Top 200 Starting Pitchers To Draft For Fantasy Baseball 2027

Let’s rank the best 200 starting Pitchers to draft in fantasy baseball for 2027 way too early. These ranks are not the in-depth blurbs you should be expecting in February, but are what I like to call the “early vibe rankings”.

The fantasy baseball season just ended and before we all hibernate, run the numbers, and produce polished projections, I feel it’s important that I put out what I like to call my “rough draft” of February 2027’s Top 400 Starting Pitchers when my opinions and thoughts of 2026 are still fresh. In short, it means I spend the next two weeks getting everything on paper to review the season behind us and rank the top 200 starting pitchers for 2027 fantasy baseball before outside biases seep in.

What I’m trying to say is, today’s rankings will be vastly different in February. I have no idea how different – if I knew that, they wouldn’t be different – and I’ll use this foundation to discuss players through the off-season, helping me determine who I’m actually higher or lower on than originally thought, while I have yet to do my complete dives into each player’s season. Please don’t hate me for this.

 

PL Pro Members, here’s the Top 100 SP rankings right at the start of the article. Thanks so much for supporting us through a trepidatious off-season fueled by an impending lockout.

 

How To Use These Rankings

 

These rankings mean nothing if we’re not on the same page about how to draft for the season ahead. Remember, you are not drafting a Best Ball team – on those teams you are stuck with the arms you draft for the entire year. Because it’s a game of burn and churn, my rankings reflect a different upside/floor weight than an attempt to replicate the 2026 end of season Player Rater rankings. In other words, these are Draft Rankings, not ROS Rankings.

With that in mind, I wanted to focus on two tenets that are reflected in these rankings:

• 1. Draft FOUR starting pitchers I trust to never drop during the season

There’s a classic phrase I hear during draft season. I need to get that one SP I can rely on in the early rounds. I don’t adhere to this thought most seasons and I especially don’t for 2027. Pitcher injuries are awfully random (save for the rare few with heightened risks: Glasnow, Snell, etc.), and despite all the rhetoric you and I emit, SP volume will remain the most difficult part of pre-season analysis. The good news? This year’s SP landscape is massive in the top half, allowing you to create that foundation among many instead of few.

Consider your seasons of old and think about the pitchers who have stuck around on your teams throughout the year and compare them to those you’ve enlisted and returned to the waiver wire. Your goal in your draft is to snag four of the first group, opening up the rest of your SP inventory to plan for the wire, take chances, and make mistakes. No, it is unlikely for all four to stay healthy, and that amplifies the necessity to grab four of these pitchers.

The range for me at this point in October ends around the early 50s at Kevin Gausman, which is a little deeper than normal seasons.

• 2. Draft Pitchers You Can Determine QUICKLY In Season To Hold or Drop

It is so important to draft players at the end of your rotation who you can move on from quickly during the year in favor of other pitchers who are displaying new skills and could break out across the season. The last thing you want is to be stuck with an arm from your draft who drags you down all season and prevents you from snagging a legit SP #4 or better in April. This can be translated as “Don’t Draft Tobys” (which actually isn’t quite right this year as there’s more quality volume available in the deeper rounds than usual) and it can also be translated as “THIS IS NOT A BEST BALL LEAGUE”, but in the end, it’s ensuring that you are drafting with the mindset of the burn-and-churn that comes with playing fantasy baseball. Just because you like that strikeout-upside arm doesn’t mean you won’t be anxious and frustrated throughout April as they get only a few starts and fail to go further than five innings. Grab guys who will give you value early and their floor outlines that you can move on quickly. Nothing worse than a poor start that has you still thinking they’re fine… for the entirety of April.

And yes, you will always be able to find value on the waiver wire. Don’t believe me? Here are Starting Pitchers who had a 2026 ADP of #270 or later and could be snagged in your leagues:

 

 

And that’s not even including this rag-tag crew containing many pitchers you were able to grab at specific points of the season for legit value:

 

 

The whole goal is to win your league, not leave the draft getting appropriate value for the round you picked them. Grab SPs who are easily identifiable as early drops who also have a ceiling that is far above their draft value.

Now you understand. That’s where I’m coming from with these rankings and it’s important to not treat them as a “Best Ball” ranking. In other words, you’re not drafting a team you hold for the full year, nay, you’re drafting a team with the anticipation that you’re burning and churning at the back-end of your roster. It’s the way you win your leagues.

Sorry to be so repetitive, I have to hammer this point as it combats the standard projection or player rater approach

 

Early 2027 Team Schedules

 

One element that I often don’t discuss this early when doing rankings is the expected opening weekend schedule. It doesn’t have much of an impact on these rankings, but as we get closer to the start of the year and rotations become clearer after trades, signings, and injuries, it may reveal some late-round targets to sneak in a start or two in your head-to-head leagues that may turn into season-long holds (like Nick Martinez and Michael Wacha this past season).

First, here are the individual offense ranks:

Note: The Athletics are still ATH.

I’m sure it’ll change before the start of 2027 + there are differences to be made about teams vs. LHP or RHP, but it works as a general table that y’all should keep in mind.

In essence, we should only be considering being conservative against the Top tier offenses (and maybe some Solid tiers as well), while taking a chance here or there against the Poor offenses (I’m sure some will surprise us!). Everything else in the middle is up for grabs.

And here is how the start of 2027 shapes up:

Also note: These offensive tiers are the final tiers from the end of the 2026 season and I’m willing to wager a significant number of teams shift tiers before the start of 2025.

In addition, who knows what the 2027 will actually look like given the uncertainty of the MLB Lockout. 

Thanks to Kyle Bland for putting together this table!

 

I could do a whole thing about which rotations are affected most (Ryne Nelson potentially getting three tough starts or the #5 SP options on the Nats, Cards, Giants, Angels, Athletics, Atlanta, Tigers could have it rough early, etc.), and yet, it’s all so in flux that I’m not going to do that now. Remember, the opening weekend rotation order is so often out of whack and there are too many factors right now to outline it.

HOWEVER, you can take into consideration the general early schedules and if there are teams to target for confidence early, like the Yankees, Red Sox, Reds, and Astros, who have generally fantastic schedules for the first few weeks. Or the Marlins and Brewers, Cubs, and Mets who face some terrible offenses for the first week. There will be some sneaky streams there.

 

Okay I’m done prefacing. It’s time for the rankings. There are two tables here – The Top 100, then 101-the rest – and per tradition, I ask you to:

 

READ THE NOTES

 

Tier 1 – STUD

These are your all-around fantastic starters you’re always stoked to have in your lineups.

 

1. Tarik Skubal (FA) View Pitcher Stats

Why Skubal over the others? It’s simple. He’s the most reliable. Longer track record, still holding the velocity, and even his injury stint was brief enough that he still returned nearly 160 IP and 200 strikeouts.

2. Cam Schlittler (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

The Ras Pack perfected. His four-seamer, cutter, and sinker each returned over 68% strikes while the heater’s 19% SwStr rate is simply bonkers at 44% usage. Only question is longevity – can he flirt with 200 innings for another season at 98 mph?

3. Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

When a pitcher returns over 250 strikeouts in roughly 175 frames, you listen. Of the arms in the top tier, he’s the most believable to struggle from a skills standpoint given his lankiness and massive stretch of poor strike rates before this year’s breakout, not to mention averaging 100.6 mph for 30 starts + a World Series run intuitively carries health risk. And no, not after 13 years of ranking pitchers do I feel confident assessing health risks.

4. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

I ranked Yamamoto lower than others this time last year for a pair of reasons: 1) The dude went HAM in the post-season and it could linger into the year 2) His volume is routinely capped since the Dodgers ensure a six-man rotation. And despite making just 28 starts (without injury), The Inquisitor STILL returned 185 frames. Due to a strikeout rate around 25%, that didn’t hit the upper echelon of punchouts (182), but fourteen Wins + glowing ratios are no surprise. I heavily favor top-tier floor early in my ranks and his wide arsenal + stellar situation makes him such an easy play each week.

 

Tier 2 – AGA 1

It’s the AGA tier but with more questions that hold them back from four-category dominance for a full year.

 

5. Chris Sale (ATL) View Pitcher Stats

Ayyyy, he’s healthy! And throwing harder than he has since…2018? Is this real life? The age cliff is real, but hot dang did Sale look phenomenal in 2026 and even with a likely short trip to the IL in his future, Sale is as locked for production as any when he takes the pearl.

6. Payton Tolle (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

I was wrong about Tolle in 2026. I wasn’t unaware of his ceiling, I simply didn’t expect Tolle to suddenly find the ability to feature strikes nearly 70% on three pitches after his four-seamer was the only offering above 63% in 2025. Control gains are hard to predict, alright?! It’s a Ras Pack with his phenomenal heater leading the way, a sinker that suffocates LHB, and a cutter that has found its way armside to both LHB and RHB. You should know by now that I adore elite four-seamers (the most consistent offerings in baseball!) and the only question was the rest of the arsenal. Now that he has the support, I see a workhorse starter who could take another step next year after already showing he can develop.

7. Zack Wheeler (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

After defying all odds to return last year so quickly after TOS surgery (albeit the good kind), Wheeler was fantastic once again. Not absurd, with a few hiccups in August (14 walks in three starts that moved his walk rate from 5%+ to a mark over 7%), but save for those days without his best fastball command, Wheeler’s pitches performed right in line with previous seasons. He’s proclaimed 2027 as his final season, and here’s to one more beautiful year to close the door.

