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: Kyle Harrison (18), Nick Lodolo (42)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: None
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 60: (+2 Spots)
Tier 1 – How Is He Still Doing This
1. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – I considered moving him down due to his fatigue and questionable innings remaining but…nah.
2. Tarik Skubal (DET) – Skubal is back, and Skubal is looking like like his old self so Skubal is here. Skubal is happy.
3. Chris Sale (ATL) – Sale is still killing it. Not much more to add here.
4. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – No need to worry about the velocity drops n all + his workload last year suggests he can hold throughout the full year.
5. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – Wheeler looks like Wheeler. It’s pretty dang cool.
6. Joe Ryan (MIN) – I don’t think people appreciate Ryan enough. He’s pitching the best baseball of his career for over a month now.
7. Paul Skenes (PIT) – Skenes’ velocity dips are worrisome, but he’s still a highly productive pitcher, and it’s totally possible he returns to form, too.
8. Chase Burns (CIN) – He just signed a contract extension with the Reds and his 52% strike four-seamer game is not his future.
Tier 2 – The Other Aces
9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – That 6 ER game was the biggest Careful, Icarus you’ll see.
10. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – How much is he actually starting the rest of the way? I wrestled with that and I may lower him Monday if we find out more. For now, I’m expecting him to pitch regularly.
11. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – Not only has it been a hitpocolypse lately, but the ASB didn’t do much to calm our fears.
12. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – Just like Ohtani, I’m not moving deGrom down until we get a better picture of his injury. Is he heading to the IL? Pitching next week?
13. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – He was knocked around and it was a clear One Night Bland. Nothing to fear.
14. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – Same for Gilbert. I dig his bigger lean into the four-seamer.
15. Dylan Cease (TOR) – I’m not sure I’m able to award an AGA to Cease since his resume is filled with highs and lows. History is destined to be repeated. And yet, you’re starting him every time.
16. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – It’s the same with Luzardo. Miller and Meyer haven’t lost their AGA and I see them as safer, while the peaks are higher for Cease and Luzardo, while who knows, maybe they have very few blowups across the remaining 2+ months.
17. Bryce Miller (SEA) – Miller is so dang good…if he’s healthy. The declining velocity of his past few starts had me worried his bone spur that was never treated with surgery is starting to affect him again. If he’s comfortably 96+ mph with a legit outing, he’ll be ahead of Cease.
18. Max Meyer (MIA) – I awarded Meyer a deserved AGA label, though while weighing the safety of Meyer against the sparkles of the peak with Cease and Luzardo, I found myself needing to put Meyer at the end of the tier. If you feel that’s wrong, then move Meyer above Cease. All good.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
19. Hunter Greene (CIN) – After his terrible Still ILL, Greene looked like Greene in his second one. However, I awarded Cole his AGA in a very similar situation and came to regret it shortly after. Give me at least one other start of dominance and you’re there.
20. Bryan Woo (SEA) – I watch Woo and I don’t see a poor pitcher. Maybe there is some credence to pitching outside the comfort of his home park, but it should still be far better than what we’ve seen. His four-seamer foundation is simply incredible (throw it more to RHB!).
21. Logan Webb (SFG) – Webb had a stumble and I can’t help but wonder if the clubhouse morale is affecting things. Regardless, he’s sure to bounce back. Webb gets it done.
22. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – He keeps getting close to the second tier, then can’t quite get over the hump. As long as he keeps pumping curves and sliders for strikes, all is well.
23. Gerrit Cole (NYY) – His four-seamer was much better last start as I’m encouraged we’ll see a return to form in the second half. Just need to see it one or two more times first…
24. Gavin Williams (CLE) – He leaned on his four-seamer over his sinker to RHB last time out. This is the way.
Tier 4 – Far Sweeter Than Sour
25. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Eovaldi is allowing more HRs than expected and it’s messing things up more than they should.
26. Payton Tolle (BOS) – I still dislike the “cutter” (it’s a slider) that goes in and out for him, but the four-seamer generally gets it done. I’m just waiting for him to take that real next step.
27. Sonny Gray (BOS) – I’m blown away that Gray holds a 1.98 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 25% strikeout rate across his last 12 starts with a 9-0 record. It sure has been Sonny a lot, sadly, he’s also sure to be Gray. That’s just how it is with him.
28. George Kirby (SEA) – He had a start of nailing the sweeper, then he followed it up with a good outing to LHB, but away sweepers in the zone + backdoor sinkers to RHB. I DON’T GET IT.
29. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – It’s been a bit rough lately, sure, but he’s still Gausman.
