Happy Monday, Razzball faithful!
We’ve arrived at the last quarter of our Top 100 Starting Pitchers list!
Over the past month, I’ve gone through the Top 25 here, the 26th through 50th starters here, and the last pocket of SP 51 through 75 here from last week.
Now we’re headed into that final section of The Top 100 Starting Pitchers – SP 76-100. This is where we’ll find those names that may have been forgotten on draft day, or at least passed over at the top of your queue more than once.
Take our title players for example. Casey Mize, Brandon Pfaadt, and Jose Butto aren’t exactly guys you were clamoring for on draft day. (For the record, I resisted the urge to include Javier Assad in that title, just to preserve our PG-13 rating).
The full list is ever-evolving, with injuries, performance, and role changes being the three most influential factors that fuel the Marmo-movement. With that being said, our final group of Top 100 Starting Pitchers is the one that will fluctuate the most throughout the season.
Why does this final grouping change so much, though? Well, I think it’s easy to say that the top 50 starters from draft day will, (or at least should), be populated with the same batch of names each week. Sure, there will be jostling for position and some throwing of elbows to see who can make the biggest jumps. But, for the most part, a lot of that list should house those … uh … household names that were drafted as your top 1-3 SPs.
The bottom half of our list is where it gets greasy.
SP 76-100 is full of those gyats!
No…Not that kind of greasy…I mean, slippery…like sliding off of the list…not…nevermind.
I have mentioned this in the comments for a few weeks now. This is where we find those #4 or #5 starting pitchers. It also has the injured arms that we’re hoping can rehab to give us meaningful innings at some point this summer.
We can spot those younger arms with higher upside that we should be stashing for an in-season call-up, or that keeper league gold that you’re panning for in the waiver wire waters.
The ultimate questions I ask myself when making these moves through the Top 100 Starting Pitchers rankings are based on a fair bit of common sense. Any list like this is bound to get some, “How can you have Player X Ranked ahead of Player Y?”, but hopefully this explains a bit of the method behind the Mar-Madness…
- Has this player performed poorly enough, (or is injured badly enough), to be knocked off the list for a better, or healthier, alternative?
- Similar to above, has this player performed well enough that we can justify putting him on the list in place of someone who has already been there?
- Does this player have just average “stuff” or results so far this year, but is on a team that can provide a good shot at accumulating Wins? (Innings and Bullpen strength can play into this decision as well).
Common sense 101. Yep. But, I think it’s worth mentioning that this is part of the process. Not to mention the cross-referencing of the Player Rater leaderboard. This is always a great resource to use, if you’re doing your own research, especially now that we’re headed into Week 4 of data collection.
But before we get to the list this week, I need to link y’all to The Streamonator to help you answer those burning questions that we might not be readily available to help you with 24/7. The Streamonator should be your go-to reference for the entire season. It’s going to save you all a lot of time researching on your own, and save you from making those tough “Should I start…?” decisions. Check the link, yo.
The Top Starting Pitchers for 2024
RANK
(LAST WEEK) |
NAME | TEAM | BUY? NOTES? ANYTHING!? |
---|
1 | Corbin Burnes | Orioles | King of the hill. |
2 | Zack Wheeler | Phillies | The W-L record isn’t as pretty as Burnes’, but the other numbers are. |
3 | Freddy Peralta | Brewers | Still chugging along. Ratios are elite. |
4 (5) | Grayson Rodriguez | Orioles | Probably too aggressive here, but he’s been great. |
5 (6) | Kevin Gausman | Blue Jays | 5 IP, 101 pitches. Bullpen blew his W. |
6 (4) | Tyler Glasnow | Dodgers | Roughed up in his last outing. |
7 | Luis Castillo | Mariners | Strikeouts are there. 36:5 K:BB. |
8 (9) | Pablo Lopez | Twins | Nice correction after two tough starts. |
9 (10) | Logan Gilbert | Mariners | Finally his first W. Great ratios. |
10 (8) | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Dodgers | Back-to-back outings with 3 ER. |
11 (14) | George Kirby | Mariners | A nice bounceback from 2 rough starts. |