8. Gavin Williams (CLE) View Pitcher Stats

Like Tolle, I missed with Gavin despite being so excited and interested last season, and for the same reason. Will he figure out how to throw more strikes? Gavin did just that, dominating with both his curve and sweeper, while the four-seamer pounded and pounded like an upset landlord. I’m not sure why he had a weird phase with his sinker in the early summer, but he has little left to prove that his arsenal can avoid free passes more often, with a cornucopia of strikeouts. He’s built to push 180 frames with Cleveland’s enthusiasm to push their starters, and I’m sold. He’s a high-volume, strike-throwing flamethrower with breakers that earn whiffs. I’m sold.

9. Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

Hey Nick, it’s me again. Conflict! GO AWAY! After embracing Sánchez before his 2025 campaign, I was a touch lower than consensus on Sánchez last year, since I wasn’t sold he would limit hits nearly as often when spinning the wheel a second time. Cristopher’s historic May put egg on my face, but the pendulum swung as he lacked consistency with his changeup in the second half and his WHIP soared. I call guys like Sánchez a potential anchor – not a positive term. Anchors are pitchers who have the potential to get plugged into the lineup for 80% of the season before you look down and see how they tanked your ratios across a ton of innings. Think Gausman, Valdez, Webb, Peralta, and even classic Loose Lips Samardzija back in the day. I hate that there’s a chance for Sánchez to do that again after another season of the same arsenal at a touch less velocity. However, even at a 1.20 WHIP, if the ERA is solid and the volume is there, he’ll collect plenty of Wins and strikeouts – 13/212 18/231 Wins/Ks in each of his last two seasons. I just have to wonder if he can hold an 80% LOB rate when he averages a hit per inning.

10. Logan Gilbert (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

We were worried about his health and NOPE, CHUCK TESTA. 32 starts, 186 innings, and the real worry should have been his 1.40 HR/9. The good news? He’s leaning more into setting a foundation with his four-seamer instead of leaning solely on the slider to get things done. I like this version of Gilbert more + the home park is sure to continue helping him produce. I’d imagine his ERA to fall under 3.60 this time around.

11. Chase Burns (CIN) View Pitcher Stats

Yes, this is mostly a question of health given his 97/98 mph average velocity + a groin strain that sent him to the IL at the end of the year (at a time the Reds had already limited his innings), though I can’t ignore how Burns is a two-pitch pitcher who doesn’t get whiffs on his fastball. That doesn’t mean his four-seamer is a bad pitch – it gets strikes and doesn’t induce a ton of hard contact while keeping the ball in the yard enough to hold a 1.00 hr/9 despite pitching half his games in GABP – and it’s enough to not pull out the Huascar Rule, but it does create a floor we’ve seen so very often from explosive four-seamer/slider arms that I want to avoid if possible. But his changeup! Dude threw that thing 8% of the time to LHB. That’s just a ghost story.

 

 

Tier 3 – AGA 2

These arms are coming off a year that I don’t believe will match 2027, whether it’s due to an inflated ERA, injury related, or after a magical season filled with skepticism

 

12. Drew Rasmussen (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

This is a tough one. A really tough one. From a skills standpoint, Rasmussen’s floor is everything you want. He’s stupid hard to hit, misses bats, returns sparkling ratios, and puts himself in a position for Wins every time he hits the bump, all thanks to his patented Ras Pack arsenal, with the occasional changeup or breaker mixed in. 2026 marks the second season of Rasmussen surviving the heavy workload of a full season to produce for your fantasy teams, becoming a top SP for the season even if with his a lower IP ceiling than his peers. Will he stay healthy after an extended season into October (and starting Game 5 on three days rest?!) Are the Rays going to deal him before he’s a free agent in 2028 ($20M club option for 2027)? Three elbow surgeries definitely suggests this ranking as too injury-risky, and yet…I can’t help myself. I love rostering arms whose production when healthy is never in question.

13. Bryan Woo (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

There is literally one stat that I can point to that tanked Woo’s 2026 season. 66% LOB rate. That’s not even a HR problem (one per game!), and even the climb in BABIP and hits-per-nine wasn’t to a point that justifies a 4.00+ ERA. That’s just a timing problem. Meanwhile, the four-seamer + sinker combo is still excellent, he’s now pitched 170+ innings for two straight seasons, and get this! He’s throwing more sliders and sweepers to both sides of the plate and like a retired cop getting his pension, he’s doing great. What, are you watching The Wire again or something? MAYBE I AM. I’ll continue to say that ERA is the most overrated SP stat that can fluctuate so easily, and Woo is the perfect example. He’s still dope.

14. Garrett Crochet (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

Crochet was my #1 SP entering last year. Oh jeez. I KNOW. At least it wasn’t Skenes, right? We barely saw him in 2026, and after months of waiting, we got a brief look in the ALWC, where he failed to earn an out in four batters. However, his extension was way up, and his velocity was cooking, and I see no reason why the Red Sox would restrict him given a full recovery. Honestly, the only reason he’s down here is the injury-risk factor and considering we’ve already entered the forest of anxiety, why not chase the one with the highest upside?

15. Jacob deGrom (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

Ah yes, the ole “3.86 ERA on the year before his final start of 8 ER”. That isn’t to say 3.86 is a great ERA for deGrom, though, and it was awfully strange seeing games where deGrom didn’t have his fastball or slider command. It’s just not him, you know? The biggest flaw was that fastball’s hittability – due to his questionable command at times – and it propelled a his unsustainable .230 BABIP to a mark over 300. Neither number is true. deGrom’s heater gained whiffs, lived upstairs more often, and is likely to be a great pitch for another season. You haven’t mentioned his health. Two straight years of 30+ starts! Maybe the cliff is coming this year, I get it. It’s why he’s in Tier 3.

16. Jesús Luzardo (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

Is this too low? Maybe it is, though I can’t get over the fact that Luzardo didn’t change a whole lot. Yes, he leaned into his sinker more often to LHB, and his sweeper allowed far fewer hits this year than last year as he used it in more favorable counts. His hit rate dropped a full tick and after a trio of blowups in his first four starts, he maneuvered around his nightmares for the rest of the season like a survivor of Elm Street. He’s going to have them again. Why? Because the four-seamer is too dang hittable. Reducing its usage to LHB helps, absolutely, but the problem is RHB and I don’t trust that he’s going to be able to wriggle out of the routinely high 42%+ ICR marks on the pitch at 30%+ usage.

17. Shohei Ohtani (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

When Ohtani is on the hill regularly, he’s dope, even if it’s just once a week. The question is about longevity and health, and all signs point to him starting out of the gate in the rotation next year. If so, expect him to rise into the second tier. If you’re worried about it, then push him into Tier 5. Then why is he in Tier 3? Because I’m leaning toward a healthy Ohtani. It’s really that simple.

18. Logan Henderson (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

Henderson’s four-seamer is fantastic despite its lower velocity, due to stellar command upstairs, excellent vert, and an elite HAVAA. Paired with a fantastic changeup and cutter, it’s all about volume at this point, and we have yet to see Henderson pitch a full season. Part of me wants to push him up further given his consistent performance when given the pearl, but I understand the fear after a back strain and forearm cramp.

 

Tier 4 – Classic Cherry Bomb

What are we going to get? Seriously. I HAVE NO IDEA. They are big names (and one new) who have proven to be Top 10 arms in the past, but there is a whole lot of skills/health haze that clouds their 2027 projection.

 

19. Paul Skenes (PIT) View Pitcher Stats

I. Don’t. Know. If we say he was hurt, then why wasn’t he put on the IL? If it comes out he was playing through one, then that should make us feel better for the year ahead…except that creates an injury tag. Okay, let’s say it was just skill. Then we have to think he’ll work as hard as anyone to get back to where he was. Apparently pitching in the WBC made him worse for the season ahead, and I still don’t know what to make of that. Under the hood, he was throwing slower but still getting a ton of fastball whiffs, while it was his secondaries that let him down. The fact that we’ve seen a skill floor is what terrifies me – I don’t want to assume he’ll just be great again – and I have to put him below pitchers I have little doubt will help my teams throughout the season.

20. Griffin Jax (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

Yeaaaaah, I love Jax. But his innings! You just saw Rasmussen get “babied” and be one of the most productive starters of the season. Jax’s arsenal is the stuff of legends with fantastic feel for all of it – changeup, cutter, sinker, four-seamer, breakers galore, IT’S ALL HERE. Throw in the pitcher’s park of the Trop and a spring training dedicated toward refinement as a starter instead of spending his time out of the pen, and I’m grabbing him everywhere.

21. Max Fried (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

I see Fried and I see a rock-steady starter. Is he the best? No. Is he going to help every team he’s on? Yes. There’s a lot of value in that – there’s a theory that the higher SP picks are not the ones that take you over the edge, but rather the pickups you make behind them. Just a thought. Then why is he in this tier? Because he’s not an ace, and his volatility lies in his innings on the field.

22. Nolan McLean (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

He should be higher. No wait, lower! No wait…This sounds like what you went through last winter. Oh dang, it is. The situation is clear: McLean’s stuff is legit. His ability to wield it around the zone is not. Think of him as more of a sinker/slider guy than four-seamer first, and it’ll make sense that he just boasted a 10.5% SwStr on the year. But it was a 26%+ strikeout rate! That’s what’s so hard about this. His attack to LHB is too sinker heavy, his four-seamer doesn’t overwhelm, and his #1 strikeout pitch to RHB was…SINKERS. By more than DOUBLE the next pitch. There are two ways to translate it: 1) He has clear room to grow after a strong season 2) He can’t keep getting away with it. Given his youth (turned 25 in July) and overall lack of experience on the bump, I’m going to favor the former.

23. Gerrit Cole (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

The fastball velocity has returned! The feel for the secondaries…has not. For Cole to be Cole again, he has to find the devastating slider he once had. I’m accepting that he may not throw his old cutter again in fear of hurting his arm, though a year removed from his TJS should bring back confidence to whip the ole slide piece like the old days. And before y’all scream spider tack super loud, I’m talking about 2022. At any rate, even though we didn’t see Cole at his peak, he still gave us productive marks for the season, and I see this ranking as “more of the same” with a fair amount of room for him to perform inside the Top 20 for the season.

