Crawling across the desert, scraping my bloody knees across the heat, desperately thirsting for water for the first time in days, I saw a beaming light in the distance from far across the sand. As I made my way towards it, I was certain I would not make it – and even if I did, it was likely to be a mirage. But as I reached the pinnacle of this beaming light, I discovered my eyes had not deceived me. A mirage it was not. Rather, the real thing in all its glory. Here to save me, in the midst of an endless desert of doom, from an upcoming season of fantasy baseball mediocrity. Yes, you guessed it. The beaming light that saved me was Grey’s 2026 starting pitching rankings.
If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably discovered this secret long ago, but Grey’s annual starting pitching rankings are the closest thing to a cheat code in this industry. For years, I struggled to find value when drafting starting pitching until I started utilizing Razzball as my go-to source. This has allowed me to select starters such as Charlie Morton, Miles Mikolas, and Brandon Woodruff, among others, in the very last round of drafts while returning top-40 starting pitching value that same season. Grey will tell you every year, you don’t need to reach for starting pitching to assemble the best staff in your league. You are much better off targeting elite hitters in the first several rounds while snagging these not-so-hidden gems in the middle rounds.
All five starting pitchers I’ll list today have an average draft position (ADP) beyond the top-75 players, while the final four hurlers can all be found outside of the top 125. That means you do not need to waste a high draft pick on these names, but can still build a staff that will return the same relative SP1-SP2-SP3-SP4-SP5 production at each slot in your rotation.
The glorious Grey has already urged you to draft these players by ranking them where he has, but here are five starters I’m personally trying to roster in every league this year, regardless of format:
- Kyle Bradish, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Bradish has been limited to fewer than 40 innings pitched in each of the last two seasons, but has nonetheless produced elite numbers in that span: 2.65 ERA, 150 ERA+, 12.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 0.6 HR/9. Prior to that, he chucked 168 2/3 frames in 2023 while producing 4.8 WAR, 2.83 ERA, 144 ERA+, 9.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, and 0.7 HR/9. Having should the ability hold up over a full season in the past, Bradish’s stuff has taken a jump, with availability being the only thing keeping him from returning top-10 output at the position. Despite not qualifying, he was among the best in baseball with a 34.8 whiff %. Bradish has a current ECR of 70 and ADP of 78, including an ECR as the No. 21 starting pitcher. With Bradish coming in at No. 11 in Grey’s rankings, look for him to be one of the first steals of your draft, albeit one of the pricier ones.
- Nick Lodolo, SP, Cincinnati Reds
After taking a major step forward last season, is there another gear for Lodolo? In his fourth MLB season in 2025, he worked to a 3.33 ERA, 137 ERA+ 9.0 K/9, and 1.8 BB/9 in 156 2/3 innings after finishing with a 4.76 ERA in 2024 and 6.29 ERA in 2023. Yearly improvement has been the name of his game, but will it plateau in 2026? Last year, the control took a truly elite step forward (95th percentile BB%), and while the strikeout rate was solid, it wasn’t near the 11.4 and 12.3 he delivered in 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, Lodolo made hitters chase at a 32.8% rate (91st percentile), and if the strikeouts can revert to the mean even a little bit, Grey will be right, and he’ll be a league-winning starter. Although he has an ECR of SP37, he’s all the way up at SP28 in Grey’s rankings. For a price of 126 ECR and 137 ADP, this is the type of arm you want to target in drafts.
- Cam Schlittler, SP, New York Yankees
Admittedly, Schlittler may go higher in home leagues due to his level of name recognition and the pedigree that comes from pitching in the Bronx. But if he goes anywhere near his 127 ADP, pounce. There’s not quite as much of a gap with Schlittler at Razzball (SP31) compared to ECR (SP35), but there’s still value there at the right spot in the draft for a second-year arm coming off a 2.96 ERA, 138 ERA+, 10.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9, and 1.0 HR/9 as a rookie. What’s not to like? Sure, cutting down the walks even 2-3% could help unlock another tier of performance, but the stuff is elite, as evidenced by a 95th percentile fastball velo and 82nd percentile strikeout rate. The main focus will be on whether Schlittler can Schlittler repeat his production and/or take a step forward while relying so heavily on his heater? To quote the fabulous Grey, “His 98 MPH fastball induced a .174 BAA and he threw it 56% of the time.” The answer to my previous question will determine just how much fantasy value Schlittler returns this season, but I want him on my team.
- Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
I’m not sure if I even need to write anything for Gallen, because I know just how savvy all of you Razzball faithful are. But let’s be real for a second. Even at Razzball, the rankings are realistic. Grey has Gallen at SP54, compared to an ECR of SP62. That translates to an overall ADP of 223rd overall, which is significantly lower than his ADP of 193. Yes, we know 2025 did not see the same dominant Gallen: 4.83 ERA, 8.2 K/9, and 3.1 BB/9. But this is a guy who is returning to pitch where he is comfortable on a one-year pillow deal, and has historically had tremendous control and command of his pitches on the mound. For a guy who is a three-time, top-10 finisher in CY Young voting, finishing as highly as third in 2023, isn’t a draft pick in the late 100s worth it for a potential No. 4 fantasy starter? What else do you need to know? Why am I still talking (typing) to you?
- Brandon Sproat, SP, Milwaukee Brewers
Two words: Milwaukee Brewers. When news broke that Freddy Peralta had been traded to the New York Mets, the first thing I checked to see was if there were any noteworthy arms headed back to Milwaukee in the return. First, I saw Jett Williams. Great get, but boo. Then, I saw Sproat. I cried for joy so loudly my mother called down into the basement from upstairs to ask if I had another nightmare. Sproat is a top-100 prospect with tantalizing stuff: an elite fastball that tickles triple digits and a pair of secondary offerings plus enough to work through a big-league order a third time. Look for Sproat to be the next big power arm out of the Brewers pitching factory, and don’t be surprised if he wins a rotation spot out of spring training and is a top-40 starting pitcher this season. And in redraft leagues, you may even be able to take him with your very last pick: 508 ECR and 528 ADP. There’s even baseline value, as Sproat comes in as No. 117 in Grey’s SP rankings and No. 144 in ECR. Happy drafting, Razz homies!
That’s all for this week, Razzball fam! I highly encourage you to target all five of these starting pitchers in 2026 and if you strongly agree or disagree, find me in the comments!
Hello Hobbs. Thanks for list. It adds to my enthusiasm for Schlittler this draft season.
Any thoughts on Max Meyer for this upcoming season? In the past you were positive on his chances of becoming an ace. Then the injury bug bit. Thanks
Thanks, dawg! Schlittler is the one that I fear may go higher in some home leagues (including my own) simply because I think he is one a higher percentage of the average fantasy manager’s radar. But if he’s close to SP 30-35 I’m in.
As for Meyer, I’ve long been a supporter as my good friend The Itch knows (as well as yourself). I wrote about Meyer in my first ever Razzball post back in 2020. The injuries have really derailed things for him ever since Summer 2022. Truthfully, I am not going to have many shares this season, albeit for 1-2 in dynasty formats in the form of leftovers. I think there’s still hope for Meyer, who had a 9.5 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in limited action last year, but he’s right next to guys like Andrew Painter in terms of ECR. Who would you be more excited about right now? I think our general feelings tell us all we need to know, and I’ll eat my foot on Max Meyer should he not develop into the player I once thought he would (oh, such is baseball…).
I appreciate the work Hobbs. As a Gallen owner last year, I’m struggling to jump on board with any enthusiasm or expectation, but I can see a late round or post draft flier.
Thanks, RatManfred. I truthfully haven’t had any Gallen shares since 2022, but I will say this. Arizona circled back to him with a near-identical QO after his market didn’t develop to his camp’s expectations. They know more about his medicals than anyone. That gives me some optimism that at least relative health will be their for him to return value based on his draft position.