12 | Tarik Skubal | Tigers | Still over a K per IP. |
13 (19) | Zach Eflin | Rays | Cool Whip will be happy with this one. Back-to-back starts 0 ER. |
14 (13) | Zac Gallen | Diamondbacks | Bit of a hiccup last time out (5 ER). |
15 | Aaron Nola | Phillies | |
16 (17) | Logan Webb | Giants | More strikeouts would be nice. 7 IP in each of his last 3 starts. |
17 (18) | Max Fried | Braves | Not Fried yet! |
18 (16) | Blake Snell | Giants | Starting slow. Didn’t throw spring training. |
19 (22) | Joe Ryan | Twins | Quietly breaking out? |
20 (26) | Shoto Imanaga | Cubs | 3-0. Pristine ratios. |
21 (29) | Bryce Miller | Mariners | 3-1. So far so good. |
22 (11) | Framber Valdez | Astros | 15-day IL. May not need a rehab assignment. |
23 | Cole Ragans | Royals | I had him moved up. Then he ‘royally imploded’ in his last start. |
24 (20) | Jesus Luzardo | Marlins | Meh so far. |
25 | Dylan Cease | Padres | 5BB last start. ERA and WHIP still great. |
26 (24) | Chris Sale | Braves | |
27 | Chris Bassitt | Blue Jays | |
28 | Joe Musgrove | Padres | Mehhhh. |
29 (31) | Reid Detmers | Angels | See: Ryan, Joe above. |
30 (44) | Bailey Ober | Twins | That first start looks like the outlier now. |
31 (21) | Bobby Miller | Dodgers | 15-day IL. Could start throwing this week. |
32 | Justin Verlander | Astros | Good first start. |
33 (34) | Jordan Montgomery | Diamondbacks | Samesies. |
34 (38) | Jose Berrios | Blue Jays | 4-0. His ratios are great. |
35 (37) | Merrill Kelly | Diamondbacks | |
36 (30) | Garrett Crochet | White Sox | Still love the upside, but got torched last start. |
37 (33) | Mitch Keller | Pirates | |
38 (59) | Tanner Houck | Red Sox | CG 3 hitter. Breakout in Beantown. |
39 (42) | Yusei Kikuchi | Blue Jays | Back-to-back 6 IP with 9Ks. |
40 (35) | Tanner Bibee | Guardians | |
41 (36) | Justin Steele | Cubs | Throwing live BP. |
42 (89) | Ranger Suarez | Phillies | Speaking of CGs. 2nd SP on Player Rater. |
43 (43) | Sonny Gray | Cardinals | Two starts. 0 ER. |
44 (49) | Brayan Bello | Red Sox | Another sneaky BoSox SP. |
45 (39) | Hunter Greene | Reds | Still gives you the Ks(?) |
46 (40) | Hunter Brown | Astros | A good bounceback start. |
48 (41) | Walker Buehler | Dodgers | Rehab hasn’t been smooth. |
48 (47) | Nestor Cortes | Yankees | Nasty Nestor 7IP 0ER last start. |
49 (67) | Jared Jones | Pirates | Still feels too low. |
50 (64) | Ronel Blanco | Astros | Still not convinced, but the numbers are good (so far). |
51 | Nick Lodolo | Reds | 2 good starts after IL stint. |
52 (54) | Michael King | Padres | 10 Ks last start. |
53 (66) | Kutter Crawford | Red Sox | Oh, look! Another Red Sox SP! |
54 (56) | Ryan Pepiot | Rays | |
57 (53) | Carlos Rodon | White Sox | Walks are still an issue. |
55 (42) | Charlie Morton | Braves | Solid offense to support Ws. Better than his two previous starts. |
56 (50) | Nathan Eovaldi | Rangers | Giving up too many walks. |
57 (68) | Seth Lugo | Royals | Low Ks, but everything else looks good. |
58 (57) | Aaron Civale | Rays | |
59 (58) | Bryan Woo | Mariners | Rehab assignment this week. |
60 (NR) | Spencer Turnbull | Phillies | Worth a check to see if he’s still on your waiver wire, however, word is he might be moving to the bullpen after Wednesday’s start. |
61 (90) | Edward Cabrera | Marlins | Aggressive move, but 10 Ks in his first start is great. |
62 (77) | Nick Pivetta | Red Sox | 15-day IL Threw bullpen Saturday. |
63 (95) | Brady Singer | Royals | 13th SP on Player Rater |
64 (82) | MacKenzie Gore | Nationals | Followed up 11 K outing with meh. I like the potential. |
65 (86) | Marcus Stroman | Yankees | Nothing flashy, but that Yankee offense adds value. |
66 (52) | Garrett Whitlock | Red Sox | 15-day IL (oblique) |
67 (48) | Yu Darvish | Padres | 15-day IL (neck). |
68 (45) | Cristian Javier | Astros | 15-day IL (Apr.21) |
69 (65) | Jon Gray | Rangers | Threw a bullpen day in-game. Still slated to start Tuesday. |
70 (61) | Lance Lynn | Cardinals | Like some people on Saturday, still feels too high. |
71 (62) | Triston McKenzie | Guardians | Walk(ing) Sticks. |
72 (76) | Braxton Garrett | Marlins | Dead arm. Resting. Could be back by the end of the month. |
73 (76) | Christopher Sanchez | Phillies | Two strong outings. 10Ks 0ER last start. |
74 (72) | Max Scherzer | Rangers | 1st rehab start is slated for Wednesday. |
75 | Spencer Strider | Braves | Single tear for redraft leagues |
76 (78) | Luis Severino | Mets | |
77 (NR) | Jose Butto | Mets | |
78 (69) | Gerritt Cole | Yankees | |
79 (70) | Gavin Williams | Guardians | |
