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: Ben Brown (52), Edward Cabrera (67)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: Hunter Greene (27), Noah Schultz (93)
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 60: (0 Spots)
Tier 1 – Luke, We’ve Got Company
1. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – He threw a 105.5 mph. As a starting pitcher. This is so ridiculous.
2. Paul Skenes (PIT) – He’s been oddly mortal, and yet, he’s still as safe as they come.
3. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – We just saw him allow more hits again, and I’m not going to do anything rash in the short term.
4. Chris Sale (ATL) – He’s still 96/97 mph and that’s just silly.
5. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – Unearned runs ruined his last start, while the Ras Pack is still elite.
6. Chase Burns (CIN) – Burns just allowed five runs…with ten strikeouts. He’s still dope and makes us feel dope.
Tier 2 – The Aces
7. Joe Ryan (MIN) – Ryan is still above 93 mph with solid breakers. That’s wonderful.
8. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – Ohtani is still lower due to his lower innings ceiling, and definitely not the production.
9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – Same with Yamamoto, though he may fall if he strikeouts keep falling.
10. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – He’s like 90% of classic Wheeler. That’s awesome.
11. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – The slider is sliding and he’s still upper 90s.
12. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – The flagship Ras Pack is polished and the strikeouts are appearing.
13. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – Gilbert is pumping heaters over the plate and having success, while the piggyback was abandoned last minute. Ignore that it exists.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
14. Tarik Skubal (DET) – He could easily be back in Tier 2 by next week, demanding a spot as early as later tonight.
15. Logan Webb (SFG) – Webb’s Coronation Day is upon us with a date in Coors. He’s locked in.
16. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft would be in Tier 2 if he came through against the Phillies, and if he dominates the Nationals, he’ll be there next week.
17. Bryce Miller (SEA) – There’s a legit argument that he’s the best pitcher on the Mariners. He’s throwing harder than ever + he’s a full kitchen-sink arm and not the fastball-reliant arm of old.
18. Kyle Harrison (MIL) – I want to give him AGA, but his four-seamer has appeared down in the zone more than ideal lately and the changeup feel has fallen off a touch. Feels weird to give it to him when there are signs it could get a little worse. Not saying it will and I’m optimistic he’ll prove me wrong in his next outing.
19. Hunter Brown (HOU) – Brown’s four-seamer hasn’t dominated batters as much as it used to. It’s weird and it should be better in the future, especially since he’s been dependent on his four-seamer/sinker combo in the past and he’s still over 96 mph.
20. Max Meyer (MIA) – Coronation Day is upon us with a date in Coors with the best heater of his career. You got this.
21. Bryan Woo (SEA) – It hasn’t gone his way and it’s frustrating. He still possesses an elite four-seamer/sinker combo with a fantastic home park. Buy the dip.
Tier 4 – Far Sweeter Than Sour
22. Dylan Cease (TOR) – It’s Cease. The WHIP will hurt more than you like, the ERA will be a toss-up, and the spice strikeouts will flow.
23. Payton Tolle (BOS) – Tolle took down the Yankees and now gets another test against the Nationals. I hope we see more than four-seamers taking down batters with ease.
24. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Eovaldi isn’t destined to allow a ton of HRs with a legit four-pitch mix.
25. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – Luzardo is more prone to the blow-up inning than others, though the strikeouts make up for it.
26. George Kirby (SEA) – He just had his best showcase of the season with sweepers down-and-away out of the zone + sinkers on the inner half to RHB. I sure hope it sticks.
27. Hunter Greene (CIN) – We’re finally getting Hunter back this weekend
Tier 5 – We Want This To Be More
28. Brandon Woodruff (MIL) – After two great performances, it’s hard not to raise him further. However, I still wonder if his low 90s heaters can stand against top tier offenses.
29. Gerrit Cole (NYY) – Cole’s stuff is great. His command is not. We often see delays of feel when players return from TJS, often with subconscious fear to let loose with their breakers after enduring so much missed time. He just needs time.
30. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – Gausman’s last two games were rough. He’s had rough games like this before and he’s always bounced back.
31. Nolan McLean (NYM) – There’s still polish left for McLean as he continues to learn the art of pitching – he’s been at the position for less than five years at this point. This is his first real adversity in the majors and we usually see young arms come out of it stronger than ever.
32. Gavin Williams (CLE) – Gavin’s four-seamer is awesome, but he’s fallen in love with his sinker to RHB. I’m willing to wager he finds a balance of the two and cruises in the second half.
33. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – He’s still at 92 mph and if not for a poor putaway rate and some poor luck, Imanaga’s Monday outing would have been far better.
Tier 6 – Fine, You Need Some Innings
34. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – Suarez is a strong Holly possibly deserving of a Tier 4 or 5 spot. I still worry he’s more precarious than his peers with worse stuff, but it’s hard to deny his stability this year.
35. Sonny Gray (BOS) – He’s come alive in his last few outings, proving once again that over a full season, the skies are more Sonny than Gray.
36. Carlos Rodón (NYY) – Rodón hasn’t exploded since coming back from the IL, and I’d be more concerned if his struggles paired with strikes across all three pitches. Instead, he’s struggling to land his slider for strikes, and it’s bringing him down further than he should. That’ll return and he should be a regular producer again. In the meantime, enjoy the strikeouts.
37. Parker Messick (CLE) – The 95/96 mph velocity came back down to 94 mph, but the SWATCH life is very real with heaters up and changeups down. We love that.
38. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp is well-versed in pitch separation, quoting each previous start with sinkers/cutters up-and-in and curves/changes down-and-away to LHB with ease.
39. Foster Griffin (WSH) – I’m as shocked as you are. The kitchen-sink approach has been absurdly good and he’s been nothing but consistent with a near 25% strikeout rate. Wild. If I believed it in full, he’d be more like Top 25 given the results.
40. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – I love seeing 96+ mph from McShane after he exhibited 94+ mph in April. I get the sense he’s made a tweak and needs to get comfortable with it before he holds the velocity and finds his command. I’m keeping the faith.
41. Connelly Early (BOS) – Despite failing to have a clear and consistent approach in his deep mix, Early is missing bats, especially with his four-seamer. Hard not to embrace him after taking down the Pinstripes.
42. Nick Lodolo (CIN) – We’ve seen Lodolo struggle to wrangle his curveball lately, and if he sticks on the field consistently without injury, I expect the rhythm to come like it did last season.
Tier 7 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
43. Reid Detmers (LAA) – I was tempted to raise him higher now that the slider precision has returned. Next up: pairing the heater and slider with the ole changeup.
44. Robbie Ray (SFG) – Robbie is in purgatory and trying everything, including going sinker-heavy despite his four-seamer being his best pitch. It’s a weird time, but at least he’s become comfortable with his slowball to RHB. That four-seamer dominance is sure to return, right/
45. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – Bradish’s breakers have gained velocity, but the strikeout explosions disappear when one of the slider or curve fail to land where they need to. I really hope I don’t have to lower him next week.
46. Troy Melton (DET) – The whiffs are appearing after Melton boasted 1-2 ticks extra velocity last week. With a solid floor established by strong command, Melton flexing improved stuff should get you amped.
47. Gage Jump (ATH) – So he couldn’t take down the Dodgers in Sacré Verde. Fine. He’s still shocking us all with super high strike rates on his great four-seamer and slider.
48. Griffin Jax (TBR) – We just saw Jax throw 88 pitches, granting hope that he could finally see the sixth frame if he’s a little more efficient. Please, Tampa Bay. IT’S TIME.
49. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – Gore has cruised as of late, going BSB with ease via four-seamers and curves. This tier is the tier of potential HIPSTER arms and he’s just a little more encouraging than those in Tier 8 and 9.
Tier 8 – Why Aren’t You Dope
50. Jared Jones (PIT) – Come on, Jones. Do something. He wasn’t the wild arm like Bubba before his surgery and the stuff is undeniable. He’s arguably a Top 20 arm for 2027 given his stuff (not saying I agree! I legit don’t know yet) and it’s totally possible he clicks into place as soon as next time out.
51. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – I did a video on Weathers’ rough Monday night, outlining how it wasn’t a game rooted in his inability to pitch, but moreso of sequencing and a some poor luck that made him so inefficient through two frames. He’s still a good pitcher…when he doesn’t allow HRs.
52. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – Peralta still has Professor Chaos in him and as we enter July, it’s really hard to keep telling you “He’s going to get better, trust me.”
53. Framber Valdez (DET) – Same for Valdez, who had his curveball against the Yankees, then lost it against the Astros. How dare you tease us like that?
54. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – Sandy is in the middle of The Green Mile and yet, I don’t know if he’ll be so good when he gets out of it. He’s more inconsistent start-to-start than you’d think.
55. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – Yesavage just did a crazy good thing – he located four-seamers in-and-in to LHB and on the inside edge to RHB – and if he can keep doing that, he’ll be fantastic, even when the splitter and slider hold sub-50% strikes…as they did. Unfortunately, it’s a rare skill and for someone with highly suspect command over his time in the majors, it’s doubtful this will stick.
56. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – There have been few more enigmatic than Sheehan this season, and I’m still a believer in the stuff + Win chance with the Dodgers to hold on.
Tier 9 – WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
57. Casey Mize (SEA) – Mize has put up shockingly great numbers this year and just took down the Yankees with ten strikeouts. The slider is what he’s always wanted it to be and the command is solid. Hard not to lean into this.
58. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – Rogers is alive. The four-seamer is cooking upstairs at 94+ mph and it sure looks like the guy we fell for last summer.
59. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – Speaking of increased velocity, Cantillo has back-to-back nine-strikeout games with 1-2 ticks extra four-seamer velocity. However, the biggest difference may be his increased curveball usage that has crushed in his last two. It’s a small sample, and if it continues, he’ll fly up The List.
60. Jake Bennett (BOS) – This high-extension SWATCH is getting plenty of chases upstairs with his four-seamer, but will he continue to do so? Are two fastballs and a changeup enough? His sweeper and curveball have made up less than 15% of his pitches thus far.
61. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I’m disturbed by Hancock’s shift from four-seamers to sinkers with a lower arm angle and so much less vert. He doesn’t have as clear of a path to success each night and his early-season numbers may be obscuring our perception.
62. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – Wrobo Cop doesn’t quite add up, but he’s above 95+ mph consistently and slowly incorporating more to the arsenal.
63. Dustin May (STL) – May was the talk of the town until he hit a wall last week. Expect better against the Marlins, hopefully with all the whiffs coming his way.
64. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – Boyd boyz unite! He just had his Still ILL outing and the rust should be coming off this or next start.
65. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Is this too low for Abbott? On one hand, he’s certainly been helpful since mid-May after a dismal start to the year, on the other, he hasn’t been exceptional. It all still seems so fragile.
66. Sean Burke (CHW) – Burke is boasting a 30% strikeout rate across his last six games, though I’m skeptical it can last with a four-seamer that shouldn’t propel so many strikeouts + a curve & slider breaking ball combo that disappears frequently. Obviously worth the ride for now and I hope I lift him further in future weeks.
67. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – He’s been such a lovely Vargas Rule, so much as to go seven productive frames with just one strikeout Monday night. When you’re hot, you’re hot.
Tier 10 – It’s Something
68. Eury Pérez (MIA) – Pérez isn’t stretched out and it’ll take a start or two to get him back to a place where you may get excited about him again. In other words, he’s not worth it now, and we don’t know if he’ll be worth it in a week or two. That’s a tough sell.
69. Will Warren (NYY) – Warren hasn’t dominated with his four-seamer and sinker lately, putting more pressure on his changeup and sweeper, which haven’t been focuses for a while. I’m worried he’s settling into Toby land.
70. Michael King (SDP) – The King without a crown. But he wears a TIARA! Not the same. The stuff is there, and if he finds that feel with his cross-body mechanics, look out.
71. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – Is Sasaki’s arsenal that good? I want to say it is, but we saw him use multiple approaches in each of his hot starts, and it’s hard to determine which will appear on a given night. I feel like he’s worth gambling against middle-to-poor offenses, but I’m not confident yet.
72. José Soriano (LAA) – Soriano’s glistening start to the season has faded, exposing the 2025 foundation underneath. Without the consistent four-seamer, Soriano has to find his sinker and curveball combo to become a solid arm to hold.
73. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – Finally. 20 Whiffs for Prielipp was a lovely sight on the back of the back-foot slider returning to form, making me continue to think of him as a Detmers-lite, with a better potential changeup & curve, similar slider, and slightly worse four-seamer. He also embraced the two-plane curveball more and I’m all for the love. Now let’s see what happens against a tougher team than Rockie Road.
Tier 11 – What Will They Become?
74. Davis Martin (CHW) – Martin is a proper Toby. If you need that, cool.
75. Ian Seymour (TBR) – We just got an encouraging outing from Seymour and it could mean a great string of starts ahead as a proper SWATCH. I need to see more first.
76. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – Ureña stumbled, strangely on a day when his changeup was cooking. I’m not judging him terribly for it, but then again, he wasn’t as good as the results suggested.
77. Nick Martinez (TBR) – This Vargas Rule has continued much longer than expected and by all Johns means, keep starting it if strikeouts aren’t a major necessity.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
78. Brandon Sproat (MIL) – Ten strikeouts! DOMINATION! In just one start. Do it again. K, thx.
79. Jack Perkins (ATH) – Perkins has a flat four-seamer at 96 mph with a decent set of secondaries, but does he have the command to make it work together? In Sacré Verde?
80. Jack Flaherty (DET) – That was one beautiful Still ILL outing, featuring low breakers like the golden days + a 93/94 mph heater. He’s been unreliable this year and I’m skeptical he’ll consistently produce.
81. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Bibee is a coin flip. He is? Always has been. Since 2025. …yeah, since 2025.
82. Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – Speaking of coin-flips…
83. Zebby Matthews (MIN) – SPEAKING OF COIN-FLIPS…I feel like we’re gonna summon Harvey Dent.
84. Michael Wacha (KCR) – He’s a Toby who just bounced back, but isn’t as solid as Tier 11.
85. Brandon Young (BAL) – I’m still in shock that his four-seamer + splitter helped him earn twenty-three whiffs over the weekend. It doesn’t add up to me, but maybe there’s something here in his precision that I’m overlooking.
86. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – Cavalli had a strong outing with his curveball and Empty Velocity. Sadly, the Huascar Rule is still broken.
87. Christian Scott (NYM) – He’s back from the IL and I hope he gains momentum to be the solid Holly he can be with his high four-seamer, stabilizing cutter, and whiffable sweeper + splitter.
88. Shane Baz (BAL) – Baz is a guy you go to if you need innings. For WHIP? Try someone else – he’s returned a 1.00 WHIP or lower in just two starts this year. Cool to see a decent BSB with four-seamers and curveballs to LHB, though. Maybe the sinker can get inside to RHB and make it all work?
Tier 13 – Arms To Consider This Week
89. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – One of these days. POW! BAM! Straight to my roster.
90. Shane Bieber (TOR) – Bieber has not impressed thus far and I’m losing hope that he’ll return to his 2025 form. The stuff is worse, y’all.
91. Kumar Rocker (TEX) – Rocker has earned 36 whiffs in just two starts, and I still don’t quite understand how his 83 mph gyro slider is as effective as it is, even if he does a good job of keeping it down to LHB. Those fastballs are not good.
92. Cristian Javier (HOU) – He’s been gone for a while with a shoulder strain and is expected to return this week. I’m excited to see him with no expectations. Remember, that’s the secret to a good L.I.F.E. – Life Is Framing Everyday.
93. Noah Schultz (CHW) – Schultz is also returning from the IL and for a pitcher struggling to find his footing in the majors before his injury, it’s harder to expect him returning value in the near future with Still ILL thrown into the cauldron.
94. Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – The Pasta Pirate has not found the right pitch mix for stability. It’s definitely not the low strike rates from his curveball-and-four-seamer combo that he keeps trying to brute-force, that’s for sure.
95. Andre Pallante (STL) – Pallante has been able to produce here and there, but it’s a low ceiling and he has too long of a history of getting hit around for me to lean heavily into him. A decent streaming option.
96. Stephen Kolek (KCR) – Kolek has a wide arsenal and can throw strikes. That’s the perfect recipe for an occasional streamer who grants you a chance for a Quality Start.
97. Javier Assad (CHC) – Don’t consider Assad for strikeouts, but he’s so good at taking advantage of the elite defense behind him for quiet evenings of 5+ frames.
98. Taj Bradley (MIN) – He’s the reverse of Assad – need strikeouts and ready to throw ratios into the wind? Give Bradley the pearl.
99. Martín Pérez (ATL) – Are Wins the issue? Pérez has been shockingly good since he was DFA’d, even if the stuff is awfully questionable.
100. Anthony Kay (CHW) – He’ll get the Guardians this week. Even after his last start’s disappointment, there’s a chance for a decent start there.
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) – The Sneks are giving Pfaadt a shot with two major hits to their rotation. I’m curious if he displays anything new to make us interested again.
Jose Cabrera (ARI) – I don’t hate Cabrera, his ceiling is still too much of an unknown. His best skill is throwing strikes (so far) and I hope he keeps doing so.
Merrill Kelly (ARI) – Kelly will likely return in time. As a Toby, you can’t have a poor stretch and expect to stick around on teams.
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…
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – A tough matchup this week and with lower velocity, I’m not interested in holding through it.
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.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – It’s time to move on after failing to come through against the Giants. It was a, uh, time. It was a time.
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.
Hurston Waldrep (ATL) – It’s very possible we see Waldrep entering the rotation in the near future after showing up after ReyLó, but the quality was awfully blegh. I’m not throwing darts at this with a number of decent streaming options out there.
JR Ritchie (ATL) – He’s back in the rotation and I have such little interest.
Reynaldo López (ATL) – I’m not seeing enough in both length and quality to go after López right now.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – It’s a wait-and-see with Kremer in his Still ILL this week.
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.
Colin Rea (CHC) – The Cubs suddenly need arms and Rea is still here. Literally SP 101 as I had to remove him for Greene. Not the worst streaming option against the Padres.
David Peterson (CHC) – He’s a Toby at best. I don’t trust him, even if he has a better defense behind him now.
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.
Gabriel Hughes (COL) – It’s possible the Rockies give him a spot start. The Rockies. A spot start.
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.
David Sandlin (CWS) – He’s back in the minors.
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.
Kai-Wei Teng (HOU) – Naaaaaah. The breakers can be cool, but it’s really not it, let alone the major question of his length.
Mike Burrows (HOU) – The command simply isn’t there yet.
Peter Lambert (HOU) – Lambert is a Toby who will get the Nationals next week. No thanks.
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.
Noah Cameron (KC) – The ceiling hasn’t shown itself enough to endure the high chance of mediocrity.
Seth Lugo (KC) – Lugo hasn’t been a good option for a while.
Alek Manoah (LAA) – Oh dear. Please don’t.
Caden Dana (LAA) – Will he establish himself as a Toby at some point?
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.
Eric Lauer (LAD) – Lauer no longer has the two-step, moving from the Padres to Rockie Road. Lucky guy. One of the last ones moved off The List.
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.
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.
Shane Drohan (MIL) – As much as I want to buy in, Drohan isn’t doing enough to entice me. I could correct this (again) next week if he goes off, sure, but with many arms deserving of a spot this week, I didn’t feel it was necessary to favor Drohan.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – He’s now on the IL with elbow inflammation.
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.
Jonah Tong (NYM) – Sent back down to the minors. Sigh.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – I gave him an honest try. Now we wait.