24. Dylan Cease (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

You do whatever you want. Cease is an unpredictable arm, who has his command on point for a few innings, loses it for one, regains it, and does that dance for a full season. Some years, it blows up in his face. Others, he flirts with a Cy Young until he runs out of gas. I dinged him a bit for his end of season shoulder injury that was apparent in his rapidly diminishing velocity – the first for Cease in ages – and it’s unclear how he’ll feel entering camp next year. Assuming he’s a full green light, know that the strikeout production will be there, but so will the anxiety. Here’s to another season avoiding bombs.

25. Carlos Rodón (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

Speaking of not being destructive, Rodón’s disaster in his first season as a Yankee was the only true blemish across his last six seasons (yes, 2024 wasn’t pretty, but still helpful) and all signs point to his UCL working just fine entering the spring (he received a PRP injection with tests showing an intact UCL tendon). Lower him a few if you want for the health questions, I have him above the next tier due to the track record of productivity on the bump.

26. Tyler Glasnow (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

I really don’t know where to rank Glasnow and Snell. You know they are Top 10 SP when they are on the hill. How much you’ll get from them…I have no idea. Don’t undervalue them in 12-teamers as the replacement-level SP is shockingly good, but don’t go into this thinking you’re getting 140+ innings.

27. Blake Snell (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

Snell could legit be a league winner in your H2H league…if you can stomach him on your IL for ages. Or maybe he’s actually healthy for another season? I DON’T KNOW. Yes you do, it’s the same question every year and we try to act like he’s going to regularly start from April through June until it’s March and we say “We couldn’t see it coming!” Maybe a shortened season benefits Snell…

 

Tier 5 – Strawberry Dynamite

This is the new school Cherry Bomb. It’s what the kids are calling it these days. Why these fellas? Because they have velocity and a whiffable secondary or two, but their consistency and/or ceiling are heavily suspect.

 

28. Jared Jones (PIT) View Pitcher Stats

I want to believe that Jones can be more than fastball/slider, but I’m still waiting to see it truly come to fruition. He can be so fantastic with an elite upstairs fastball and deadly slider, but then there are days he’s just so hittable. The changeup and curve are welcome additions, but the former needs a whole lot more consistency and the latter is more of a putaway offering than a reliable #3. A sinker or cutter could work wonders and maybe the spring will bring it his way after he spent it still rehabbing from TJS last year.

29. Braxton Ashcraft (PIT) View Pitcher Stats

I can’t put my finger on Ashcraft. He’s what I used to call a Stuff McNasty – fastballs that get hit with two whiffable secondaries – and I’ve seen those types generally fall off in time as the feel for sliders and curveballs generally doesn’t get better and the heaters get worse. There was a stretch this year where Ashcraft’s breakers took a step back and he struggled, not to mention roughly half his games were 5 strikeouts or fewer, and more than half came with 10 whiffs of fewer. So what? He was still great! It doesn’t add up, that’s what. This is also ignoring the arm fatigue he felt in September, but that’s somewhat standard for a pitcher in a rotation for the first time for a full season. He has too much for us to point at later and wonder why we ignored it.

30. Cade Cavalli (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

Cavalli was another arm I wasn’t interested in before the start of the year, and it wasn’t until he gave us the start of his career against the Red Sox that he showed me something real. Not only was it a near two tick velocity boost from an already hard 96 mph heater and 84 mph curveball, it was also a lean into a cutter as a proper third pitch. You see, Cavalli’s four-seamer and sinker were not missing bats and his curveball (which acts more like a sweeper to RHB, don’t let the pitch classification fool you) was great, but not enough to do everything, breaking the Huascar Rule. Once the shift came, though, Cavalli was fantastic, with his breaker’s velocity sticking above 86 mph even on days when the heater creeped to 96+ mph. The cutter usage was a little less than I wanted in the second half, but the whole package is much better with the harder options. Will that stick? Banking on a second-half velocity boost is generally not a great idea.

31. Eury Pérez (MIA) View Pitcher Stats

You’re great! You’re not great! Your four-seamer and sinker can be incredible and the secondaries show signs of legitimacy, but your command ohhhh your command. And just when he figured it out, he had one of the worst hamstring spasms you’ll ever see, sending him to the IL shortly after. I was super into Eury last year due to a four-seamer that should DOMINATE and watching the Marlins this year, I’ve developed a cynical view of their approach. It’s likely wrong, but I can’t shake the idea that something about being inside the Miami rotation is hurting their pitch results. Maybe it’s sequencing, maybe it’s tipping or a loud PitchCom, I really don’t know. All I can say is I have my doubts that Eury can be EURY until he’s out of Miami. Then why is he #31? Have you seen his fastball?

 

Tier 6 – Holly

You’re not going to brag about them, but you’re definitely not dropping them either. Probably.

 

32. Logan Webb (SFG) View Pitcher Stats

In the same way Messick isn’t this good, Webb isn’t this bad. Pitchers have a wide range of possible seasons and after earning the NL strikeout crown in 2025, we saw the seesaw see the floor…across his last five games. Webb held a 3.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP through his first 22 starts, then ended the season with a 4.31 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a blister. Whoa, that sure looks like Webb before it fell apart at the end. Yuuuup. Sure, Webb is known for his volume and two stints to the IL via knee bursitis and the aforementioned blister are cracks in the armor, while his 20% strikeout rate is nothing like the fun 26% rate of 2025, but like math, Webb is Webb. The Giants just had their worst morale season and it’s a safe bet for a better season ahead.

33. Joe Ryan (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

Yes, he allows HRs. The good news? He doesn’t allow walks nor a ton of hits. Usually. This was a season of losing his four-seamer velocity, then suddenly jumping up to 94/95 mph mid-season, and I’ll continue to bang the table for a fella who never gives you an overall poor set of ratios (usually stellar WHIP and an ERA around 3.60) and keeps strikeouts afloat. The problem? He doesn’t carry all the volume, doesn’t have the greatest supporting cast outside of the high heater, and it’s hard to envision a season better than any he’s already had. He’s a straight-up legit Holly.

34. Parker Messick (CLE) View Pitcher Stats

Messick is good. He’s solid. He added some velo and then it came back down a little and that’s fine! His above-average command to keep the four-seamer up & changeup down makes him the latest and greatest SWATCH around. And I can’t possibly rank him higher than this. Why not? Because it was a season where it all went the right way for him. The fella so very clearly overperformed (82% LOB rate will do that) and a four-seamer + changeup combo that comes with a 60% strike changeup and even worse marks on curves, sliders, and cutters does not bode for anywhere close to a replication of 2026.

35. Shota Imanaga (FA) View Pitcher Stats

Like Ryan, Imanaga is a low WHIP, HR-prone arm with an above-average strikeout rate. Ryan is the better version, while Imanaga is the healthier one. We had our concerns with Shota when his velocity dipped and summer Wrigley reared its head, but the heater climbed back to 91/92 mph and he could very well stick at 92 mph next season in…not Wrigley. A perfect fit would be Oracle Park, which would make his April months last a whole lot longer through the year. However, if he heads to, say, Baltimore, I’m not sure I’d be as excited.

36. Sonny Gray (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

The strikeout rate plummeted as I expected last year (it did fall, but 30% –> 27% –> 22% has an extra step in the middle), and yet, the LOB rate was the best of his career at 83%, eclipsing 80% for the very first time. Wait, aren’t higher strikeout rates correlated with better LOB rates? They sure are. After all, fewer balls in play = fewer chances for misfortune to strike. It’s a mutual $30M option for 2027, which the Sawx could take, but I’m leaning Sonny pitches elsewhere in 2027, which could very well be a better home park. Don’t expect all the innings and you’re going to get ebbs and flows when his sweeper to LHB isn’t on point, but he’s not going to be dropped from your rosters.

37. Hunter Brown (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

Dude. Are you okay? Brown returned from a lengthy IL stint with a shoulder strain and we saw his four-seamer velocity and movement fluctuate plenty. I don’t think he’s okay. Considering his whole schtick is dominating with four-seamers and sinkers, I’m worried he’ll turn into a HIPSTER for the season instead of the reliable Holly we want him to be (or better). I could have put him inside Tier 4 with the other questionable vets, but I have less faith he’ll get back to form than those.

38. Walbert Ureña (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

He’s upper 90s with a low 90s changeup he throws to both LHB and RHB 35-40% of the time and has a fantastic breaking ball that destroys batters…when he can get it around the zone. Yes, there’s a floor here that Ureña didn’t showcase a ton last season, but the velo + changeup approach are skills that create a very good floor. Just throw strikes. Please.

39. Michael King (FA) View Pitcher Stats

I don’t know. Is he a Holly? I guess so, since you’re going to slot King into your lineup and not think much about it. His cross-body mechanics create plenty of movement that King has been able to wrangle so dang well at times (front-hip 0-0 sinkers are his jam!), while I’ve endured far too many innings watching him go pitch-by-pitch searching for what he can execute reliably. King’s new home may be the ultimate decider in his ranking, though I find myself electing to pass on him unless he falls far enough.

40. Trevor Rogers (FA) View Pitcher Stats

The first and last names inside tiers are the ones you know I wrestled with the most. Considering I tier in archetypes, it means those bookends could leap two tiers up/down with a small lean. This is all to say Rogers may belong in Tier 8, though I don’t think he gets enough credit. Yes, he was a sore spot for managers early in the season and when he returned from injury, he didn’t give you the results you wanted right away. However, he was showing a much better version of himself right away, and it fell into place shortly after with a 2.90 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 25% strikeout rate across his final 20 starts dating back to June 4th. This version had a 94 mph heater upstairs with changeups and breakers down consistently, and it was fantastic. That’s Rogers. It’s also rooted in velocity and if Rogers is at 92/93 mph next year, or if an injury prevents him from finding a rhythm, that’s a problem. At least we can identify that early.

