Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Back on his Throne

Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Back on his Throne

This article is part of our Weekly Pitcher Rankings series.

As always, remember that rotations are subject to change, so if you see something that looks incorrect, assume that it was a change that occurred since this was written and feel free to politely bring it up in the comments, I'll let you know where the new arm slots.

For the week June 22-28

AMERICAN LEAGUE

START

1. Felix Hernandez - KC, at LAA
Note: My big concern after 2 super-duds in 3 starts was injury, eight scoreless IP of four-hit ball assuages those injury concerns
2. David Price - at CLE, CWS
Note: Probably would've made it into the seventh inn. for a 10th straight, but rain stopped him short (5 IP/2 ER in 72 pitches)
3. Chris Sale - at MIN
Note: Almost deserves the top spot even without 2 starts given this obscene run: 1.19 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 75 Ks in his last 45.3 IP ... WHAT?!
4. Masahiro Tanaka - at HOU
Note: Now matching or bettering his '14 numbers across the board: 2.49 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 27% K (all better), and 4% BB (matching)
5. Corey Kluber - at BAL
6. Michael Pineda - PHI, at HOU
Note: Severe home/road split (2.36/5.05 ERA), but strong skills on road says that ugly ERA will come down: 20% K, 4% BB, and 5.3 K:BB
7. Sonny Gray - at TEX
Note: Facing a team twice in a row is hit-or-miss, in Apr he got LAA 2x in a row (3 ER in 15 IP), mixed results
As always, remember that rotations are subject to change, so if you see something that looks incorrect, assume that it was a change that occurred since this was written and feel free to politely bring it up in the comments, I'll let you know where the new arm slots.