Sean Manaea (NYM) – Manaea’s velocity isn’t at 92 mph and the overall arsenal is meh. Not worth the gamble.
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.
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.
JP Sears (SDP) – He’s been given a chance to start again and I’m not interested until he wows me.
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.
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.
Cal Quantrill (TEX) – THE UNQUANTRILLFIABLE. Actually, we can quantify that he’s not worthwhile. Yeah, but that, you know, ruins it.
Tyler Alexander (TEX) – He may open for Winston Santos a game or two. As always, T-Lex has too short of a reach for your fantasy teams.
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.
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. The Nats haven’t let him go five frames yet, after all.
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 | - |
| 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 | - |
| 12 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 13 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 14 | Tarik SkubalT3 | DET | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 15 | Logan Webb | SF | Ace Potential Quality Starts | +2 |
| 16 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | +11 |
| 17 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 18 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 19 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 20 | Max Meyer | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 21 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -6 |
| 22 | Dylan CeaseT4 | TOR | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 23 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 24 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +1 |
| 25 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 26 | George Kirby | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | +10 |
| 27 | Hunter Greene | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +UR |
| 28 | Brandon WoodruffT5 | MIL | Holly | +4 |
| 29 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -13 |
| 30 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -4 |
| 31 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 32 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 33 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 34 | Ranger SuarezT6 | BOS | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 35 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 36 | Carlos Rodón | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 37 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 38 | Landen Roupp | SF | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 39 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Holly Quality Starts | +31 |
| 40 | Shane McClanahan | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside | -5 |
| 41 | Connelly Early | BOS | Holly Quality Starts | +7 |
| 42 | Nick Lodolo | CIN | Holly Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 43 | Reid DetmersT7 | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 44 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 45 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 46 | Troy Melton | DET | Holly Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +11 |
| 47 | Gage Jump | ATH | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect | -4 |
| 48 | Griffin Jax | TB | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 49 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 50 | Jared JonesT8 | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -10 |
| 51 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -9 |
| 52 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 53 | Framber Valdez | DET | Hipster Quality Starts | -3 |
| 54 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Hipster Quality Starts | -9 |
| 55 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +4 |
| 56 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 57 | Casey MizeT9 | DET | Frizzle Quality Starts Injury Risk | +11 |
| 58 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Frizzle Quality Starts | +5 |
| 59 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +15 |
| 60 | Jake Bennett | BOS | Frizzle Quality Starts | +UR |
| 61 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Toby Hipster Quality Starts | -1 |
| 62 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Toby Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | -7 |
| 63 | Dustin May | STL | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 64 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +2 |
| 65 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | +6 |
| 66 | Sean Burke | CHW | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +10 |
| 67 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +20 |
| 68 | Eury PérezT10 | MIA | Hipster | -22 |
| 69 | Will Warren | NYY | Hipster Wins Bonus | -13 |
| 70 | Michael King | SD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -9 |
| 71 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -7 |
| 72 | José Soriano | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 73 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 74 | Davis MartinT11 | CHW | Toby Quality Starts | +15 |
| 75 | Ian Seymour | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 76 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 77 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | +11 |
| 78 | Brandon SproatT12 | MIL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 79 | Jack Perkins | ATH | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +14 |
| 80 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 81 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 82 | Tatsuya Imai | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | - |
| 83 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Hipster Quality Starts | +UR |
| 84 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +6 |
| 85 | Brandon Young | BAL | Toby Ratio Focused | +14 |
| 86 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 87 | Christian Scott | NYM | Toby Wins Bonus | -8 |
| 88 | Shane Baz | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | -13 |
| 89 | Bubba ChandlerT13 | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 90 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Hipster Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk | -32 |
| 91 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 92 | Cristian Javier | HOU | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
| 93 | Noah Schultz | CHW | Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk | +UR |
| 94 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -16 |
| 95 | Andre Pallante | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 96 | Stephen Kolek | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -11 |
| 97 | Javier Assad | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -11 |
| 98 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 99 | Martín Pérez | ATL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 100 | Anthony Kay | CHW | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