 

Tier 7 – Frizzle

These are the fun arms I want to chase, though I recognize could fizzle out quickly and be disappointments. It’s a struggle figuring out which pitchers I should be highlighting by putting them inside this tier and not pushing further down, and don’t expect this tier to be the same come February.

 

41. Reid Detmers (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

After three springs of buying into Detmers, I was out for the last two and even when the slider was working, I was saying the whole You can’t fool me again spiel. Why? Because the slider routinely loses feel in-season and the Angels’ coaching was never good enough to help him fix it. But he was a reliever in 2025! Where he didn’t have to do more than the slider and heater. Well, the Angels fired their staff and Detmers’ slider was great through the full year. That’s awesome! So he expanded his arsenal? Kinda but no! He threw 20% curveballs as a reliever and carved 9% usage for his changeup while the slider and four-seamer still carried roughly 80% of the load. That slider was dramatically better against RHB despite losing the two-tick velo boost from the pen, while the four-seamer is…meh. That’s my biggest issue – Detmers is all slider-focused, and I hate guys who are so reliant on just their slider. Maybe the curveball can hold its massive strike boon to a 68% clip, but to make me secure, I need to see an improved heater or something new helping set up his slide piece.

42. Jackson Jobe (DET) View Pitcher Stats

This is where it got hard to rank pitchers and I can’t say I’m stoked to hang my hat on a Jobe ranking. Again. That said, it was apparent he finally figured out a mix that worked for him across his final starts, earning all the whiffs with his slider and leaning into a new cutter, while holding mid-to-upper 90s velocity and a wide arsenal. If not for the CBA, Jobe would have his first routine winter knowing his role and doing what he needs for camp, and I’m pinning down Jobe as a legit arm who blossoms in the year ahead. Or maybe his four-seamer is ultimately too dang hittable and I’m the worst.

43. River Ryan (DET) View Pitcher Stats

If we knew Ryan would throw without injury next year, he’d be my favorite. His slider is bonkers, the velocity is great, his approach is right, it’s all there. He’s LEGIT. It’s all about health, and it’s hard to weigh the chance of staying healthy vs. the chance of another Frizzle breaking out.

44. Emmet Sheehan (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

Dodgeritis is the problem. I have no idea what the Dodgers’ rotation will look like and how much runway they’ll give Sheehan. Wait, this isn’t about his poor ratios? Sure, there’s a chance he doesn’t decrease his HR rate dramatically and his velocity never climbs to 96 mph routinely again (94 mph became the regular after 95/96 mph in previous years), but in all likelihood he keeps striking out batters with that heater consistently sitting upstairs + a solid slider and changeup to back it up. Or they just trade him and make me THRILLED. Let me have my dreams.

45. Andrew Painter (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

Once Painter returned in full in the second half, he was a much better pitcher. He found a new changeup that fixed a lot of his LHB problems, nailed his slider and sweeper down-and-away to RHB, and had a four-seamer with extra vert and velocity…sometimes. We’ve seen that fastball and it’s cut-action at 96 mph get hammered and if spring shows us the same heater, I’ll be a little pessimistic that he can be anything more than a discount Holly. There’s also the issue of his breakers failing to return the whiffs you’d expect given their locations and movement (kinda like Kirby!). The good news? Painter’s volume isn’t in question and he has the reputation as a command arm who could become a solid floor pitcher who hopefully has more in the tank.

 

Tier 8 – Holly I Feel A Little Worse About

Welcome to the tier of “safe” pitchers who aren’t safe. But they feel safe in my heart.

 

46. Sean Burke (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

Burke was so good in the middle of the summer. Why? Because he was able to nail his curveball to LHB and slider to RHB. The four-seamer has routinely performed well for him upstairs and as long as those two are doing what they should, he’ll succeed. The upside is huge given the success of the White Sox this season + their obvious need for Burke to soak innings + Burke’s high strikeout tendencies, however his lack of overall stuff makes me a bit concerned he can return a 26% strikeout rate for another season.

47. George Kirby (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

What are we going to do with you? I’m kinda tempted to grab him in every league, with the expectation that he’ll fall to the 12th round or further. Why? Because he’s clearly skilled, he just needs to find a system that works for him. Maybe it’s a new sinker approach, or moving on the rubber, or a different slider, I’m not sure. The ability to throw strikes with good enough stuff and pitch in a great park for 6+ innings a game has legit value. The chance of a better season is far higher than the breakout of many others. The downside? I hold on too long and he hurts teams for another season. Good luck.

48. Kaima Taira (NPB) View Pitcher Stats

It’s hard to get a good read on Taira at the moment and his value is sure to be paired with whatever team he signs with. He’s a short pitcher, allowing for a fantastic HAVAA with a heater that sits mid-90s and can push upper 90s, though that’s more as a reliever than starter. There’s a wide mix and a solid ability to keep it on the ground, which tells me that he’s a lower arm-angle pitcher who will have to sneak the heater up instead of relying on vert to get it done. It profiles out to be a pitcher who can earn outs while returning a fair number of strikeouts, but the days when the command falters, the floor opens up without the overpowering stuff to fix it. Again, we’ll talk more later, and I’ll likely be moving all international signings plenty once we get clarity on their team and situation.

49. Hiromi Itoh (NPB) View Pitcher Stats

Itoh’s lack of velocity has me wondering how effective he’ll actually be as a routine MLB starter, though the word is that it comes with elite vert and possibly a great HAVAA given his short height that can perform at the top of the zone. He sports a deep pitch mix that helps him post elite strike and walks rates, including a splitter (shocking) for whiffs, and that has me lean that he won’t be harmful across a full season in the majors. That said, it will come with many bumps in the road when the fastball isn’t fooling batters, as the hits rack up like a disaster Sánchez outing. Now that Itoh was officially posted on November 1st, I’ve risen Itoh up my ranks right behind Taira. Think of Itoh as the volume arm while Taira as the explosive arm.

 

Tier 9 – Frizzle 2

There’s a part of me that wants Tiers 7-9 to be one larger “All of these can be fantastic but which one will it be?” tier, though these arms carry clearer flaws than others, from injuries and arsenal depth to command and struggles to find whiffs.

 

50. Bubba Chandler (PIT) View Pitcher Stats

What. Was. That. His heater should be the best here (114 plvStuff+ is BONKERS) and it returned a pedestrian 11% SwStr rate. He has an 86/87 mph curveball and a 91 mph slider. And he returned a sub 21% strikeout rate. Because of the 12% walks. Yup. He wasn’t even known as a walk machine in the minors, though, and this could be a clear case of needing to get the rookie season behind him so he can enter Year 2 with confidence. It’s all about approach change and it’s a much better to bet on a different mix or location choices vs. banking on a new pitch to appear or new velocity. He won’t cost a pretty penny, and I’d take the shot. Don’t write him off after one year.

51. Troy Melton (DET) View Pitcher Stats

Are the whiffs going to be there? Will he have the harder cutter? I see Melton and I see a pitcher who should find the sixth often, while capping at roughly a strikeout per inning. And that’s great! There’s also a chance his command foundation allows him to make small tweaks here and there to become a super legit SP #2 ala Fried at a 25% strikeout rate. On the other hand, Melton may simply be too hittable and will fail to find whiffs, especially as he endures the full workload of an MLB season for the first time.

52. Christian Scott (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

I dig Scott’s four-seamer. It’s not the greatest heater out there, but it’s solid, and it makes way, like the citizens of Agrabah, for prince his cutter, splitter, and/or sweeper to take charge. We’re still missing that final piece, though. He’ll be relied upon heavily by the Mets if they plan on competing in the year ahead, granting a lovely canvas for Scott to paint the picture of a reliable fantasy SP.

53. Ryan Pepiot (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

It wasn’t an arm injury, but rather hip surgery, and that’s more promising to me than other big names missing a significant amount of time. We’ll obviously know more when the season actually begins, but remember that I was very high on Pepiot entering last season before the injury, and even with the expected limitations across a full season with the Rays, Pepiot should help fantasy teams consistently with a polished version of the Sheehan package (better changeup). If he’s healthy.

54. Kyle Harrison (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

Speaking of health, Harrison was a borderline ace for teams this season, not because of the new changeup, nah, but a vastly improved four-seamer that jumped to 95+ mph and was command at the top of the zone better than ever. Even as a two-pitch arm with a big curve and few changeups, Harrison’s four-seamer dominated with ease until…forearm tightness. Yikes. The thing is, he returned to the field in September. Wild, right? Sadly, it came with diminished velocity and he was a clear avoid down the stretch, but the fact remained that he wasn’t put on the IL. You might not realize it since he never appeared, but Harrison was on the World Series roster. We’ve seen many tales of forearm injuries not becoming anything the following year (Gilbert, Woo, Wheeler, Gallen, etc.), and his lack of IL stint has me a little optimistic. Remember, he was a clear Top 30 SP when healthy, and at this point, if he’s hurt or showcasing 93/94 mph heaters, we move on. Easy!

55. Ryne Nelson (ARI) View Pitcher Stats

SPEAKING OF HEALTH, I can’t quite Ryne. He had a partially torn flexor and mild UCL strain that knocked him out for a while, before returning to make four relief appearances in September where he sat 97 mph. That high vert four-seamer that has been routinely difficult to barrel + an 88/89 mph slider make me still a believer in Nelson as a strong routine option with the upside for a breakout year if the slider/cutter/change/ANY SECONDARY can find whiffs. If he’s hurt, we move on.

