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: Shane McClanahan (39), Emmet Sheehan (49), Tatsuya Imai (83)
Injured Pitchers Added To The List: Kyle Harrison (41), Jackson Jobe (64), Clay Holmes (75)
Automatic Bump/Fall For Pitchers In The Top 70: (None)
Tier 1 – How Is He Still Doing This
1. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) – Not even the worse mound in Los Angeles could stop Jay Mis.
2. Tarik Skubal (LAD) – He’s a Dodger now, which makes him more likely to get Wins, BUT limits him to one start a week. Something for pretty much only me to consider as none of y’all are trading away Skubal at this point.
3. Chris Sale (ATL) – Yeah, he’s still here and pitching like a stud. It’s kinda amazing.
4. Cam Schlittler (NYY) – Schlittler had an off night. He still has one of the best fastball foundations in baseball.
5. Zack Wheeler (PHI) – Wheeler gave us a scare, and may have benefited from a rain-shortened start to ensure he’s healthy the rest of the way.
Tier 2 – The Other Aces
6. Chase Burns (CIN) – Burns had a velocity drop for the second straight start, but it may have been due to the rain, considering he ramped up to 97/98 mph in the final two frames.
7. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – It wasn’t his best effort, but he’s awfully consistent.
8. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) – Rasmussen was as good as he gets last time out. So great to see that entering the final two months.
9. Jacob deGrom (TEX) – deGrom has been…odd. He’s not having as much success as his arsenal suggests.
10. Logan Gilbert (SEA) – He’s sitting 97+ mph and that’s fantastic.
11. Dylan Cease (TOR) – Cease got away with a day of questionable command and we’re exhaling. Hopefully he can help current PEAS to break out of his pod.
12. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – The HRs returned for a game. It happens. I’m not worried.
13. Gavin Williams (CLE) – Welcome to the exclusive club, Gavin. Hard to deny after 10+ strikeouts in each of his last five games, with all the strikes to back it up.
14. Joe Ryan (MIN) – Ryan proved his velocity is just fine last week.
15. Gerrit Cole (NYY) – Cole’s four-seamer is back on track, though the slider took a step back last outing. Two steps forward, one step back.
Tier 3 – You’re Dope But Not Dope. Yet.
16. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – Despite the walks, I’ll take what we just saw over the hit parades. Do it again.
17. Paul Skenes (PIT) – What a ridiculous fall from the top this has been. A 3.90 ERA on the year feels wrong. Maybe the velocity is having an impact on all his secondaries, but his four-seamer is still producing exactly as it did last season. Luck is sure to get back on his side.
18. Nolan McLean (NYM) – Despite succeeding in a tough matchup, it wasn’t a McLean outing that had me beating my chest in excitement. He’s still a little unrefined and I hope he takes that next step soon.
19. Max Fried (NYY) – We’re waiting for Fried to get the full workload of a proper ace, but I’m happy he was far better over the weekend than in his second outing.
20. Hunter Greene (CIN) – Greene failed to earn all the strikes with his slider and he got punished for it. Expect better.
21. Sean Burke (CHW) – He’s been on such a tear and I was tempted to push him up further, but, well, look at those dudes.
Tier 4 – Far Sweeter Than Sour
22. Troy Melton (DET) – He’s great, just not quite stud until he’s flexing 25-30% strikeout rates.
23. Logan Henderson (MIL) – Henderson doesn’t come across like an ace necessarily, but he’s ramping up the pitch counts and if he continues to be difficult to hit, the numbers will reflect an AGA.
24. Eury Pérez (MIA) – Pérez is figuring out his fastball mix + his secondaries are earning more strikes.
25. Griffin Jax (TBR) – Jax is getting the go-ahead for 80-90 pitches regularly, allowing him to go a full six often.
26. Payton Tolle (BOS) – The Ras Pack works for him, but he’s a bit wilder than his peers. A proper Cherry Bomb.
27. Hunter Brown (HOU) – His arm angle rose a little to get more vert and his four-seamer + sinker pulled him to the finish line. Next step: getting four-seamer whiffs and earning strikes with his curveball.
28. Bryan Woo (SEA) – I just don’t see why he’s allowing so many HRs. It was the road + Dodgers last time. He’s back home now and will be great.
29. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) – Ashcraft survived against LHB this time around, though it may have been due to a little Koufax love. I don’t see him ascending into Tier 2, but that’s still fine with me.
30. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – All the quality starts are coming his way again, but he’s a bit inconsistent start-to-start. Last time, he featured far too many misses up-and-armside, and it’s as if there’s always something that prevents him from being his Cy Young self.
Tier 5 – Everyone Who Sees This Wants It Ranked Differently
31. Reid Detmers (LAA) – He’s still here and so am I as long as his slider is still cooking.
32. Kevin Gausman (CHC) – The Cubs are a perfect fit for Gausman and his high BABIPs catalyzing poor outings.
33. Jared Jones (PIT) – Jones hasn’t given us a start of legit four-seamers earning all the whiffs, paired with low sliders, but it sure feels like it’s around the corner.
34. Logan Webb (SFG) – Webb adjusted last outing to do more with his cutter and sweeper and it’s good to see him find multiple paths to success/
35. Parker Messick (CLE) – Messick was 94/95 mph and a touch more inefficient than usual. It’s all good.
36. Kyle Bradish (BAL) – His start was cut short due to the rain, though it was looking like the second start without his prime breaking pitches. What a Cherry Bomb.
37. Trevor Rogers (BAL) – I expected Rogers to be dealt, but he’s staying put, hoping to bring Baltimore better starts than a 93 mph fastball down the heart of the plate.
38. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) – Eovaldi cannot stop allowing HRs. I’m not sure why this year is all that different and it’s another case of “I’m still going with it but I understand if you’re not.”
39. Sonny Gray (BOS) – We’ve seen Sonny, we’ve seen Gray, and he’s on the upswing to Sonny after nailing down his sweeper last outing.
40. George Kirby (SEA) – Kirby frustrates me to no end as he’s struggled to feature an effective approach that sticks start-to-start. I’ve lost faith that he’ll find it before the end of the year.
41. Kyle Harrison (MIL) – He’s back this week – Finally! – and I wrestled with the right spot to rank him. He’s not fully up to speed, of course, and he’d be much higher if we knew he was back to normal.
Tier 6 – This Should Be More
42. Cade Cavalli (WSH) – Cavalli is still boasting the velocity gains and the new cutter. This should be a fun second half and I debated pushing him higher. Only pushback is the short sample of maintaining the new velocity.
43. Peter Lambert (HOU) – Lambert has proven himself as a Holly. No reason to take him out of your lineups.
44. Walbert Ureña (LAA) – Same goes for Ureña. That changeup is doing work and he’s featuring enough strikes with his heaters. If that breaking ball feel ever becomes legit, he’s a stud. Massive IF there.
45. Shota Imanaga (CHC) – I’m not sure where to rank Imanaga. On one hand, he’s been rather solid even with the poor stretch of HR explosions. On the other, he’s at 91 mph, not 92 mph, and we know how bad it can get.
46. Joey Cantillo (CLE) – You know the schtick. His curveball focus + increased velocity has made him solid.
47. Ryan Weathers (NYY) – Weathers has seemingly turned the corner lately as the K-BB% prophecy is becoming fulfilled.
48. Robbie Ray (SDP) – Ray is with a new squad and I sure hope they push for him to throw more sliders to RHB. Expect him to find that again and be the regular 100 pitch arm with a 25%+ strikeout rate.
49. Taj Bradley (MIN) – Bradley has had one real moment of adversity this year, surrounding his IL stint. Sure, he didn’t come through last time out, but I need to give him the benefit of the doubt, even if he struggles massively with consistent locations.
50. Bryce Miller (SEA) – I’m hoping he finds the feel for his secondaries soon. Each week he doesn’t, he falls further.
Tier 7 – You’re Generally Safe. Ish.
51. Ranger Suarez (BOS) – Suárez isn’t stretched out yet and didn’t look to be in his groove last time out. It should be better, but it’s not a lock.
52. Dustin May (MIL) – I love the move to Milwaukee as the Brewers will squeeze the most out of his cutter and sweeper. I hope we see more whiffs and strikeouts on the horizon as a result.
53. Emerson Hancock (SEA) – I appreciate Jake Roy outlining Hancock’s drop in spin rates across the season that have caused his four-seamer vert to drop from 15″ to 7″, but I still can’t understand why they did. At any rate, he’s still in this rotation and performing well enough to hold.
54. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – After allowing just 8 HRs total across his first seventeen games, Wrobo Cop has now allowed 8 HR in his last two games. That sure doesn’t feel sustainable.
55. Landen Roupp (SFG) – Roupp had two poor command outings in a row and as much as I quote his command as a strength, seeing him lose it in back-to-back starts is all kinds of concerning.
56. Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) – ERod has been on such a beautiful Vargas Rule. He doesn’t have the stuff to save him when the precision leaves him and all we can do is hope he can ride it through the sunset of September.
57. Foster Griffin (CLE) – Griffin is now with the Guardians after displaying lower strikeout rates and plenty of mortality after a shocking first half. This ranking isn’t to say he’s terrible now, it’s to outline that we should recalibrate our expectations. The Guardians prevent him from moving down even further, though it’s not much of a shift from the Nationals.
58. Ian Seymour (TBR) – After watching Seymour earn a ton of whiffs with the slowball in Coors, it’s hard for me to suggest anything but to start him until the Rays pull him away.
59. Matthew Boyd (CHC) – Boyd pitched better than the line suggests against the Dodgers, with overall great four-seamer command. However, the changeup needs to be a bit better for him to escape six innings unscathed.
Tier 8 – What Will They Become?
60. Roki Sasaki (LAD) – He’s still flirting with triple-digits, but I’m not sure what to think of his slider and splitter (and forkball?). I’m encouraged, but there’s more variability than I’d like.
61. Trey Yesavage (TOR) – Speaking of variability, Yesavage has been a HIPSTER but is making a case for an upgrade to Cherry Bomb. I can’t do it. Yet. Update: Annnnd now he’s leaving the game with discomfort. FUN.
62. Will Warren (NYY) – I was thrilled to see Warren lean on changeups to LHB for success once again. I cannot tell you it’ll stick, but if it does, that’s a Holly. Stupid small samples…
63. José Soriano (TOR) – Because Toronto saw Yesavage (and old Cease) and told themselves they needed another PEAS type, Soriano is on a new squad and I hope it means his four-seamer can find strikes more often.
Tier 9 -WHAT DO I DO WITH YOU
64. Jackson Jobe (DET) – We waited for a long time, and Jobe is making his return from TJS later this week. Yes, he was a disappointment initially, but he has a chance to redeem himself and is very much worth the stash in a tier of shrugs.
65. Connor Prielipp (MIN) – Prielipp still incorporated the sinker, but less than his Still ILL outing, while getting more out of his breakers. He’s healthy and two starts removed from the blister now, making me excited to see what’s next.
66. Freddy Peralta (TBR) – Are the Rays really going to fix Peralta? I sure hope so.
67. Michael King (SDP) – King simply can’t put together a start where he can wield his full arsenal. It’s so frustrating as we all know how good he can be.
68. Shane Bieber (TOR) – Bieber had a horrific outing where he walked six in just two outs, followed by a start on Monday against the Astros where he featured nearly the same arsenal as 2025, with fewer changeups and more reliance on the breakers. He still needs to work on his RHB command to get those breakers where they should (down-and-away), but this was a welcome rebound.
69. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) – I was hoping we’d see Gore on the move at the deadline to let another team get a shot to evolve Gore from his PEAS self. Welp, let’s hope he can land the four-seamer up and keep the secondaries down.
70. Framber Valdez (DET) – Valdez threw four-seamers to RHB at times (what?!), but the real hero of the outing was his changeup as the curveball is still failing to be the champion he needs.
Tier 10 – It’s Something. It’s A Toby.
71. Michael Wacha (KCR) – I expected Wacha to be elsewhere after the deadline, but he’s still in pitcher-friendly Kauffman with two different changeups at his disposal. That’s a solid Toby right there.
72. Jake Bennett (BOS) – With five starts of four strikeouts or fewer, it’s pretty easy to label Bennett as a Toby instead of a Holly. Hopefully he can find the BSB pitch separation of his fastball and changeup again.
73. Casey Mize (SDP) – We haven’t seen Mize for a while and I suspect he was scratched on Friday due to his diminished velocity in his prior start, with the Tigers using the guise of the trade deadline to prevent teams from getting wise. I sure hope his debut start for the Padres comes with 94 mph velocity, not 91.9 mph with a min under 90 mph.
74. Shane Drohan (MIL) – I’m expecting Drohan to win the final rotation spot over Sproat and Gasser and I love how he’s finding whiffs to RHB with his slider down low.
