Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Marlin the Magician

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Updated on July 17, 2016 1:04AM EST

As always, remember that rotations are subject to change, so if you see something that looks incorrect, assume that it was a change that occurred since this was written and feel free to politely bring it up in the comments. I'll let you know where the new arm slots.

For the week July 18-24

AMERICAN LEAGUE

START

RANK	PITCHER	OPPONENT	COMMENT
1	Chris Sale	at SEA, DET	Has his Ks back up to 10.1 over the L6 starts, but a 2.3 HR/9 rate in the same span has left him w/a 5.18 ERA; something is a little off here
2	Corey Kluber	at KC, at BAL
3	Carlos Carrasco	at KC	Since returning from the DL: 2.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 55 Ks, 3.4 K:BB in 57.7 IP
4	Danny Salazar	at KC
5	Justin Verlander	MIN	vs. CLE: 9.16 ERA in 16.7 IP; Versus everyone else: 3.09 ERA in 107.7 IP; DET has 7 gms left vs. CLE in September
6	David Price	MIN
7	Michael Fulmer	at CWS	I don't think he's as big a threat for an IP limit: he threw 124.3 last year and has 92 so far this year, so I could see another 70 for him
8	Cole Hamels	at KC
9	Jose Quintana	at SEA, DET
10	Matt Shoemaker	at HOU
11	Yu Darvish	at KC	Returns Saturday at CHC; the stuff was great in first 3 starts, but health will continue to be the biggest question rest of season
12	Masahiro Tanaka	SF

