Welcome to the Top 400 Starting Pitchers For 2024 Fantasy Baseball. This is an update to my Top 200 Starting Pitchers For 2024 from October last year.
After shoving all my strategies and write-ups of all 400 players + something close to 300 videos into one article, I quickly found out it crashed phones and browsers, and I felt like an idiot. I’m so sorry everyone, I really should have just done these individually spliced articles first.
Here’s what we’ve done:
- All ranks are now spliced into groups of 20, 25, and 50
- Rankings Philosophy article to read separately
- Left the main up for those who can handle it
Please read the Rankings Philosophy article before reading the rankings. I cannot express enough how it outlines my thoughts on drafting in 12-teamers and why I have ranked these players as I have.
Thanks for your passion and enthusiasm for this article – it pushes me more every year, and I already have new ideas for next year to make this easier a better presentation for all of you.
AGA,
-Nick
Tier 21 – More Youngin’s To Be Aware Of (Cont’d)
It’s a mix of guys I like who I don’t expect to show up and others who could have an early opportunity and may be able to do something with it.
251. Jake Eder (CWS, LHP)
Jake Eder has one of the better sliders in the Minors. Just devastates hitters ☠️
#MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/DuXzbdCkJa— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) July 30, 2023
His slider is legit, the question is how good the fastball will be in the year ahead. He’s currently throwing 92-94 and missing the heater of old, and the White Sox are likely going to wait a bit until they see Eder looking more like the prospect from 2021 before TJS. I’m also curious as to the third pitch he will flex in order to showcase that he can be a reliable starter.
252. Luis Gil (NYY, RHP)
I’ve decided I’m excited for 2024 Luis Gil pic.twitter.com/0L1UOedlMx
— Max Mannis (@MaxMannis) January 30, 2024
Now that I have our PLV App, I was able to take a look at Gil’s four-seamer back in 2021, and that was a wonderful offering. 96/97 mph with great extension, nearly 17 inches of iVB, above-average VAA…Sigh. If only I could trust that he’d be able to locate it upstairs all days. In addition, his slider can be a filthy offering as well, but it’s not one of those “ZOMG LOOK AT THAT” pitches and often fluttered out of his hand as an easy take. Now that he’s back from TJS, the Yankees are sure to have him start in Triple-A more than the two games and four frames he had in 2023 before giving him a shot in the majors and I’m incredibly curious as to whether he can hold 96 mph as a starter across five frames, while hopefully finding a way to throw more strikes with both heaters and sliders. Given how legit that four-seamer is, I’ll have my eye on Gil, but the volume doesn’t look to be there right now.
253. Wilmer Flores (DET, RHP)
Wilmer Flores is back to posting goose eggs 🔥
The @tigers' No. 3 prospect spins four two-hit frames for the @erie_seawolves. pic.twitter.com/BfGU9fpxwv
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 23, 2023
I’m not nearly as impressed by Flores. The polish is lacking through A+ and AA, and it could come together with time spent with Tread Athletics and more time in the minors. His arsenal offers a fastball with mid-90s velocity, a cutter for strikes, and a curveball he hopes to get chases with two strikes. Plenty of volatility and rough days on the hill this past year speak to a difficult sell for potential in 2024, though an ironed-out delivery without a massive head-jerk and rapid-end movement could come over time to make him a stable arm in 2025.
254. Joey Estes (OAK, RHP)
Braves 19 year old RHP Joey Estes threw 7 shutout innings yesterday. Through 54 innings, 2.33 ERA, 64 K, 12 BB in 2021.
FB: 93-95, all K’s were on the FB in this outing. Liked going to it.
SL: 80-82, looks like it could be a swing and miss pitch.
CH: 84-86, nice armside fade. pic.twitter.com/0C5ZICvL3z
— Trevor Hooth (@HoothTrevor) July 10, 2021
He gave us ten frames last year, with his second start flashing excellent BSB command as his four-seamer had solid iVB despite its low 92/93 mph velocity. With a good slider and a developing changeup, I’m curious whether Estes can demand a spot out of camp on an Athletics team that is likely going with the hot hand to make the final spots of the rotation.