75. Clay Holmes (CHC) – Like Gausman, the Cubs are a great match for The Adobe with his heavy sinker that leads to all the groundballs for an elite defense to vacuum with ease. He could rise up the ranks with his pitch count, especially if he limits the walks.
76. Nick Martinez (TBR) – We finally saw a proper stumble from Nick Mart last time out, but he’s done so well with his changeup this season that he deserves a mulligan.
77. David Peterson (CHC) – I’m still skeptical that he’s actually fixed, but Peterson’s sinker and four-seamer separation to RHB has been much better in his last two starts. It doesn’t hurt having the Cubs’ defense, too.
78. Shane Baz (BAL) – Baz is doing work with his curveball, but without that third pitch to push him up a gear, he’s a Toby.
79. Colin Rea (CHC) – I’m upgrading Rea to Tier 10 after proving to be a consistent arm against mid teams for the better part of a season.
Tier 11 – You Really Don’t Have To Do This
80. Noah Cameron (KCR) – Cameron has showcased improved velocity for two starts now and it may be time to buy back in. Give me one more at 94+ mph, please.
81. Tanner Bibee (CLE) – Bibee has messed around with his arm angle this year and gained more horizontal run on everything at the cost of four-seamer vert. I’m not sure it’s a great call and I’m waiting to see more.
82. Christian Scott (NYM) – We had a strong outing from Scott, but it was on the back of his four-seamer having more success than usual. I want to see a larger influence from his entire arsenal before buying back in fully.
83. Bubba Chandler (PIT) – Chandler is moving toward an even harder slider to turn it into a good cutter (93 mph at 6″ vert), which can be a killer strike pitch to set up his four-seamer upstairs…if he could nail the four-seamer upstairs.
84. Blade Tidwell (SFG) – Tidwell returns to the majors Tuesday night and I’m not sure what we’ll get. He’s displayed mid-to-upper 90s in the past with a strong slider and changeup, but he needs to display more polish than what we got last season.
85. Cristian Javier (HOU) – Javier is now a starter again and not only is he returning strikes across his entire arsenal, said arsenal also has a new cutter to be a bridge strike pitch. IT’S ABOUT TIME. The strikeouts should come if that pitch is in tow.
86. Jacob Lopez (ATH) – JLo is featuring the command we saw last summer and with every start he continues to showcase it, he’ll rise further up The List. I sure hope it sticks.
Tier 12 – Arms To Consider This Week
87. Andrew Abbott (CIN) – Abbott isn’t looking so hot lately. Maybe his last outing was due to the rain, but he’s been toeing the line all year.
88. Keider Montero (DET) – Montero got back on track with inside sinkers and away sliders, but he’s more of a ratio play than for strikeouts.
89. Sean Manaea (NYM) – I could be underrating Manaea’s four-seamer, which did have a small boost in velocity. The limited arsenal without a seemingly awesome pitch still perturbs me.
90. Kyle Leahy (STL) – Leahy has been on a fantastic run, though it’s been fueled by good fortune and without consistency across his secondaries. I love the extension and breaking ball stuff, but it appears too unpolished for me to trust blindly.
91. Michael McGreevy (STL) – McGreevy displayed a near two-point boost in velocity against the Yankees before the tough fifth frame. That’s kinda fun.
92. Tyler Mahle (ATL) – Mahle heads to a winning ballclub right after he pushed his velocity up from 92 to 93, then up to 94. He could be a sneaky six-inning volume play.
93. Eric Lauer (LAD) – I cannot believe Lauer has returned so many dang Wins since joining the Dodgers. It’s bonkers.
94. Anthony Kay (CHW) – I wish I were a bigger fan of Kay’s fastballs and could believe his high heater will ahve the same success as it just had on a regular basis.
95. Andre Pallante (STL) – Pallante’s command fluctuates game-to-game. It’s a good home park and that slider + sinker can churn outs to RHB, while the four-seamer needs to get inside to LHB for it to work.
96. Brandon Young (BAL) – It was a mortal start from Young last time out and I’ve never been a huge fan of his profile. I may be undervaluing his four-seamer, but I think you can do better.
97. Noah Schultz (CHW) – I can’t say I love chasing Schultz right now. He also has prospect pedigree and could become consistent with inside cutters and better sweepers + changeups throughout the second half.