For the week June 22-28

AMERICAN LEAGUE

START

1. Felix Hernandez - KC, at LAA
Note: My big concern after 2 super-duds in 3 starts was injury, eight scoreless IP of four-hit ball assuages those injury concerns
2. David Price - at CLE, CWS
Note: Probably would've made it into the seventh inn. for a 10th straight, but rain stopped him short (5 IP/2 ER in 72 pitches)
3. Chris Sale - at MIN
Note: Almost deserves the top spot even without 2 starts given this obscene run: 1.19 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 75 Ks in his last 45.3 IP ... WHAT?!
4. Masahiro Tanaka - at HOU
Note: Now matching or bettering his '14 numbers across the board: 2.49 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 27% K (all better), and 4% BB (matching)
5. Corey Kluber - at BAL
6. Michael Pineda - PHI, at HOU
Note: Severe home/road split (2.36/5.05 ERA), but strong skills on road says that ugly ERA will come down: 20% K, 4% BB, and 5.3 K:BB
7. Sonny Gray - at TEX
Note: Facing a team twice in a row is hit-or-miss, in Apr he got LAA 2x in a row (3 ER in 15 IP), mixed results this time (7.3 IP/0 ER, 6 IP/5 ER)
8. Chris Archer - TOR
Note: The Jays don't seem to faze him: 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 24% K rate in 67.3 IP for his career (0.00 ERA in 14 IP this year)
9. Dallas Keuchel - NYY
10. Anibal Sanchez - CWS
Note: Trumpeted him even when his ERA was in the 5.00s, last four now: 1.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 21% K in 30.7 IP
11. Jesse Chavez - at TEX, KC
Note: His ERA hasn't been north of 2.89 at any point this year (11 starts, 4 relief app.)
12. Garrett Richards - SEA
Note: Since the NYY debacle: 1.29 ERA in 14 IP with 11 Ks (and 4 BBs ... which are way up from last year)
13. Danny Salazar - DET
14. Carlos Carrasco - DET
Note: First start with the new IF defense wasn't great, but I still think the Lindor/Urshela infield will benefit Carrasco most
15. Trevor May - at MIL
16. Trevor Bauer - DET, at BAL
Note: Two top 10 teams vs. RHP plus Bauer's volatility makes you think at least one of these will go awry
17. Eduardo Rodriguez - BAL
Note: Bounced back from his first thrashing (6.3 IP/1 ER) showing it was more TOR being tough than any commentary on his readiness
18. Lance McCullers Jr. - at LAA
Note: I'd rather he have the occasional 3-4 BB gm here & there as opposed to 2-3 every single start (3+ BB three times; 0-1 BB three times)
19. Edinson Volquez - at OAK
20. Jesse Hahn - KC
21. Scott Kazmir - KC
22. Clay Buchholz - BAL
23. Hector Santiago - HOU, SEA
24. Ubaldo Jimenez - at BOS, CLE
Note: The ERA is on the rise, but the skills are holding firm: 4.28 ERA in his last 33.7 IP with a 23% K rate, 8% BB, and 4.0 K:BB ratio
25. Jeff Samardzija - at MIN, at DET
Note: Two roadies could be worrisome with a 5.71 ERA, but a 3.6 K:BB ratio suggests it should get better
26. Jose Quintana - at DET
27. Wei-Yin Chen - CLE
Note: Sent to High-A as a means to skip him in TOR (141 wRC+ vs. LHP), very savvy move by BAL; fantasy owners should thank them
28. Chris Young - at OAK
29. Roenis Elias - KC
30. C.J. Wilson - HOU
Note: Wasn't buying early when he was succeeding with light skills, but has ramped the skills of late (28% K, 9% BB in last 40 IP)
31. Erasmo Ramirez - BOS
Note: Has allowed 11 ER in seven starts since joining the rotation and 5 came in one outing, has allowed 3 ER in his last four starts combined
32. Nate Karns - TOR
Note: TB has been really careful with their handling of Ramirez & Karns and it's helped both flourish
33. Adam Warren - PHI
34. Wandy Rodriguez - OAK
Note: Has allowed more than 3 ER just twice in 11 starts; skills are sporadic, though (20% K rate through 10 starts, then 1 K in his last outing)
35. Justin Verlander - at CLE
36. Alfredo Simon - CWS
37. Tommy Milone - CWS, at MIL
Note: Since his recall: 2.37 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 18% K rate, and 6.5 K:BB ratio in 19 IP; these are MLB's 2 worst teams vs. LHP by wRC+
38. Mike Montgomery - KC
39. Taijuan Walker - at LAA
Note: He is really coming together of late: 2.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 22% K rate in his last five, four of which were on the road
40. Miguel Gonzalez - at BOS
Note: Slated to return from his groin injury next week
41. Kendall Graveman - at TEX
Note: Lop off that April and he's at a 2.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP in 39.7 IP with 30 Ks
42. Vincent Velasquez - NYY
Note: One up, one down so far; let's get another handful of starts before we make sweeping judgments on the youngster
43. Nathan Eovaldi - at HOU
44. J.A. Happ - at LAA
Note: Has allowed more than 3 ER just three times in 13 starts and the 14 ER in those three starts account for 45% of his season ER
45. R.A. Dickey - at TB
46. Drew Hutchison - at TB, TEX
47. Brett Oberholtzer - at LAA, NYY
48. Wade Miley - at TB
Note: The inconsistency is frustrating, but there's been a lot of good with in his last seven: 0, 2, 1, 5, 2, 5, and 2 ER in those seven (3.53 ERA)
49. CC Sabathia - PHI, at HOU
Note: A 4.9 K:BB ratio can only do so much when you're allowing 11 H/9 and 1.6 HR/9, but these two matchups are too good to pass up
50. Jered Weaver - SEA

SIT

51. Yovani Gallardo - at TOR
Note: He's quietly been really solid this year, but you should always limit exposure to Rogers Centre with non-elite arms
52. Matt Shoemaker - HOU
53. Collin McHugh - at LAA, NYY
Note: Two top 10 teams in HRs vs. RHP means you might want McHugh on your bench, even in deeper leagues where he remains viable
54. Phil Hughes - CWS
Note: The 2.91 ERA over his last three is encouraging, but the whopping 10 Ks (in 21.7 IP) to go with it takes the air out of the ERA
55. Carlos Rodon - at DET
56. Matt Andriese - TOR, BOS
Note: He's a five-and-dive at best and he hasn't shown enough to make the 5 IP worth it
57. Chi Chi Gonzalez - OAK, at TOR
Note: His WHIP (1.00) is actually higher than his ERA (0.90), also has more BBs (12) than Ks (10)
58. Kyle Ryan - at CLE, CWS
59. Joe Kelly - BAL, at TB
60. Nick Martinez - at TOR
Note: This is the gm where you're certain he'll get smashed and then he drops six scoreless on 'em because why not? Still not starting him
61. Marco Estrada - at TB
62. Alex Colome - BOS
63. Kyle Gibson - at MIL
64. Rick Porcello - BAL
65. Chris Tillman - CLE
66. Bud Norris - at BOS
67. Mike Pelfrey - CWS
68. Colby Lewis - OAK
69. Mark Buehrle - TEX
70. Cody Anderson - at BAL
71. Jeremy Guthrie - at SEA
72. Yohan Pino - at SEA
73. Scott Copeland - TEX
74. John Danks - at MIN, at DET