255. Mike Vasil (NYM, RHP)
Mike Vasil struck out 10 last night for Triple-A Syracuse
He should be considered a legitimate piece of starting pitching depth for 2024 pic.twitter.com/aaYcTYTRk5
— Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) September 15, 2023
His wide array of weapons makes Vasil the first call-up to start for the Mets this year. Is it worth your time? It likely depends on the team he faces and if he can keep the walks down in Triple-A prior to his debut. There’s promise in his breakers and heater locations, though if you’re searching for a “league winner,” I wouldn’t put Vasil on that list. He’s missing that extra spark to transform him into an arm to slot on your watch list.
Tier 22 – Settling For Less
These are current Free Agents who could start for desperate teams or long relievers who are just bridges between the current rotation and the prospects teams actually want to get innings, which means you should have very low expectations when they get the opportunity.
256. Adam Plutko (FA, RHP)
Plutko went to the KBO for two years and is searching for a team to take a shot on him after earning a 2.40 ERA in just over 285 frames. Don’t get too worked over that mark – it still came with a strikeout rate under 22% – but he’s capable of volume and it’s possible the skills he gained overseas applies to a club who are trying to find their way through the year. I’m wagering we have a tinge of curiosity, watch for one inning, and go back to our phones as we call it an eve for Adam.
257. Spencer Turnbull (FA, RHP)
I have to believe a team will take a shot on Turnbull, who hasn’t had a proper shot to redeem himself after getting TJS in 2022 and struggling mightily in early 2023 as he dealt with a neck injury. Turnbull had a solid heater with a pair of whiffable breakers that hint at something strong if he’s able to get into a groove with the right team. It’s a looongshot, but watch the Rays snag him and make into something of value. Oh Tampa, you saucy minx.
258. Roansy Contreras (PIT, RHP)
It has been fraying to observe Contreras descend from an exciting prospect who gave us one late-September game in 2021 with 96/97 mph goodness to a struggling reliever, demoted to Triple-A where he sat 93 mph in his final start. He breaks the Huascar Rule with a fantastic slider and lacking heater, though if he were able to retain the upper-90s heat of former days, there is more hope he has enough command to make the pair sing more often than not. It’s highly unlikely he gets there, though, and without much of a supporting cast, there’s still a persistent floor even if his four-seamer is at its peak.
259. Joe Ross (MIL, RHP)
Look, we saw the Brewers sign Ross after y’all forgot about him, and even after we saw him sit inside the rotation on Roster Resource, we knew. There isn’t a world where Ross is actually inside the Brewers rotation out of camp, right? RIGHT?! H*ck, Ross is the example I think of when I reflect on my old old affinity for sinkers back in 2014/2015, where Ross’ sinker/slider approach seemed like gold. What children we were. Ross is now two TJS surgeries deep and I’m awfully curious what we get now. He used to have a deadly slider back in the day, but that’s it. That’s always been it. I really hope he proves us all wrong and snipes the spot, even if means someone like Ashby or Hall don’t show up. They’ll have their chance.
260. Naoyuki Uwasawa (TBR, RHP)
I wonder how the Rays will use Uwasawa. On one hand, they have six SP already battling for five rotation spots and Uwasawa’s 90-92 mph heater + splitter make him more like a reliever than a legit deep start with his two slow breakers + a meh cutter. But it gets a ton of iVB! Not a big shock given his over-the-top delivery, which sadly makes it a poor VAA offering. We’ve seen that before and generally, iVB alone without either elite velocity or great VAA to match (or maybe extension?) don’t speak to a legit heater as much as we want it to be. I could be way off, though, and it’s important to keep track of not only Uwasawa, but the Rays as a whole as any opening in that rotation could mean we get Uwasawa making early starts that open the door to a potential value SP. Doubtful, but who knows.
261. Carlos Carrasco (CLE, RHP)
Oh hey, this is kinda cool to see. The Guardians have a completely full rotation, but let’s say they deal Bieber or have an injury or whatever. If Carrasco is healthy enough to routinely get on the mound and earns himself a spot on the roster out of camp, I imagine the Guardians will consider him their #6 SP and LR option instead of, say “Ben Lively“. I’m rooting for him and the slider/change to be on point. It’s easy to forget how solid he was for years and he deserves one more highlight.