For the week July 18-24

AMERICAN LEAGUE

START

RANK	PITCHER	OPPONENT	COMMENT
1	Chris Sale	at SEA, DET	Has his Ks back up to 10.1 over the L6 starts, but a 2.3 HR/9 rate in the same span has left him w/a 5.18 ERA; something is a little off here
2	Corey Kluber	at KC, at BAL
3	Carlos Carrasco	at KC	Since returning from the DL: 2.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 55 Ks, 3.4 K:BB in 57.7 IP
4	Danny Salazar	at KC
5	Justin Verlander	MIN	vs. CLE: 9.16 ERA in 16.7 IP; Versus everyone else: 3.09 ERA in 107.7 IP; DET has 7 gms left vs. CLE in September
6	David Price	MIN
7	Michael Fulmer	at CWS	I don't think he's as big a threat for an IP limit: he threw 124.3 last year and has 92 so far this year, so I could see another 70 for him
8	Cole Hamels	at KC
9	Jose Quintana	at SEA, DET
10	Matt Shoemaker	at HOU
11	Yu Darvish	at KC	Returns Saturday at CHC; the stuff was great in first 3 starts, but health will continue to be the biggest question rest of season
12	Masahiro Tanaka	SF	It's kinda crazy that HRs are sky-high this year, but Tanaka (he of a 1.2 HR/9 coming into '16) has his best HR/9 ever at 0.8
13	Aaron Sanchez	at ARI	A super-tough ROS rank because we know he has an IP limit looming, we just have no idea when it'll hit
14	Drew Pomeranz	SF	I don't think he'll fall apart w/BOS, but his IP are a real concern: he's never topped 150 as a pro and threw just 88 last yr
15	Chris Tillman	at NYY
16	Rich Hill	TB	Unlikely to remain w/OAK, but has a 1.41 ERA in seven road starts so leaving the spacious Coliseum shouldn't be an issue
17	Felix Hernandez	CWS
18	Dallas Keuchel	at OAK, LAA	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER in any of his L9 starts: 3.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 4.6 K:BB ratio in 57.7 IP
19	Rick Porcello	SF, MIN
20	Marco Estrada	at ARI	Slated to return early next week from back injury; has fanned 5+ in each of his L7 starts (47 Ks in 45.7 IP)
21	Steven Wright	MIN	Doesn't K enough to offset the ERA regression, but even as a mid-3.00s ERA guy (3.43 in L12), he's still solid
22	R.A. Dickey	SEA	Opened w/a 6.75 ERA in April, but has a 3.10 ERA since the start of May; not that far from Wright to be honest
23	Trevor Bauer	at BAL
24	Sonny Gray	TB	Has a 4.01 ERA in seven starts since returning from the DL and he's a couple really bad innings from an even better mark
25	CC Sabathia	BAL
26	Jake Odorizzi	at OAK
27	Lance McCullers	LAA	If he can rein in the walks even a little, he can have a huge 2H; love the raw talent
28	Danny Duffy	TEX	Since joining the rotation: 3.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 73 Ks, 6.1 K:BB ratio in 63.7 IP; starting season in pen should prevent IP limit
29	Matt Moore	at OAK
30	J.A. Happ	SEA
31	Michael Pineda	BAL	He lured you in with that June, didn't he? After a 2.75 ERA and 49 Ks in 36 IP, he has smashed the believers w/B2B 5 ER outings
32	James Paxton	at TOR	Being able to run it up to 100 MPH is great, but it doesn't guarantee success: 6.08 ERA in his L4 and just 5 Ks in his L3 combined
33	Josh Tomlin	at BAL	Stop me if you've heard this one: Tomlin allows too many home runs to be better than a mid-3.00s ERA arm
34	Sean Manaea	HOU, TB
35	Marcus Stroman	SEA	The volatility is tough to stomach: 2, 7, 4, 1, 2, 6 ER in the L6; don't overrate the name value, he's a true-talent low-4.00s now
36	Collin McHugh	LAA
37	Doug Fister	at OAK	He is kind of the AL's Mike Leake; as long as you're getting Ks elsewhere, you can spot him for starts here and there
38	Hector Santiago	TEX	Not for the weak-stomached player, ERA by month: 3.34, 6.75, 6.08, 0.00
39	Mike Fiers	at OAK
40	Kevin Gausman	at NYY, CLE
41	Hisashi Iwakuma	at TOR
42	A.J. Griffin	at LAA, at KC
43	Ervin Santana	at DET	After three straight 5 ER outings to open June, he has a 2.18 ERA in his last five starts; could be moved to a contender
44	Drew Smyly	at COL, at OAK
45	Chris Archer	at COL	At least he's still missing bats: 4.59 ERA in his L8 starts, but also 60 Ks in 51 IP; Coors is scary w/his inconsistency, though
46	Daniel Mengden	HOU
47	Carlos Rodon	DET
48	Nick Tropeano	TEX, at HOU
49	Dylan Bundy	CLE
50	Ian Kennedy	CLE	His 3.86 ERA is something of a miracle considering his 1.9 HR/9, but it's because he doesn't allow too many base runners (1.19 WHIP)
51	Yovani Gallardo	at NYY
52	Yordano Ventura	TEX
53	Blake Snell	at COL, at OAK	Activity at the deadline could open up a spot for him, though he's 40 IP from last year's total and TB is unlikely to push him too much
54	Martin Perez	at LAA

SIT

RANK	PITCHER	OPPONENT	COMMENT
55	Edinson Volquez	CLE, TEX
56	James Shields	DET
57	Ivan Nova	BAL, SF
58	Kendall Graveman	HOU, TB
59	Wade Miley	CWS
60	Kyle Gibson	at BOS
61	Tyler Duffey	at BOS
62	Nathan Eovaldi	BAL, SF
63	Eduardo Rodriguez	MIN
64	Anibal Sanchez	MIN, at CWS
65	Mike Wright	at NYY, CLE
66	Miguel Gonzalez	at SEA
67	Matt Boyd	MIN, at CWS
68	Ricky Nolasco	at DET, at BOS
69	Tommy Milone	at DET, at BOS
70	Mike Pelfrey	at CWS
71	Tim Lincecum	TEX
72	Jered Weaver	at HOU
73	Wade LeBlanc	CWS, at TOR
73	Cesar Ramos	at LAA
74	Chris Young	CLE