NATIONAL LEAGUE

START

1. Clayton Kershaw - at CHC, at MIA
Note: Oh no, his ERA is 4.27 on the road! ... with a 27% K rate and 3.7 K:BB ratio yielding a 3.24 road FIP; he's fine and still super-elite
2. Max Scherzer - at PHI
Note: Credit to those out there beating the drum for him as the #2 SP and a late-first rounder this March, like our own Chris Liss
3. Zack Greinke - at CHC, at MIA
Note: Ks are down a bit from last year (from 25% to 23%), but everything else has been better; he's amazing
4. Gerrit Cole - CIN
Note: Hasn't allowed more than 2 ER in any of his last eight starts; good luck to CIN getting the PIT & NYM staffs this week
5. Matt Harvey - CIN
6. Johnny Cueto - at PIT, at NYM
Note: Cueto's 1.74/4.01 home/road ERA split looks alarming, but his 6.3 K:BB ratio on the road is actually better; strong 1.10 WHIP, too
7. Michael Wacha - CHC
Note: Don't let the 18% overall K rate dissuade you, he's held a 24% mark over his last seven starts, fanning fewer than 5 just once
8. Madison Bumgarner - SD, COL
Note: Had a weird 4.03 ERA at home last year, but has fixed that in '15 with a 2.53 ERA at AT&T Park this year
9. Jacob deGrom - at MIL
10. Carlos Martinez - at MIA, CHC
Note: Three pitchers get this Cubs-Marlins combo this week, the 1st and 6th highest K% teams in the NL (MIA jumps to 4th vs. RHP)
11. Jason Hammel - LAD, at STL
Note: 5 BBs in last two has made it a little bumpy (4.00 ERA) after just 4 BBs in his previous five starts combined (1.96 ERA)
12. Francisco Liriano - ATL
Note: Looks like he has home struggles with a 4.35 ERA at PNC Park, but it's heavily inflated by the 2 IP/7 ER dud vs. MIN
13. A.J. Burnett - CIN
Note: Burnett stayed pretty dry despite a flood of hits vs. WAS (3 ER on 14 H in 6.7 IP); weird outing, but I wouldn't worry too much
14. Jake Arrieta - at STL
15. Cole Hamels - at NYY
Note: Hamstring strain that cost him FRI's start isn't expected to be anything significant
16. James Shields - at SF
17. Shelby Miller - at WAS
Note: His ERA hasn't been higher than 2.17 at any point this year
18. Jordan Zimmermann - ATL, at PHI
Note: We're just not used to this kind of volatility from Zimm: 0, 4, 6, and 3 ER in four June starts
19. Andrew Cashner - ARI
Note: I'm holding strong on the two SD frontliners as their skills and overall talent are much better than their ERAs suggest
20. Tyson Ross - ARI
Note: At least both are still delivering Ks even as their ERA and WHIP continue to sting
21. Jon Lester - LAD
Note: LAD is a bottom 10 team against lefties in wRC+
22. Ian Kennedy - at SF
Note: Skills & results by month: HR/9 - 4.1, 2.5, 0.8; K:BB - 1.3, 3.0, 5.5, and ERA: 10.80, 6.40, and 2.63; SF's .103 ISO at home is 30th in MLB
23. Mat Latos - STL
Note: Latos has a 5.37 ERA overall, but just a 3.58 ERA against non-ATL opponents (14 ER in 7.7 IP vs. ATL in three starts)
24. Gio Gonzalez - at PHI
25. Noah Syndergaard - CIN
Note: Raw skills of 26% K and 5% BB rates suggest the ERA is too high at 3.76 and a 2.90 FIP backs that up
26. John Lackey - CHC
27. Alex Wood - at WAS, at PIT
Note: Now has a 2.74 ERA in his last seven starts (4.32 in first six); wonder if the 23% K rate in his last three is a harbinger
28. Mike Bolsinger - at CHC
Note: Everyone is waiting for the shoe to drop here and 5 ER in his last outing might exacerbate that, but it was really one bad inning
29. Charlie Morton - ATL
30. Chris Heston - SD
Note: SD is starting to look like last year's offense despite all the new faces; easy pick-on team right now
31. Anthony DeSclafani - at PIT
32. Stephen Strasburg - ATL
Note: Had a rehab in Double-A on Wednesday and could rejoin the rotation next week, but if not this will be Joe Ross
33. Bartolo Colon - at MIL
34. Chase Anderson - at COL, at SD
Note: Polar opposites of venue desirability with Anderson this week; if he can survive Coors (6 IP/4 ER?), it'll be a good week
35. Tsuyoshi Wada - LAD, at STL
Note: Two teams in the bottom 10 of wRC+ against lefties, plus an intriguing K surge by Wada make him interesting
36. Mike Fiers - NYM, MIN
Note: The volatility is reaching a breaking point, but the 25% K rate is still too much ignore right now
37. Jaime Garcia - at MIA
Note: I lke both Garcia & Anderson, but MIA vs. lefties is really tough (112 wRC+ is 2nd in MLB)
38. Brett Anderson - at MIA
39. Mike Leake - at PIT
Note: If you carved out a spot for his 200 IP of league average work, then just leave him there and ride the highs & lows
40. Chad Bettis - at SF
Note: Tough trip to HOU, hard to really blame anyone for that; skills remain intriguing, espec. on road
41. Kyle Hendricks - LAD
42. Jimmy Nelson - NYM
43. Williams Perez - at PIT
44. Robbie Ray - at SD
Note: Great results so far (1.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), but modest skills (17% K, 2.3 K:BB ratio) says ride will end soon; still like a trip to Petco
45. Tom Koehler - LAD
Note: That ballpark covers a lot of mistakes and has aided him to a 1.52 home ERA (6.21 on the road)
46. Dan Haren - STL
Note: WHIP will determine ultimate success as HRs aren't going anywhere so it's a matter of whether they're solos or multi-run
47. Jeff Locke - CIN, ATL
Note: Two gems in a row, but came against two of MLB's worst vs. LHP (PHI & CWS); a deep-league stream option at best
48. Jorge De La Rosa - ARI
Note: Hasn't shown his usual mastery of Coors with a 7.56 ERA (2.93 ERA in 173 IP from '13-14), but K upside is still worth watching
49. Carlos Frias - at CHC
Note: 40% of his season (10) came in 7% of his IP (4) when SD trounced him; skills have been erratic at best
50. Doug Fister - ATL
Note: More blah work in return (5.3 IP/5 ER), but had a creaky injury return last year (4.3 IP/5 ER) and then reeled off a 2.20 ERA for 160 IP