98. Andrew Painter (PHI) – Painter surprised me last outing with fewer fastballs, more breaking balls, and a new changeup that was effective to LHB. I hope to see more of him pitching backward.
99. Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) – Pfaadt would be higher as a Toby if not for a date with the Dodgers up next that I cannot endorse. I’m not seeing anything incredible since his return to the rotation, outside of solid changeup command to LHB. I wish the whiffs were still here.
100. Andrew Alvarez (WSH) – Alvarez looks to be getting a proper look in the rotation now that Griffin has moved to Cleveland, and he just had his first start of at least six frames…in the same pitch count range he’s had for a while.
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.
Kohl Drake (ARI) – There may be something here in time, but Drake needs more polish first.
Merrill Kelly (ARI) – Even with competitive changeups, he wasn’t able to pull it off. There are other volume arms to consider instead.
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. All I can think of is Mitch looking at the strikezone and throwing baseballs like paint with childish “Brrrrrrraaaat”.
Zac Gallen (ARI) – Gallen has not been worth your time.
Gage Jump (ATH) – I love the stuff, but he was a precarious play based on returning 70% strikes on both his four-seamer and slider. It’s not worth the floor from pitching in Sacré Verde.
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.
Mason Barnett (ATH) – Barnett is kinda interesting, but I need to be blown away to take a shot on him and the home park
AJ Smith-Shawver (ATL) – He wasn’t nearly impressive enough in his 2026 debut with just two whiffs despite throwing 97 mph heaters. The secondaries need to be a whole lot more, too.
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.
Cade Povich (BAL) – The Orioles are finally giving Povich another shot and I hope he can be the effective kitchen-sink southpaw he’s destined to become.
Chris Bassitt (BAL) – Oh, Bassitt is coming back, too. I wonder if he’s over 91 mph.
Trey Gibson (BAL) – There is far too much left to polish.
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…?
Braxton Garrett (CHC) – It’s a fun trade to the Cubs and let’s see how he looks whenever they push him into the rotation.
Javier Assad (CHC) – I don’t think we’ll see much more of Assad after Gausman and Holmes were added at the deadline.
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, and I’m glad he’s throwing more of them. Sadly, it’s not enough.
Luis Castillo (CWS) – I nearly added him to The List, but it’s not the same home park now and he hasn’t looked particularly sharp.
Drew Anderson (DET) – I was really tempted to add him last minute after the report came out that he’s going to transition into the rotation, but it’s likely safe to see how stretched out he is and if he can consistently produce. He’s not like a Jax in waiting.
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.
Ty Madden (DET) – Madden is the option until Anderson is fully ready, and I have no interest here.
Hayden Wesneski (HOU) – Wesneski has a fun breaker, but I need more than that for my 12-teamers.
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.
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) – He moved to the pen, which could mean some sneaky vulture Wins as long relief, but who knows what version of Imai we’ll get when that happens.
Mason Black (KCR) – Totally forgot you were on the Royals now. That’s cool n stuff.
Randy Dobnak (KCR) – Dobnak has been productive twice, slinging sinkers and changeups, and it’s not meant to last.
Luinder Avila (KCR) – He’s getting TJS after his last outing. Poor guy.
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) – He’s out for the year with TJS now. What a rough summer. Poor guy.
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. I hope the breakers get better.
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.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) – The Dodgers acquired Skubal and sent Sheehan to the minors. It’s kinda wild. I was hoping they’d send Sheehan in the Skubal package so he could hit the reset button, and maybe this will help him heal up to be 95/96 mph again. I’d love that.
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – He’s indefinitely removed from the rotation as he rests up for the playoffs. Stupid knees barking like a dingus.
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.
Brandon Sproat (MIL) – I’m not sure he starts again this week, though it may be a six-man to get everyone in a proper routine after Harrison and May join the rotation. There’s one spot in a five-man rotation between Sproat, Gasser, and Drohan, and I think Drohan gets it. If he does start, I haven’t been sold by his arsenal and approach to be confident he’ll produce if he even gets the chance.
Robert Gasser (MIL) – Ditto for Gasser.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – He’s back from the IL and still struggling to hit 90 mph.
Dean Kremer (MIN) – He’s a Twins now and it’s possible he just needed a change of scenery to be worthwhile in 15-teamers again. Not worth the risk in 12-teamers unless desperate for innings.
