin has had a pair of disasters in his last two games, and I think this is generally who he is. A 15-team Toby.
90. Michael Wacha (KCR) – Wacha hasn’t been great lately, but he’s still capable of producing against middling offenses.
91. Seth Lugo (KCR) – Lugo just went three walks without a strikeout. Not fun, but not what we expect each time out.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
92. Andre Pallante (STL) – Does he really have the ability to locate the four-seamer inside to LHB moving forward? Can his slider get back to 88/89 mph each outing?
93. Jose Cabrera (ARI) – He threw strikes in his MLB debut and that’s a cool thing. Not a bad short-term schedule, but don’t get hyped for a pitcher with suspect fastballs.
94. Jack Perkins (ATH) – He can get whiffs and his last outing was a product of a three-run blast despite all hits coming off solid offerings. He’s as good as we’ve seen him and now he’ll face the Angels away from Sacré Verde.
95. Taj Bradley (MIN) – I really don’t buy what he does. It’s a coin flip at best and I’m inclined to believe Harvey Dent is flipping it. But in the show, it was actually fair. I SAID WHAT I SAID.
96. Bryce Elder (ATL) – Have you ever had to step out of a pumpkin? It’s a terrible feeling, let me tell you.
97. J.T. Ginn (ATH) – I’m not too thrilled with Ginn’s diminished velocity, but at least he’s facing the Angels outside of Sacré Verde.
98. Martín Pérez (ATL) – He’s been on a roll and arguably deserves to be in Tier 12. His stuff isn’t nearly as good as the results have been and it’s only a matter of time before this Vargas Rule ends.
99. Brandon Young (BAL) – I know he just took down the Dodgers. His gameplan is “I hope this high heater is good enough,” and he’s gotten away with it thus far. I don’t think it will continue.
100. Eric Lauer (LAD) – Is this really going to work consistently?
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
Kohl Drake (ARI) – It’s an MLB debut for Drake, who has been awfully blegh in the minors and not stretched out. No thanks.
Zac Gallen (ARI) – Gallen has not been worth your time.
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. Update: Now in the minors.
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.
Kade Morris (ATH) – He’s getting a shot and maybe I should have added him to The List, but then again, he throws 93/94 mph from the right side without impressive strikeout rates, and calls Sacré Verde his home.
Luis Severino (ATH) – I’m not a fan of Sevy at home in Sacré Verde and his away starts aren’t so incredible.
Mason Barnett (ATH) – How much is he actually starting? Do we care?
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.
JR Ritchie (ATL) – He’s back in the rotation and I have such little interest.
Spencer Strider (ATL) – Strider has been shut down for a while after throwing sub-90 mph fastballs last start.
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.
Trey Gibson (BAL) – There is far too much left to polish.
Brayan Bello (BOS) – He’s in the minors now. I wonder if he’ll have an opener.
Jake Bennett (BOS) – We may find ourselves interested in Bennett soon enough. He has the makeup of a solid SWATCH in time.
Colin Rea (CHC) – It may be the end of Rea in the rotation for the Cubs with Boyd coming back. If he finds more starts, consider him as a streaming option against mid teams.
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.
Chris Paddack (CIN) – I’m not seeing a good enough version of Paddack to justify rostering him in Cincy.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – Lowder has moments with great command of fastballs, sliders, and changeups. I’ll let you know when they pop up.
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.
Ryan Feltner (COL) – Why.
Sean Sullivan (COL) – He got the pearl and it’s absolutely not what you want.
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
Zach Agnos (COL) – Who are you and why did you need to know what I thought about Agnos? I’m Agnos-tic. THAT’S NOT WHAT THAT MEANS.
Anthony Kay (CWS) – He had a good run and hit a wall. I wasn’t a believer during the hot stretch and I’m definitely not now.
David Sandlin (CWS) – He’s back in the minors.
Joe Rock (CWS) – He’s not a proper starting option.
Noah Schultz (CWS) – He may be returning this week, and that’s awesome! Wait and see.
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) – We see stretches of strikeout excellence, but it’s rare to see it with decent ratios during those high points, regardless of the valley he often lives in.
Justin Verlander (DET) – Is he actually returning this week? Really? I kinda imagined this was, you know, it. Update: He didn’t. And who knows when.
Keider Montero (DET) – Montero doesn’t do enough to justify a 12-teamer roster spot.
Ty Madden (DET) – He’s stepping in after a brief IL stint and I have no interest in his approach.
Cristian Javier (HOU) – He may be returning this week, and that’s awesome! Wait and see.
Jason Alexander (HOU) – He was shellacked by the Rangers and already carried a low ceiling.
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) – The command simply isn’t there yet.