 

Tier 10 – HIPSTER 1

It’s the old dudes. The guys who have done it before and did not last year. Doesn’t mean they can’t again, right?

 

56. Robbie Ray (FA) View Pitcher Stats

What a weird and wild season. We saw the most lost version of Ray I may have ever seen, going from a routine high four-seamer + low slider arm to at one point claiming the high heater is GONE! and featuring sinkers instead, while the feel for his slider went out the window. Who was this guy?! It was a moment. A wild and wacky summer and he somehow still produced a great ERA for most of it. Now he’s a free agent and there’s no reason to expect he’ll find himself in a terrible situation that I’d move away from this ranking. In addition, I’d be shocked if his slider feel isn’t back by next season, and that’s the big difference between Ray and a standard older arm following a declining season. I’m all for moving on when the approach and arsenal are generally the same (Nola, Castillo, etc.) but the results are worse. That wasn’t the story of Ray’s 2026. I’m in.

57. Kevin Gausman (FA) View Pitcher Stats

Sooooo I originally had Gausman and Peralta in the same bucket as Ray, but then I typed the last sentence of Ray’s blurb and realized what I had done. Gausman was Gausman and the results were not there, even when joining one of the best defenses in baseball. I can’t tell you what he should do to fix it, and even as I type this, I wonder how much different Gausman is from someone like Valdez. Gausman has more strikeout upside. Ahhh, right. Right. That’s why he’s here! He was still getting whiffs, and balls didn’t go his way, not just with his first season in five averaging at least a hit per inning, but with a massively elevated HR rate, too. Not a great combo. His four-seamer and splitter were the same pitches we’ve seen for years. Maybe that’s a sign of the game changing, maybe that’s just Koufax being a cruel man. Sounds like a good flier to take in drafts, no? See if it’s going okay in the beginning and hopefully coast for six months. Uhhhh, six? I’m a rational optimist. I’ll change it to five months when I have to.

58. Freddy Peralta (FA) View Pitcher Stats

The Rays asked Peralta to throw more changeups. He struggled for a few outings as he got his reps in, then allowed just three runs across his final six starts. Oh dang. All that means is that Peralta was in a rhythm by the end. Finally. It only took him 80% of the season to get there. Can we make him start pitching in January instead of April this year? Wouldn’t that be swell. I recognize this could go either way and I don’t need to outline the upside of Peralta working out. Let’s see where he lands and how much faith we have in his changeup renaissance.

59. Ranger Suárez (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

It’s the same tale every year. Suárez is just like the fella below: He needs enough time healthy on the bump to get into rhythm, then he soars. The only question is when that’ll click in each year – he allowed 4 ER in three of his first four outings before a 10 strikeout launch of a fantastic run that lasted through the end of June…when he endured an adductor strain and was hot/cold the rest of the way. He’s not the sexy darling of the next tier, but he’s easy to follow and understand when he’s on or off, making him an appealing arm who could be a foundational SP 3/4 for fantasy managers once again.

60. Nick Lodolo (CIN) View Pitcher Stats

This looks high for a guy who put us through the wringer last year. However, Lodolo is as simple as it gets. If he’s healthy through camp and during the opening month, he’ll cruise. If he gets injured and misses time? We’re donezo. That’s really all there is to it. What if he can’t throw his breaker for a strike again next year? FINE. If he can’t find his feel in the slightest early on, sure, we move on there, too. That said, if he goes uninterrupted for months, whatever lack of feel he may have is likely to disappear.

 

Tier 11 – Frizzle 3

More young arms who are worth the late round fliers + a few guys who we know can be great but are hard to trust.

 

61. Didier Fuentes (ATL) View Pitcher Stats

Atlanta plans to transition Fuentes into starting and with his 2.0 HAVAA and near 7 feet extension 97 mph four-seamer (it’ll be 95/96 as a starter) that he’s able to keep upstairs, I’m down to clown. There is some bad news, though. I don’t like his secondaries. It’s an 89 mph splitter for lefties 12% of the time (47% strikes, shocking!) and 20-30% sliders at 85 mph. That’s 12 mph slower than the heater. Yeaaaah, weird, right? If he finds the bridge cutter at 90 mph or so, I’m very much in. If it’s this slower slider (that still found 19% SwStr!), then I’m a little tepid on it. It’s the arguably the best heater of this tier and that alone makes it worth the gamble.

62. Ian Seymour (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

He’s just so…strange. I don’t fully grasp why Seymour’s 91/92 mph four-seamer performs as well as it does (plvStuff+ is 73 yet it’s a 15% SwStr rate at 28% usage. Bananas), but the man sure does know how to locate his pitch mix, especially his change to both LHB and RHB. I’m still blown away that he held a 29% strikeout rate this year with just a 6.5% walk rate and yet…I CAN’T.

63. Kade Anderson (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

A rule of thumb: Don’t trust K/BB numbers from Double-A when the pitcher doesn’t throw hard and relies on command. He’s a SWATCH with a solid arsenal and the right approach to squeeze everything out of it. Throw in Seattle and the possibility of him growing into more as he gets seasoning, and you have yourself strong Holly potential. He doesn’t have the overall upside of many of his peers in this tier, but I think you’ll find yourself holding Kade for the year.

64. Ryan Weathers (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

Is he healthy? Great, then we roll with Weathers. He doesn’t have a starting gig! Well then you drop him! Sometimes analysis can be as easy as pointing to a fella’s K-BB%, and watching a few games, the man ran into some poor luck and sequencing with some legit stuff. Don’t think about how long it’ll last – he wasn’t displaced until late into 2026! – that matters little this point in the drafts.

65. Connelly Early (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

The pitched through the cold, then got hurt, traded to the Nationals, and tossed three frames on the final weekend with a slight dip in velo. If he’s pitching for the Nationals right away, I’m game. Early has legit stuff across a wide mix, and it’s a matter of getting as much time on the bump as possible to let it all breathe. That said, it could be a classic case of the breakout starting in late April or even June once he gets he feet underneath him. At least he’s not spending the winter on the IL, right?

66. Connor Prielipp (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

A 24% strikeout rate for a rookie season is a good thing. A sub 8% SwStr rate on a 95+ mph four-seamer is not. The good news? It allows a bunch of weak flyballs, especially when paired with his sinker, and as long as the slider can cook, it works. That 88 mph slide piece can miss all the bats, but Prielipp struggled to wield it properly from start-to-start, and without another high strike offering, it hurt. I’m curious if we continue to see more of his 99th percentile spin rate curve at 83+ mph with two-plane movement, and if he can add much needed polish to his changeup, elevating him to a strikeout-friendly SWATCH we love so dear. Don’t forget about him.

67. Taj Bradley (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

I gotta hand it to Bradley. Despite all the volatility and onslaught of skepticism I’ve emitted, the man was stellar outside of the aura of his IL stint. The funny part? My problems still remain. No, he didn’t boost his strike rates. He didn’t spot his fastball, cutter, or splitter any better, and there wasn’t a new pitch to help him further. There were three shifts that mattered. First is the obvious: The four-seamer added a tick of velo. Sweet! Second, he featured his cutter in two-strike counts a whole lot more while pulling it back earlier. And third…Koufax was a kind soul. It’s possible jumping from 96 mph to 97 mph is all it takes, but Bradley’s four-seamer has

68. Bryce Miller (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

Bryce came off the IL and was UNREAL. It was the best version we’d ever seen of him with 97 mph four-seamer, stellar locations, and fantastic usage of his secondaries. Then…it went away. The logical thought is the loose bodies in his elbow that he didn’t get surgery for began bothering him again not too long after returning and now we wait, hoping we get some clarity on Miller’s ability. Best case, Miller gets the surgery and is ready for opening day OR he doesn’t and is pumping 97 mph early and we benefit while it lasts. Worst case? Nothing changes and it’s the same 95 mph arm we just saw that gives us all so much pain. It hurts us as much as it hurts you, Miller!

 

Tier 12 – Toby Upside 1

It’s the Volume + ratio-focused tier, mixed with health-risk vets.

 

69. Sandy Alcantara (MIA) View Pitcher Stats

Hey Miami, can you please deal Sandy already? I truly believe there is more to unlock with his arsenal and as I mentioned with Eury, I worry there is an intangible that is negatively affecting his pitch results. 2026 was a season of massively hurting your team to soaring as a QS darling, then reverting to April for the final month. Fun! It paints the picture of an arm who has all the ability to dominate and be that rock, but when he’s hittable, he’s hittable. Strikeouts are still an issue, even with the volume, as his peak two-month stretch was a 21/22% strikeout rate and the full season returned a 17% clip. If he gets dealt, then I’m down to clown and shooting him back up into the Top 60. But with so many incredible arms out there, I’m not risking another season like this. I’m so sorry Sandy, I really am.

70. Noah Cameron (KCR) View Pitcher Stats

Cameron was dope after he elected to call his own pitches. And yet, he still throws low-90s with low fastball usage, relying on cutters, curves, changeups, and sweepers/sliders to get his outs. There’s a part of me that believes opponents didn’t update their book on him once he started calling his own pitches, and while he’ll still benefit from the personal selection, I question if it’s enough to favor him in your drafts.

71. Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

This is a tier filled with names ranked far higher in previous seasons and Eovaldi is a strange one. His 2026 seemed more like “Why isn’t this working?” instead of a natural decline of ability, but I couldn’t place him in Tier 10 with an IL history as filled as his. This tier vs. Tier 11 is all about “Do I chase for the vet to return to form or chase the upstart youngin to breakout?” Man, pitching really is deep this year, eh?