30. Nolan McLean (NYM) – McLean’s box score has been good, but he’s not displaying the domination across his arsenal to give me confidence moving forward. It’ll come with time.
Tier 5 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
31. Logan Henderson (MIL) – Henderson is back from the IL and as long as he keeps increasing the pitch count, you’re starting him. The four-seamer is a lovely foundation.
32. Troy Melton (DET) – I love Melton’s lean into the cutter as it’s correlated with more whiffs in each of his last four starts. He’s a command arm with 96+ heaters and a wide arsenal. Hard not to love that.
33. Sean Burke (CHW) – It’s undeniable that Burke has become a strikeout arm with his four-seamer, doing enough with his curve and slider. It still feels a bit precarious, but as long as he keeps producing, I’m raising him.
34. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – The four-seamer velocity and command is there, the slider is cooking, and the strikeouts have risen in a big way over the last month. The Dodgers are leaning on their mega-arms for the playoffs, allowing Wrobleski to soak all the innings in the regular season.
35. Foster Griffin (WSH) – He cannot be stopped. Or likely will against tougher opponents, but who cares, we ride this until the sun sets.
36. Griffin Jax (TBR) – Jax is getting limited by the Rays to five or six frames, and yes, it’s frustrating. I had to pull him a little lower simply because others are doing more. It’s still quality, though, and we’re riding with it.
37. Jared Jones (PIT) – Is it time? Jones returned to his four-seamer in a big way (60% usage!) and it led to six perfect frames. Please be the tweak he needed.
38. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – Bradish’s slider and curveball are the key to everything. I’m not thrilled to see him go sub-50% strikes with the pair in his last start, though he’s had both plenty over the last month. I’m wagering he’ll have them in the second half and massively help your fantasy teams.
Tier 6 – You’re Generally Safe. Ish.
39. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – McShane is back to 96+ mph and that’s great. I just wish it came with more explosive upside, you know?
40. Parker Messick (CLE) – He’s still a solid play you should generally slot into your lineup. I’m just sad it’s back down to 94 mph + he hasn’t been as rock solid with his command.
41. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – Imanaga has allowed just five HR in his last six games. That’s still not great. It includes a game of three bombs. OKAY FINE. The rumors of his demise have blown out of proportion.
42. Hunter Brown (HOU) – I’m terrified that Brown is struggling mightily with his four-seamer. Low strike rates, 95 mph instead of the fun 97+ of last year, and without the four-seamer/sinker combo running the show, he’s nothing like the guy you want him to be.
43. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – Alcantara is showing his best self at the right time, leaving just a handful of starts to go before he likely gets dealt at the deadline. How he gets it done is a little different each start, though, and it makes me hesitant to believe he’ll keep his 7+ inning outings alive throughout the second half.
Tier 7 – This Should Be More
44. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – Sheehan’s shallow numbers aren’t pretty, but the skills sure are. Trust the positive regression for the second half with a great three-pitch mix destined for a 25-30% strikeout rate and solid ratios.
45. Jake Bennett (BOS) – The southpaw is living the exquisite life of a premium SWATCH and the extension and intent for high heat is hard to turn away from. I wonder if it’ll last.
46. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – When Rogers is able to nail the top of the zone with his four-seamer at 94/95 mph and pair it with secondaries down, you don’t think. You start the man.
47. Framber Valdez (DET) – Valdez has a reputation for major performance swings during the season, and it has been a product of his curveball success for the last few years. We just saw him cruise with the hook in his last start, moreso than any start this year save for his first. It could be a sign of what’s to come.
48. Eury Pérez (MIA) – Pérez has a fantastic heater and is still trying to figure out how to get his secondaries working how he wants them to. He is moving in the right direction, though, and he could shoot up the list quickly.
49. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – Cantillo was a heavy fade for me entering the season, but he’s earned my adoration across the last month with a huge lean into his curveball.
50. Reid Detmers (LAA) – The slider is still great and as long as he has the breaker, you’re rolling with Detmers.
51. Gage Jump (ATH) – It’s not great starting in Sacré Verde, though save for the worst matchups (like the Dodgers and Nationals), Gage’s four-seamer and slider are good enough to start most of the time.
52. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp has had a tough time lately after Pride Night in San Francisco, and I still believe he has the command and skillset to make it work. You can quote me on that.
53. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – Weathers is Luzardo-lite. He’ll get the strikeouts and the ratios should come with it.
Tier 8 – WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
54. Michael King (SDP) – I want to believe in King, I really do. It’s been such a shaky run for a while and I’m not certain he’ll find that release point with his cross-body mechanics in the second half.
55. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – Gore has the stuff, but he may ultimately just be a PEAS. I hope not.