NATIONAL LEAGUE

START

Rank	Pitcher	Opponent(s)	Comments
1	The Clayton Kershaw Memorial Spot	none :(	He could be back as early as next week, so he still holds the top spot
1	Jose Fernandez	at PHI, NYM	Remember how he ended April w/a 4.08 ERA? He has a 1.94 w/114 Ks in 78.7 IP since
2	Jon Lester	NYM, at MIL
3	Stephen Strasburg	LAD	He was actually better last year, but the gaudy record (13-0) and career-low BABIP (.261) are putting his results on another level
4	Max Scherzer	SD	He's been a top five SP even with the HR issues; he'd be pushing for the top spot if he curbed the HRs
5	Madison Bumgarner	at NYY	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER in a single start this year; and only allowed 4 ER in three
6	Johnny Cueto	at NYY
7	Jake Arrieta	NYM	Does have a 4.72 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in his L6 starts, but he still misses tons of bats and doesn't allow hits; not panicking here
8	Kyle Hendricks	NYM	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER since May 17: 1.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.6 K:BB ratio in 63.7 IP, also 6 W in the 10 starts
9	Jacob deGrom	at MIA
10	Noah Syndergaard	at CHC	Healthy Thor would've been no worse than 3rd, but I have to factor in the barking elbow a bit here
11	Carlos Martinez	SD, LAD	Hasn't allowed more than 3 ER in L8 starts; Ks are down this year, but he's cut into his BBs, espec. lately w/a 2.7 BB/9 in those 8 starts
12	Steven Matz	at CHC, at MIA	Be aware of the consistent health concerns, but also realize that his upside is sky-high and worth gambling on
13	Gerrit Cole	PHI	Returns this weekend and was brilliant in 2 Triple-A rehabs, though it was all of 8 IP; maybe the time off is just what he needed
14	John Lackey	at MIL
15	Kenta Maeda	at STL
16	Adam Wainwright	SD	Waino's L10: 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60 Ks in 65.3 IP
17	Junior Guerra	at PIT, CHC	The 31-year old rookie has a true out pitch with the splitter, but he can also run it up to 95 MPH when he needs it
18	Tanner Roark	LAD	Finished 1H w/at least 7 IP in five of his last six plus a clean 2.3 IP relief app: 2.68 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 4.5 K:BB in the 43.7 IP
19	Jeff Samardzija	at NYY
20	Vincent Velasquez	MIA, at PIT	VV is on a bottom-feeder so it'll be easier for them to hold his IP; he threw just 88 IP w/HOU org. last year
21	Michael Wacha	LAD	Posted a 3.00 ERA in six starts before break looking sharp throughout, though he was hit in the heel by a batted ball so monitor that
22	Jason Hammel	at MIL	He has really worn down the last 3 years: 1H ERA of 3.10. 2H ERA of 4.58 (incl. a 5.10 last yr); durability is a major concern
23	Joe Ross	SD
24	Jaime Garcia	SD
25	Julio Teheran	at COL	Don't love sending him into Coors, but I'm still starting him; he's just been so good this year
26	Jerad Eickhoff	MIA
27	Adam Conley	NYM	Don't get discouraged by the bad starts: 0, 3, 5, 1, 0, 5, 0, 2 ER in his L8 starts w/46 Ks in 47.3 IP
28	Aaron Nola	MIA, at PIT	Mechanical problems mixed with some bad luck seem to be the biggest problems behind his meltdown offering hope for the stretch run
29	Mike Leake	SD, LAD	Started the season w/a 6.03 ERA in his first six starts, but has a 3.29 ERA in his last 12; still has the disaster starts, but solid IP eater
30	Anthony DeSclafani	ATL	Only fanned four in his first two starts combined, but since has a 2.67 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 33 Ks in his L5 (33.7 IP)
31	Zach Davies	CHC	Quietly putting up 3.24 ERA and 1.08 WHIP since the start of May with a solid 7.6 K/9
32	Hyun-Jin Ryu	at WAS
33	Scott Kazmir	at WAS, at STL
34	Gio Gonzalez	LAD, SD	Showing flashes of getting back on track, but still nowhere near normal Gio
35	Jeremy Hellickson	MIA
36	Jimmy Nelson	CHC
37	Bartolo Colon	at CHC
38	Brandon Finnegan	ATL, ARI
39	Jon Gray	ATL	Does have a 4.63 ERA on the road, but a big part of that was a 9 ER disaster at STL; 3.12 ERA in 43.3 road IP outside of that
40	Matt Wisler	at CIN, at COL	Too volatile to be fully trusted and early gains vs. LHP have fallen off (OPS back up to .807 vs. lefties)
41	Archie Bradley	at CIN
42	Tyler Anderson	TB, ATL
43	Jameson Taillon	MIL	PIT likely being super cautious w/Taillon on the heels of 2 missed seasons, but should be back shortly after the break
44	Zack Godley	TOR, at CIN
45	Chase Anderson	at PIT
46	Robbie Ray	at CIN	Allows too much hard contact to consistently turn his solid skills into plus results
47	Bud Norris	at WAS
48	Brandon McCarthy	at STL
49	Tyler Chatwood	TB, ATL	Both of these Rockies closing out the top 100 have shown flashes, but are likely best used on the road only
50	Dan Straily	ARI
51	Tom Koehler	at PHI
52	Logan Verrett	at MIA
53	Colin Rea	at STL, at WAS
54	Wei-Yin Chen	at PHI	Perhaps rounding into form a bit of late: 3.91 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in his L4, but surge in HR leaguewide is very bad news for him; be careful
55	Francisco Liriano	MIL
56	Christian Friedrich	at STL, at WAS
57	Andrew Cashner	at STL
58	Zach Eflin	at PIT
59	Luis Perdomo	at STL