72. Joe Musgrove (SDP) View Pitcher Stats

Despite all the signs Musgrove’s return was around the corner for weeks, we still haven’t seen Musgrove pitch in the regular season since 2024. However, Musgrove returned for a postseason appearance and it was fantastic. We saw 93+ mph in previous seasons (excluding the 91 mph pre-injury), and Musgrove was hurling pearls at 95/96 mph. Yes, it was the playoffs, yes it was in relief, but still! We didn’t expect to see that. What we don’t like to see is just one whiff on 47 pitches thrown, even if his command (the last thing to come back, WE KNOW) was the culprit. In short, expect Musgrove to be starting out of the gate, but we don’t know what quality it will be just yet. If he’s sitting 93 mph, he’s a bit closer to a Toby than I’d want him to be.

73. Nick Pivetta (SDP) View Pitcher Stats

I’m still a bit surprised Pivetta was able to get such good results in his limited time back in the regular season and postseason. His four-seamer was good enough, while the sweeper was the only good whiff pitch and that was mostly a product of timing: More than half of Pivetta’s sweepers came in two-strike counts. If he’s the same guy next year, I don’t see it going nearly as well, though it’s certainly possible the long winter will help him recover and look like his 2025 self again. Or maybe he’s just injury prone and that’s how it’s going to be.

74. Shane McClanahan (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

Oh McShane. You never really had it this year, did you? The four-seamer velocity did climb at times to 96+, but the overall command of your arsenal was a battle, to say the least. We rarely saw a start of high heaters, low changeups, and deadly sliders + curves, and it cost him often inside outings. Throw in more time on the IL this season and it’s a package I’d only take late.

 

 

Tier 13 – HIPSTER 2

These are the yo-yos. The ones who you’ll send away in a fury only for them to come whizzing back to your heart shortly after.

 

75. Gage Jump (ATH) View Pitcher Stats

Look, his four-seamer and slider are great. The park and the team are not. Jump has Shag Rug tendencies as well that may not be vacuumed by 2027, and it’s a classic HIPSTER where he could go 10 strikeouts one game, then allow 12 ER across the next three. I just wish he didn’t pitch for the Athletics…

76. Dustin May (FA) View Pitcher Stats

This could be too high, though May was cruising for the Cardinals after his first few starts and his stuff is looking better than ever. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Cardinals went back to him and signed him to a three-year deal – he’s a perfect fit! – while I believe the St. Louis environment suits him far better than the spotlights of Los Angeles or Boston.

77. Framber Valdez (DET) View Pitcher Stats

His curve was dope for his debut start for the Tigers, and then he lost it for the rest of the year, save for a few moments of sunlight trickling in. Without that hook earning 60%+ strikes and high CSW marks, it’s just sinker city with questionable changeups and whatnot. 2026 was a season that took the month-long stretches of blegh we’ve seen every season and combined them into one mega-blegh. What I’m trying to express is that it’s reversible. Valdez still has the potential for his curveball to be a reliable offering – we saw it at times last year! – and it’s a matter of will he or won’t he.

78. Edward Cabrera (CHC) View Pitcher Stats

Cabrera gets himself hurt plenty, but if he’s fresh and good to go for the Cubs to kick off the year, he’s worth a shot. If the strikes are flowing, we’re going. That changeup is still great and velocity is velocity.

79. Joey Cantillo (CLE) View Pitcher Stats

He was a massive frustration for owners across the first two months, then the man bumped up his velocity 1-2 ticks while figuring out how to effectively throw his curveball more than any offering. However, his changeup eluded him more than usual in the process, creating a little more anxiety than he should. The Guardians may keep him as a follower for another season, which you may love for Wins, but I’ll always hate as a former college pitcher, and if Cantillo keeps the curveball focus and the added velo while finding whiffs on the changeup again, I’ll jump back in.

 

Tier 14 – The Unknown

It’s the injured guys. Their rankings will be changing before Opening Day as we get clarity on their 2027 status. I also call this the “cliff” where I don’t feel there is a pitcher I need to take a flier on, thus it’s better to get free value with your empty IL slot.

 

80. Kyle Bradish (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

I had Bradish in Tier 8 until I was reminded that he underwent surgery in September for a sports hernia. Yikes. He’s apparently going to be ready for spring, but who knows, and it’s not like Bradish is a lock for production when he returns. I mean, it would explain why he suddenly lost his feel to land breakers for strikes, but still, being so dependent on his slider and curve ultimately got him kicked off teams before the official injury. This rank, along with all the others in this tier, is sure to change when camp begins.

81. Pablo López (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

Pablo! My man! PabLó underwent the internal brace UCL surgery in late February 2026, making him in line to return around the spring. Just in time for me to get all hyped despite the many examples that show post-elbow surgery players are 50/50 when they return. I sure hope he’s good to go, and if he’s pitching, why not take the shot?

82. Max Meyer (MIA) View Pitcher Stats

Did you forget how good Meyer was before his season ended with injury? His “sweeper” was a legit two-plane breaker at 89 mph, a proper gyro slider at 90 mph, and a new four-seamer that added 2.5″ of vert to a previously detrimental heater (he raised his arm angle five degrees, which should add vert but not this much), and gained two inches of horizontal to his sinker (raising your arm angle should lessen run, not add!). A neck strain took him out for the year + lingering side pain and now we wait and see. The stuff was bonkers and his results could have been even better if he located his arsenal a touch better, and if he’s pitching in the spring with the same stuff, you bet I’m jumping on this. He’s going late and health is the only concern.

83. Spencer Strider (ATL) View Pitcher Stats

Before his spring oblique strain pushed his season debut back to May, I gave little love to Strider’s 2026 outlook. I had given up all hope that his four-seamer and slider would return to the same levels we saw pre-injury, given no one had done so in the past. What we got was just that, with a flirtation with 96/97 mph against the Dodgers in early May (paired with declining velocity during the start, but I digress), yet he was generally productive…until the end of May and early June, when he hit the IL with elbow inflammation and missed the rest of the year. We haven’t heard much since, save for a quote that Strider shouldn’t be a lock to be in the rotation when camp breaks. Yikes. But hey, it’s an IL stash! It’s free! Just have the discipline to drop if you need the space.

84. Justin Steele (CHC) View Pitcher Stats

I was hoping Steele would be back around the All-Star Break and he had a setback in April with pain in the same forearm (yikes), but was able to make four starts in the minors in September. While the results were solid, I was hoping to see something close to his 2023 stuff and…it wasn’t. It’s not a death sentence for a pitcher in their rehab starts (especially ones in September, knowing they won’t return to the majors this year) to be three ticks down on the slider and one on the heater, but it’s important we don’t expect Steele to be on top of his game when he returns. He’s a risk.

85. Shane Bieber (FA) View Pitcher Stats

The fella has been on the IL with right teres inflammation and now heads to Free Agency. I have no idea how healthy he is and where he ends up, but I’ll say this. If Bieber finds a way to be healthy again, I think it’s still in there. We saw some sublime command from him in 2025 when he was cooking before it fell apart, and while I’m not banking on innings at all, I’m going to value the ability to pick Bieber in a free roster spot in the chance he’s looking normal when he makes his 2027 debut.

86. Brandon Woodruff (FA) View Pitcher Stats

Are we going to see more of Woodruff? I’m thrilled he was able to make an appearance in the World Series and we all know that he can still be effective even when his velocity is falling south of 90 mph. Just don’t expect any sort of volume here.

87. Corbin Burnes (ARI) View Pitcher Stats

This feels too low. It does, right? And yet, I’m terrified that we won’t see Burnes pitch this season. The fella did not look good when he came back, which may be a case of needing more time to ramp up as he was placed on the IL with shoulder inflammation. I want to emphasize how bad Burnes looked, though. For all of you who have been playing since the before times, Burnes didn’t break out until 2020. His 2019 season featured a four-seamer that was blasted for HRs constantly and it wasn’t until he leaned into the pitch’s cut-action (to the point it became a cutter) that he was able to soar. The “cutter” we saw in September was slower than the cut-fastball four-seamer, but it had the same movement, and it was walloped just like the old days. I’m concerned that whatever number of innings we get from Burnes this season will hurt more than help.

 

Tier 15 – Toby Upside 2

Pitchers like these are why we don’t draft Tobys. This is a collection of arms who could be early season pickups and never leave your team.

 

88. Jake Bennett (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

Hot dang Bennett was good when he arrived. The fella’s seven-foot extension amplified his SWATCH approach, which he leaned into beautifully with consistently high four-seamers and low changeups. That sparkle diminished a month later, sadly, possibly due to fatigue of a long season, or maybe the standard affair of a young arm trying to find his way in the majors. I’m generally more in favor of pitchers in their second or third seasons than their first, and the Red Sox are sure to give him runway to develop into an innings-eater this year. The only question is its quality. This could be a 4.00 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 19% strikeout arm, or it could be a step up everywhere into Holly territory.

89. Quinn Mathews (STL) View Pitcher Stats

I was skeptical that Quinn could be productive when he got his call-up after his Triple-A brilliance was boosted by sliders taking down LHB + a changeup that needed to attend office hours. However, Mathews flashed brilliant command of that slowball in his early outings and the SWATCH life is there if he can find its consistency. Throw in the great situation in St. Louis and you have yourself a sneaky volume arm. They will let him fly.

90. Cody Ponce (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

I was pumped for Ponce’s 2026 season. I’m sure he was too, maybe a little too much that he tore his ACL in his season debut. Given that he was in consideration to return as a reliever down the stretch for the Jays, it’s easy to be optimistic he’ll be a part of the Jays’ rotation out of camp. But what are we going to get? It’s not like he was a lock for production last year, even if he was on our list as late-round fliers. If we get 95+ mph with 17/18″ vert landing upstairs, an 87+ mph slider down-and-away + a changeup and curve for good measure (where the cutter at? Is there one?), Ponce may be an easy hold all year. I’d take the shot.