Luinder Avila (KC) – How long will he even go in this rotation?
Mitch Spence (KC) – Oh snap, he’s a thing again! A THING thing? Nah, just a thing. Dang.
Cole Ragans (KCR) – Is he returning? Let’s treat him like a Still ILL if he does.
Alek Manoah (LAA) – Oh dear. Please don’t.
Caden Dana (LAA) – Will he establish himself as a Toby at some point?
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) – Grayson was removed from his outing with a back injury.
Ryan Johnson (LAA) – He showed up again and it was rouuuuugh. Don’t do this.
Sam Aldegheri (LAA) – He doesn’t pack enough of a punch to be a proper SWATCH.
Braxton Garrett (MIA) – I thought we’d get Garrett soon. Guess not.
Janson Junk (MIA) – Junk, you rascal. Once I feel confident he can command his stuff well, I’ll add him.
Ryan Gusto (MIA) – There may be something of interest here, but let’s wait and see.
Tyler Phillips (MIA) – As much as I want this to work out, it’s not working out.
Brandon Sproat (MIL) – I cannot believe he had his best start in ages whilst in Vegas. IN VEGAS! Sadly, the skills weren’t what we wanted them to be.
Robert Gasser (MIL) – If he sticks in the rotation, then I’m game. Kinda. I wish he had a changeup, and, you know, had a rotation spot.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – He’s now on the IL with elbow inflammation.
Connor Prelipp (MIN) – I’m so glad we saw the changeup return over the weekend, but a VVVVPQS was the result. I can’t endorse him until it all comes together and the success follows.
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.
Mike Paredes (MIN) – This ain’t it.
Zebby Matthews (MIN) – Feels wrong to leave him off The List, doesn’t it? There are more intriguing options than usual and Zebby has a worse floor than most given his propensity for meatballs that leave the yard.
David Peterson (NYM) – He’s a Toby at best. I don’t trust him.
Jonah Tong (NYM) – Sent back down to the minors. Sigh.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – I gave him an honest try. Now we wait.
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.
Aaron Nola (PHI) – Nola’s velocity ebbs and flows. I’ll add him again once I feel we can trust him.
Alan Rangel (PHI) – I’m curious how this goes. There’s a chance he’s a decent arm to target for a vulture Win.
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.
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) – He’s been able to produce five frames of decency, allowing him to accrue a ton of Wins, but this isn’t meant to last. Update: Now on the restricted list and likely not starting again due to Jared’s return.
Mitch Keller (PIT) – It’s a tough matchup ahead and Keller is back to his old form of not being effective.
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.
Griffin Canning (SDP) – The four-seamer we saw in his season debut has dwindled since. I’m not seeing enough to pull me in.
Lucas Giolito (SDP) – I know, how COULD I?! Because he sat 90.4 mph, that’s why. I was intrigued 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.
Randy Vásquez (SDP) – I wish he were getting the whiffs we saw in early April, but alas, he’s a 15-team Toby these days.
Walker Buehler (SDP) – I’m not buying that the Padres fixed him.
Luis Castillo (SEA) – I don’t care if he just had the best slider he’s had all year, he’s not going to get a ton of innings in his current role and his slider is unlikely to perform this well again.
Trevor McDonald (SF) – McDonald is a sinkerballer with an elite slider, but the sinker isn’t landing low and the slider can’t find strikes.
Adrian Houser (SFG) – A 15-teamer Toby when he proves he can handle weak opponents.
Tyler Mahle (SFG) – I wonder if McDonald will keep his job over Mahle when he returns from the IL.
Hunter Dobbins (STL) – The Cardinals gave it a shot, and who knows when they give him another one.
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) – His command isn’t good enough. He can be a 15-team Toby option, but nothing more.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – It’s just too blegh. A groundball arm with few strikeouts who has recently had the cold shoulder from Koufax.
Ian Seymour (TBR) – As happy as I am that the Rays are giving him a shot in the rotation, it would be better if he could execute his SWATCH approach a bit better. Hard to lean into him with a short leash and questionable quality.
Jesse Scholtens (TBR) – There just isn’t enough upside here.
Mason Englert (TBR) – He doesn’t do enough to justify a roster spot.
Steven Matz (TBR) – He hasn’t been sharp since returning from the IL.
Cal Quantrill (TEX) – THE UNQUANTRILLFIABLE. Actually, we can quantify that he’s not worthwhile. Yeah, but that, you know, ruins it.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – He’s hurt your teams in 75% of his starts this season. It’s not worth your time.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – His slider/cutter focus is awfully meh and I don’t see the upside outside of a decent ERA here and there.
Grant Rogers (TOR) – I don’t see a reason to grab Rogers for now, but it is his Centre, so who really knows.
