All the final 2019 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters are done. For those that skipped today’s title, this starts the top 20 starters for 2019 fantasy baseball. This is NOT for 2020 (caps for those who can’t read titles; supposedly it’s easier to read caps, I have my doubts). This is a recap. Will these affect next year’s rankings? Sure. But not entirely. Like when you had a knee replacement, this is a recap! To recapitulate the recap, these rankings are from our Fantasy Baseball Player Rater. We’re (me’re) using it to fairly gauge our (my) preseason rankings. Anyway, here’s the top 20 starters for 2019 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:
1. Justin Verlander – You know Verlander, so a word about the top 20 starters. I wrote a sleeper post about Bieber, Ed-Rod and didn’t write a sleeper on Castillo, but said I should’ve wrote a sleeper post about him in my rankings. I told you to draft Strasburg, Flaherty, Ryu, Buehler, Corbin, Clevinger and Soroka. So, you can pretend like there was no pitching and like it was a crapshoot and like you had to draft pitching high, but of the 20 starters, I endorsed ten. Then, there were six more (Morton, Greinke, Kershaw, Giolito, Lynn, Gray) who I didn’t like but were completely available in drafts if you wanted them. 16 out of the top 20 starters — you could’ve drafted without taking a starter in the 1st 35 or so picks. If you went with the German Marquez/Matz pairing, shizz happens. I’m sympathetic, I did that myself in a few leagues. It doesn’t mean you were better off if you went Chris Sale or Blake Snell or Kluber or Nola or Bauer or dozens of other pitchers who were drafted high and didn’t do well. The people who drafted them were just as screwed. So, why bother drafting starters high when your 50/50 odds are the same as anyone else’s? Not to answer, but to knowingly nod your head. As for Verlander, just wanted to point out I almost perfectly nailed his K/9, which is honestly the only thing under anyone’s control, and you wonder why I say pitching is a crapshoot. Preseason Rank #4, 2019 Projections: 16-8/2.88/0.97/276 in 207 IP, Final Numbers: 21-6/2.58/0.80/300 in 223 IP
2. Gerrit Cole – *turns over a bottle of malt liquor and pours out a never-ending stream* That’s not a river in a homeless person’s feng shui garden; that’s pouring one out for Ray Searage’s wisdom that pitchers should pitch to contact. Someone should edit a horror film and every time a cat jumps out of a closet, replace it with Gerrit Cole striking out someone, then send that film to Searage. The Pirates traded Cole, and he was under control for another two years! It’s hard to make up (for) that stupidity. Preseason Rank #6, 2019 Projections: 16-7/2.81/1.02/254 in 204 IP, Final Numbers: 20-5/2.50/0.89/326 in 212 1/3 IP
3. Stephen Strasburg – Didn’t end up owning Strasburg this year in any leagues, but I did want to own him, which is essentially the same only with way more agita. Finally, we got that full season from him, and I wonder if there’s any way to possibly predict that. Seriously, is there any way to tell Strasburg was about to throw his 1st season of 200 IP since 2014? No? Then how the hell can you draft starters early? Preseason Rank #14, 2019 Projections: 15-6/3.08/1.09/186 in 164 IP, Final Numbers: 18-6/3.32/1.15/251 in 209 IP
4. Jacob deGrom – He now has 21 wins in two of the best back-to-back seasons in history. Denny McClain laughs at that while he transports drugs across state lines. What’s that, deGrom’s on his way to becoming the first starter in the Hall of Fame with under 100 wins? You said it, Cousin Sweatpants. Preseason Rank #2, 2019 Projections: 16-6/2.66/0.95/264 in 218 IP, Final Numbers: 11-8/2.43/0.97/255 in 204 IP