91. Emerson Hancock (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

What are you going to be? I really have no idea. Hancock’s arm angle was lifted at the beginning of the season, turning him into a massive four-seamer pitcher who suffocated the Guardians on Sunday Night Baseball with just heaters and – despite facing a nearly exclusive LHB lineup – sweepers. With every start, his 15″ vert fell, tumbling all the way down to 7″ as his arm angle fell with it. Hancock can be a decent sinker/slider arm with a surprise four-seamer, and his home park is sure to help, but the haze around his approach and overall meh ability has me looking elsewhere.

92. Will Warren (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

I’m not sure how the Yankee rotation will shape up entering the season (I wonder if there’s a trade incoming), but I can’t imagine Warren not starting somewhere. His mercurial feel for his sweeper and changeup has me hesitant to draft him – I’m not sure what I’m going to get from him on a given night – but the end of the season should come with Wins given the offense behind him and generally high volume, while there will always be potential for at least a strikeout per inning.

93. Foster Griffin (FA) View Pitcher Stats

I wonder where he’ll land. Griffin proved that you can succeed as a crafty lefty, even if your best secondary isn’t a changeup. I’m not ruling out that he could be a productive arm again – in fact, putting him inside the Top 100 is outlining that we shouldn’t ignore Griffin in 2027. There’s still strikeout ability in here and I can see myself grabbing him if he’s going opening weekend for a good ballclub without a terrible matchup.

94. Tyler Mahle (FA) View Pitcher Stats

I thought of Mahle as a sneaky play this time last year and after some initial hiccups, he found his groove during the summer. Now looking for work once again, I’m down to give him a try as an early streamer given the right circumstances. His ability to separate his four-seamer, splitter, and slider is worth studying.

95. Michael Soroka (FA) View Pitcher Stats

Unlike Griffin and Mahle, I have less faith that Soroka will produce for trusting managers right away. He lost his feel for splitting the zone with heaters and curveballs in the second half and I’m curious if he can make the cutter work. That said, if all looks sharp early on, he’s one of those arms who can fly under the radar and help many teams with a whisper.

96. Peter Lambert (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

If these last four arms have one thing in common, it’s quiet production fueled by command. Lambert’s plots against LHB are masterful at times, keeping him changeup down with four-seamers upstairs, and if not for a 9 ER game and some turmoil late in the year that can be hand-waved by throwing nearly 60 frames more than any season in his career, the 29-year-old would be more of a hot topic in the off-season. If the season plays out without a hitch, Lambert would get the Angels or Red Sox in Houston to start the year, which makes for a decent opening game you may be able to ride out for a while.

 

Tier 16 – PEAS In A Pod

Be careful drafting these arms. They have massive PEAS potential, and you could be on the hook too long, missing out on better arms and hurting your ratios in the process.

 

97. Brandon Sproat (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

I WON’T QUIT YOU. Well, this ranking is actually saying I am, since I’d be drafting many others instead, but don’t forget about Sproat. Was it a good time in the Brewers rotation? In small bursts, yes, but overall, nah. His stuff is there, though, with mid-to-upper 90s four-seamers, a variety of breakers, a cutter, changeup, etc. and he’s a standard PEAS where we’re just hoping he can put it all together. There’s ample opportunity for him to get the volume if he proves the ability, and I’ll be monitoring his progress heavily in 2027, even if it starts in Triple-A. So should you.

98. Anthony Molina (SFG) View Pitcher Stats

WHO.GIF?! After the Giants dealt away Robbie and Mahle, there was a tussle for the open rotation spots and Molina, the very arm the Giants trade Mahle for, snagged one in the final weeks. We saw a display of deft four-seamer command at 96 mph and 17″ vert, and a trio of solid secondaries – 88 mph slider, 83 mph curve, and 87 mph changeup – all used appropriately. I’m curious how he develops in this San Francisco rotation (assuming he gets a spot) and with a great home park, he could be a sneaky play.

99. Roki Sasaki (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

We saw him touch a little extra velocity last year, while he also had some starts locating sliders and heaters better. However, it’s still not there and I’d rather chase someone else with so many options out there. If he lights it up early with a new addition or two + a different approach he can execute, then he’ll have my attention.

100. José Soriano (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

That was a magical April. It really was. Unfortunately, after his first six dazzling outings, Soriano relapsed to his former self, with a 4.90 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 21% strikeout rate with a 10% walk rate in 139.2 IP post-April 22nd. What made him great early on? Why, being able to suddenly throw his four-seamer for strikes on top of his sinker and curveball. It was the rare moment when all three pitches could be thrown in the zone and with his high velocity + great breaker + some lovely Koufax love, Soriano was able to surrender just one run in six outings. One! It’s absolutely possible the Jays tinker with him this offseason and he’s able to figure out how to consistently pound the zone, but I’m not optimistic that this routinely 10% walk rate arm with a history of inconsistent strike rates across his arsenal is going to blossom right now.

 

Here’s the table of the Top 100 SP For 2027.

Pitchers 101-200 are outlined after the table.

 

Rank	Pitcher	Team	Badges	Change
1	Tarik SkubalT1		Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	+1
2	Cam Schlittler	NYY	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	+2
3	Jacob Misiorowski	MIL	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	-2
4	Yoshinobu Yamamoto	LAD	Aces Gonna Ace Wins Bonus	+1
5	Chris Sale T2	ATL	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	-2
6	Payton Tolle	BOS	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	+10
7	Zack Wheeler	PHI	Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused	+17
8	Gavin Williams	CLE	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	+6
9	Cristopher Sánchez	PHI	Aces Gonna Ace Quality Starts	+14
10	Logan Gilbert	SEA	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	-2
11	Chase Burns	CIN	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside	-4
12	Drew Rasmussen T3	TB	Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused Injury Risk	-6
13	Bryan Woo	SEA	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Ratio Focused Injury Risk	+14
14	Garrett Crochet	BOS	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+UR
15	Jacob deGrom	TEX	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	-3
16	Jesús Luzardo	PHI	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	-3
17	Shohei Ohtani	LAD	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+UR
18	Logan Henderson	MIL	Aces Gonna Ace Ratio Focused Injury Risk Playing Time Question	-3
19	Paul Skenes T4	PIT	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+6
20	Griffin Jax	TB	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	+41
21	Max Fried	NYY	Ace Potential Wins Bonus	+UR
22	Nolan McLean	NYM	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside	-1
23	Gerrit Cole	NYY	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	-12
24	Dylan Cease	TOR	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside	-14
25	Carlos Rodón	NYY	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+9
26	Tyler Glasnow	LAD	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk Playing Time Question	-7
27	Blake Snell	LAD	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Injury Risk Playing Time Question	-18
28	Jared Jones T5	PIT	Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside	+18
29	Braxton Ashcraft	PIT	Holly Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused	+2
30	Cade Cavalli	WSH	Ace Potential Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside	-13
31	Eury Pérez	MIA	Ace Potential Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside	-9
32	Logan Webb T6	SF	Holly Quality Starts	+3
33	Joe Ryan	MIN	Holly Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+UR
34	Parker Messick	CLE	Holly Quality Starts	-16
35	Shota Imanaga		Holly Quality Starts	+7
36	Sonny Gray		Holly Quality Starts	-3
37	Hunter Brown	HOU	Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk	+15
38	Walbert Ureña	LAA	Holly Quality Starts	+2
39	Michael King		Holly Quality Starts	+24
40	Trevor Rogers		Holly Quality Starts	-8
41	Reid Detmers T7	LAA	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	-13
42	Jackson Jobe	DET	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Rotation Spot Bonus Playing Time Question	+20
43	River Ryan	DET	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+UR
44	Emmet Sheehan	LAD	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	+UR
45	Andrew Painter	PHI	Frizzle Quality Starts Team Context Effect	-2
46	Sean Burke T8	CHW	Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside	-17
47	George Kirby	SEA	Cherry Bomb Quality Starts	+18
48	Kaima Taira		Cherry Bomb Strikeout Upside	+UR
49	Hiromi Itoh		Cherry Bomb Ratio Focused	+UR
50	Bubba Chandler T9	PIT	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	+31
51	Troy Melton	DET	Frizzle Ratio Focused Playing Time Question	-25
52	Christian Scott	NYM	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	+7
53	Ryan Pepiot	TB	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	+UR
54	Kyle Harrison	MIL	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk Playing Time Question	-34
55	Ryne Nelson	ARI	Frizzle Ratio Focused Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
56	Robbie Ray T10		Hipster Quality Starts Ratio Focused	-9
57	Kevin Gausman		Hipster Quality Starts	-21
58	Freddy Peralta		Hipster Strikeout Upside	+UR
59	Ranger Suarez	BOS	Hipster Quality Starts	-6
60	Nick Lodolo	CIN	Hipster Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+18
61	Didier Fuentes T11	ATL	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	+UR
62	Ian Seymour	TB	Frizzle Ratio Focused Playing Time Question	-21
63	Kade Anderson	SEA	Frizzle Rotation Spot Bonus Playing Time Question	-19
64	Ryan Weathers	NYY	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+UR
65	Connelly Early	WSH	Frizzle Quality Starts Injury Risk	+UR
66	Connor Prielipp	MIN	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+11
67	Taj Bradley	MIN	Frizzle Strikeout Upside	+9
68	Bryce Miller	SEA	Frizzle Strikeout Upside Injury Risk	+12
69	Sandy Alcantara T12	MIA	Holly Quality Starts Team Context Effect	-39
70	Noah Cameron	KC	Holly Ratio Focused	-20
71	Nathan Eovaldi	TEX	Holly Quality Starts Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
72	Joe Musgrove	SD	Holly Ratio Focused Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
73	Nick Pivetta		Holly Team Context Effect Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
74	Shane McClanahan	TB	Holly Wins Bonus Injury Risk Playing Time Question	-26
75	Gage Jump T13	ATH	Hipster Strikeout Upside Team Context Effect	+UR
76	Dustin May		Hipster Quality Starts Playing Time Question	-37
77	Framber Valdez	DET	Hipster Quality Starts	+5
78	Edward Cabrera	CHC	Hipster Quality Starts Team Context Effect Injury Risk	+UR
79	Joey Cantillo	CLE	Hipster Strikeout Upside	-25
80	Kyle Bradish T14	BAL	Stash Option Injury Risk	-29
81	Pablo López	MIN	Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
82	Max Meyer	MIA	Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
83	Spencer Strider	ATL	Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
84	Justin Steele	CHC	Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
85	Shane Bieber		Stash Option Injury Risk	-29
86	Brandon Woodruff		Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
87	Corbin Burnes	ARI	Stash Option Injury Risk	+UR
88	Jake Bennett T15	BOS	Toby Wins Bonus	+4
89	Quinn Mathews	STL	Toby Quality Starts Team Context Effect	-4
90	Cody Ponce	TOR	Toby Rotation Spot Bonus Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
91	Emerson Hancock	SEA	Toby Quality Starts	-42
92	Will Warren	NYY	Toby Wins Bonus	-22
93	Foster Griffin		Toby Quality Starts	-26
94	Tyler Mahle		Toby Quality Starts	-37
95	Michael Soroka		Toby Quality Starts Injury Risk Playing Time Question	+UR
96	Peter Lambert	HOU	Toby Quality Starts	-51
97	Brandon Sproat T16	MIL	Hipster Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	+UR
98	Anthony Molina	SF	Hipster Team Context Effect Playing Time Question	+UR
99	Roki Sasaki	LAD	Hipster Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	-25
100	José Soriano	TOR	Hipster Strikeout Upside Rotation Spot Bonus	-25