80 (NR) | Javier Assad | Cubs | |
81 (83) | Luis Gil | Yankees | |
82 (73) | Kyle Harrison | Giants | Meh, but still has upside. |
83 (92) | Jordan Hicks | Giants | |
84 (74) | Brandon Pfaadt | Diamondbacks | |
85 | Paul Skenes | Nationals | Worth stashing |
86 (NR) | Alec Marsh | Royals | 3-0. Not flashy. |
87 (NR) | Andrew Abbott | Reds | |
88 (NR) | Zack Littell | Rays | |
89 (96) | Tyler Anderson | Angels | |
90 (81) | Logan Allen | Guardians | |
91 | Casey Mize | Tigers | |
92 (99) | Reese Olson | Tigers | |
93 (84) | Griffin Canning | Angels | |
94 (87) | Dane Dunning | Rangers | |
95 (NR) | Max Meyer | Marlins | |
96 (97) | Kyle Bradish | Orioles | |
97 (88) | Shane Baz | Rays | |
98 | Paul Blackburn | Athletics | |
99 | Reynaldo Lopez | Braves | |
100 | Michael Wacha | Royals | See : Blackburn, Paul. |
Jose Butto (77) – This was another add to the list that was overdue. I’ll be the first to admit that because of my participation in a very deep AL only league, I don’t do as deep of a dive into those fringey National League names. Butto had two strong starts for the Mets, and I hesitated to add him last week. After last Sunday’s start manager Carlos Mendoza gave Butto the ultimate boost when he told reporters that his 26-year old RHP was “not going anywhere”. With 21 Ks in 16.1 IP, and two home starts coming up next, I’d at least check to see if I had someone I could drop to stream him.
Gavin Williams (79) – Last week I mentioned that Williams was slated to throw a simulated game on Monday. It sounds like that got pushed back to April 20th, though. “Gavin threw three innings, 47 pitches (Saturday),” Cleveland’s President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said, “He traveled in late last night. He’ll be at the ballpark later to check with our medical group and we’ll figure out the next steps from there.” Williams is aiming for a late-April or early-May return.
Luis Gil (80) – I mentioned in the opening paragraphs that I weigh offensive run support when considering positions in the Top 100 Starting Pitchers list. Marcus Stroman benefits from a strong Yankee offense, and his numbers are just average. Luis Gil has averaged 98 pitches over his last 3 outings, and has struck out 29 in just 19.1 innings. That’s the good news. Why is he ranked so low, then? He’s also averaged 4.25 BB per game.
Jordan Hicks (83) – Count me as one of the many fantasy folks who thought the Hicks reliever-turned-starter experiment was doomed to fail. I expected him to throw hard and walk a lot of guys when he arrived in Toronto via trade last year. Adding more innings and increasing the pitch count to that kind of skill set isn’t always the recipe for success. There are warts here, but a 1.61 ERA, 0.929 WHIP, and a 2-0 record in four starts is at least encouraging and worthy of a bit of a jump from last week.
Andrew Abbott (88) – Abbott’s ratios are similar to Hicks’ even if he’s a very different pitcher. Topping out at 92-93 MPH with a 3rd percentile Chase rate and 6th percentile Whiff rate isn’t exactly a flamethrower kind of profile. But Abbott ranks in the 89th percentile of hard hit rates, and has a BAA of .182 or lower in three of his four starts. He’s worth a peek as a streamer – but maybe not this week (he gets Philly at home, then goes to Texas).
Zack Littell (89) – A lot of these pitchers have a similar story. They are getting good results, throwing a lot of pitches, but not necessarily going deep into games. Littell has finished 6 innings just once in his first four starts, but the numbers are there. He’s averaging more than a strikeout per inning, (22:21 respectively), but also has given up 23 hits in those 21 innings.
Logan Allen (90) – This was what I had written up in the ‘notes’ section. 3-0. Nasty ratios. And that ‘nasty’ is not the good kind.
Griffin Canning (93) – He should probably be off the list, but I still believe he can right the ship. We’re officially four starts in, though, and things have not looked too promising. 0-3, 19 IP, 25 H, 17 ER, 16 K, 8.05 ERA, 1.579 WHIP. At least he only has 5 walks? Ya, I know. Not too convincing.
Max Meyer (95) – There was a bit of frustration and a flutter of fury when Meyer got sent down last week. It’s easy to say that sending him to the minors is a good way to manage his innings, but something’s got to give. I expect that Puk returns to the bullpen pen much sooner than later, and Meyer gets an extended shot. This is even more likely if Braxton Garrett has any more setbacks in his rehab.
