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 this as 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:
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: None
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: Max Fried (16)
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 60: (-1 Spots)
Tier 1 – How Is He Still Doing This
1. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – There is a case, among all his absurdity, for Jay Mis to be #2 given the ROS innings question. Just saying.
2. Tarik Skubal (DET) – He’s averaging 20 whiffs per start lately. He’s so back.
3. Chris Sale (ATL) – Sale is still Sale. No reason for it to stop now.
4. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – The Ras Pack is alive and well. Innings aren’t an issue down the stretch and his velocity is perfectly fine.
5. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – He’s acting like old Wheeler. We love old Wheeler. Update: Okay, outside of tonight. I’m not worried about the velocity dip unless an injury is reported. Double update: Apparently the dugout looked concerned and pulled him after throwing a pitch 91 mph. Uhhhhhhhhhh.
Tier 2 – The Other Aces
6. Chase Burns (CIN) – Burns has done nothing but produce. While he may need one final gear to truly touch the highest tier, he sure feels awfully close to getting there.
7. Paul Skenes (PIT) – His velocity is still under 97 mph, but at least it’s not regressing further. Save for a single poor inning and inherited runners scoring, Skenes dominated with eleven strikeouts and 22 whiffs. Yes, he’s still dope, y’all.
8. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – He’s solid once a week across the board.
9. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – deGrom is deGrom. He’s displayed his mortality this year more than others, but he’s still a clear ace.
10. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – Rasmussen returned to his low-hit ways and it sure feels good to roster him in fantasy leagues.
11. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – He’s earning a ton of strikeouts with fastballs and there’s not much else to report here.
12. Dylan Cease (TOR) – Alright, I gave him the AGA label. He’s just been that productive for you, even if the next two months still contain the same volatility as always. But yes, he deserves it.
13. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – Same with Luzardo. After three blowups in his first four starts, Luzardo boasts a 2.26 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 30% strikeout rate in nearly 100 innings across 17 starts. That’s dope.
14. Joe Ryan (MIN) – I personally hand-waved Ryan’s velocity dip after the first few frames of his last start, and was made a fool when the Twins reported arm fatigue shortly after. Without an IL stint, I’m going to assume he’s okay, but I have to lower him a touch proactively.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
15. Gerrit Cole (NYY) – He’s on the verge of his Coronation Day with his improved four-seamer.
16. Max Fried (NYY) – Fried was fantastic in his limited Still ILL outing during last week’s doubleheader, featuring boosted velocity across his sub-70 pitches. Two more starts like that across 80+ pitches and we’re back to the second tier.
17. Nolan McLean (NYM) – McLean’s Coronation Day is ahead of us after a solid but not elite outing against the Dodgers. I still believe he’s failing to take full advantage of his arsenal and is becoming too fastball-reliant.
18. Hunter Greene (CIN) – He was so close to his AGA until the end of his outing came with a torrent of baserunners. The velocity dip to 97+ mph from flirting with 99 mph is a little troubling, but it’ll likely return next time out.
19. Gavin Williams (CLE) – Gavin became the man we’ve always wanted him to be in his last outing. Four-seamers dominated with sinkers as a complement, not the lead, while his secondaries earn plenty of whiffs. It felt like a statement of ascension.
20. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – Sánchez had a stupid good month of May and has since been…good. He’s become a bit too hittable and allowed his WHIP to hover 1.20 since, but I anticipate he’ll make an adjustment and force me to give him the AGA tag again later this year.
Tier 4 – Far Sweeter Than Sour
21. Sean Burke (CHW) – As much as I look at Burke and wonder if he actually has the command to keep this up, sometimes I have to look at the results and throw up my hands. It’s 11 starts of a 2.48 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a 33% strikeout rate, powered by a 15% SwStr clip and an average 94 pitches per game. That’s awesome. He’s throwing harder four-seamers with upwards of 19″ of vert that help it boast a 19% SwStr rate in these eleven outings.
22. Troy Melton (DET) – Melton is trusting his cutter as the stabilizing offering and it’s helping him look like the golden Holly he should be. There’s ace potential if he can keep the whiffs alive, but I think he settles around 23/24% strikeouts with solid ratios.
23. Logan Henderson (MIL) – His four-seamer is hard to hit. The changeup is deadly. His cutter helps plenty. He throws strikes. He’s stretched out now. What’s not to like?
24. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – Since striking out ten on May 8th, Bradish holds a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 23% strikeout rate. It was a truly tough month and change to endure across his first seven outings, but he’s made up for it in spades across his last thirteen. Update: I jinxed it, didn’t I. 21% strikes on 19 curveballs is terrible.
25. Eury Pérez (MIA) – It wasn’t the best version of Eury over the weekend (sinkers?! You’re throwing more SINKERS?! You have a Top-10 four-seamer among all starting pitchers!) and I’m still encouraged for his second half. The best is yet to come.
26. Payton Tolle (BOS) – Tolle is more volatile than I want him to be. I still haven’t seen him take a true step forward this season, making me a little more skeptical than most that he can reach another gear.
27. Jared Jones (PIT) – After two great outings, Jones took a step back with his command, nearly splitting four-seamers and sliders with far fewer fastball whiffs. It doesn’t set him back on his redemption tour, but it does put a halt to his rise on The List until he showcases the destroyer-of-worlds four-seamer again.
28. Griffin Jax (TBR) – The Rays are letting him go six frames now and that’s all you really need to know.
29. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – I’d be more encouraged by Wrobleski, but his fastball velocity dipped last outing and I worry he may hit a wall in the second half. He’s still a little too dependent on four-seamer/slider to recover if his fastball performance wanes.
Tier 5 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
30. Bryan Woo (SEA) – Are the home/road splits truly a thing? I know the data says so, but random grouping exists, too. Either way, Woo has been unreliable for fantasy managers despite having all the stuff and command he needs to get it done. I had to give him and many of the names in this tier a heavy hit this week with many young arms continuing to prove themselves, though it may be reversed soon if they make a statement this week.
31. Logan Webb (SFG) – Webb is…fine. It didn’t go his way this week, but he’s still Webb – the guy with a great changeup he keeps down every start and gives him a great chance to go seven strong frames.
32. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft’s ability to get LHB out has declined over the last month, catalyzed by poor curveball and slider command. He had no such issue earlier in the season and I don’t expect the issue to plague him for much longer.
33. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – Rogers is locked in. 94/95 mph four-seamers park in the upper third of the zone while changeups and sweepers chill down and in town. He’s been superb after shaking off the rust post-IL stint.
34. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Eovaldi got back on track this week with a more even split across his four main pitches.
35. Parker Messick (CLE) – We’re back to 95 mph on the heater with changeups easily landing low.
36. Reid Detmers (LAA) – Detmers’ slider is cooking and it has been for a while. I wish I had more faith in the rest of his arsenal, but as long as that pitch is there, we’re game.
37. Hunter Brown (HOU) – After multiple outings of poor four-seamer strike rates and declining velocity, Brown nearly sat 97 mph and pumped strikes last time out. Wait, then why isn’t he higher? Because he lost over two inches of vert in the process. It’s a bit strange and I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.
38. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp has returned 2 ER of fewer in five of his last six outings. He’s what Aaron Nola wants to be.
39. Shane McClanahan (TBR) – McShane’s four-seamer command has evaded him lately and I’m not sure we’re going to see a ton of dominating performances the rest of the way. That said, he should be a good Holly to plug into your lineup each week.
40. Kevin Gausman (TOR) – Last start was a step forward for Gausman, but he still has a ways to go to correct his 4.51 ERA and 1.27 WHIP on the year.
Tier 6 – You’re Generally Safe. Ish.
41. Sonny Gray (BOS) – I was worried Gray days were ahead after he lost the feel for his sweeper and, sadly, a clunker followed. But you know the tale – sometimes he’s Gray, but most of the times he’s Sonny.
42. Foster Griffin (WSH) – Griffin’s strikeout production is dwindling, but he’s still helping your squads. Until the ratios fall, he’ll stay inside the Top 50.
43. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – His last outing’s ERA could have been preserved if he wasn’t pushed way too far into the game. Just take him out after he allows a single to the first batter of the inning, dangit! Not two HRs later!
44. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – His velocity is up a tick, the cutter is becoming a staple of the arsenal, and he’s earning whiffs with his four-seamer. The breakout is here.
45. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – Suarez went four frames in a Still ILL and didn’t have his best command against RHB. I’m a little worried it’ll take a moment with the Dodgers up next.
46. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – Despite the strong outing, Imanaga gave me and Jake a bit of worry by sitting well under 92 mph for yet another start. We know this tale, and I’d be careful trusting Shota too hard through the next two months. Sell high if you can.
47. Bryce Miller (SEA) – Speaking of velocity dips, Bryce is hovering about 95 mph now instead of 97/98 mph we saw initially. It’s paired with less overall consistency and worse four-seamer performance, painting a poor picture of his second half. Remember, he has a bone spur and elected not to get surgery…
48. George Kirby (SEA) – This ranking includes today’s disaster where all the excitement dissipated as I saw him regress with his approach and command once again. Sigh. It’s still very well possible he gets his act together, but he’s become a liability each week.
49. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – Sheehan is taking steps to showcase how his ratios are not representative of his skillset, but there’s still work to be done. His four-seamer, slider, and changeup are too good of a to stay out of the Top 50.
Tier 7 – This Should Be More
50. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – I know, it’s been two rough starts, I should lower him! Except that the shifts that made me get hyped are still there – curveball focus with increased velocity. Stick with it.
51. Jake Bennett (BOS) – Bennett is struggling a little to keep his heater up and changeup down, and I’m not as impressed as I want to be with the rest of his arsenal. It could be a tough string of outings ahead, but I still believe him to be a productive arm.
52. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – I think the Yankees are going to favor Weathers over Warren if pressed to keep one in the rotation, and he made a statement with nearly two ticks extra velo over the weekend.
53. Michael King (SDP) – King has a solid schedule ahead and hopefully it sparks a run where he can find whiffs galore with his changeup and sweeper. I’m still waiting for an outing that convinces me his command is truly back.
54. Robbie Ray (SFG) – We’re making small progress with each start. At least now Ray is favoring four-seamers over sinkers to RHB. Next? Backfoot sliders consistently.
55. Dustin May (STL) – Dustin got it done once again over the weekend and while there is still a frustrating floor, I see an arsenal that should succeed for six innings most of the time.
56. Taj Bradley (MIN) – Look, when Bradley is hitting 100 mph and featuring a ton of strikes, I’m not going to turn him away. Now, how long it’ll last is another story.
57. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – Despite three proper starts of just 3 ER combined (removed early on the 12th), I’m terrified for what’s next with Hancock. He’s struggling to get whiffs and the four-seamer/sinker combo is awfully precarious. It’s the perfect sell-high if someone is buying.
Tier 8 – WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
58. Peter Lambert (HOU) – He’s a strong Toby who is currently making a case for a Holly if he can come anywhere close to his ten strikeout outings.
59. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – Boyd had the fastball/change separation we want to see.
60. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – My fears of Eduardo losing his footing were quelled after watching him feature perfect heaters up and changeups down last time out. He’s still got it.
61. Nick Martinez (TBR) – Martinez is helping your ERA and WHIP despite a 14% strikeout rate. I’m simply in awe.
62. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – Ureña has been a huge surprise and the changeup is still doing a ton of work each start. Keep riding him against all but the top tier offenses.
63. Ian Seymour (TBR) – I think it’s a positive to have Seymour opened for instead of properly starting, and we just saw him look comfortable in the role.
Tier 9 – It’s Something. It’s A Toby.
64. José Soriano (LAA) – We’ve seen a good recent stretch from Soriano, but his strike rates were not reminiscent of his peak. Be careful.
65. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – Sasaki didn’t replicate the absurd 101+ mph heaters we saw against the Yankees, but he did give us a glimpse of triple digits while the splitter stole the show with an absurd strike rate. It’s always something new with Sasaki and it continues to make me more uneasy than I want to be.
66. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Bubba just had a start that made me turn my head. We saw him add 3-4″ of horizontal run on his four-seamer, while the slider added two ticks to sit 92 mph at the cost of a bit of depth. I’m all for this change and I’m anxious to see if he can replicate it this week.
68. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – Yesavage returned a two-strike count on 94% of the batters he faced over the weekend, and it turned into a four-inning outing. He simply cannot execute what he wants to at a given moment and it’s awfully frustrating.
69. Shane Bieber (TOR) – Bieber is looking better, but we’re not back until he’s getting whiffs on his breaking pitches.
70. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – I’m happy he’s returned from the IL and had a solid performance on Sunday. However, it was a product of introducing sinkers to RHB (what is everyone’s obsession with opposite-handed sinkers suddenly?!) and I’d be more hyped if his slider, curve, and change led the way instead. I’m not sure what we’ll get next time out.
