Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Top of the Charts

Francisco Liriano is the news of the week off his six-walks no-hitter. My take is that I'm about as excited about that one as I was about Dallas Braden's perfecto.

In other news, Dalton Del Don's MLB Notes blog continues to take away from my productivity at work. In Los Angeles, I didn't think this was possible, but Dodger Stadium is now inhabited by a guy who is apparently dumber than Frank McCourt himself. It's not surprising that he used to be in politics I suppose, but Steve Soboroff actually does come across as intelligent, as long as he doesn't open his mouth. The latest was invoking the Osama Bin Laden situation to gain sympathy for the situation MLB has "put the team in." If you care, the article is here.

Twitter: Yes, I'm on Twitter (@vtadave); 16 more followers to get to the magical 100. How many is that behind Charlie Sheen?

For this week May 9-15

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Tim Lincecum - ARI, @CHC
2. Zack Greinke - SD, PIT
3. Tim Hudson - WAS, PHI
4. Roy Halladay - @FLA
5. Cliff Lee - @FLA
6. Matt Garza - STL, SF
7. Jhoulys Chacin - NYM, SD
8. Chad Billingsley - @PIT, ARI
9. Josh Johnson - PHI
10. Mat Latos - @MIL, @COL
11. Chris Carpenter - @CHC, @CIN
12. Clayton Kershaw - ARI
13. Shaun Marcum - SD
14. Cole Hamels - @ATL
15. Jason Hammel - NYM, SD
16. Matt Cain - ARI
17. Tommy Hanson - PHI
18. Carlos Zambrano - STL, SF
19. Yovani Gallardo - PIT
20. Roy Oswalt - @ATL
21. Ricky Nolasco - PHI
22. Jair Jurrjens - PHI
23. Ubaldo Jimenez - NYM
24. Kevin Correia - LAD, @MIL
25. Brandon Beachy - WAS
26. Anibal Sanchez - @WAS
27. Chris Young - @HOU
28. Travis Wood - @HOU, STL
29. Wandy Rodriguez - CIN
30. Randy Wolf - SD
31. Jaime Garcia - @CHC
32. Kyle Lohse - @CIN
33. Bud Norris - NYM
34. Hiroki Kuroda - @PIT
35. Jorge De La Rosa - SD
36. Ian Kennedy - @SF, @LAD
37. Joe Blanton - @FLA, @ATL
38. Edinson Volquez - @HOU
39. Jordan Zimmerman - @ATL
40. Homer Bailey - @HOU

Borderline Depending on League Format

41. Jason Marquis - @ATL, FLA
42. Javier Vazquez - PHI, @WAS
43. Derek Lowe - WAS
44. R.A. Dickey - @HOU
45. Chris Capuano - @COL, @HOU
46. Ryan Dempster - SF
47. Bronson Arroyo - STL
48. Johnny Cueto - STL
49. Brett Myers - CIN
50. Aneury Rodriguez - CIN, NYM
51. Kyle McClellan - @CIN
52. Chris Narveson - PIT
53. Jake Westbrook - @CHC
54. Dan Hudson - @SF
55. Ted Lilly - @PIT, ARI
56. Jon Garland - @PIT
57. Tim Stauffer - @MIL
58. Madison Bumgarner - @CHC
59. Jonathon Niese - @COL
60. Livan Hernandez - FLA
61. Paul Maholm - LAD
62. James McDonald - @MIL
63. Clayton Richard - @MIL

Extreme Caution Advised

64. Dustin Moseley - @COL
65. Tom Gorzelanny - FLA
66. J.A. Happ - NYM
67. Jeff Karstens - LAD, @MIL
68. Charlie Morton - LAD
69. Jonathan Sanchez - ARI
70. Chris Volstad - @WAS
71. Mike Pelfrey - @COL
72. John Lannan - @ATL
73. Doug Davis - SF
74. Casey Coleman - STL
75. Joe Saunders - @LAD
76. Josh Collmenter - @LAD
77. Armando Galarraga - @SF
78. Aaron Harang - @COL
79. Ryan Vogelsong - @CHC
80. Armando Galarraga - COL

