We’ve gone over the final 2022 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters and the top 20 starters. This is different than Final Fantasy rankings where you rank Final Fantasy 1 thru Final Fantasy 15. That’s hardcore nerd shizz! This is simply fantasy baseball — we’re softcore nerds like Emmanuelle is to porn. So, there’s no more of these godforsaken recap posts left. You’re welcome. I, my over-the-internet friend, will be talking next about 2023 rookies. Let’s boogie to the next year, boogiers! Anyway, here’s the top 40 starters for 2022 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:
21. Spencer Strider – Seriously, just point me to who is going to be on the Braves’ team in April as a rookie and I’m drafting them in the 5th round of every draft. Strider just missed making the Historical Player Rater for pitchers. Tyler Anderson at the bottom of the top 20 starters was the last to make it. Bummer for Strider, I know how much that would’ve meant to him, prolly more than his $92 million contract. Okay, you know what? Not prolly, definitely. Strider’s mustache should’ve had us all alerted to what he was capable of, I blame all of you for letting him slip through, Shame on you! Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 11-5/2.67/0.99/202 in 131 2/3 IP
22. Triston McKenzie – Dude’s built like a rake and that’s what you’re gonna lose if you bet against him! Bam! High five the crap out of me right now! No? Okay. This Strong Bean was clearly great, and just once again I’m asking you: Why are you drafting pitchers high when you can have the guy who played the feather in his high school’s Forrest Gump staged adaption about 200 picks after top pitchers and gave you all this value? Preseason Rank #74, 2022 Projections: 8-8/4.12/1.31/158 in 143 IP, Final Numbers: 11-11/2.96/0.95/190 in 191 1/3 IP
23. Aaron Nola – He’s so clearly a top three starter in all of baseball, who won’t be drafted as one. He’s the number one starter, the ace, that you want who will be drafted around 45 overall. He might be my first starter in every league next year. Yes, this is supposed to be about this year, but what do you want me to tell you? I’m excited! Preseason Rank #7, 2022 Projections: 13-6/3.19/1.08/247 in 198 IP, Final Numbers: 11-13/3.25/0.96/235 in 205 IP
24. Framber Valdez – Honestly, was a bit perplexed at how Framber was ranked this low by the Player Rater, then I saw the WHIP, and I get it. He’s the one pitcher this year who didn’t get lucky on BABIP. Astros feel like they could have a year where four starters get 20 wins apiece. Preseason Rank #32, 2022 Projections: 12-7/3.71/1.22/171 in 177 IP, Final Numbers: 17-6/2.82/1.16/194 in 201 1/3 IP
25. Brandon Woodruff – Went back to refresh my memory on why Woodruff missed time this year, and found out he was suffering from Raynaud’s syndrome. No relation to d’Raynaud, who is also not related to d’Arnaud. His 2nd half was 2.38 ERA in 87 IP. Hey, can I draft Woodruff and Nola right now for next year. There’s so many great starters, guys and five girls. Just another reason to not feel like you need to draft Cole or someone else in the first three rounds. Preseason Rank #5, 2022 Projections: 14-5/2.69/0.98/224 in 190 IP, Final Numbers: 13-4/3.05/1.07/190 in 153 1/3 IP
26. Zack Wheeler – One big thing I’m thinking of moving a little bit away from is worrying so much about injury risks. Wheeler, Rodon, Kershaw, and Castillo all had varying levels of concern in March. Did us no good in ignoring them. There was an injury discount for all them that we should’ve taken people up on. Who doesn’t love a good deal?! I should’ve been a Wheeler dealer. (I’m so sorry, but you walked into it.) Preseason Rank #4, 2022 Projections: 16-7/2.74/0.98/247 in 210 IP, Final Numbers: 12-7/2.82/1.04/163 in 153 IP
