Every Monday, I will be releasing “The List” where I rank the current value of the Top 100 pitchers in fantasy baseball for the rest of the season. Use these rankings to help understand what to expect from pitchers for the rest of 2015, and as a tool to gauge trade value in your fantasy leagues.
Let’s see what has changed in the SP market since last week:
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Notes
– There’s been a small shuffle in the Top 15 with one of baseball’s most consistent pitchers, Zack Greinke, making the biggest jump. Jacob deGrom and teammate Matt Harvey take small hits given their lack of consistency, while Jose Fernandez and Chris Archer take advantage and climb higher.
– Cole Hamels has quietly been dominating in a Phillies uniform, and the numbers all point to him being a Top 15 guy – especially if he’s dealt to a contending team.
– There were a few falls past #20, most notably Stephen Strasburg who heads to the DL with an oblique strain. The timetable is unclear, but these injuries are rarely brief. It’s a shame, really, as he was looking stellar during his shortened Saturday start. Sadly, Joe Ross wasn’t called on to take his spot, but monitor the situation closely.
– Shelby Miller has earned more trust with his new Cutter, inducing 21.3% soft contact to support his still questionable .258 BABIP. He doesn’t strikeout enough batters consistently to make a much bigger leap, but he earned a spot in the Top 30.
– Returning from the DL today is Hisashi Iwakuma who was ranked #23 overall in the preseason. While I don’t expect him to be sterling out of the gate, he could be a great add in a league that has completely forgotten about him.
– We knew it wouldn’t last as Cardinal starter Jaime Garcia hit the DL with a groin injury. His timetable is indefinite, but as of now he looks to be en route for a late July/early August return.
– Collin McHugh took a step back this week as he still can’t find the right mix of pitches to frustrate batters.
– The Orioles finally elected to bring Kevin Gausman into the rotation, and he didn’t disappoint in his debut. While I have my long-term concerns considering his heavy Fastball usage, Gausman should be added in nearly all leagues.
– Ervin Santana hit the ground running in his first start of the season, and shot up the rankings. He shouldn’t be a major impact player, but the right matchups will pay great dividends.
– However, with the addition of Santana the Twins were forced to move Trevor May to the bullpen. It doesn’t look to be a concrete decision at the moment, but it puts a major dent in the K/BB specialist’s value.
– Prospects Andrew Heaney and Manny Banuelos have entered their respective staffs and both looked promising this week. Banuelos’ spot is more secure, but both deserve a spot given their decent upside.