Projected No. 5 starters skipped:Esmil Rogers

Two-start starters: Tommy Hanson, Javier Vazquez, Josh Johnson, Chris Capuano, Joe Blanton, Jason Marquis, Carlos Zambrano, Travis Wood, Aneury Rodriguez, Zack Greinke, Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, Chris Carpenter, Ian Kennedy, Jhoulys Chacin, Jason Hammel, Chad Billingsley, Ted Lilly, Mat Latos, Tim Lincecum

Notes: Julio Teheran, baseball's No. 1 pitching prospect, is getting the call for a spot start on Saturday, May 7. He'll head back to Triple-A after the start (barring a ridiculous performance), but this should be fun to watch. Teheran is just 20 years old. ... Teheran's temporary promotion leaves Shelby Miller as the NL's top pitching prospect yet to be on a 25-man roster. ... Barry Enright's ERA has jumped from last year's 3.91 to 6.49 in 2011, and he'll now try to work things out in Triple-A. When you have middling stuff as Enright does and you aren't commanding your pitches well, these are the results. For now I have Josh Collmenter slotted in Enright's spot, and while Collmenter has some nice minor league numbers, his upside is thought to be in the Enright area. ... I have Doug Davis penciled in for a start for the Cubs this week, but Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells appear to be recovering well from their shoulder injuries and could return soon. ... Aneury Rodriguez was pretty impressive in tossing five one-hit shutout innings in his first major league start Wednesday in Cincinnati. He could be a future No. 3 starter if his control improves from the 3.9 BB/9 we saw from him in Triple-A a season ago. ... I'm focused more on Zack Greinke's 6:1 K:BB than the five runs he allowed in his Milwaukee debut. Use him with confidence this week. ... Projecting a four-man rotation from the Rockies this week as there is no way they can use Esmil Rogers and his 7.66 ERA, is there? ... Despite some struggles, there is optimism with Mat Latos. He reports feeling 100 percent and his 9.8 K/9 indicates an ability to still miss bats. ... If the Giants are hoping to use Jonathan Sanchez, they had better hurry, as Sanchez is going back down the Daniel Cabrera career path with a 6.2 BB/9. He's walked six batters in each of his two (five-inning) outings. ... It appears that Joe Blanton is set to return from the DL on Monday. Vance Worley will head to Triple-A as a result despite a 0.75 ERA in two starts. Look for the Phillies to shop Blanton given Worley's success. ... Matt Garza is now 1-4 but leads the league with 58 strikeouts. Be nice to see the Cubs score a few for him. ... Zack Greinke gets the headlines, but right now, Shaun Marcum is the Brewers' best starter with a 2.06 ERA and 42:12 K:BB in 43.2 innings. ... Fun stat: the Phillies big four starters have combined for 30 free passes. Jonathan Sanchez and Edinson Volquez – 54. ... It appears that with Homer Bailey and Johnny Cuetoback, the Reds are shifting Mike Leake to the bullpen and Sam LeCure to Triple-A. Travis Wood gets a reprieve for now, but despite solid component numbers (8.1 K/9, 3.1 BB/9), his 6.21 ERA will need to come down quickly for his spot to remain secure.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Start 'Em

1. Jon Lester - MIN, @NYY
2. Brandon Morrow - DET, @MIN
3. Michael Pineda - @BAL, @CLE
4. Max Scherzer - @TOR, KC
5. Felix Hernandez - @BAL
6. Jered Weaver - @TEX
7. David Price - @CLE
8. CC Sabathia - BOS
9. Dan Haren - @TEX
10. Trevor Cahill - @TEX, CHW
11. C.J. Wilson - OAK, LAA
12. Justin Verlander - KC
13. Josh Beckett - @TOR
14. James Shields - @CLE
15. Ricky Romero - @MIN
16. John Danks - @LAA
17. Brett Anderson - @TEX
18. Ervin Santana - CHW, @TEX
19. Jake Arrieta - SEA, @TB
20. A.J. Burnett - KC
21. Francisco Liriano - @BOS, TOR
22. Jeremy Guthrie - @TB
23. Josh Tomlin - TB, SEA
24. Rick Porcello - @MIN
25. Zach Britton - SEA
26. Justin Masterson - TB
27. Freddy Garcia - KC, BOS
28. Alex White - SEA
29. Wade Davis - BAL
30. Gio Gonzalez - @TEX
31. Alexi Ogando - LAA
32. Gavin Floyd - @OAK
33. Fausto Carmona - SEA
34. Colby Lewis - OAK

