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
– As we get deeper into September, more players will fall fate to inning limits, while others jump in value quickly as they return to the hill.
– Corey Kluber takes a hit as a hamstring injury forced him to miss his last start. While he is currently slated to run this week, there are concerns that it could have effects and another missed start could be in order. Given the talent of the Top Tier pitchers, missing just one start drops him significantly to #9.
– Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is looking for like his true self and has been bumped to #13.
– Owners can rejoice as Jose Fernandez could be returning this weekend to the majors, marking an astronomical rise for the Marlins flamethrower.
– Collin McHugh has performed well through August earning a bump into the Top 30 as we enter the final weeks of the season.
– It has been a troubled 2nd half for Francisco Liriano and his walk rate has carried him deeper into the rankings. It’s possible the lefty recovers, but he needs to take a step in the right direction before regaining his owners’ trust.
– Steven Matz returned to the mound this weekend and performed well for the playoff hopeful Mets. His mature repertoire should help staffs in all leagues down the stretch.
– It was thought to be impossible, but Blue Jays youngin’ Marcus Stroman is planning to take the ball for Toronto as soon as this weekend. There is some risk involved and his pitch count is sure to be limited, but he has the talent of a Top 20 pitcher.
– There has been a lot of talk surrounding Matt Harvey’s innings for the rest of the season, and he seems to be on track to miss a major chunk of the rest of his season to save his arm for the playoffs. Start him when he’s in the rotation, but those innings take a toll on his 2015 outlook.
– A rebound not out of the question for Jason Hammel, but it’s getting tougher to depend on him every start as 2nd half fatigue seems to be a culprit for the #3 Cubs starter.
– Both Ian Kennedy and Ervin Santana have expressed tantilizing strikeout upside as of late, with the former excelling over his last four starts. They both have low floors, however, so recognize if you’re able to take the risk.
– The White Sox called up their top pitching prospect Erik Johnson who displayed solid command in his first start of 2015. He has decent upside, but his value lies more in a better floor than most pitchers around his ranking.
– Tyler Duffey is making himself a relevant Twins Starting Pitcher as he’s fanned at least seven batters three times in his last five outings. Don’t invest too highly in the rookie, but he could hold some sneaky value.
– Rays prospect Blake Snell could be called up in the near future after having an incredible year in the minor league system – a 1.41 ERA with a near 11.00 K/9 – but be cautious: His BB/9 was over 3.50 for the year. He could be met with some struggles if his command is turbulent.