262. Joey Wentz (DET, LHP)
Wait, the Tigers gave him 19 starts last year? Is that right? Weird, I legit don’t remember it being so many. Well, his four-seamer is a dead-zone and gets bamboozled, yet he throws it over 40% of the time. The savior is a cutter that works against both RHB and LHB, but it’s far from enough to even out the performance of that heater, with just 25% usage. If they flipped focus with his change and curve becoming more reliable strike pitches, then sure, it’s possible he develops. The Tigers have so many other arms to focus on, though, and with such a rough four-seamer, I have zero expectations here.
263. Bryan Hoeing (MIA, RHP)
Watching Hoeing last year got me slightly intrigued as he leans on sinkers to get his outs, but if the Marlins look the Hoeing for multiple starts this year, it’s more that the Marlins are hurting and not that Hoeing has earned his place. This is a desperate play in Draft-and-Holds just to find some sort of four inning volume…is that even valuable?
264. Zach Davies (FA, RHP)
Davies’ change is everything and to see him return a 20%+ SwStr rate against RHB…with a 50% ICR is the obvious answer to his struggles with Arizona. The thought is that some club will add Davies for some needed depth once injuries prop up and I’m sure there will be one or two starts this year that have fantasy relevance. Good luck trying to find those and please, don’t try to be smart with the matchups here. Davies isn’t predictable enough for that.
265. Eric Lauer (FA, LHP)
He battled an injury-riddled season and was released by the Brewers shortly after the season ended, leaving us wonder if Lauer is worth a gamble for a team this off-season. I’ve assumed Lauer’s four-seamer shape is better than average given it’s moments excelling at the top of the zone, but as Eno mentioned during an episode of podcast The Craft, whiffs are more of a product of location than stuff, while stuff equates to better ball-in-play outcomes. Seems counter-intuitive, but when you think of it at the level of range (poor location = no whiffs, for example), it makes a whole lot of sense. Anyway, given Lauer’s poor fastball shape that has gotten worse, I would be awfully hesitatant to trust this for 2024, even if he happens to sign with a club.
266. Drew Rucinski (FA, RHP)
It was a tough year for Rucinski, who hoped to make an impact in the majors after returning a solid season in the KBO. His dreams of reclamation came up short with just four rough outings, a hamstring injury, and a later diagnosis of a degenerative back injury that led to season-ending surgery. He’s not expected to be ready for opening day, though with the way pitchers are getting hurt, don’t be surprised if Rucinski finds a deal in the summer for a club desperate for help.
267. Adrián Martínez (OAK, RHP)
We saw one game in the rotation mixed with many two-inning performances down the stretch for Martínez and it’s possible he earns a starting gig at some point. It’s a lovely changeup when it’s cooking and a solid slider that should have an adjustment made to massively up its 53% strike rate (just target more armside and you’ll be fine). That being said, the sinker makes my skin crawl and it makes for a shaky ceiling even if the slider and slowball work out.
268. Kenny Rosenberg (LAA, LHP)
The man is a Toby at best with a changeup focus + a four-seamer with a shocking amount of iVB (17 inches?!), which makes for nights that Kenny can scrap together 5+ frames, if not hint at a quality start if his cutter can earn quick outs to right-handers. If that heater didn’t come with 90/91 mph velocity with terrible extension and a steep VAA (we want flat!), then I’d start to believe he could transform into a somewhat reliable back-end arm in 15-teamers, but in his current form, Kenny seems destined to be a random add during the season in hope that he can string together decency in a two-step when the Angels rotation is depleted.
269. José Butto (NYM, RHP)
He had some of those rare moments of success stepping into the rotation as his four-seamer was able to avoid damage to both LHBs and RHBs, but the rest of the arsenal is too pedestrian for us to get amped. There’s nothing to latch onto with Butto to suggest he’s more than a desperate streamer, even if he has decent VAA on the four-seamer. Maybe there’s above-average command on that fastball, but the change and slider need to earn more strikes for me to believe he’s worth your time.
270. Ryan Yarbrough (LAD, LHP)
The Dodgers are that kind of squad that will give Yarbrough more love than you’d expect. Why? Well, when you’re limiting innings across your team, you’ll have rare bullpen games and shorter leashes, which means Yarbrough feels destined to vulture Wins here and there throughout the season – he earned eight last season in just 90 frames last year, after all. He throws sub 90 mph with cutters, changeups, and curves zigging and zagging around the edges of the zone, getting RHB to swing out of their shoes at times as he sneaks those slow sinkers in the zone whenever possible, while LHB get the ole heater/breaker mix as you’d expect from a southpaw. It’s fine, but it’ll be an elevated hit rate, few strikeouts, and you’re hoping the low walk rate and groundballs are timed well enough to squeeze outs to end the fifth and sixth frames. It’s a desperate streaming play for Wins in season when he gets his moments and while I won’t rule it out completely, you can’t make this your target.