Borderline Depending on League Format

35. Scott Baker - DET
36. Mark Buehrle - @OAK
37. Jeremy Hellickson - BAL
38. John Lackey - @TOR
39. Clay Buchholz - @NYY
40. Daisuke Matsuzaka - @NYY
41. Bartolo Colon - KC
42. Kyle Drabek - BOS
43. Edwin Jackson - @LAA
44. Brian Duensing - TOR
45. Joel Pineiro - CHW
46. Tyson Ross - CHW
47. Brandon McCarthy - CHW
48. Doug Fister - @CLE
49. Matt Harrison - OAK
50. Derek Holland - LAA
51. Bradley Bergesen - @TB
52. Phil Humber - @OAK

Extreme Caution Advised

53. Ivan Nova - BOS
54. Jesse Litsch - BOS
55. Jo-Jo Reyes - @MIN
56. Jake Peavy - @LAA
57. Brad Penny - KC
58. Carl Pavano - TOR
59. Nick Blackburn - DET
60. Jason Vargas - @BAL
61. Chris Tillman - SEA
62. Andrew Sonnanstine - @CLE, BAL
63. Jeanmar Gomez - TB
64. Phil Coke - @MIN
65. Luke Hochevar - @NYY
66. Jeff Francis - @DET
67. Bruce Chen - @NYY
68. Erik Bedard - @CLE
69. Sean O'Sullivan - @DET
70. Tyler Chatwood - CHW
71. Kyle Davies - @NYY, @DET

Projected No. 5 starters skipped: None

Two-start starters:Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Freddy Garcia, Andrew Sonnanstine, Brandon Morrow, Edwin Jackson, Josh Tomlin, Max Scherzer, Kyle Davies, Francisco Liriano, Ervin Santana, Trevor Cahill, Jason Vargas, C.J. Wilson

Notes: Colby Lewis sports a 5.21 ERA after coming over from Japan and pitching like a legitimate No. 2 starter in 2010. However, Lewis has been fantastic in his last two starts, and I'm pretty sure he's not going to allow 2.5 HR per nine innings all year. ... Jeff Niemann has been placed on the DL with a lower back strain. As I type this, I don't know who will be slotted into his start on Tuesday, but for now I'm assuming Andrew Sonnanstine. Unless the Rays shock the world and call up top prospect Matthew Moore, it's best to ignore whomever is slotted in Niemann's place. ... Jake Peavy (shoulder) sat in the 88-91 mph range with his fastball in his final rehab start and returns this week in Anaheim to face the Angels. I probably wouldn't use him this week outside of AL-only formats, as there's likely to be some rust. Projecting the White Sox go with six starters this week, as Philip Humber has pitched well, but we could still see some in-week shuffling. ... Since I dropped him like a bad habit in a 12-team mixed league, Rick Porcello is on a nice roll with a 2.03 ERA in four starts with a 20:5 K:BB in 26.2 innings. Encouragingly, that's a 6.8 K/9 compared to his pre-2011 rate of 4.8. ... In Jered Weaver and Dan Haren, the Angels have the No. 1 and 2 AL ERA leaders. Must be nice knowing your team has a great chance to win at least 40 percent of the time. ... Speaking of the Angels, Ervin Santana is quietly having a solid season. No, the 4.46 ERA isn't anything special, but a 40:11 K:BB in 42.2 innings is very nice. He also had a nice 4-0-0-0-1-7 game going against the Red Sox last time out before rain hit. ... It should be interesting to see how the Mariners handle Michael Pineda. He's easily my AL ROY right now, but after tossing 139.1 innings last year, how high do the Mariners let him go in 2011? 170? ... We'll soon see whether Francisco Liriano is for real, as his next start comes Monday in Boston. Pretty sure Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters record is safe. ... Awesome news out of Detroit where Triple-A pitcher Andy Oliver is sidelined due to a slingshot injury.