56. Will Warren (NYY) – Warren’s win chance is great, and even if I’m skeptical of his arsenal, it’s hard to send him to the wire. I hope the changeup and sweeper take a step up soon.
57. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – It’s been rough as anything. Peralta hasn’t looked terribly off from previous years, though, and we’ve seen him go on some ridiculous heaters in the past. He’ll likely be on a new squad at the deadline, too, which could jumpstart a fantastic run.
58. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – We’re unclear when he’ll go next after reaching for a comebacker with his pitch hand, and even when he does, his lower arm angle doesn’t inspire confidence.
59. Robbie Ray (SFG) – Why are you throwing more sinkers to RHB? WHY?! You found your four-seamer again, THROW THAT.
Tier 9 – It’s Something. It’s A Toby.
60. Dustin May (STL) – Dustin May has had some poor fortune lately and I expect him to get back on track.
61. Casey Mize (DET) – The slider is the glue he’s always wanted. I see Mize as a solid Toby as long as he’s healthy.
62. Ian Seymour (TBR) – Seymour gave you 12 strikeouts then fell back to Earth with a thud. He’ll just stand normally moving forward and that’s just fine.
63. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – We’ll see some flashes from Boyd, though I do worry about the hot summer starts in Wrigley.
64. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – What a ridiculous Vargas Rule this has been, eh?
65. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – He was sent to the IL with a blister, but is expected to return next week and I’m leaving him on here given the break n all. There’s legit potential in Prielipp, especially if he leans into the curve more and figures out the changeup.
66. Nick Martinez (TBR) – Like Eduardo, it’s a glorious Vargas Rule.
67. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – The walks from his last outing are a product of a low changeup strike rate – a rarity for Ureña. He’s made it work.
68. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Abbott does what Abbott does.
69. Peter Lambert (HOU) – Lambert has been a Toby from the start. Keep it going.
70. Michael Wacha (KCR) – He’s Wacha. You know, the dude who goes six often with a legit changeup and a kitchen sink to support it.
71. Shane Baz (BAL) – Baz’s approach doesn’t quite fit with the group, but the results generally do. His curveball is legit and he’s flexing better command of it with his four-seamer, but if it weren’t for 36% four-seamer foul balls and a 70%+ two-strike rate, he would not have returned nine strikeouts. Temper your expectations.
Tier 10 – What Will They Become?
72. Taj Bradley (MIN) – He’s on a hot streak again, so I guess we roll with it?
73. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – If Cavalli is able to return to the 98 mph velocity with 87+ mph breakers, he’ll be much higher than this. For now, I’m just happy he’s introduced cutters to the mix.
74. Brandon Sproat (MIL) – His stuff is still great and the Brewers are continuing to give him reps. There’s a fantastic ceiling if he can replicate high heaters.
75. Jack Flaherty (DET) – Flaherty is a strikeout arm when he has both breakers landing low. They’re landing low more than usually as of late.
76. Christian Scott (NYM) – This includes Thursday’s outing and it doesn’t change his rank. I’m still not seeing him harness his four-seamer, cutter, and sweeper around the plate with ease, even if he should have gone six, if not more, in this one.
Tier 11 – You Really Don’t Have To Do This
77. Shane Drohan (MIL) – I wonder if the Brewers are moving Drohan to his middle-relief role with the McCullers trade, which could increase his overall value with a higher Win potential. Otherwise, I haven’t seen an arsenal that demands success quite yet.
78. José Soriano (LAA) – Soriano had a wonderful start to the year. He’s been erratic and harmful to your team if you’ve held on past those six starts.
79. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – Here’s what you should ask yourself: Do you believe Yesavage will have good enough command to be a hold throughout the second half? For me, the answer is a clear no.
80. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – Sasaki was fun across four outings. Now he gets the Yankees and is rarely stellar.
81. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Flip a coin. Good luck. I don’t trust a sinker-first approach from him.
82. Jack Perkins (ATH) – Perkins has potential, though he’s a bit frustrating to roster, especially with Sacré Verde as his home park.
83. Noah Schultz (CHW) – There’s more to tap into with Schultz, who can do well with cutters jamming RHB consistently. If he unlocks whiffs with his changeup and sweeper, we’ll be talking about him all winter.
84. Zach Thornton (NYM) – We just saw him go seven fantastic innings with a cutter to RHB they struggled to put on grass. I don’t see enough to warrant hype, but it’s possible he’s a solid Toby for the Mets.
85. Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) – He just had a strong outing with good command with more movement on his breakers. I’m curious if that’s enough to make it work.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
86. Merrill Kelly (ARI) – His ceiling isn’t what it once was, but the changeup is good again.
87. Michael McGreevy (STL) – If you don’t need strikeouts, McGreevy’s elite command creates a whole lot of outs in play.
88. Davis Martin (CHW) – Martin’s lovely Vargas Rule has come to end, but he’s still a decent option when you need a streamer.
89. Reynaldo López (ATL) – He does what he does. Play the matchups and he could steal a Win or two with ease.
90. Noah Cameron (KCR) – Cameron just earned plenty of whiffs by avoiding the plate with his heaters and leaning heavily on his secondaries. That’s the Cameron I like, I worry that the floor is too dangerous.
91. Zebby Matthews (MIN) – His arsenal is worse than last year’s iteration and he throws too many hittable strikes.
92. Andre Pallante (STL) – Last start was blegh, but if he gets the four-seamer back inside to LHB, he’ll be fine.
93. Brayan Bello (BOS) – He’ll like get opened for again and I hope the increased movement on his breaker is here to stay.
94. Anthony Kay (CHW) – The ChiSox are getting more Wins than we all expected and Kay has his moments when he’s finding enough of the zone.
95. Kumar Rocker (TEX) – Rocker’s slider and cutter are cool. The fastballs are not.
96. Robert Gasser (MIL) – Will the Brewers keep Gasser in the rotation? I wish there was a little more in the arsenal.
97. Colin Rea (CHC) – Rea has proven himself to be a decent streamer against middling teams.
98. Tyler Mahle (SFG) – Mahle took advantage of Rockie Road and has a solid schedule ahead. I wonder if he can go on a decent run.
99. Janson Junk (MIA) – He returned for five decent frames and it’s possible he can take down a RHB-heavy crew against the Astros.
100. Owen Murphy (ATL) – I hope he gets to start, though he’s not fully stretched out yet. I love the 94+ mph heater with 18/19″ vert with an average arm angle and a 1.8 HAVAA. Now if he can get the opportunity + nail down his changeup and slider…
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
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.
Michael Soroka (ARI) – Soroka could return soon and I’ll wait for Monday to get confirmation. It’ll be a tough week to start him with a Still ILL + the Dodgers, though.
Mitch Bratt (ARI) – I’m not into this at all.
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) – I’m terrified of his diminished velocity + his home park is terrible.
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.
AJ Smith-Shawver (ATL) – Whoa whoa whoa, are you actually coming back in the next week? You can spec-add if you want, I’m curious what we’ll get.
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.
Martín Pérez (ATL) – He’s on the IL with a forearm injury and not worth it when he’s starting, save for those desperate for a dub.
Brandon Young (BAL) – I know it’s a quick hook after the 23 whiff game, but his follow-up sure felt like a Double Bubble.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – It’s a wait-and-see with Kremer. I don’t trust he’s past the 15-teamer HIPSTER phase.
Trey Gibson (BAL) – There is far too much left to polish.
Connelly Early (BOS) – There’s a slight chance he returns next week, and I’ll add him on Monday if he’s confirmed.
Eduardo Rivera (BOS) – He’ll be opening for Bello. Ignore this.
Patrick Sandoval (BOS) – I wonder if “The Irish Panda” has any more magic left. It was kinda interesting last time out…?
David Peterson (CHC) – He’s a Toby at best. I don’t trust him, even if he has a better defense behind him now.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) – It’s unclear if he actually returns this week, and I sure hope he does. It’ll be good to see the fella on the bump again.
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.
Nick Lodolo (CIN) – He’s on the IL again with his blister issue and it’s painful. I think he’s a strong pitcher when he’s able to string together many starts like 2025, but it’s just so hard to keep him on the field.
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.
Erick Fedde (CWS) – Fedde’s cutter came in HOT, then he threw just two last game. WHY?!
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.
Cristian Javier (HOU) – We saw him for a brief start and he didn’t do enough to force an add.
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.
Ronel Blanco (HOU) – He’s back! And I’m so curious what we get in this Still ILL.
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – I think we need to let the Pasta Pirate cook a little longer before we serve him a spot on our teams.
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – He’s just too much of a wild card. I think you’re better off just not touching it.
Luinder Avila (KCR) – How long will he even go in this rotation?
Mitch Spence (KCR) – Oh snap, he’s a thing again! A THING thing? Nah, just a thing. Dang.
Seth Lugo (KCR) – Lugo hasn’t been a good option for a while.
Stephen Kolek (KCR) – I hope everything in his personal life is okay. I think it’s affecting him (understandably so) and I’d hold off until he looks back to normal.
Alek Manoah (LAA) – Oh dear. Please don’t.