SIT

RANK	PITCHER	OPPONENT	COMMENT
60	Matt Garza	at PIT
61	Patrick Corbin	TOR
62	Mike Foltynewicz	at COL
63	Matt Cain	at BOS
64	John Lamb	ARI
65	Edwin Jackson	at WAS
66	Chad Bettis	ATL
67	Jake Peavy	at BOS
68	Cody Reed	ATL
69	Tyrell Jenkins	at CIN, at COL
70	Justin Nicolino	at PHI, NYM
71	Lucas Harrell	at CIN
72	Jeff Locke	MIL, PHI
73	Jorge De La Rosa	TB

MLB TOP 100

RANK	PITCHER	OPPONENT	COMMENT
1	Jose Fernandez	at PHI, NYM	Remember how he ended April w/a 4.08 ERA? He has a 1.94 w/114 Ks in 78.7 IP since
2	Jon Lester	NYM, at MIL
3	Chris Sale	at SEA, DET	Has his Ks back up to 10.1 over the L6 starts, but a 2.3 HR/9 rate in the same span has left him w/a 5.18 ERA; something is a little off here
4	Corey Kluber	at KC, at BAL
5	Stephen Strasburg	LAD	He was actually better last year, but the gaudy record (13-0) and career-low BABIP (.261) are putting his results on another level
6	Max Scherzer	SD	He's been a top five SP even with the HR issues; he'd be pushing for the top spot if he curbed the HRs
7	Madison Bumgarner	at NYY	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER in a single start this year; and only allowed 4 ER in three
8	Carlos Carrasco	at KC	Since returning from the DL: 2.50 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 55 Ks, 3.4 K:BB in 57.7 IP
9	Danny Salazar	at KC
10	Johnny Cueto	at NYY
11	Jake Arrieta	NYM	Does have a 4.72 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in his L6 starts, but he still misses tons of bats and doesn't allow hits; not panicking here
12	Justin Verlander	MIN	vs. CLE: 9.16 ERA in 16.7 IP; Versus everyone else: 3.09 ERA in 107.7 IP; DET has 7 gms left vs. CLE in September
13	Kyle Hendricks	NYM	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER since May 17: 1.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.6 K:BB ratio in 63.7 IP, also 6 W in the 10 starts
14	Jacob deGrom	at MIA
15	Noah Syndergaard	at CHC	Healthy Thor would've been no worse than 3rd, but I have to factor in the barking elbow a bit here
16	David Price	MIN
17	Carlos Martinez	SD, LAD	Hasn't allowed more than 3 ER in L8 starts; Ks are down this year, but he's cut into his BBs, espec. lately w/a 2.7 BB/9 in those 8 starts
18	Steven Matz	at CHC, at MIA	Be aware of the consistent health concerns, but also realize that his upside is sky-high and worth gambling on
19	Michael Fulmer	at CWS	I don't think he's as big a threat for an IP limit: he threw 124.3 last year and has 92 so far this year, so I could see another 70 for him
20	Cole Hamels	at KC
21	Jose Quintana	at SEA, DET
22	Matt Shoemaker	at HOU
23	Yu Darvish	at KC	Returns Saturday at CHC; the stuff was great in first 3 starts, but health will continue to be the biggest question rest of season
24	Gerrit Cole	PHI	Returns this weekend and was brilliant in 2 Triple-A rehabs, though it was all of 8 IP; maybe the time off is just what he needed
25	John Lackey	at MIL
26	Masahiro Tanaka	SF	It's kinda crazy that HRs are sky-high this year, but Tanaka (he of a 1.2 HR/9 coming into '16) has his best HR/9 ever at 0.8
