The List 5/3: Top 100 Starting Pitchers For 2021 – Week 6

It’s the weekly tradition here at Pitcher List where I rank the Top 100 Starting Pitchers in fantasy baseball and it’s time for Week 6’s starting pitcher rankings.

Want an earlier update to The List? Join me on Mondays at 12:00pm EST as I live-stream its creation each week!

As always, make sure to read the notes as there are many changes that have good reasons behind them, and please consider that these ranks are based on a 12-teamer, 5×5 roto format. Adjust accordingly to your situation.

Here are the rules for those wondering why a pitcher is or isn’t ranked here:

1. If a pitcher is on the IL or out of the rotation and not confirmed for a start this week, they are pushed into the Fringe table.
2. If a pitcher is in a rotation and not confirmed to start but hasn’t been placed on the IL or officially removed, they remain on The List.
3. These rankings are made as if I am drafting a team today for the rest of the season.
4. This means the Top 40-50 picks are more for ROS, while the rankings after are more short-term focused.
5. I will only incorporate a game played on Monday if the pitcher’s performance is completed before 2:00pm EST.

 

Ranking Notes

 

• This is your reminder to please read these notes as they’ll tell you plenty about why “someone moved up” or “why is he at #X?!”
• Seriously. Read the notes.

 

• No movement inside the Top 11 as Corbin Burnes had to be pulled for his current COVID-IL stint. It’s annoying, I know, I would normally have him at #12 on The List.
• I elected to put Jack Flaherty in the second tier as he’s in rhythm with his slider and should have few hesitations from managers moving forward, hopefully pushing 180+ innings this season.

 

• Tier 3 is a short one as many are wondering if Blake Snell can be the ace we envisioned. The answer is yes, just give him time to get settled. He has yet to complete six frames and isn’t as efficient as we’ve seen, though his WHIP will fall as the innings go up.
• Julio Urias was given the AGA label during the roundup this morning and Sandy Alcantara could follow after his next outing. I wanted to give it to Sandy during the roundup and hopefully he fully earns it.

 

• Yes, I’m still ranking Luis Castillo at 19 despite his hiccups. I made the fourth tier incredibly long to help showcase how it’s a blur across all thirteen of these players. In the end, Castillo’s upside is more tangible and realistic to hit moving forward than the rest of them, making me place him so high. If you’re rostering Trevor Rogers and don’t want to trade him for Castillo, I don’t blame you in the slightest.
• Jose Berrios is beginning to turn the corner with his curveball and while he took a slight dip, I imagine he’ll stick comfortably inside the Top 40 through the season.

 

• Welcome back Max Fried from the IL as he’s set to pitch on Wednesday. It’s a Still ILL and I anticipate Fried to settle inside the Top 30 soon.
• Keep in mind, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Burnes were removed, granting +2 marks to all before Fried’s introduction.

 

• In the fifth tier we have a collection of arms that could take the leap into the Top 30, but either need a longer track record or have to make a few critical adjustments to get there.
• The fun one here is Carlos Rodón who has maintained his fastball velocity at 94/95 mph while his changeup has appeared as a difference-maker in his recent starts – moreso than his slider. It’s still too early to thrust him into Tier Four, but it’s hard to argue against his breakout performance.

 

• Tier Six is where it gets interesting. I debated with Twitch chat for a while about where to place Kenta Maeda and in the end, I still feel that Maeda will figure this out. It’s hard to endure, – trust me, I know – and if you’d rather favor others, by all means. It’s the short-term vs. long-term play and I think by The List next week, we’ll have a much clearer outlook as he gets the Rangers + Tigers ahead.
• Corey Kluber had a phenomenal outing on Sunday, but it came against Detroit and with a heavy focus on changeups. I want to propel him up the ranks and it’ll take another promising outing against the Nationals to do so.

 

• Jameson Taillon is taking the steps forward that we want to see as he embraced his huge hook against the Tigers. The next step is nailing down that slider and there’s a feeling he improves with each start he makes. Keep riding this.
• Freddy Peralta vs. Huascar Ynoa is a fun debate, ultimately with me siding with Peralta given his overwhelming fastball when placed in the zone. It’s incredibly close, though, and I’d love to roster both moving forward.

 

• I do believe that Frankie Montas will climb the ranks across the season and we can continue that dream after he squares off against the elite Blue Jay offense in Florida. Yikes.
• Danny Duffy is simply unreal right now. If I believed that he was this good, I’d have him already in Tier 5 at least – 0.60 ERA and 0.97 WHIP! – but I’m not sold that he can keep up his ~94 mph velocity all season long. He hasn’t averaged that heater for a full season since 2016.

 

• Tier 7 is where a conspicuous drop-off begins. Given the lack of confident options, Robbie Ray jumps a whopping 17 points after displaying the ability to pummel the zone with four-seamers. It’s returned 14 strikeouts and zero walks in his last two outings and this could stick for a long while.
• Eduardo Rodriguez uncharacteristically was unable to find his fastball in his last start and I’m hoping it was just a blip and not the start of a trend.