 

And now for the other 100 starting pitchers I considered that should be noted for 2027. I really wanted to write blurbs for all of these pitchers and elected to do so only to complete the tier. I’ll be streaming on Twitch twice a day starting November 11th as I break down every team’s rotation entering 2027, and pop-in at any time to ask for more detail on any pitcher. You can also reach out inside our Subscriber Discord where I and many others love chatting about everything and anyone.

 

Tier 16 – PEAS In A Pod

Be careful drafting these arms. They have massive PEAS potential, and you could be on the hook too long, missing out on better arms and hurting your ratios in the process. Continued

 

101. Trey Yesavage (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

The dude doesn’t know where it’s going. Most of the time. We saw some brilliance from Yesavage during the Jays’ 2025 playoff run, but the 2026 season came with all kinds of chaos that I have difficulty telling you exactly what will happen. And that’s a HIPSTER – I just don’t want to deal with it. This is all assuming his shoulder impingement that took a chunk out of his 2026 season is a thing of the past, too.

102. MacKenzie Gore (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

I was really excited for Gore as a Ranger before the season started and it went…not great. I’m not seeing the southpaw take that next step with his command and I find it difficult to believe this will be the season it comes together. The fastball should work well upstairs, the curve, slider, and changeup have their moments, cutters sometimes appear, and…I don’t know what’s next. How about we stop hoping for this to work and try something else?

103. Jack Leiter (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

One day, right? Leiter is the king of the PEAS at the moment and, like Gore, I wonder if he needs a change of scenery. He still sports a stellar heater with lively breakers. He’s embraced the idea of mixing sinkers effectively. There’s a changeup that can do work. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with 30 pieces, but they all look identical. At some point you just brute force your way through that, right?

104. Cristian Javier (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

As much as I want to believe in Javier and his new cutter, I also have to recognize that he has not looked anywhere close to the 2022 version in the seasons that followed. That’s to say, even if Javier’s cutter is helping and he can find enough strikes, I’m not sure it returns a pitcher who is demonstrably great for your fantasy teams.

 

Tier 17 – Toby 15-Team

If you’re in a 15-teamer, these pitchers sit above the injury cliff and above at least the previous tier. Why? Because they will get routine volume moreso than the PEAS above with a decent chance of not destroying your teams. Easy to find in 12-teamers, not so much in 15-teamers.

 

105. Michael Wacha (KCR) View Pitcher Stats

106. Zac Thornton (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

107. Matthew Boyd (FA) View Pitcher Stats

108. Nick Martinez (FA) View Pitcher Stats

109. Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) View Pitcher Stats

110. Landen Roupp (SFG) View Pitcher Stats

111. Brayan Bello (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

112. Aaron Nola (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

113. Eduardo Rodríguez (ARI) View Pitcher Stats

114. Shane Baz (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

115. Clay Holmes (FA) View Pitcher Stats

116. Anthony Kay (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

117. Hayden Wesneski (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

118. Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

 

Tier 18 – Spring Focus 1

A ton of younger arms who may not have rotation spots but hot dang they could look great in the spring and rise up the rankings.

 

119. Ryan Sloan (SEA) View Pitcher Stats

120. Brody Hopkins (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

121. Carlos Lagrange (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

122. Hagen Smith (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

123. Grant Taylor (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

124. Mick Abel (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

125. Robert Gasser (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

126. Justin Wrobleski (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

127. Shane Drohan (MIL) View Pitcher Stats

128. George Klassen (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

129. Kyle Leahy (STL) View Pitcher Stats

130. DJ Herz (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

131. Jonah Tong (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

132. Noah Schultz (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

133. Jackson Kent (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

134. Andrew Alvarez (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

135. Zebby Matthews (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

136. Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

137. Ben Brown (CHC) View Pitcher Stats

138. Tatsuya Imai (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

139. Kris Bubic (FA) View Pitcher Stats

140. Reese Olson (DET) View Pitcher Stats

 

Tier 19 – Toby 15-Team Again

These are the Toby arms for 15-teamers who live past the upside-stash tiers. I have zero interest chasing their upside in 12-teamers.

 

141. Dean Kremer (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

142. Michael McGreevy (STL) View Pitcher Stats

143. Sean Manaea (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

144. Kodai Senga (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

145. Keider Montero (DET) View Pitcher Stats

146. Casey Mize (FA) View Pitcher Stats

147. Andrew Abbott (CIN) View Pitcher Stats

148. Merrill Kelly (ARI) View Pitcher Stats

149. Brandon Young (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

150. Tanner Bibee (CLE) View Pitcher Stats

151. Cal Quantrill (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

152. David Peterson (FA) View Pitcher Stats

153. Chris Bassitt (FA) View Pitcher Stats

154. Zach Eflin (FA) View Pitcher Stats

 

Tier 20 – Spec Add 2026 Prospect

Prospects! I have yet to do major deep dives on these arms and I’m not even sure these are the best 2027 stashes for the season ahead. Expect this section to change by February + if you want Prospect analysis, you really need to join our discord. Matt Heckman and the Dynasty crew are constantly chatting and are great at what they do.

 

155. Gage Wood (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

156. Moisés Chace (PHI) View Pitcher Stats

157. Jurrangelo Cijntje (STL) View Pitcher Stats

158. Liam Doyle (STL) View Pitcher Stats

159. Ricky Tiedemann (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

160. Jake Bloss (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

161. Luis Perales (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

162. Jarlin Susana (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

163. Anthony Eyanson (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

164. Jonathan Santucci (NYM) View Pitcher Stats

165. Kendry Rojas (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

166. Tanner McDougal (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

167. Ty Johnson (TBR) View Pitcher Stats

168. Riley Cornelio (WSH) View Pitcher Stats

169. Caden Hunter (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

170. Tyler Bremner (LAA) View Pitcher Stats

171. Nolan Perry (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

172. Daniel Guerra (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

173. Bryce Mayer (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

174. Khristian Curtis (PIT) View Pitcher Stats

175. Joseph Dzierwa (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

176. Riley Quick (MIN) View Pitcher Stats

177. Karson Milbrandt (MIA) View Pitcher Stats

178. Michael Forret (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

179. Luis De León (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

180. Winston Santos (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

181. John Holobetz (BOS) View Pitcher Stats

182. Gage Stanifer (TOR) View Pitcher Stats

 

Tier 21 – Injury Stash 2

These pitchers are hurt and I have zero understanding of when they’ll return, if they even do in 2027.

 

183. Yu Darvish (SDP) View Pitcher Stats

184. Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) View Pitcher Stats

185. Clarke Schmidt (NYY) View Pitcher Stats

186. Cole Ragans (KCR) View Pitcher Stats

187. Cade Horton (CHC) View Pitcher Stats

 

Tier 22 – Potential Pickups If Things Go Right

Their value isn’t as clear as the tiers above, but I also recognize that they could become arms we pickup in the season, or maybe beforehand if they grab a rotation spot in the spring and have made the changes we’ve been waiting for.

 

188. Gavin Stone (LAD) View Pitcher Stats

189. Matthew Liberatore (STL) View Pitcher Stats

190. Janson Junk (MIA) View Pitcher Stats

191. Jack Flaherty (FA) View Pitcher Stats

192. Mike Burrows (HOU) View Pitcher Stats

193. David Sandlin (CHW) View Pitcher Stats

194. Jack Perkins (ATH) View Pitcher Stats

195. Jacob Lopez (ATH) View Pitcher Stats

196. Braxton Garrett (CHC) View Pitcher Stats

197. Cody Bradford (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

198. Kumar Rocker (TEX) View Pitcher Stats

199. Zac Gallen (FA) View Pitcher Stats

200. Trey Gibson (BAL) View Pitcher Stats

 

And finally, here’s a table of all players after #100 in one convenient place because you’ve already read the notes. Thanks for that.

 

Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)