271. Anthony DeSclafani (MIN, RHP)
He was dealt to Seattle and then shipped to Minnesota weeks later, making Tony Disco a depth piece the Twins badly needed. There’s a higher chance DeSclafani is in the rotation here than in Seattle, and yet, I can’t get myself to put him in the other tier. I personally believe he should be used as a long reliever to let Varland and Paddack get their opportunities to become more than just a #5 SP, with an expectation for a spot to naturally open up over time. Keep him stretched out to relieve a struggling arm for 3-4 frames here and there, and the clear option to take over when needed. It happens every year, after all.
As far as skills go, to quote skrot10191 from our Playback.tv chat: “Please Mr. Slider, can I have some WAR?” Back during his thrilling 2021 season, DeSclafani was able to somehow maintain sub 30% ICR rates on both his sinker and four-seamer against RHBs. That mark is massively different now, rising to 40%+ with little sign of returning. Sure, there’s a chance DeSclafani can get through a game with 50% sliders and steal a Win here and there, but hot dang, he shouldn’t be drafted. The Twins likely know this and will keep him as a backup option.
272. Michael Grove (LAD, RHP)
I like Grove’s slider, but unfortunately there’s nothing else there to support it. The four-seamer doesn’t have a good shape and hopes for called strikes with both RHB and LHB (especially LHB) demolish it when they put it play. The curve can kinda help, but without a deeper arsenal, this breaks the Huascar Rule, even if that slider held a 27% SwStr against RHB last year. Sigh. If only that fastball was better…or maybe he learns a legit changeup…or SOMETHING. Well he has a cutter for LHB. That’s a start, but 35%-40% of an absolutely horrid pitch just hurts too much.
273. Hogan Harris (OAK, LHP)
We saw Harris last year provide Toby frames here and there, though he fizzled in the second half. The Athletics may turn to him again for his big breakers from the left side, though the fantasy impact is very limited. Remember, Toby arms who rely on 5/6 frames to make up for their lack of strikeouts rely on Wins to earn most of their value. The Athletics won’t have many of those.
274. Austin Voth (SEA, RHP)
With Tony Disco off the Minnesota, it looks like Voth is back to being the SP #6 if Emerson Hancock needs some more time in the minors. Remember Voth during that super interesting time in 2022 with the Orioles? Well, the four-seamer still finds a way to get whiffs as he elevates it effectively with two strikes, but I wish I had more faith in the rest of his stuff. The cutter/change/slider/curve just don’t do enough while the four-seamer gets tattered when isn’t executed just right. I don’t have much faith he’ll seize the role and hold it if he gets the opportunity this year.
275. Elieser Hernández (LAD, RHP)
Oh look, it’s our yearly Random pitcher you forgot about signs with the Dodgers and now you make the joke that he’s going to get fixed and be a stud. You know, because it worked for Yamamoto, Shelby, Syndergaard, and so on. Ummm what. Yamamoto?! Uhhhh, ya. The first and only Yamamoto to throw a baseball for the Dodgers – Jordan Yamamoto. How could you do this to me. How could you believe that Elieser will suddenly have a fully working shoulder and overcome a historically meh fastball? LET ME BE, NICK.
276. Joey Lucchesi (NYM, LHP)
His cutter can be effective inside to LHBs, but that’s about it. The sinker stays away and I don’t believe it’ll work over a proper sample. His “churve” (curveball thrown with a changeup grip. Don’t worry about it) isn’t the major weapon it needs to be to turn Lucchesi into a proper arm and voila, there’s a very desperate option if the Mets have to lean on him for any significant time this year.