 

• It’s a jumble of interesting options here with Sean Manaea gaining velocity and whiffs lately, teammate Chris Bassitt taking full advantage of his improved schedule, Alex Wood showcasing an amazing slider and promising good fortune for those willing to hold through a date in Coors, and Marcus Stroman returning to form despite a game cut short with a small hamstring twinge (he should make his next start).
• The descent of Kyle Hendricks continues. He’s getting a harsher punishment for his struggles as his repertoire has suggested a small margin of error for a long time. His journey to redemption is a harder hill to climb and all we can do is hope he gets his command back soon.

 

• It may seem aggressive to slot Shane McClanahan into the Top 60 (!). Remember, the numbers are all relative – we’re at the point where those in Tier 8 and below are not fundamental to your 12-teamer success. You should be taking a chance on a major impact player like McClanahan who carries an upper 90s fastball, low 90s slider, and solid changeup/curveball + has a rotation spot for the Rays over others who are often questionable starts for your leagues.
• Sadly, Shohei Ohtani was scratched tonight after taking a pitch off the elbow. It’s frustrating as I wanted to see him get into a rhythm, and I imagine he’ll start in the next few days instead.

 

• After a start looking lost with his slider, Michael Pineda found it and excelled. He’s back to being a sturdy (and often overlooked!) starter for your squad.
• With his fastball at 91 mph and two great starts against the Marlins ahead, Madison Bumgarner should be well-liked by fantasy managers.

 

• I haven’t been impressed with Jordan Montgomery as of late, as he’s lacking that sole pitch to push him over the edge. It’s a decent repertoire, it’s just lacking that legit plus offering, turning him more into a Toby than a potential ace.
• It’s frustrating rostering Triston McKenzie, but I suggest patience. Give him more time to get his breakers in check and McKenzie should get the walks down, get more efficient, and return value. Just give him another week or two.
• The same goes for Patrick Corbin who was a touch better against the Marlins, but is a clear bench against the Yankees. Let’s hope he’s making the small adjustments needed with each start.

 

• Kicking off Tier 9 is Domingo German, who exploded with 94 mph velocity after sitting 90/91 mph in his return from the alternate site. Let’s hope he stays at that velocity and can earn some Wins.
• The tales of Kyle Gibson and Adam Wainwright are spreading like wildfire. Might as well keep starting these Vargas Rules until further notice.

 

• Tier 10 kicks off with Daniel Lynch, who will be making his MLB debut Monday evening. We don’t know exactly what to expect in his outing against Cleveland, but he’s worth the grab above those below him – you won’t lose much not rostering the bottom 25 arms on The List. Here’s to hoping he’s the next exciting prospect arm to wow us.
• The trio of Dylan Cease, Griffin Canning, and Garrett Richards have blossomed as of late. Cease expressed better fastball control and paired it with a whiff-heavy slider, while Canning and Richards excellent with fastballs inside the zone. There’s a chance for all of them that the success is short-lived, but each deserves your attention as potential adds off the wire.

 

• The uncertainty of Ryan Weathers spells a problem in the ranks. He was initially raised up given his heavy workload early in his career as a starter, but with his recent injury scare, I imagine the Padres will limit him in his next starts – if he does make those starts. It’s a frustrating situation and I’d suggest searching for other options in the short term.
• I know many want Anthony DeSclafani to rise up the ladder, but I’m cautious given numbers have been inflated from a pair of Rockie Road outings inside Oracle Park. I need to see more.

 

• Carlos Martinez, Rich Hill, and Nick Pivetta each return to The List this week in Tier 11. Martinez just had a great start against the Pirates with his cutter earning plenty of outs and can do more of the same against Rockie Road, Hill just had a shortened start based on a COVID IL stint and could return to 5-6 innings as soon as his next appearance, and Pivetta has a lovely two-start week where he could polish his BSB with heaters and breakers.
• Jon Gray takes a tumble as he failed to take advantage of his start on the road and now has to spend time in Colorado. Bummer.

 

• In the final tier, we have many new names. José Ureña has gone seven frames in four straight starts, Casey Mize could take his recent start and build on it (doubtful, but still), Cole Irvin, Justus Sheffield, Martin Perez, and Tyler Anderson each could serve as streamers, and Luis Garcia could be someone to consider adding if Jake Odorizzi takes a good while to recover.
• Mike Minor and Spencer Turnbull each fall into the final tier as they are figuring out their repertoires. Minor’s low 91 mph velocity wasn’t able to take advantage of excellent matchups, while Turnbull failed to find his breakers in his last start. There’s work to be done.

 

 

My rule for moving from the IL back to the rankings: If they are confirmed to return before the next edition of The List, then I will add them.