67. Framber Valdez (DET) – Oh Framber. It’s so hard to believe that the curveball will be there next start after having it two starts ago and struggling since. I’d make a swap if there’s someone on your wire who can help right now, or you can hold and hope he turns on the jets for the final two months as he has a few times in the past.
71. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – I secretly hope he gets dealt before next Monday night, allowing another team an attempt to tap into his potential. The stuff is there, he just can’t wield it.
72. Gage Jump (ATH) – The home park is rough. I like the four-seamer and breakers, but he has to take a step forward to become a believable starter in Sacré Verde.
73. Freddy Peralta (NYM) – We didn’t expect him to figure it out against the Dodgers and it may have been his last start for the Mets. You may want to hold on in hopes that whatever team snatches him by the deadline can fix him.
74. Will Warren (NYY) – I’m wagering that Warren is in the bullpen this time next week after the Yankees acquire an arm. If not, he’s still a decent Win chance and it’s possible he figures out how to overwhelm with his four-seamer/sinker with sweeper and changeup whiffs like his glorious first half of 2025.
Tier 10 – What Will They Become?
75. Brandon Sproat (MIL) – One step forward, one step back…I’m still waiting for Sproat to showcase that he has an approach that works and can replicate it.
76. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Abbott does what Abbott does…kinda. His velocity fell last time out, with more chaotic command and less extension. I’m worried there’s an injury at play.
77. Michael Wacha (KCR) – Wacha is still a steady Toby. Not the greatest one and I feel like it’s an extended Vargas Rule in many ways, but he’s come through plenty against decent matchups.
78. Shane Baz (BAL) – Baz is leaning into his curveball more often – sweet! – but he’s still lacking a reliable third pitch to make him a hold in 12-teamers.
79. Shane Drohan (MIL) – Drohan is shifting his arsenal a touch and I’m awfully curious where this goes. It’s possible he turns to the pen if the Brewers add to their rotation by August, and he has yet to truly take that step forward to demand he’s held on your squads.
80. Keider Montero (DET) – Despite getting Singled Out tonight, Montero has been a shockingly good ratio arm as a starter this season.
81. Casey Mize (DET) – I was jazzed about Mize until he sat 92 mph and fell to 89 mph. In his previous outing, his low was 93 mph. I’m worried.
82. Brandon Young (BAL) – Young’s four-seamer and splitter have been far better than I’ve expected them to be. Vargas Rule it if you like, I don’t expect it to last all year.
Tier 11 – You Really Don’t Have To Do This
83. Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – Imai is throwing more than just four-seamer and slider now, and it’s possible it will reduce the blowups and promote more strikeout explosions rooted in his unusual reverse slider. Sadly, still a risk.
84. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – This is normally the time when I tell you to flip a coin, but Bibee was a vastly different arm over the weekend. He added a ton of horizontal movement across the board while preserving his four-seamers 16/17″ of vert, making me wonder if he lowered his arm angle. It essentially improves his entire arsenal and adds more separation between his sinker and four-seamer, and if he does it a second time, I may finally jump back in.
85. Christian Scott (NYM) – Scott simply hasn’t put it together yet. It’s right in front of him, and I’m hopeful he can take advantage of the reps he’s been given, but I don’t suggest holding him until it happens.
86. Zac Thornton (NYM) – Thornton has vastly overperformed due to above-average command of low 90s four-seamers and cutters that effectively jam RHB. It’s possible he continues to coast on weak contact, but it’s not a long-term play.
87. Robert Gasser (MIL) – Gasser did he job taking advantage of Rockie Road and I’m still skeptical he can put together a well-rounded start against a serviceable offense.
88. Kumar Rocker (TEX) – He outdueled Kirby today, going Dancing With The Disco via sliders once again. It’s a pair of decent outings and who knows, maybe he can string together a few more.
89. Merrill Kelly (ARI) – Kelly’s command is generally where you want it to be, but play it smart and don’t start him against legit offenses like the Pirates against a right-handed pitcher.
90. Michael McGreevy (STL) – McGreevy has produced a startling number of 6 IP outings with 1 ER or fewer. Too bad very few strikeouts find him as a result of his pitch-to-weak-contact approach.