Kendry Rojas (MIN) – There may be times he gets the pearl, but don’t expect a whole lot of frames. He’s not a proper starter.
Mike Paredes (MIN) – This ain’t it.
Zebby Matthews (MIN) – He’s now in the minors, even after a ten strikeout game. Wild, I know. Blame Kremer.
Jonah Tong (NYM) – Sent back down to the minors. Sigh.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – I gave him an honest try. Now we wait.
Robert Stock (NYM) – That was awesome. I hope he’s worth our time when weak opponents come his way.
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.
Zac Thornton (NYM) – The fun run hit a bump in the road, but it was a result that his package outlines should happen regularly, not rarely.
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.
Carson Whisenhunt (SFG) – I want him to be great, but he’s not there yet. Changeup is pretty cool.
Trevor McDonald (SFG) – 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.
Hunter Dobbins (STL) – With May gone, Dobbins is getting starts, not Mathews. At least for now. I’m not impressed enough with what Dobbins does to go after him.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) – His command isn’t good enough. He can be a 15-team Toby option, but nothing more.
Quinn Mathews (STL) – He was demoted after his debut and once I learned he had a 40 degree arm angle, I became less impressed by the 17″ vert four-seamer. I’m not confident he can go BSB with heaters and changeups to RHB effectively, and that has me a little tepid on him when he returns.
Mason Englert (TBR) – I’m not convinced he’s the next hot thing from Tampa Bay, but I’m at least curious.
Shane McClanahan (TBR) – He hit the IL with a back injury and I’m incredibly sad.
Cal Quantrill (TEX) – THE UNQUANTRILLFIABLE. Actually, we can quantify that he’s been decent lately. That’s true! Going Canibal McSanchez. He’s going to be replaced in all likelihood, though, and it’s not sustainable.
Cody Bradford (TEX) – He’s on the verge of making his return from TJS and he was an extension-focused SWATCH before it was cool. Obviously a wait-and-see for now.
Jordan Montgomery (TEX) – Is he actually returning now? I wonder what he’ll look like.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – I was more encouraged by Rocker early last week with 17″+ inches of horizontal run on his sinker, but that fell to 15″ and he has a tough schedule ahead. Bummer.
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.
Jameson Taillon (TOR) – I’m so glad he’s with Toronto now, and let’s see if he can be a streamer in 15-teamers before going after this.
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. Update #2: And he’s back! And even after a good start, I can’t endorse it.
Patrick Corbin (TOR) – No, this is not the time to restart your PC. You can’t make that joke everytime. YES I CAN.
Spencer Arrighetti (TOR) – I think we need to let the Pasta Pirate cook a little longer before we serve him a spot on our teams.
Spencer Miles (TOR) – He’s being used a follower in the place of Lauer and it’s not worth your time.
Carson Palmquist (WSH) – He’s with the Nats now, eh? That’s cool. Welp, see ya later.
Connelly Early (WSH) – He’s with a new team and I have no idea when he returns at this point.
Jake Irvin (WSH) – Irvin is throwing a harder cutter and that’s kinda fun. Not fun enough to trust until he actually proves it’s worth your time, of course.