SIT

51. Matt Wisler - at WAS
Note: Great debut going toe-to-toe with deGrom for 8 IP; could be a real asset if he can fan at least 18-19% (just 2 Ks in the debut)
52. Jeremy Hellickson - at SD
Note: Could be a solid spot-start here: 4.46 ERA on the road, but 3.1 K:BB ratio
53. Julio Teheran - at PIT
Note: Just a mess right now and need to see something on the road before trusting him again (7.17 road ERA in 42.7 IP)
54. David Hale - ARI
55. David Phelps - LAD
56. Aaron Harang - WAS
57. Ryan Vogelsong - SD
Note: Tough to even stream because he doesn't follow any pattern - 6 IP/0 ER in Coors, 6.7 IP/5 ER at PHI; sure it was at PHI, but still ...
58. Tim Lincecum - COL
59. Tim Hudson - COL
60. Kyle Lohse - MIN
61. Rubby De La Rosa - at COL
Note: Two great outings are notable, but .960 OPS vs. LH with a trip to Coors is worrisome; he's lucky Dickerson is on the shelf at least
62. Tyler Lyons - at MIA
Note: MIA mashes lefties with a 112 wRC+, good for second to only the Blue Jays
63. Michael Lorenzen - at NYM
64. Chris Rusin - at SF
65. Odrisamer Despaigne - at SF, ARI
66. Jon Niese - at MIL, CIN
67. Kevin Correia - at NYY, WAS
68. Sean O'Sullivan - at NYY, WAS
69. Taylor Jungmann - NYM
70. Jose Urena - STL, LAD
71. Matt Garza - MIN
72. Kyle Kendrick - ARI, at SF
73. Allen Webster - at COL
74. Jon Moscot Replacement - at NYM
Note: It will likely be a fill-in type like Axelrod or Holmberg, but maybe Robert Stephenson gets a shot (1.91 ERA, 40 Ks in last 30 IP)