27	Aaron Sanchez	at ARI	A super-tough ROS rank because we know he has an IP limit looming, we just have no idea when it'll hit
28	Kenta Maeda	at STL
29	Adam Wainwright	SD	Waino's L10: 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 60 Ks in 65.3 IP
30	Junior Guerra	at PIT, CHC	The 31-year old rookie has a true out pitch with the splitter, but he can also run it up to 95 MPH when he needs it
31	Tanner Roark	LAD	Finished 1H w/at least 7 IP in five of his last six plus a clean 2.3 IP relief app: 2.68 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 4.5 K:BB in the 43.7 IP
32	Drew Pomeranz	SF	I don't think he'll fall apart w/BOS, but his IP are a real concern: he's never topped 150 as a pro and threw just 88 last yr
33	Chris Tillman	at NYY
34	Rich Hill	TB	Unlikely to remain w/OAK, but has a 1.41 ERA in seven road starts so leaving the spacious Coliseum shouldn't be an issue
35	Jeff Samardzija	at NYY
36	Vincent Velasquez	MIA, at PIT	VV is on a bottom-feeder so it'll be easier for them to hold his IP; he threw just 88 IP w/HOU org. last year
37	Felix Hernandez	CWS
38	Dallas Keuchel	at OAK, LAA	Hasn't allowed more than 4 ER in any of his L9 starts: 3.59 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 8.0 K/9, 4.6 K:BB ratio in 57.7 IP
39	Rick Porcello	SF, MIN
40	Marco Estrada	at ARI	Slated to return early next week from back injury; has fanned 5+ in each of his L7 starts (47 Ks in 45.7 IP)
41	Michael Wacha	LAD	Posted a 3.00 ERA in six starts before break looking sharp throughout, though he was hit in the heel by a batted ball so monitor that
42	Jason Hammel	at MIL	He has really worn down the last 3 years: 1H ERA of 3.10. 2H ERA of 4.58 (incl. a 5.10 last yr); durability is a major concern
43	Steven Wright	MIN	Doesn't K enough to offset the ERA regression, but even as a mid-3.00s ERA guy (3.43 in L12), he's still solid
44	R.A. Dickey	SEA	Opened w/a 6.75 ERA in April, but has a 3.10 ERA since the start of May; not that far from Wright to be honest
45	Trevor Bauer	at BAL
46	Joe Ross	SD
47	Sonny Gray	TB	Has a 4.01 ERA in seven starts since returning from the DL and he's a couple really bad innings from an even better mark
48	Jaime Garcia	SD
49	CC Sabathia	BAL
50	Jake Odorizzi	at OAK
51	Julio Teheran	at COL	Don't love sending him into Coors, but I'm still starting him; he's just been so good this year
52	Jerad Eickhoff	MIA
53	Lance McCullers	LAA	If he can rein in the walks even a little, he can have a huge 2H; love the raw talent
54	Danny Duffy	TEX	Since joining the rotation: 3.11 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 73 Ks, 6.1 K:BB ratio in 63.7 IP; starting season in pen should prevent IP limit
55	Matt Moore	at OAK
56	Adam Conley	NYM	Don't get discouraged by the bad starts: 0, 3, 5, 1, 0, 5, 0, 2 ER in his L8 starts w/46 Ks in 47.3 IP
57	Aaron Nola	MIA, at PIT	Mechanical problems mixed with some bad luck seem to be the biggest problems behind his meltdown offering hope for the stretch run