Max Scherzer (TOR) – I can see Scherzer actually performing well in his next start or two, but he hasn’t proven it yet. Update: Annnnd he’s scratched again.
Patrick Corbin (TOR) – No, this is not the time to restart your PC. You can’t make that joke everytime. YES I CAN.
Simeon Woods Richardson (TOR) – SWR was a wild card entering the year and it sure is wild how wrong this has gone. We may see him get some starts now that he’s with the Jays and y’all know you shouldn’t do that.
Spencer Miles (TOR) – He’s being used a follower in the place of Lauer and it’s not worth your time.
Andrew Alvarez (WSN) – I’m not seeing enough to chase this.
Cade Cavalli (WSN) – As much as I want this to work out, he breaks the Huascar Rule with a good curveball and two hittable fastballs.
Miles Mikolas (WSN) – You actually CTRL-F’d Mikolas?!
Zack Littell (WSN) – I know he has his moments, but I don’t trust his Dancing With The Disco approach.
Good luck, everyone!
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Badges | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob MisiorowskiT1 | MIL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 2 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 3 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | - |
| 4 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 5 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 6 | Chase Burns | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 7 | Joe RyanT2 | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 8 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 9 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 10 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 11 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 12 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +4 |
| 13 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 14 | Tarik SkubalT3 | DET | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 15 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -2 |
| 16 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 17 | Logan Webb | SF | Ace Potential Quality Starts | -2 |
| 18 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 19 | Dylan CeaseT4 | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 20 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 21 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 22 | Max Meyer | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 23 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 24 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 25 | Nathan EovaldiT5 | TEX | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -2 |
| 26 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Holly Quality Starts | -2 |
| 27 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Holly Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 28 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 29 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 30 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 31 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 32 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | Frizzle | +UR |
| 33 | Ranger SuarezT6 | BOS | Holly Quality Starts | +2 |
| 34 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | +6 |
| 35 | Shane McClanahan | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 36 | George Kirby | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | +3 |
| 37 | Landen Roupp | SF | Holly Quality Starts | +4 |
| 38 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 39 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 40 | Jared JonesT7 | PIT | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -8 |
| 41 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 42 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +7 |
| 43 | Gage Jump | ATH | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect | +12 |
| 44 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 45 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +12 |
| 46 | Eury PérezT8 | MIA | Hipster | +UR |
| 47 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +28 |
| 48 | Connelly Early | BOS | Hipster Quality Starts | -3 |
| 49 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 50 | Framber Valdez | DET | Hipster Quality Starts | -6 |
| 51 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 52 | Ben BrownT9 | CHC | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 53 | Griffin Jax | TB | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 54 | Reid Detmers | LAA | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 55 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Holly Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | -2 |
| 56 | Will Warren | NYY | Holly Wins Bonus | -14 |
| 57 | Troy Melton | DET | Holly Frizzle Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +17 |
| 58 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 59 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +19 |
| 60 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Hipster Quality Starts | -10 |
| 61 | Michael King | SD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 62 | José Soriano | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -16 |
| 63 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Hipster Quality Starts | +22 |
| 64 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 65 | Dustin MayT10 | STL | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 66 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +UR |
| 67 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 68 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | -7 |
| 69 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -2 |
| 70 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Toby Quality Starts | -8 |
| 71 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -3 |
| 72 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Toby Quality Starts Stash Option | -13 |
| 73 | Noah Cameron | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 74 | Joey CantilloT11 | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 75 | Shane Baz | BAL | Hipster Quality Starts | +9 |
| 76 | Sean Burke | CWS | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 77 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 78 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 79 | Christian Scott | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 80 | Shane Drohan | MIL | Frizzle Ratio Focused Rotation Spot Bonus | +UR |
| 81 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | -4 |
| 82 | Tatsuya Imai | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 83 | Sean ManaeaT12 | NYM | Toby Rotation Spot Bonus | -19 |
| 84 | Peter Lambert | HOU | Toby Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 85 | Stephen Kolek | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -20 |
| 86 | Javier Assad | CHC | Toby Wins Bonus | -6 |
| 87 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +1 |
| 88 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | -6 |
| 89 | Davis Martin | CWS | Toby Quality Starts | -26 |
| 90 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 91 | Seth Lugo | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -4 |
| 92 | Andre PallanteT13 | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 93 | Jack Perkins | ATH | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 94 | Jose Cabrera | ARI | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 95 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -16 |
| 96 | Bryce Elder | ATL | Hipster Quality Starts | -13 |
| 97 | J.T. Ginn | ATH | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 98 | Martín Pérez | ATL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
| 99 | Brandon Young | BAL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | - |
| 100 | Eric Lauer | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
Labels Legend
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