***Post-submission edit! Puk hit the 15-day “Ineffective List” yesterday. I’d check news on Meyer today, especially if his injured rotation mates aren’t ready to return yet.
Kyle Bradish (96) – Threw another rehab start yesterday. (From BaltimoreBaseball.com) “Oriole starter Kyle Bradish made his second rehab start and allowed four runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out four in Triple-A Norfolk’s 8-4 loss to Jacksonville.” A partial UCL tear is not something I want to dump a lot of FAAB on, but it sounds like he’s nearing activation as long as he doesn’t have any setbacks in his final rehab start.
Shane Baz (97) – Mid-to-late May return. “Feels good” according to Kevin Cash.
At least Conan wouldn’t platoon as much.
Paul Blackburn (98) – It’s the mayor of Meh-Ville! Not to offend the three Paul Blackburn fans out there, but it was time to put this yawner on our list. 2-0, 25 IP, 18 K, 1.08 ERA, 1.00 WHIP? The numbers are good. The numbers will never be great. The run support will not be great. And the regression fairies are salivating.
Reynaldo Lopez (99) – 2-0 and just one earned run in 18 innings (3 GS)? He’s officially worth a look. The once-hot top prospect is throwing well as a starter.
BONUS! (Not ranked)
Yariel Rodriguez – This one is for you deeper league players who might not have spotted the Blue Jays’ newest arm in your free agent list. He was recalled to ‘replace’ Bowden Francis as a starter a couple of weeks ago. I mentioned Rodriguez in Keelin’s AL East injury preview and it looks like the Jays are doing exactly what I thought they would do with him.
After being stretched out in Buffalo for the first few weeks, Rodriguez was recalled to be the Jays’ 5th starter…but hasn’t thrown more than 4 innings in either of his two starts. The ironic part is that they piggybacked him with Francis, who picked up his first two wins of the season in relief of the Cuban free agent pick-up. If Yariel keeps building up strength and working deeper into games, I can see him putting up some good strikeout numbers with a decent shot at accumulating some wins.
I watched his San Diego start on Friday night, and the 95 MPH fastball coupled with the 85 MPH slider was good enough to get him 7 strikeouts. Mixing in his splitter, curve, and sinker should keep hitters off balance as long as he can keep up the hot start.
Yariel Rodríguez has a 2.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts in his first 2 @MLB starts! pic.twitter.com/rEytd3EZhZ
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) April 20, 2024
BIGGEST DUMPERS : With apologies to Cal Raleigh, these are some of the biggest dumpers (in value, not pants size).
Framber Valdez, Jesus Luzardo, Bobby Miller, Garrett Crochet, Hunter Greene, Charlie Morton, Garrett Whitlock, Yu Darvish, Cristian Javier, LanceLynn, Triston McKenzie, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Pfaadt, Logan Allen, Griffin Canning.
BIGGEST JUMPERS : Who’s got hops? These are some of the biggest jumpers in value this week.
George Kirby, Zach Eflin, Shoto Imanaga, Bryce Miller, Bailey Ober, Tanner Houck, Ranger Suarez, Jared Jones, Kutter Crawford, Seth Lugo, Edward Cabrera, Marcus Stroman, Jordan Hicks.
OOF: The following players dropped off the Top 100 Starting Pitchers list this week.
Eduardo Rodriguez (transferred to 60-day IL)
Kenta Maeda (fuelled by spite and wanting Manning or Jobe to get the call)
Sean Manaea (meh)
Gavin Stone (teammates returning from IL soon)
Tyler Wells (IL)
Dean Kremer (Not worth it)
Jordan Wicks (ran out of room, still has upside)
Tyler Anderson
Kodai Senga
WHEE! The following players launched into the Top 100 Starting Pitchers this week.
Spencer Turnbull (60)
Jose Butto (77)
Javier Assad (80)
Alec Marsh (86)
Andrew Abbott (87)
Zack Littell (88)
Max Meyer (95)
CONSIDERED, BUT OMITTED
(Parenthesis shows SP ranking from Player Rater)
Alec Marsh (36), Trevor Williams (37), Colin Rea (52), Simeon Woods-Richardson (57), Jack Flaherty (89), Yariel Rodriguez (93).
There is one more starting pitcher that ranks number one on my list, but this one is a few years away from the bigs. Here’s a photo of us from Sunday for pitching practice about 5 minutes before some light snowflakes decided to show up…yep, I’m in Canada.
That’s all for this week! I hope you enjoyed it! Next week, I’ll post the Top 100 Starting Pitchers with some write-ups on some of the arms that I think need a bit more attention than others. Then, I’ll try to keep cherry-picking names to highlight throughout the list as we progress through the season.
Drop some comments in the chat if you’re feeling extra fired up about some of the names I do (or don’t) have here. Have a great week!
Follow me @marmosdad on Twitter/X and Bluesky @marmosdad.bsky.social