58	Mike Leake	SD, LAD	Started the season w/a 6.03 ERA in his first six starts, but has a 3.29 ERA in his last 12; still has the disaster starts, but solid IP eater
59	Anthony DeSclafani	ATL	Only fanned four in his first two starts combined, but since has a 2.67 ERA and 0.98 WHIP with 33 Ks in his L5 (33.7 IP)
60	J.A. Happ	SEA
61	Zach Davies	CHC	Quietly putting up 3.24 ERA and 1.08 WHIP since the start of May with a solid 7.6 K/9
62	Jeremy Hellickson	MIA
63	Hyun-Jin Ryu	at WAS
64	Michael Pineda	BAL	He lured you in with that June, didn't he? After a 2.75 ERA and 49 Ks in 36 IP, he has smashed the believers w/B2B 5 ER outings
65	Scott Kazmir	at WAS, at STL
66	James Paxton	at TOR	Being able to run it up to 100 MPH is great, but it doesn't guarantee success: 6.08 ERA in his L4 and just 5 Ks in his L3 combined
67	Gio Gonzalez	LAD, SD	Showing flashes of getting back on track, but still nowhere near normal Gio
68	Josh Tomlin	at BAL	Stop me if you've heard this one: Tomlin allows too many home runs to be better than a mid-3.00s ERA arm
69	Sean Manaea	HOU, TB
70	Marcus Stroman	SEA	The volatility is tough to stomach: 2, 7, 4, 1, 2, 6 ER in the L6; don't overrate the name value, he's a true-talent low-4.00s now
71	Jimmy Nelson	CHC
72	Bartolo Colon	at CHC
73	Brandon Finnegan	ATL, ARI
74	Collin McHugh	LAA
75	Doug Fister	at OAK	He is kind of the AL's Mike Leake; as long as you're getting Ks elsewhere, you can spot him for starts here and there
76	Hector Santiago	TEX	Not for the weak-stomached player, ERA by month: 3.34, 6.75, 6.08, 0.00
77	Mike Fiers	at OAK
78	Kevin Gausman	at NYY, CLE
79	Jon Gray	ATL	Does have a 4.63 ERA on the road, but a big part of that was a 9 ER disaster at STL; 3.12 ERA in 43.3 road IP outside of that
80	Archie Bradley	at CIN
81	Matt Wisler	at CIN, at COL	Too volatile to be fully trusted and early gains vs. LHP have fallen off (OPS back up to .807 vs. lefties)
82	Tyler Anderson	TB, ATL
83	Jameson Taillon	MIL	PIT likely being super cautious w/Taillon on the heels of 2 missed seasons, but should be back shortly after the break
84	Hisashi Iwakuma	at TOR
85	A.J. Griffin	at LAA, at KC
85	Ervin Santana	at DET	After three straight 5 ER outings to open June, he has a 2.18 ERA in his last five starts; could be moved to a contender
86	Drew Smyly	at COL, at OAK
87	Chris Archer	at COL	At least he's still missing bats: 4.59 ERA in his L8 starts, but also 60 Ks in 51 IP; Coors is scary w/his inconsistency, though
88	Daniel Mengden	HOU
89	Carlos Rodon	DET
90	Nick Tropeano	TEX, at HOU
91	Dylan Bundy	CLE
92	Zack Godley	TOR, at CIN
93	Chase Anderson	at PIT
94	Ian Kennedy	CLE	His 3.86 ERA is something of a miracle considering his 1.9 HR/9, but it's because he doesn't allow too many base runners (1.19 WHIP)
96	Robbie Ray	at CIN	Allows too much hard contact to consistently turn his solid skills into plus results
97	Bud Norris	at WAS
98	Brandon McCarthy	at STL
99	Tyler Chatwood	TB, ATL	Both of these Rockies closing out the top 100 have shown flashes, but are likely best used on the road only
100	Dan Straily	ARI