27. Logan Webb – There’s so many examples of wins being fluky as shizz, but people write it off like noise. Like a 99-win Yankees team should give Cole less wins than the 81-win Giants gave Webb. No, clearly not. But just watch, people in March will be like, “Grey, love the face, it’s very handsome, but don’t you think the Yankees will give Cole more wins than Webb on the Giants?” Of course, Cole should, but there’s no accounting for wins. There’s no accounting for ratios either. Really rankings are based on K/BB, but that’s for another day. Preseason Rank #19, 2022 Projections: 12-6/3.12/1.09/182 in 179 IP, Final Numbers: 15-9/2.90/1.16/163 in 192 1/3 IP
28. Clayton Kershaw – Thinking about a team where I could’ve had Justin Verlander and Kershaw and 400 IP of just barely 2.00 ERA, and cackling very loudly. PARENTS: Please check your candy this Halloween. I just found a fantasy baseball ‘pert cackling about Verlander and Kershaw’s ERAs in my Milky Way. Preseason Rank #59, 2022 Projections: 8-3/3.27/1.05/136 in 117 IP, Final Numbers: 12-3/2.28/0.94/137 in 126 1/3 IP
29. Chris Bassitt – On my best pitching team, where I had a 3.10 ERA on the year, I had Bassitt, Cease, Robbie Ray, Mikolas, JoMo, Sandoval, and Merrill Kelly. Plus, Clay Holmes, Ryan Helsley and Daniel Bard. I’m not sure I spent the least on pitching, but I definitely didn’t spend anywhere close to the most. If you can transport your peanut brain back to last March, you’ll remember Ray was only one close to an ace, and he was prolly my biggest disappointment. He went for $20; Cease went for $17, and no other starter of mine went for more than $10 — Bassitt went for $9. I don’t keep saying the same thing for atta boys. I tell you so you stop drafting pitching high. Preseason Rank #29, 2022 Projections: 13-8/3.41/1.08/172 in 171 IP, Final Numbers: 15-9/3.42/1.14/167 in 181 2/3 IP
30. Miles Mikolas – As I just said about Mikolas being on that team in the Bassitt blurb, yeah, Mikolas was off waivers, along with Helsley, Bard and Holmes. Yes, my entire pen was grabbed off waivers. Kelly was the other starter of note who I got off waivers. I honestly didn’t need much — well, to not draft Mondesi, India, Wander, Just Dong and Seiya might’ve helped. But I didn’t need more pitching is what I meant. Here’s the draft recap if you want to laugh at what I was thinking then. Preseason Rank #128, 2022 Projections: 7-10/4.47/1.20/119 in 163 IP, Final Numbers: 12-13/3.29/1.03/153 in 202 1/3 IP
31. Joe Musgrove – I kept telling you over and over again to sell Musgrove in the 2nd half, and, if we’re being honest, he wasn’t that bad in the 2nd half. Less good than the 1st? Sure. Bad? Nah. If he would’ve had better wins luck (give him 15 wins), he’d be about as valuable as Nola. But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, and if Musgrove had shinier ears, he’d have a 2nd career as a porcelain doll. Preseason Rank #14, 2022 Projections: 13-8/3.10/1.06/207 in 184 IP, Final Numbers: 10-7/2.93/1.08/184 in 181 IP
32. Logan Gilbert – I saw he went about 80 IP over his previous year and I did a spit take of pomegranate juice, and that really effin’ stains. It looks like my computer was stabbed multiple times. What is wrong with you scaring me while I’m drinking pomegranate juice? If pomegranate juice was a thing a few hundred years ago, there would be laws on the books about it like sodomy laws. “Thou should not scare or surprise thy neighbor while he is drinking pomegranate juice. Sentence is death.” Preseason Rank #55, 2022 Projections: 9-10/3.87/1.15/162 in 148 IP, Final Numbers: 13-6/3.20/1.18/174 in 185 2/3 IP
33. Luis Garcia – True heads will remember Luis Garcia, the Astros pitcher, was monikered Rocky I this year (the Padres’ Luis Garcia is Rocky II; Nats’ infielder Luis Garcia is Rocky 3, and we have room for more. Just tell us when you’re ready, minor leagues.) This also makes sense because when the Astros’ Luis Garcia winds up he looks like he’s rocking a cradle. So, Rocky I is being pretty boosted by wins, but he’s not killing you anywhere else so Ayyyyyyyyyyyyydrian!!! Preseason Rank #48, 2022 Projections: 12-9/3.74/1.24/194 in 177 IP, Final Numbers: 15-8/3.72/1.13/157 in 157 1/3 IP