Caden Dana (LAA) – Will he establish himself as a Toby at some point?
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) – There’s nothing to get excited about with his four-seamer and changeup.
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) – One of the last of The List as you could consider him against the Mets for Win stream.
Braxton Garrett (MIA) – I thought we’d get Garrett soon. Guess not.
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.
Kyle Harrison (MIL) – I have no idea what’s going on and I just hope he’s alright. Please return ASAP.
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.
Elmer Rodríguez (NYY) – We expect Elmer to come up in Carlos Rodón’s spot and we’ve yet to see him give us a productive start across the board.
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.
Brian Keller (PHI) – He’s not it, y’all.
Ranger Suarez (PHI) – I elected to pull him given his adductor tightness that ended Sunday’s outing early. If he’s just fine, he’d be around Tier 4/5.
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.
Bubba Chandler (PIT) – I can’t believe we’re at this point. He’s not getting whiffs on his four-seamer. It’s been three months and nothing’s changed. I can’t do this.
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.
Jhony Brito (SDP) – Looks like Brito will return soon and it’s not something to jump on early.
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.
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.
Mason Englert (TBR) – I’m not convinced he’s the next hot thing from Tampa Bay, but I’d pay attention to his next start.
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.
Shane Bieber (TOR) – He’s not looking like his old self and I don’t have any interest holding. I’d be floored if he suddenly killed it next time out.
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 | Tarik Skubal | DET | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 3 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 4 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 6 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 7 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 8 | Chase Burns | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 9 | Yoshinobu YamamotoT2 | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | - |
| 10 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 11 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | -4 |
| 12 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 13 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 14 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 15 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 16 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 17 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 18 | Max Meyer | MIA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 19 | Hunter GreeneT3 | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +7 |
| 20 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 21 | Logan Webb | SF | Ace Potential Quality Starts | -3 |
| 22 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Ace Potential Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 23 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 24 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 25 | Nathan EovaldiT4 | TEX | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -2 |
| 26 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 27 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 28 | George Kirby | SEA | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 29 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | - |
| 30 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 31 | Logan HendersonT5 | MIL | Holly Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +5 |
| 32 | Troy Melton | DET | Holly Ratio Focused | +10 |
| 33 | Sean Burke | CHW | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +18 |
| 34 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Holly Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | +16 |
| 35 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 36 | Griffin Jax | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 37 | Jared Jones | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +9 |
| 38 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 39 | Shane McClanahanT6 | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 40 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | -5 |
| 41 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -8 |
| 42 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 43 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -3 |
| 44 | Emmet SheehanT7 | LAD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 45 | Jake Bennett | BOS | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 46 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Holly Quality Starts | -3 |
| 47 | Framber Valdez | DET | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +14 |
| 48 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 49 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +13 |
| 50 | Reid Detmers | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 51 | Gage Jump | ATH | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect | +1 |
| 52 | Landen Roupp | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +2 |
| 53 | Ryan WeathersT8 | NYY | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +3 |
| 54 | Michael King | SD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 55 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 56 | Will Warren | NYY | Hipster Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 57 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 58 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Toby Quality Starts | -11 |
| 59 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 60 | Dustin MayT9 | STL | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 61 | Casey Mize | DET | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -6 |
| 62 | Ian Seymour | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 63 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +9 |
| 64 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 65 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 66 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 67 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | +3 |
| 68 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 69 | Peter Lambert | HOU | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 70 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 71 | Shane Baz | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 72 | Taj BradleyT10 | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +9 |
| 73 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 74 | Brandon Sproat | MIL | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 75 | Jack Flaherty | DET | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 76 | Christian Scott | NYM | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 77 | Shane Drohan | MIL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +9 |
| 78 | José SorianoT11 | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 79 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -15 |
| 80 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 81 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | +2 |
| 82 | Jack Perkins | ATH | Streaming Option Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 83 | Noah Schultz | CHW | Streaming Option Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk | +7 |
| 84 | Zach Thornton | NYM | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 85 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 86 | Merrill KellyT12 | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +1 |
| 87 | Davis Martin | CHW | Toby Quality Starts | -16 |
| 88 | Reynaldo López | ATL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 89 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 90 | Noah Cameron | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +UR |
| 91 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -2 |
| 92 | Andre Pallante | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 93 | Stephen Kolek | KC | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 94 | Anthony Kay | CHW | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | -1 |
| 95 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 96 | Robert Gasser | MIL | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | - |
| 97 | Colin Rea | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 98 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +1 |
| 99 | Janson Junk | MIA | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 100 | Owen Murphy | ATL | Strikeout Upside Stash Option | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