MLB TOP 100

1. Clayton Kershaw - at CHC, at MIA
Note: Oh no, his ERA is 4.27 on the road! ... with a 27% K rate and 3.7 K:BB ratio yielding a 3.24 road FIP; he's fine and still super-elite
2. Felix Hernandez - KC, at LAA
Note: My big concern after 2 super-duds in 3 starts was injury, eight scoreless IP of four-hit ball assuages those injury concerns
3. David Price - at CLE, CWS
Note: Probably would've made it into the seventh inn. for a 10th straight, but rain stopped him short (5 IP/2 ER in 72 pitches)
4. Chris Sale - at MIN
Note: Almost deserves the top spot even without 2 starts given this obscene run: 1.19 ERA, 0.64 WHIP, and 75 Ks in his last 45.3 IP ... WHAT?!
5. Max Scherzer - at PHI
Note: Credit to those out there beating the drum for him as the #2 SP and a late-first rounder this March, like our own Chris Liss
6. Zack Greinke - at CHC, at MIA
Note: Ks are down a bit from last year (from 25% to 23%), but everything else has been better; he's amazing
7. Gerrit Cole - CIN
Note: Hasn't allowed more than 2 ER in any of his last eight starts; good luck to CIN getting the PIT & NYM staffs this week
8. Matt Harvey - CIN
9. Johnny Cueto - at PIT, at NYM
Note: Cueto's 1.74/4.01 home/road ERA split looks alarming, but his 6.3 K:BB ratio on the road is actually better; strong 1.10 WHIP, too
10. Michael Wacha - CHC
Note: Don't let the 18% overall K rate dissuade you, he's held a 24% mark over his last seven starts, fanning fewer than 5 just once
11. Madison Bumgarner - SD, COL
Note: Had a weird 4.03 ERA at home last year, but has fixed that in '15 with a 2.53 ERA at AT&T Park this year
12. Masahiro Tanaka - at HOU
Note: Now matching or bettering his '14 numbers across the board: 2.49 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 27% K (all better), and 4% BB (matching)
13. Corey Kluber - at BAL
14. Jacob deGrom - at MIL
15. Michael Pineda - PHI, at HOU
Note: Severe home/road split (2.36/5.05 ERA), but strong skills on road says that ugly ERA will come down: 20% K, 4% BB, and 5.3 K:BB
16. Sonny Gray - at TEX
Note: Facing a team twice in a row is hit-or-miss, in Apr he got LAA 2x in a row (3 ER in 15 IP), mixed results this time (7.3 IP/0 ER, 6 IP/5 ER)
17. Chris Archer - TOR
Note: The Jays don't seem to faze him: 2.67 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 24% K rate in 67.3 IP for his career (0.00 ERA in 14 IP this year)
18. Dallas Keuchel - NYY
19. Carlos Martinez - at MIA, CHC
Note: Three pitchers get this Cubs-Marlins combo this week, the 1st and 6th highest K% teams in the NL (MIA jumps to 4th vs. RHP)
20. Jason Hammel - LAD, at STL
Note: 5 BBs in last two has made it a little bumpy (4.00 ERA) after just 4 BBs in his previous five starts combined (1.96 ERA)
21. Francisco Liriano - ATL
Note: Looks like he has home struggles with a 4.35 ERA at PNC Park, but it's heavily inflated by the 2 IP/7 ER dud vs. MIN
22. A.J. Burnett - CIN
Note: Burnett stayed pretty dry despite a flood of hits vs. WAS (3 ER on 14 H in 6.7 IP); weird outing, but I wouldn't worry too much
23. Jake Arrieta - at STL
24. Cole Hamels - at NYY
Note: Hamstring strain that cost him FRI's start isn't expected to be anything significant
25. James Shields - at SF
26. Anibal Sanchez - CWS
Note: Trumpeted him even when his ERA was in the 5.00s, last four now: 1.76 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 21% K in 30.7 IP
27. Jesse Chavez - at TEX, KC
Note: His ERA hasn't been north of 2.89 at any point this year (11 starts, 4 relief app.)
28. Garrett Richards - SEA
Note: Since the NYY debacle: 1.29 ERA in 14 IP with 11 Ks (and 4 BBs ... which are way up from last year)
29. Danny Salazar - DET
30. Carlos Carrasco - DET
Note: First start with the new IF defense wasn't great, but I still think the Lindor/Urshela infield will benefit Carrasco most