91. Jacob Lopez (ATH) – Lopez just displayed the same command that propelled an elite run last summer of four-seamers/cutters playing around the up-and-away corner to RHB + sweepers diving underneath. I wonder if he can do it a second time.
92. Carson Whisenhunt (SFG) – We may see Whisenhunt take a rotation spot indefinitely, and I’d keep a close eye. His start on Sunday gave us legit pitch separation and 15/33 changeup whiffs. That’s a skill that doesn’t go away forever.
93. Dean Kremer (BAL) – His cutter is looking strong to RHB and he still has the same abilities that made him a 15-teamer HIPSTER.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
94. Colin Rea (CHC) – Rea is still a viable option as a streamer when facing a mid offense.
95. Tyler Mahle (SFG) – Mahle doesn’t have the toughest road ahead of him and is sitting 93 mph on his four-seamer. It could work.
96. Eric Lauer (LAD) – Need a cheap Win? Why not give it a spin.
97. Anthony Kay (CHW) – Kay is doing a good job landing sinkers inside to LHB and cutters inside to RHB. Even against the Yankees this week, he could pull it off again.
98. Zebby Matthews (MIN) – We saw 1-2 ticks up on everything from Zebby last start…and still gave us a blegh outing. At least it’s progress!
99. Andre Pallante (STL) – Pallante did a fantastic job avoiding damage on his four-seamer to LHB + nailed his sinker inside to RHB. Sadly, he’s too inconsistent to get my full endorsement.
100. Kyle Leahy (STL) – Leahy’s overall approach is too finicky during his games – while results like his nine strikeout game can happen rarely, I don’t trust he can squeeze out production from his solid stuff on a consistent basis.
Wait. You forgot [THIS PITCHER]!
You should be able to find them below, but there are rare times that I removed a pitcher from The List and their name somehow got lost in the shuffle. If there is a super-obvious name that is somehow missing, you better believe it was in error. Simply let me know if I goofed, and I’ll make a swift update.
The following pitchers are sorted not by rank, but by team. I have written a small note on every arm who is currently inside a rotation – if they are not in a rotation, they are ineligible for The List.
Honorable Mentions
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) – He’s looking a bit better than early in the year, and I’d wait to grab him when the matchups fit.
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.
Kohl Drake (ARI) – There may be something here in time, but Drake needs more polish first.
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.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – I’m terrified of his diminished velocity + his home park is terrible.
Jack Perkins (ATH) – I see starts ahead in Sacré Verde and I’m not interested.
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) – He’s not in the prospects list as I’m treating him like a proper IL-stash. You can spec-add if you want, I’m curious what we’ll get. He has been throwing mid-to-upper 90s in the rehab starts, after 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.
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.
Owen Murphy (ATL) – The velocity dropped in his second game and I wonder when we’ll see him again. There is promise in that four-seamer.
Reynaldo López (ATL) – After sitting 94/95 mph in his first few starts, ReyLópez fell down to 92 mph and much lower by the end of the game. That’s not the kind of arm you want to chase.
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.
Davis Martin (CWS) – He’s not longer pitching like the opening months, and Martin can’t get away with his mistakes over the plate.
Erick Fedde (CWS) – Fedde’s cutter came in HOT, then he threw just two last game. WHY?!
Noah Schultz (CWS) – I’d keep an eye on Schultz as he develops further in the majors across the second half. Now isn’t the time to jump in, but there may be a definitive start that gets me back on the train.
Jack Flaherty (DET) – When are we going to see Flaherty back again?
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.
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.
Noah Cameron (KC) – Yeaaaah, the ceiling ain’t worth risking the floor.
Randy Dobnak (KC) – Oh snap! Just because it’s cool doesn’t mean it’s good.
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.
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – He’s indefinitely removed from the rotation as he rests up for the playoffs. Stupid knees barking like a dingus.
Braxton Garrett (MIA) – I thought we’d get Garrett soon. Guess not.
Janson Junk (MIA) – I’d be thrilled if the Marlins dealt Junk to a place that let him toss 90 pitches an outing and properly figure out how to get the most out of his above-average stuff. It’s not like he can’t find the zone.
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 back from the IL and still struggling to hit 90 mph.
Jack Anderson (MIN) – The Twins claimed Anderson off waivers from the Red Sox and I don’t see enough in this low 90s two-pitch arm from a high arm slot.