All right, now that the notes are at the top and you understand where I’m coming from, let’s get to The List:

Rank	Pitcher	Badges	Change
1	Jacob deGromT1	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
2	Shane Bieber	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
3	Gerrit Cole	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
4	Yu Darvish T2	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
5	Trevor Bauer	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
6	Aaron Nola	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
7	Lucas Giolito	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
8	Walker Buehler	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
9	Max Scherzer	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
10	Clayton Kershaw	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
11	Brandon Woodruff	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
12	Lance Lynn	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+1
13	Tyler Glasnow	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	+1
14	Jack Flaherty	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+2
15	Zac Gallen T3	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	-
16	Blake Snell	Aces Gonna Ace Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	+1
17	Julio Urías	Aces Gonna Ace Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Playing Time Question	+5
18	Sandy Alcantara	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+2
19	Luis Castillo T4	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Cherry Bomb	-1
20	Charlie Morton	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+1
21	Joe Musgrove	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside	+2
22	Lance McCullers Jr.	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips	+2
23	Dylan Bundy	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside	+2
24	Sonny Gray	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside	+2
25	Zack Wheeler	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+2
26	Zach Plesac	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+3
27	Kevin Gausman	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Ratio Focused	+5
28	Trevor Rogers	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Streaming Option	+5
29	John Means	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+5
30	José Berríos	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Cherry Bomb	-
31	Max Fried	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+UR
32	Zack Greinke T5	Ace Potential Quality Starts	-1
33	Tyler Mahle	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside	+2
34	Pablo López	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Streaming Option	+2
35	Aaron Civale	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Ratio Focused	+4
36	Ian Anderson	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Ratio Focused	+1
37	Carlos Rodón	Ace Potential Streaming Option	+6
38	Kenta Maeda T6	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	-10
39	Corey Kluber	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Playing Time Question	+9
40	Freddy Peralta	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	+5
41	Huascar Ynoa	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+5
42	Jameson Taillon	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Playing Time Question	+5
43	Frankie Montas	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Cherry Bomb	-2
44	José Urquidy	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question	+10
45	Danny Duffy	Quality Starts Toby Streaming Option	+13
46	Marcus Stroman T7	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Ratio Focused	+4
47	Eduardo Rodriguez	Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	-3
48	Robbie Ray	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	+17
49	Cristian Javier	Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	+11
50	Alex Wood	Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Streaming Option	+7
51	Nathan Eovaldi	Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+2
52	Andrew Heaney	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+3
53	Sean Manaea	Injury Risk Toby Ratio Focused	+10
54	Chris Bassitt	Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused	+10
55	Kyle Hendricks	Ace Potential Quality Starts Ratio Focused	-13
56	Zach Eflin	Ace Potential Quality Starts Streaming Option	+6
57	Shohei Ohtani	Ace Potential Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	+13
58	Shane McClanahan	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Stash Option	+UR
59	Michael Pineda T8	Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+19
60	Yusei Kikuchi	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+8
61	JT Brubaker	Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+6
62	Madison Bumgarner	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+12
63	Jordan Montgomery	Strikeout Upside Toby Ratio Focused	-12
64	Triston McKenzie	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question	-12
65	Patrick Corbin	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Quality Starts	+1
66	Domingo Germán T9	Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	+25
67	Kyle Gibson	Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+13
68	Adam Wainwright	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+20
69	Brady Singer	Strikeout Upside Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+2
70	Dallas Keuchel	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused	+2
71	Steven Matz	Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Streaming Option	-10
72	Germán Márquez	Ace Potential Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	-3
73	Daniel Lynch IV T10	Playing Time Question Stash Option	+UR
74	Anthony DeSclafani	Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+3
75	Garrett Richards	Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+UR
76	Dylan Cease	Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb	+20
77	Griffin Canning	Injury Risk Strikeout Upside Low Ips Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+20
78	Adbert Alzolay	Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	-2
79	Ryan Weathers	Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	-20
80	Justin Dunn	Strikeout Upside Streaming Option	-5
81	Taijuan Walker T11	Quality Starts Toby Streaming Option	+3
82	Carlos Martínez	Toby Streaming Option	+UR
83	Kwang Hyun Kim	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+4
84	Rich Hill	Strikeout Upside Low Ips Playing Time Question Streaming Option	+UR
85	J.A. Happ	Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+8
86	Ryan Yarbrough	Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Cherry Bomb	-4
87	Nick Pivetta	Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb	+UR
88	Wade Miley	Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	-9
89	Jon Gray	Strikeout Upside	-6
90	David Peterson	Strikeout Upside Streaming Option	+10
91	Dane Dunning	Strikeout Upside Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+1
92	José Ureña T12	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused Streaming Option	+UR
93	Casey Mize	Low Ips Cherry Bomb Streaming Option	+UR
94	Cole Irvin	Toby Streaming Option	+UR
95	Justus Sheffield	Toby Streaming Option	+UR
96	Mike Minor	Quality Starts Toby Ratio Focused	-15
97	Spencer Turnbull	Strikeout Upside Streaming Option Stash Option	-8
98	Martín Pérez	Toby Streaming Option	+UR
99	Tyler Anderson	Toby Streaming Option	+UR
100	Luis García	Strikeout Upside Playing Time Question Streaming Option	+UR

Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)