Here are your morning rankings for today’s starting pitcher options.
It’s not perfect and will be far from the actual results at the end of the day, though it should give guidance for those questioning who to slot into your lineup on a given day.
Note: I’ve made a change moving forward to this daily article. I’ll now be including a second table for tomorrow’s starting pitcher matchups as well, helping everyone get a jump on their nightly pickups. Please note that these matchups are subject to change, though, and there will be times when I have the incorrect pitcher going. I thank you for your future understanding.
Pitchers highlighted in yellow = Possible streaming options.
FS = False Starter where there is an assumed opener actually starting the game.
Red = Postponed.
Today’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
| Rank | Pitcher | Matchup |
| 1 | Blake Snell | vs. KC |
| 2 | Justin Verlander | vs. MIN |
| 3 | Walker Buehler | @ CHC |
| 4 | German Marquez | vs. WSH |
| 5 | Chris Paddack | vs. SEA |
| 6 | Mike Soroka | @ CIN |
| 7 | Eduardo Rodriguez | vs. DET |
| 8 | Jordan Lyles | vs. ARI |
| 9 | Merrill Kelly | @ PIT |
| 10 | Cole Hamels | vs. LAD |
| 11 | CC Sabathia | @ LAA |
| 12 | Vince Velasquez | @ NYM |
| 13 | Clay Buchholz | vs. SF |
| 14 | Drew Pomeranz | @ TOR |
| 15 | Jakob Junis | TB? |
| 16 | Jhoulys Chacin | @ STL |
| 17 | Sandy Alcantara | @ CLE |
| 18 | Felix Pena | vs. NYY |
| 19 | Tanner Roark | vs. ATL |
| 20 | Ervin Santana | @ BAL |
| 21 | Aaron Brooks | vs. TEX |
| 22 | Felix Hernandez | @ SD |
| 23 | Jefry Rodriguez | vs MIA |
| 24 | Kyle Dowdy | @ OAK |
| 25 | Tyson Ross | @ BOS |
| 26 | Adam Wainwright | vs. MIL |
| 27 | Anibal Sanchez | @ COL |
| 28 | John Means | vs. CHW |
| 29 | Jason Vargas | vs. PHI |
| 30 | Kohl Stewart | @ HOU |
Tomorrow’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
| Rank | Pitcher | Matchup |
| 1 | Gerrit Cole | vs. CLE |
| 2 | Trevor Bauer | @ HOU |
| 3 | Aaron Nola | vs. MIA |
| 4 | Jameson Taillon | vs. ARI |
| 5 | Zack Greinke | @ PIT |
| 6 | Luis Castillo | vs. ATL |
| 7 | Masahiro Tanaka | @ LAA |
| 8 | Caleb Smith | @ PHI |
| 9 | Marco Gonzales | vs. TEX |
| 10 | Ross Stripling | @ CHC |
| 11 | Jon Lester | vs. LAD |
| 12 | Rick Porcello | vs. DET |
| 13 | Trevor Cahill | vs. NYY |
| 14 | Julio Teheran | @ CIN |
| 15 | Adrian Sampson | @ SEA |
| 16 | Jordan Zimmermann | @ BOS |
(Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)
Is Kelly worth a stream vs Pitt? (I know he isn’t shaded in yellow)
Yep! He’s owned in enough leagues that I didn’t shade him.
If you want to see a clinic in bad base-running check out the top of the second in the Rays v Royals. MLB base-running is generally atrocious – I’d say worse than your average HS – but the Royals just put on a clinic in how not to execute a first and third play today, which will likely be billed as defensive wizardry. It’s like they never practice it or even talk about it… which is how they handle base-running at that level I am pretty sure.