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 | LAD | 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 | - |
| 7 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus | +1 |
| 8 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 9 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | - |
| 10 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 11 | Dylan Cease | TOR | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 12 | Jesús Luzardo | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 13 | Gavin Williams | CLE | Holly Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 14 | Joe Ryan | MIN | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | - |
| 15 | Gerrit Cole | NYY | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 16 | Cristopher SánchezT3 | PHI | Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts | +4 |
| 17 | Paul Skenes | PIT | Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside | -10 |
| 18 | Nolan McLean | NYM | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -1 |
| 19 | Max Fried | NYY | Ace Potential Wins Bonus | -3 |
| 20 | Hunter Greene | CIN | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -2 |
| 21 | Sean Burke | CHW | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 22 | Troy MeltonT4 | DET | Holly Ratio Focused | - |
| 23 | Logan Henderson | MIL | Holly Ratio Focused Injury Risk | - |
| 24 | Eury Pérez | MIA | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 25 | Griffin Jax | TB | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 26 | Payton Tolle | BOS | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | - |
| 27 | Hunter Brown | HOU | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +10 |
| 28 | Bryan Woo | SEA | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | +2 |
| 29 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 30 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | Holly Quality Starts | +13 |
| 31 | Reid DetmersT5 | LAA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 32 | Kevin Gausman | CHC | Holly Quality Starts | +8 |
| 33 | Jared Jones | PIT | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -6 |
| 34 | Logan Webb | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -3 |
| 35 | Parker Messick | CLE | Holly Quality Starts | - |
| 36 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | Ace Potential Strikeout Upside | -12 |
| 37 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | Holly Quality Starts | -4 |
| 38 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -4 |
| 39 | Sonny Gray | BOS | Holly Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 40 | George Kirby | SEA | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +8 |
| 41 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | +UR | |
| 42 | Cade CavalliT6 | WSH | Frizzle Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 43 | Peter Lambert | HOU | Toby Quality Starts | +15 |
| 44 | Walbert Ureña | LAA | Toby Quality Starts | +18 |
| 45 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 46 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +4 |
| 47 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +5 |
| 48 | Robbie Ray | SF | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +6 |
| 49 | Taj Bradley | MIN | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | +7 |
| 50 | Bryce Miller | SEA | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | -3 |
| 51 | Ranger SuarezT7 | BOS | Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk | -6 |
| 52 | Dustin May | STL | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | +3 |
| 53 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | Hipster Quality Starts | +4 |
| 54 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | Holly Wins Bonus Team Context Effect | -25 |
| 55 | Landen Roupp | SF | Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -17 |
| 56 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | Toby Quality Starts | +4 |
| 57 | Foster Griffin | WSH | Holly Quality Starts | -15 |
| 58 | Ian Seymour | TB | Toby Ratio Focused | +5 |
| 59 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | - |
| 60 | Roki SasakiT8 | LAD | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 61 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +6 |
| 62 | Will Warren | NYY | Hipster Wins Bonus | +12 |
| 63 | José Soriano | LAA | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +1 |
| 64 | Jackson JobeT9 | DET | +UR | |
| 65 | Connor Prielipp | MIN | Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk | +4 |
| 66 | Freddy Peralta | TB | Hipster Wins Bonus | +7 |
| 67 | Michael King | SD | Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside | -14 |
| 68 | Shane Bieber | TOR | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 69 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +2 |
| 70 | Framber Valdez | DET | Hipster Quality Starts | - |
| 71 | Michael WachaT10 | KC | Toby Quality Starts | +6 |
| 72 | Jake Bennett | BOS | Holly Cherry Bomb Quality Starts | -21 |
| 73 | Casey Mize | DET | Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk | +8 |
| 74 | Shane Drohan | MIL | Toby Ratio Focused | +5 |
| 75 | Clay Holmes | NYM | +UR | |
| 76 | Nick Martinez | TB | Toby Quality Starts | -15 |
| 77 | David Peterson | CHC | +UR | |
| 78 | Shane Baz | BAL | Toby Quality Starts | - |
| 79 | Colin Rea | CHC | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +15 |
| 80 | Noah CameronT11 | KC | +UR | |
| 81 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | Hipster Quality Starts | +3 |
| 82 | Christian Scott | NYM | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +3 |
| 83 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | Hipster Strikeout Upside | -17 |
| 84 | Blade Tidwell | SF | +UR | |
| 85 | Cristian Javier | HOU | +UR | |
| 86 | Jacob Lopez | ATH | Hipster Strikeout Upside | +5 |
| 87 | Andrew AbbottT12 | CIN | Toby Quality Starts | -11 |
| 88 | Keider Montero | DET | Toby Ratio Focused | -8 |
| 89 | Sean Manaea | NYM | +UR | |
| 90 | Kyle Leahy | STL | Streaming Option Team Context Effect | +10 |
| 91 | Michael McGreevy | STL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | -1 |
| 92 | Tyler Mahle | ATL | Streaming Option Quality Starts | +3 |
| 93 | Eric Lauer | LAD | Streaming Option Wins Bonus | +3 |
| 94 | Anthony Kay | CHW | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +3 |
| 95 | Andre Pallante | STL | Streaming Option Ratio Focused | +4 |
| 96 | Brandon Young | BAL | Toby Ratio Focused | -14 |
| 97 | Noah Schultz | CHW | +UR | |
| 98 | Andrew Painter | PHI | +UR | |
| 99 | Brandon Pfaadt | ARI | +UR | |
| 100 | Andrew Alvarez | WSH | +UR |
Labels Legend
Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