31. Trevor May - at MIL
32. Trevor Bauer - DET, at BAL
Note: Two top 10 teams vs. RHP plus Bauer's volatility makes you think at least one of these will go awry
33. Eduardo Rodriguez - BAL
Note: Bounced back from his first thrashing (6.3 IP/1 ER) showing it was more TOR being tough than any commentary on his readiness
34. Lance McCullers Jr. - at LAA
Note: I'd rather he have the occasional 3-4 BB gm here & there as opposed to 2-3 every single start (3+ BB three times; 0-1 BB three times)
35. Edinson Volquez - at OAK
36. Jesse Hahn - KC
37. Shelby Miller - at WAS
Note: His ERA hasn't been higher than 2.17 at any point this year
38. Jordan Zimmermann - ATL, at PHI
Note: We're just not used to this kind of volatility from Zimm: 0, 4, 6, and 3 ER in four June starts
39. Andrew Cashner - ARI
Note: I'm holding strong on the two SD frontliners as their skills and overall talent are much better than their ERAs suggest
40. Tyson Ross - ARI
Note: At least both are still delivering Ks even as their ERA and WHIP continue to sting
41. Jon Lester - LAD
Note: LAD is a bottom 10 team against lefties in wRC+
42. Ian Kennedy - at SF
Note: Skills & results by month: HR/9 - 4.1, 2.5, 0.8; K:BB - 1.3, 3.0, 5.5, and ERA: 10.80, 6.40, and 2.63; SF's .103 ISO at home is 30th in MLB
43. Mat Latos - STL
Note: Latos has a 5.37 ERA overall, but just a 3.58 ERA against non-ATL opponents (14 ER in 7.7 IP vs. ATL in three starts)
44. Gio Gonzalez - at PHI
45. Noah Syndergaard - CIN
Note: Raw skills of 26% K and 5% BB rates suggest the ERA is too high at 3.76 and a 2.90 FIP backs that up
46. John Lackey - CHC
47. Alex Wood - at WAS, at PIT
Note: Now has a 2.74 ERA in his last seven starts (4.32 in first six); wonder if the 23% K rate in his last three is a harbinger
48. Mike Bolsinger - at CHC
Note: Everyone is waiting for the shoe to drop here and 5 ER in his last outing might exacerbate that, but it was really one bad inning
49. Charlie Morton - ATL
50. Chris Heston - SD
Note: SD is starting to look like last year's offense despite all the new faces; easy pick-on team right now
51. Anthony DeSclafani - at PIT
52. Stephen Strasburg - ATL
Note: Had a rehab in Double-A on Wednesday and could rejoin the rotation next week, but if not this will be Joe Ross
53. Bartolo Colon - at MIL
54. Scott Kazmir - KC
55. Clay Buchholz - BAL
56. Hector Santiago - HOU, SEA
57. Ubaldo Jimenez - at BOS, CLE
Note: The ERA is on the rise, but the skills are holding firm: 4.28 ERA in his last 33.7 IP with a 23% K rate, 8% BB, and 4.0 K:BB ratio
58. Jeff Samardzija - at MIN, at DET
Note: Two roadies could be worrisome with a 5.71 road ERA, but a 3.6 K:BB ratio suggests it should get better
59. Jose Quintana - at DET
60. Wei-Yin Chen - CLE
Note: Sent to High-A as a means to skip him in TOR (141 wRC+ vs. LHP), very savvy move by BAL; fantasy owners should thank them
61. Chris Young - at OAK
62. Roenis Elias - KC
63. C.J. Wilson - HOU
Note: Wasn't buying early when he was succeeding with light skills, but has ramped the skills of late (28% K, 9% BB in last 40 IP)
64. Erasmo Ramirez - BOS
Note: Has allowed 11 ER in seven starts since joining the rotation and 5 came in one outing, has allowed 3 ER in his last four starts combined
65. Nate Karns - TOR
Note: TB has been really careful with their handling of Ramirez & Karns and it's helped both flourish
66. Adam Warren - PHI
67. Wandy Rodriguez - OAK
Note: Has allowed more than 3 ER just twice in 11 starts; skills are sporadic, though (20% K rate through 10 starts, then 1 K in his last outing)
68. Justin Verlander - at CLE
69. Alfredo Simon - CWS
70. Tommy Milone - CWS, at MIL