MIXED LEAGUE TOP 100

1. Tim Lincecum - ARI, @CHC
2. Jon Lester - MIN, @NYY
3. Zack Greinke - SD, PIT
4. Brandon Morrow - DET, @MIN
5. Michael Pineda - @BAL, @CLE
6. Tim Hudson - WAS, PHI
7. Max Scherzer - @TOR, KC
8. Roy Halladay - @FLA
9. Cliff Lee - @FLA
10. Matt Garza - STL, SF
11. Felix Hernandez - @BAL
12. Jered Weaver - @TEX
13. Jhoulys Chacin - NYM, SD
14. David Price - @CLE
15. Chad Billingsley - @PIT, ARI
16. CC Sabathia - BOS
17. Josh Johnson - PHI
18. Dan Haren - @TEX
19. Mat Latos - @MIL, @COL
20. Chris Carpenter - @CHC, @CIN
21. Trevor Cahill - @TEX, CHW
22. C.J. Wilson - OAK, LAA
23. Justin Verlander - KC
24. Clayton Kershaw - ARI
25. Shaun Marcum - SD
26. Cole Hamels - @ATL
27. Jason Hammel - NYM, SD
28. Josh Beckett - @TOR
29. Matt Cain - ARI
30. James Shields - @CLE
31. Tommy Hanson - PHI
32. Carlos Zambrano - STL, SF
33. Ricky Romero - @MIN
34. Yovani Gallardo - PIT
35. John Danks - @LAA
36. Brett Anderson - @TEX
37. Ervin Santana - CHW, @TEX
38. Roy Oswalt - @ATL
39. Jake Arrieta - SEA, @TB
40. Ricky Nolasco - PHI
41. Jair Jurrjens - PHI
42. Ubaldo Jimenez - NYM
43. Kevin Correia - LAD, @MIL
44. Brandon Beachy - WAS
45. Anibal Sanchez - @WAS
46. Chris Young - @HOU
47. Travis Wood - @HOU, STL
48. A.J. Burnett - KC
49. Wandy Rodriguez - CIN
50. Randy Wolf - SD
51. Jaime Garcia - @CHC
52. Kyle Lohse - @CIN
53. Francisco Liriano - @BOS, TOR
54. Bud Norris - NYM
55. Hiroki Kuroda - @PIT
56. Jeremy Guthrie - @TB
57. Jorge De La Rosa - SD
58. Josh Tomlin - TB, SEA
59. Rick Porcello - @MIN
60. Ian Kennedy - @SF, @LAD
61. Zach Britton - SEA
62. Justin Masterson - TB
63. Freddy Garcia - KC, BOS
64. Alex White - SEA
65. Wade Davis - BAL
66. Gio Gonzalez - @TEX
67. Joe Blanton - @FLA, @ATL
68. Alexi Ogando - LAA
69. Edinson Volquez - @HOU
70. Gavin Floyd - @OAK
71. Jordan Zimmerman - @ATL
72. Homer Bailey - @HOU
73. Fausto Carmona - SEA
74. Jason Marquis - @ATL, FLA
75. Javier Vazquez - PHI, @WAS
76. Derek Lowe - WAS
77. R.A. Dickey - @HOU
78. Chris Capuano - @COL, @HOU
79. Colby Lewis - OAK
80. Ryan Dempster - SF
81. Bronson Arroyo - STL
82. Johnny Cueto - STL
83. Scott Baker - DET
84. Brett Myers - CIN
85. Mark Buehrle - @OAK
86. Jeremy Hellickson - BAL
87. John Lackey - @TOR
88. Clay Buchholz - @NYY
89. Aneury Rodriguez - CIN, NYM
90. Daisuke Matsuzaka - @NYY
91. Bartolo Colon - KC
92. Kyle Drabek - BOS
93. Edwin Jackson - @LAA
94. Kyle McClellan - @CIN
95. Brian Duensing - TOR
96. Chris Narveson - PIT
97. Jake Westbrook - @CHC
98. Dan Hudson - @SF
99. Ted Lilly - @PIT, ARI
100. Joel Pineiro - CHW

Regan, a four-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner, was named the 2010 Fantasy Baseball Writer of the Year.

Follow @vtadave on Twitter.

Follow @vtadave on Twitter.