277. Luke Weaver (NYY, RHP)
I spent a solid moment looking into Weaver as I noticed he split up his slider into a cutter and sweeper in July, which was a much-needed change and…resulted in a terrible ERA and WHIP across thirteen games. FINE. The Yanks could be adding a sixth starter with all the Blake Snell rumors flying around (I’m writing this at the very start of February), but without another arm, Weaver is likely the first option for a start, if not as a 3-4 inning arm to carry over into the bullpen, and likely only as a last resort if the team doesn’t have an off-day that week to let them skip the spot in the rotation. I don’t think Weaver will get that role come June or even May given that Warren and Hampton look like strong options in Triple-A. Sadly, with Weaver’s poor heater and a changeup that can be good but isn’t consistent enough, I just don’t have high hopes. Maybe he can pull off the “Cannibal McSanchez” with the cutter, lean on the changeup, and punch out batters with the sweeper? Maaaaaybe?
278. Jaime Barría (CLE, RHP)
The Guardians gave Barría a minor league deal at the start of December and we could see him step in for a few starts here and there. His whole focus is a slider featured half of the time that boasts a near 70% strike rate, though the four-seamer, sinker, and changeup leave a whole lot to be desired. There are brief moments when the slider carries him + his sinker jams batters and his changeup befuddles, though it’s nigh impossible to anticipate those evenings.
279. Zach Plesac (FA, RHP)
The Angels don’t have a whole lot of exciting options and despite having an atrocious year between the majors and minors last season, who knows. Maybe Plesac has something new to hint at his rookie year, using his breakers well, axing the fastball as much as possible, and having his old changeup. You never know.
Tier 23 – Oh Right, The Rockies
I didn’t forget about you, I just didn’t want to think about it.
280. Kyle Freeland (COL, LHP)
Freeland will have his moments in 2024, though the stuff doesn’t encourage any sort of affinity for 12 or 15 teamers, save for the rare two-step on the road. His approach comes without a major whiff pitch (especially if that slider continues to live in ym-Loc% and fails to land low), relying on his sinker and four-seamer to jam LHB and RHB respectively. Freeland has had decent success limiting hard contact this way, though he’s lacking significant firepower to put batters away. His curve is the best he’s got, which works decently well in two strikes against left-handers, but is underwhelming against right-handers and keeps Freeland well under a 20% strikeout rate for the year.
In short, it’s Coors + he doesn’t miss a ton of bats + relies too much on pristine command + don’t do this to yourself. Cool? Cool.
281. Cal Quantrill (COL, RHP)
The move to Colorado on paper makes some sense. The Rockies just want innings and Quantrill is that guy save for a barking shoulder in 2023, as Quantrill flipped sinkers and cutters into the zone and befuddled analysts (like me!) as he held a 3.16 ERA across two years with 336 frames. His performance diminished dramatically last season as he failed to jam right-handers with his sinker nearly as often, while failing to earn strikes with his cutter to left-handers, and serving up meatballs with his sinker to the tune of a 52% ICR rate to LHB. Yikes.
The hope here is for Quantrill to find that rhythm on both sides of the plate, allowing him to bring his groundball rate near 50% once again in a park that desperately needs him to keep the ball out of the air. That’s a nice hope n all, and if Quantrill finds that groove and lands a lovely matchup on the road, things can go swingingly for six frames. They will be rare moments that tempt many a manager, and it’s very much in your best interest to not spin this wheel. It’s like dinosaur bones as you play in Coors – it’s beneath you.
282. Austin Gomber (COL, LHP)
There’s not much to latch onto for Gomber after his approach was horrendous in 2023. He couldn’t get his slider down with any consistency, his four-seamer was obliterated by LHB and RHB as it has massively steep VAA but he didn’t command it low enough to take advantage of it, allowing it to find the barrel constantly when inside the zone. His curve sometimes helped, but it failed to be the putaway pitch he wanted it to be against RHB, and the changeup sat in the middle of the zone.
It’s bad. Gomber needs to get his slider down-and-gloveside more consistently while finding a primary heater. It could be a cutter, but LHBs need a different look than his four-seamer. Expect more trouble to come his way with his current arsenal, and if success comes, identify the pitch that’s working. If the four-seamer is still the same, there isn’t long-term success en route.