5. Zack Greinke – Have been out on Greinke for a while now. His under-9 K/9 dampers my whistle making it sound more like a raspberry. Preseason Rank #20, 2019 Projections: 10-11/3.58/1.12/194 in 206 IP, Final Numbers: 18-5/2.93/0.98/187 in 208 2/3 IP
6. Shane Bieber – Already told you in my Verlander blurb that I wrote a Bieber sleeper, and everything I was jazz-handsy about in that sleeper post came true. He strikes out guys and doesn’t walk them. It’s a pretty simple recipe for success. Put it in the Are-A-Koufax Cookbook. Preseason Rank #29, 2019 Projections: 13-7/3.45/1.12/154 in 156 IP, Final Numbers: 15-8/3.28/1.05/259 in 214 1/3 IP
7. Charlie Morton – If the Pirates didn’t ever trade anyone, they’d be the best team ever, especially if Bonds could still hit at 55 years of age. By the way, the Astros are doling out starters to other teams now so they have someone to compete against. Preseason Rank #31, 2019 Projections: 9-6/3.54/1.18/159 in 144 IP, Final Numbers: 16-6/3.05/1.08/240 in 194 2/3 IP
8. Jack Flaherty – It’s been long-documented how much Donkey Teeth nailed the Flaherty buy low on July 1st, and how great Flaherty was in the 2nd half. Can we turn our attention back to me now please? Thank you! In the preseason, I ranked him 55 overall when his ADP was about ten spots later, and ‘perts were regularly ranking him outside the top 100. I loved Flaherty in March. Of course, took until July for it to make sense. Preseason Rank #13, 2019 Projections: 14-7/3.17/1.11/215 in 191 IP, Final Numbers: 11-8/2.75/0.97/231 in 196 1/3 IP
9. Hyun-Jin Ryu – Usually I go Saberhagenmetrics with my pitchers. Liking them one year, then disliking them the next, because, if they’re good, they usually throw too many innings, which is a great segue for Ryu! I’ve liked Ryu every year for the last five years, because he always had a great ERA, but he never threw too many innings. Wait, he just threw how many innings? *places hand over eyes and disapprovingly shakes head* I’m…without words. Preseason Rank #44, 2019 Projections: 9-4/2.98/1.08/122 in 131 IP, Final Numbers: 14-5/2.32/1.01/163 in 182 2/3 IP
10. Clayton Kershaw – Speaking of innings, Kershaw just threw the most innings in a season since 2015. His back magically held up or more proof that chiropractors’ magic is real. (I’m just playin’, Mom, I know you’re a real doctor!) Preseason Rank #36, 2019 Projections: 10-4/3.10/1.07/126 in 131 IP, Final Numbers: 16-5/3.03/1.04/189 in 178 1/3 IP
11. Max Scherzer – Either a sign of how awful starters are or how great Scherzer is (prolly both), he’s the 11th best starter this year without really anything of note in the 2nd half. By the way, I can’t wait (can completely wait) for all the hot takes about how Scherzer is a great bargain as the third pitcher off the board in 2020. Preseason Rank #1, 2019 Projections: 17-6/2.58/.93/285 in 212 IP, Final Numbers: 11-7/2.92/1.03/243 in 172 1/3 IP
12. Walker Buehler – Here’s a funny one for all you people into non-funny things that are preceded with “here’s a funny one.” Buehler did what he was expected to do, and feels like he’s still on the precipice of being even greater, but it feels like the heat is off of him now, so he’s going to break out in 2020 just as people pass him by for all the new shiny toys of Bieber and Clevinger. Preseason Rank #10, 2019 Projections: 15-6/2.82/0.98/198 in 174 IP, Final Numbers: 14-4/3.26/1.04/215 in 182 1/3 IP