34. Merrill Kelly – Seven pitchers just passed 200 IP this year. In unrelated news that I’m about to make up but is prolly true, seven pitchers had 200-inning clauses in their contracts. Speaking of innings (since I’m actively looking at it right now), 20 pitchers had 184 IP or more. Of those 20, 17 made the top 40 and one (Martin Perez) was 41st, and Cal Quantrill just missed (45). If you get 180+ IP in today’s game, there’s a good chance you’re going to be valuable. For wins and Ks alone, sure, but also if you’re throwing 180 IP, it’s because you’re pitching well. Not a ton of teams throw terrible pitchers for a lot of innings. Preseason Rank #122, 2022 Projections: 7-11/4.21/1.25/148 in 166 IP, Final Numbers: 13-8/3.37/1.14/177 in 200 1/3 IP
35. Kevin Gausman – I know about the law of diminishing returns, but I truly wonder what would happen if Gausman threw his split-finger, which generates a .169 xBA, 98% of the time. It is not overstating things to say Gausman’s fastball was where hitters caused the most damage, so. Dot dot dot. Why throw it? Preseason Rank #11, 2022 Projections: 13-9/3.16/1.07/219 in 189 IP, Final Numbers: 12-10/3.35/1.24/205 in 174 2/3 IP
36. Drew Rasmussen – This is the 2nd year in a row Rasmussen had a 2.84 ERA. One more and he gets to sleep with Khris Davis’s wife. If he wants, up to him. I’m not going to tell you who “him” is referring to in that sentence. Here’s something to consider: If a pitcher had a 3.03 ERA and a 8.3 K/9 in 237 1/3 career innings, where would you draft him? Okay, so why is Rasmussen going to go much later? Preseason Rank #76, 2022 Projections: 8-5/3.20/1.13/118 in 123 IP, Final Numbers: 11-7/2.84/1.04/125 in 146 IP
37. Jeffrey Springs – Cackling like I stopped self-medicating at the thought of having Verlander, Kershaw and Springs. Just your standard 550 IP of a 2.20 ERA for the cost of zip-a-roo. Yeah, you might’ve lacked a little in strikeouts, so you could’ve had Bard, Helsley and Holmes for free, but haha what do I know? Just out here speculating. By the by, if Springs had some wins luck (15 wins), he’d be as valuable as Nola. Yes, very normal to randomly find guys with an ADP of 1000 overall that could’ve helped your team this much. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 9-5/2.46/1.07/144 in 135 1/3 IP
38. Robbie Ray – He wasn’t anywhere near a death blow like Berrios, or Giolito. Sorry, there was a good 45 minutes between the first sentence and this one because I googled tight pants. It’s amazing the founders of Google ever finished founding Google and didn’t get distracted by “cake sitting” or something else on the internet. Preseason Rank #10, 2022 Projections: 14-8/3.12/1.06/257 in 202 IP, Final Numbers: 12-12/3.71/1.19/212 in 189 IP
39. Joe Ryan – Wanna hear something funny that isn’t funny? I thought Joe Ryan kinda came out of nowhere, but then I saw my ranking and projections for him were nearly the best hashtag “nailed it” I had. I really didn’t remember liking Joe Ryan that much to rank him 42nd, and I said I would’ve drafted him. I didn’t, but I said I would’ve that’s pretty close! Preseason Rank #42, 2022 Projections: 8-9/3.81/1.12/166 in 152 IP, Final Numbers: 13-8/3.55/1.10/151 in 147 IP
40. Luis Castillo – I take back what I said on Ryan; I’m writing this in the order you’re reading it, and Castillo is closer in rank and projections. Though, I also told everyone to not draft Castillo, because he had a shoulder injury in March, and that was one I started cursing because I had already drafted him, and then sometime around midseason my curses became the good kind of curses when he got traded to the best ballpark in history for pitchers, Safeco. “Ain’t that the truth?” That’s Jesse Winker. Preseason Rank #37, 2022 Projections: 8-9/3.67/1.25/154 in 148 IP, Final Numbers: 8-6/2.99/1.08/167 in 150 1/3 IP