283. Dakota Hudson (COL, RHP)
Sure, why not. Let’s give all the Rockies starters the MEGA FORMATTING for this article as Hudson is likely starting for the crew and is sure to have those patented 6 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 Ks, 3 BBs games because he chucks sinkers and hopes for all the grounders. The slider has had these brief moments of actually being a solid whiff pitch, but we all know the truth. Hudson’s sinker moves a lot, he can’t command it, and the Rockies are happy to have gotten someone who can at least keep the ball on the ground and find enough gloves to discover the sixth frequently enough that it doesn’t pan out into an aerial shot of a lost ancient city each time he gets there. Wow, I never thought we’d ever find the Sixth…they said that starters stopped seeing it after 2012…
There will be a day this year you actually could benefit from Hudson, I’m sure, but come on. That’s not the life you want.
284. Ryan Feltner (COL, RHP)
He has a changeup that can take down LHBs as well as a slider that acts as a cutter to get strikes. His four-seamer needs work against LHBs he should get it further up or inside to avoid damage, while against RHBs, the fastball was shockingly good in 2023 in its limited sample. Expect it to get worse as the sample gets larger because its iVB is atrocious, especially as Feltner doesn’t have a secondary above a 10% SwStr rate against RHBs. I don’t think that four-seamer can maintain its current 15%+ SwStr clip against RHBs, making a very risky play.
Tier 24 – Opportunity Is Out There
These pitchers are currently Free Agents and have an outside chance of actually having a few decent starts for a squad. We’re talking deep in the woods outside.
285. Justin Dunn (FA, RHP)
Dunn dealt with a shoulder strain in 2021, then again in 2022, and was shut down with a rotator cuff injury in March of 2023, followed by surgery in September that very likely forces him out of 2024. Then why is he here? Because there’s a chance someone signs Dunn, let’s him recover, and he shows up in September. There was something fun with his breaker and heater with the Mariners, I WON’T FORGET IT.
286. Johnny Cueto (FA, RHP)
We’ve seen Cueto magic before and I have to wonder if a team will be desperate enough to take a chance on it. I still can’t get over how well he gets whiffs on his four-seamer by locating it so well upstairs. Location, y’all.
287. Corey Kluber (FA, RHP)
It’s unclear if Kluber is hanging up the cleats or giving it one more shot this season. His 37-year-old season was a poor representation of his all-star career, concluding with shoulder pain that ended his season in June. He’s only one season removed from a 4.34 ERA and 1.21 WHIP, suggesting there may be just a touch left in the tank that a squad will take a chance on or at least hope to have a veteran presence in the locker room.
288. Noah Syndergaard (FA, RHP)
The Dodgers will fix him! Now that we know Syndergaard is a chucker without a legit secondary left to heavily lean on, there really isn’t much of a hope Thor not only finds a regular gig, but also has one where he can improve in a significant way. Velocity? Breakers? Dare I say actual command?! It’s not gonna happen.
289. Brad Keller (FA, RHP)
Keller is enduring symptoms of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and I hope he’s in a state where he’s able to help a team in 2024. We may not see him this year, if at all, depending on the severity – traditionally, getting surgery removes a player for a year and it’s rare to have success in the majors following the procedure. If he’s alright, the fastball/slider combo has had its moment and could a small home somewhere.
290. Rich Hill (FA, LHP)
Incredibly, Hill is still in the discussion after all these years as the “old guy of the league”, but we all know the days of that hook helping him return ridiculous K-BB% numbers are a thing of the past. Still fun seeing him earn whiffs at 88 mph, even if it’s not the 18/19 inches of vertical break it was back in 2021. I really didn’t appreciate the sticky stuff era enough as a pitching fan. IF ONLY I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW THE RESEARCH. Ahem. I can see some get tempted by Hill, but he just doesn’t have that pizzaz anymore. Please don’t.
291. Jose Ureña (FA, RHP)
Remember kids, If you trust José, Ureña boatload of trouble. I still can’t believe he had a touch of success with the Rockies last year. Of course he did. You know, the Rangers have oh-so-few starters at the moment and have a rotation with questionable health records. Ureña may get a start earlier than the others here and yet, that shouldn’t make you act in any way.
292. Julio Teheran (FA, RHP)
What a wild ride it was watching Teheran actually have success for a hot moment last season. He can’t keep getting away with it! Well, I mean, he didn’t. That’s why he’s a Free Agent still and far far away from your fantasy teams.
293. Chase Anderson (FA, RHP)
The fella got his innings with the Rockies last year and when they tell you “mmmm, we’re good”, you know it’s a bit rough. Maybe he’ll land on his feet somewhere – after all, he did go five scoreless against the Dodgers in Coors to end the year. That’s something, right? Why are you asking me? I’m not a GM of an MLB team. THEN FIND ME SOMEONE WHO IS.