Note: Since his recall: 2.37 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 18% K rate, and 6.5 K:BB ratio in 19 IP; these are MLB's 2 worst teams vs. LHP by wRC+
71. Chase Anderson - at COL, at SD
Note: Polar opposites of venue desirability with Anderson this week; if he can survive Coors (6 IP/4 ER?), it'll be a good week
72. Tsuyoshi Wada - LAD, at STL
Note: Two teams in the bottom 10 of wRC+ against lefties, plus an intriguing K surge by Wada make him interesting
73. Mike Fiers - NYM, MIN
Note: The volatility is reaching a breaking point, but the 25% K rate is still too much ignore right now
74. Jaime Garcia - at MIA
Note: I lke both Garcia & Anderson, but MIA vs. lefties is really tough (112 wRC+ is 2nd in MLB)
75. Brett Anderson - at MIA
76. Mike Leake - at PIT
Note: If you carved out a spot for his 200 IP of league average work, then just leave him there and ride the highs & lows
77. Chad Bettis - at SF
Note: Tough trip to HOU, hard to really blame anyone for that; skills remain intriguing, espec. on road
78. Mike Montgomery - KC
79. Taijuan Walker - at LAA
Note: He is really coming together of late: 2.34 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 22% K rate in his last five, four of which were on the road
80. Miguel Gonzalez - at BOS
Note: Slated to return from his groin injury next week
81. Kendall Graveman - at TEX
Note: Lop off that April and he's at a 2.27 ERA, 1.16 WHIP in 39.7 IP with 30 Ks
82. Kyle Hendricks - LAD
83. Jimmy Nelson - NYM
84. Williams Perez - at PIT
85. Robbie Ray - at SD
Note: Great results so far (1.09 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), but modest skills (17% K, 2.3 K:BB ratio) says ride will end soon; still like a trip to Petco
86. Tom Koehler - LAD
Note: That ballpark covers a lot of mistakes and has aided him to a 1.52 home ERA (6.21 on the road)
87. Dan Haren - STL
Note: WHIP will determine ultimate success as HRs aren't going anywhere so it's a matter of whether they're solos or multi-run
88. Vincent Velasquez - NYY
Note: One up, one down so far; let's get another handful of starts before we make sweeping judgments on the youngster
89. Nathan Eovaldi - at HOU
90. J.A. Happ - at LAA
Note: Has allowed more than 3 ER just three times in 13 starts and the 14 ER in those three starts account for 45% of his season ER
91. R.A. Dickey - at TB
92. Drew Hutchison - at TB, TEX
93. Brett Oberholtzer - at LAA, NYY
94. Wade Miley - at TB
Note: The inconsistency is frustrating, but there's been a lot of good with in his last seven: 0, 2, 1, 5, 2, 5, and 2 ER in those seven (3.53 ERA)
95. CC Sabathia - PHI, at HOU
Note: A 4.9 K:BB ratio can only do so much when you're allowing 11 H/9 and 1.6 HR/9, but these two matchups are too good to pass up
96. Jeff Locke - CIN, ATL
Note: Two gems in a row, but came against two of MLB's worst vs. LHP (PHI & CWS); a deep-league stream option at best
97. Jorge De La Rosa - ARI
Note: Hasn't shown his usual mastery of Coors with a 7.56 ERA (2.93 ERA in 173 IP from '13-14), but K upside is still worth watching
98. Carlos Frias - at CHC
Note: 40% of his season (10) came in 7% of his IP (4) when SD trounced him; skills have been erratic at best
99. Doug Fister - ATL
Note: More blah work in return (5.3 IP/5 ER), but had a creaky injury return last year (4.3 IP/5 ER) and then reeled off a 2.20 ERA for 160 IP
100. Matt Wisler - at WAS
Note: Great debut going toe-to-toe with deGrom for 8 IP; could be a real asset if he can fan at least 18-19% (just 2 Ks in the debut)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Paul Sporer
Sporer covers pitching for RotoWire. He also writes for Baseball Prospectus and publishes an annual guide on starting pitcher. In his spare time, he roots for the Tigers.
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