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.
Clay Holmes (NYM) – It looks like a rehab start on Tuesday and then a return to the rotation shortly after. He’s in the mish-mash of arms in the 60-80 range.
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.
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.
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) – He’s not harnessing his arsenal as well as he needs to these days.
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.
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.
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 | - |
| 3 | Chris Sale | ATL | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 4 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 5 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | - |
| 6 | Chase BurnsT2 | CIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 7 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 8 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 9 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 10 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 11 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 12 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 13 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 14 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -8 |
| 15 | Gerrit ColeT3 | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 16 | Max Fried | NYY | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | +UR |
| 17 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 18 | Hunter Greene | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -4 |
| 19 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Holly Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 20 | Cristopher Sánchez | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | -10 |
| 21 | Sean BurkeT4 | CHW | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +8 |
| 22 | Troy Melton | DET | Holly Ratio Focused | +6 |
| 23 | Logan Henderson | MIL | Holly Ratio Focused Injury Risk | +10 |
| 24 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 25 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 26 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -2 |
| 27 | Jared Jones | PIT | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +7 |
| 28 | Griffin Jax | TB | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 29 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Holly Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | +1 |
| 30 | Bryan WooT5 | SEA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -13 |
| 31 | Logan Webb | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -11 |
| 32 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | -10 |
| 33 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Holly Quality Starts | +11 |
| 34 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | +3 |
| 35 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | +4 |
| 36 | Reid Detmers | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +12 |
| 37 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +13 |
| 38 | Landen Roupp | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +11 |
| 39 | Shane McClanahan | TB | Holly Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 40 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | Holly Quality Starts | -14 |
| 41 | Sonny GrayT6 | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | -16 |
| 42 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Holly Quality Starts | -11 |
| 43 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Holly Quality Starts | -1 |
| 44 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +11 |
| 45 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -4 |
| 46 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -6 |
| 47 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -26 |
| 48 | George Kirby | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -21 |
| 49 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -4 |
| 50 | Joey CantilloT7 | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -3 |
| 51 | Jake Bennett | BOS | Holly Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -8 |
| 52 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 53 | Michael King | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | - |
| 54 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 55 | Dustin May | STL | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +6 |
| 56 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +17 |
| 57 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Hipster Quality Starts | +1 |
| 58 | Peter LambertT8 | HOU | Toby Quality Starts | +2 |
| 59 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +5 |
| 60 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 61 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 62 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | +5 |
| 63 | Ian Seymour | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | - |
| 64 | José SorianoT9 | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +14 |
| 65 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 66 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 67 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +12 |
| 68 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | +15 |
| 69 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +8 |
| 70 | Framber Valdez | DET | Hipster Quality Starts | -24 |
| 71 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -17 |
| 72 | Gage Jump | ATH | Hipster Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect | -21 |
| 73 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | Hipster Wins Bonus | -16 |
| 74 | Will Warren | NYY | Hipster Wins Bonus | -18 |
| 75 | Brandon SproatT10 | MIL | Toby Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 76 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -8 |
| 77 | Michael Wacha | KC | Toby Quality Starts | -8 |
| 78 | Shane Baz | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | -7 |
| 79 | Shane Drohan | MIL | Toby Ratio Focused | -3 |
| 80 | Keider Montero | DET | Toby Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 81 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | -19 |
| 82 | Brandon Young | BAL | Toby Ratio Focused | +UR |
| 83 | Tatsuya ImaiT11 | HOU | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 84 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | -4 |
| 85 | Christian Scott | NYM | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -15 |
| 86 | Zac Thornton | NYM | Frizzle Quality Starts | -1 |
| 87 | Robert Gasser | MIL | Frizzle Wins Bonus | +5 |
| 88 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 89 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -2 |
| 90 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | - |
| 91 | Jacob Lopez | ATH | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 92 | Carson Whisenhunt | SF | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +UR |
| 93 | Dean Kremer | BAL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -2 |
| 94 | Colin ReaT12 | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 95 | Tyler Mahle | SF | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 96 | Eric Lauer | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | -1 |
| 97 | Anthony Kay | CHW | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | - |
| 98 | Zebby Matthews | MIN | Streaming Option Quality Starts | - |
| 99 | Andre Pallante | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | - |
| 100 | Kyle Leahy | STL | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