13. Lucas Giolito – Great example of why we should never stop believing in talented young pitchers just because they haven’t yet broken out. Have arm will travel. *thrown to ground by TSA* Have arm, not arms! Get off me! Preseason Rank #144, 2019 Projections: 8-12/4.66/1.46/132 in 156 IP, Final Numbers: 14-9/3.41/1.06/228 in 176 2/3 IP
14. Luis Castillo – It felt like forever we were waiting for this breakout but this is only his third year in the league, a time when I like to target pitchers. Love third-year pitchers. Seriously, big-time feels for them. Which makes me say, “Dubya tee eff why didn’t I draft him in any leagues?” Sometimes during these recaps I mystify myself at how I blatantly miss on guys in drafts who I loved. For whatever reason, I went with Joey Lucchesi in every league even though he was in the same tier as Castillo. As I’ve said so many times before, sometimes it’s a matter of a coin flip. Preseason Rank #30, 2019 Projections: 11-11/3.71/1.19/187 in 181 IP, Final Numbers: 15-8/3.40/1.14/226 in 190 2/3 IP
15. Patrick Corbin – As someone who owned Corbin in a few leagues, I’m surprised to see him end up this low. He was great to own. His 3.78 September brought him down a bit, I suppose, but, yeah, I had no complaints, except, I guess, him ranking this low at the end of the year. Though, less a complaint and more of a head-scratcher. Preseason Rank #11, 2019 Projections: 14-6/3.09/1.07/226 in 202 IP, Final Numbers: 14-7/3.25/1.18/238 in 202 IP
16. Lance Lynn – Go collect your prop bet you made in March for Lynn getting 245+ Ks. Go ahead. I’ll wait. You have to transport back to the Land of Make Believe to collect it, don’t you? Preseason Rank #108, 2019 Projections: 8-11/4.24/1.34/148 in 153 IP, Final Numbers: 16-11/3.67/1.22/246 in 208 1/3 IP
17. Sonny Gray – Sometimes being on the wrong alternate year of Saberhagenmetrics is all it takes to absolutely want to kick yourself in the nuts, or kick anyone in the nuts with a similarly sounding name. *Ray Galbright dives into bushes to avoid me* Preseason Rank #102, 2019 Projections: 8-9/4.23/1.37/145 in 157 IP, Final Numbers: 11-8/2.87/1.08/205 in 175 1/3 IP
18. Mike Clevinger – When I see someone only throw 126 IP in the top 20 starters recap, it’s like an electric current going straight into my brain and all I can think about is how badly I want to draft them next year. Do you know how good someone has to be to throw that few innings and rank this high? Between Clevinger and Bieber, it’s gonna be Indians’ starter SZN next year. Preseason Rank #15, 2019 Projections: 14-7/3.16/1.10/209 in 204 IP, Final Numbers: 13-4/2.71/1.06/169 in 126 IP
19. Eduardo Rodriguez – I liked and still like Ed-Rod, but look at just the ratios difference between him and Clevinger? If Clevinger had 19 wins like Ed-Rod, he would’ve been the 7th best starter in only 126 innings. Yes, I’m still talking about Clevinger. Get used to it! Preseason Rank #27, 2019 Projections: 13-7/3.58/1.24/168 in 158 IP, Final Numbers: 19-6/3.81/1.33/213 in 203 1/3 IP
20. Mike Soroka – Only 142 Ks in 175 IP? Only a 7.3 K/9? Did he pay The Regression Fairies in Billie Eilish song downloads to stay away from him? Ooh, that gives me a good idea. I wonder if I could pay someone at FanGraphs to write, “Mike Soroka, 2020 Bargain At Any Price,” then send the link to all my leaguemates. This idea actually has some legs. We could start a site called Fangraph dot com, a small typo that no one will notice, and write terrible posts just to fool our leaguemates. “Whoa, dude, I know you’re in my league and I shouldn’t be sharing this with you, but did you see Fangraph dot com said Mike Clevinger is an avoid? Damn, can’t draft him now.” Preseason Rank #106, 2019 Projections: 5-2/3.66/1.29/78 in 94 IP, Final Numbers: 13-4/2.68/1.11/142 in 174 2/3 IP