294. Dallas Keuchel (FA, LHP)
It’s very likely the end of the line for Keuchel after a rough showing last season, but I’ll always have a soft spot for his introduction of the Neckbeard approach. What a wonderful, frustrating thing it is when it works.
295. Jake Odorizzi (FA, RHP)
He’s living on through Bailey Oberizzi and while he’s hunting for a job, you should be hunting something else. He’s a free agent now after missing last year with shoulder surgery and while there’s a chance he gets it going again at 33-years-old, I can’t expect him to have his old heater nor its command, let alone a proper secondary to pair with it.
296. Zack Greinke (FA, RHP)
We all assumed Greinke would quietly retire because that is the Greinke way n all, but apparently he’s entertaining returning…? If he does, you know he’ll have the leash to complete five frames at the very least, but that leash can be laced with the embarrassing trauma of my youth and there’s nothing you can do to get me in a room with that leash. WHY WOULD I SAY THAT?!
297. Yonny Chirinos (FA, RHP)
It was awfully strange watching Atlanta, the powerhouse of the NL East, throw Chirinos with any sort of regularity in 2023 despite their overwhelming number of options in the minors, but not as strange as it actually working some of those games. While we say there isn’t a whole lot of SP depth out there on the FA market, there certainly are a plethora of options like Chirinos out there (as you can see above), which makes me a bit skeptical Chirinos will be able to find work like he did last year. It’s certainly possible, and if he magically gets a perfect situation like he did in Atlanta, well there’s a desperate Sunday streamer. Nick. I’m just trying to be positive, y’all.
Tier 25 – Wait, How Many Prospects Are On Here
Prospect people, I know I’m likely ranking a few prospects here terribly (okay find, I’m sure it’s MANY), but with the limited intel out there and lack of Statcast data outside Triple-A, this is what I’ve got. Remember, this is for 2024 only, so guys like Susana and Lesko who are a massive longshot to see the MLB before 2025 are down here.
298. Allan Winans (ATL, RHP)
Allan Winans, K'ing the Side. pic.twitter.com/fCJkpJ2cwh
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 10, 2023
Armed with a four-seamer that he really shouldn’t throw, Winans has an interesting sinker/change/slider mix that could work. He can sit arm-side with sinkers and down against LHB, tunneling the changeup well (and abused against LHB), while the sub 80 mph slider (read: curve-like) can land in the zone for strikes and become a whiff pitch against right-handers. I see that working out in the right direction, though I wonder if he’ll lean properly into the three-pitch mix and shelve the four-seamer. Seriously, it’s horrendous as a dead-zone heater with no attributes to suggest success with a 68.8% ICR rate. Yes, that is ZEROTH PERCENTILE.
299. Quinn Priester (PIT, RHP)
Quinn Priester, Wicked Sliders. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/wl9Pi6V9aH
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 13, 2023
He has these brief moments where his gyro slider is filthy while he pumps a well-spotted 96 mph sinker to back it up. Then his cut-action four-seamer is poorly placed, he can’t locate the breaker, and the sinker gets laced. It’s far from polished and even when it all comes together, it’ll come down to his fastballs being good enough to support a clearly wicked slider (assuming it is well-commanded, too!). There’s a whole lot of growth needed here and he’ll get a rotation spot only if the Pirates are truly desperate.
300. Jimmy Joyce (SEA, RHP)
#Mariners No. 28 prospect Jimmy Joyce struck out a pair in two scoreless innings on Sunday.@ANG_Recruiting #ServeYourWay pic.twitter.com/vQn3SXFyGV
— Arkansas Travelers (@ARTravs) September 12, 2023
He’ll get the promotion to Triple-A this year, or maybe even stick around in Double-A as the Mariners enjoy keeping their pitching prospects away from the PCL as much as possible. He pitched in the AFL this past year and features a true two-seamer and a changeup that plays off of it + a curveball as his major mix-up offering. The stuff isn’t exciting while his command fluctuates – typical for a lower arm-angle pitcher like Joyce who relies on getting on the side of the ball. He could turn into a groundball machine with the lively ride on his heater, which generally outlines a capped ceiling for fantasy managers (read: higher BABIPs and fewer strikeouts).