Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 23

These fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings are based on statistical data pulled Saturday morning. Please be aware the matchups are subject to change. You can view the original post at TTFB.

Top starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

1

Max Scherzer

DET

@CWS, KC

2.88

28.3%

6.2%

2

Jered Weaver

LAA

@MIN, @HOU

3.33

19.0%

6.0%

3

Gio Gonzalez

WSH

@NYM, PHI

3.49

23.9%

9.9%

4

Julio Teheran

ATL

@MIA, SD

3.01

21.9%

6.2%

5

Kris Medlen

ATL

@MIA, SD

3.48

18.7%

5.5%

6

Shelby Miller

STL

MIL, SEA

3.19

25.2%

7.7%

7

Clayton Kershaw

LAD

SF

1.89

25.0%

5.8%

8

Jose Fernandez

MIA

ATL

2.33

27.5%

8.4%

9

Felix Hernandez

SEA

HOU

3.01

25.6%

5.2%

10

Zack Greinke

LAD

SF

2.78

19.7%

6.8%

11

Adam Wainwright

STL

SEA

3.13

22.7%

3.5%

12

Cole Hamels

PHI

@WSH

3.50

22.0%

5.4%

13

Stephen Strasburg

WSH

PHI

2.85

26.7%

7.7%

14

Mike Minor

ATL

@MIA

3.07

22.3%

5.5%

15

Yu Darvish

TEX

PIT

2.90

33.2%

9.1%

16

Homer Bailey

CIN

@MIL

3.42

24.3%

5.6%

17

Cliff Lee

PHI

SD

3.09

23.0%

4.2%

18

Madison Bumgarner

SF

@LAD

2.91

23.9%

7.8%

Additional Information: Cliff Lee, in his last nine starts, has quietly been very mediocre with a 4.17 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. However, the advanced statstics suggest he’s been unlucky. The walk and strikeout rates are identical compared to the beginning of the year. The ground-ball rate has increased 14.4 percent, but his BABIP, strangely, has risen from .271 to .339.

Backend starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

19

Jordan Zimmermann

WSH

@NYM, PHI

3.30

18.4%

4.8%

20

Dillon Gee

NYM

WSH, MIA

3.53

16.9%

5.9%

21

Jarrod Parker

OAK

@MIN, @TEX

3.57

16.8%

7.9%

22

Hyun-Jin Ryu

LAD

ARI, SF

3.02

20.3%

6.7%

23

Francisco Liriano

PIT

@TEX, CHC

2.98

24.6%

9.4%

24

Joe Kelly

STL

MIL

2.82

15.6%

8.8%

25

Anibal Sanchez

DET

@CWS

2.68

26.3%

7.3%

26

Alex Wood

ATL

@MIA

3.15

25.1%

8.1%

27

Hisashi Iwakuma

SEA

@STL

2.92

21.6%

4.6%

28

Danny Salazar

CLE

@CWS

3.00

28.7%

7.0%

30

Mat Latos

CIN

@MIL

2.98

22.4%

6.5%

31

Tony Cingrani

CIN

CHC

2.80

28.9%

10.2%

32

Ivan Nova

NYY

@BAL, @BOS

3.02

21.0%

7.5%

33

Derek Holland

TEX

OAK

3.07

21.9%

7.9%

34

Patrick Corbin

ARI

@LAD

2.96

21.7%

6.2%

34

A.J. Burnett

PIT

@TEX

3.09

25.6%

8.5%

36

Ervin Santana

KC

@CLE, @DET

3.33

19.0%

6.0%

37

Clay Buchholz

BOS

@TB

1.71

24.9%

8.9%

38

John Lackey

BOS

NYY

3.22

20.9%

5.1%

39

Justin Verlander

DET

KC

3.59

22.0%

8.4%

40

James Shields

KC

@CLE

3.03

19.9%

7.5%

41

C.J. Wilson

LAA

@TOR

3.35

20.7%

9.1%

42

Hiroki Kuroda

NYY

@BOS

2.99

18.1%

4.6%

43

Felix Doubront

BOS

NYY

3.89

20.5%

9.3%

44

David Price

TB

BOS

3.51

20.2%

3.6%

45

Alex Cobb

TB

BOS

2.83

22.3%

8.1%

Additional Information: Hisashi Iwakuma, in his past 15 starts, has a 4.05 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. Unlike Cliff Lee, where the underlying peripherals suggest he’s been unlucky, Iwakuma’s numbers suggest he hasn’t pitched as well. Iwakuma’s strikeout rate has decreased 22 percent and his walk rate has increased 33 percent. Speaking of another fantasy ace who’s struggling, David Price has been extremely hittable in his last five starts with a 4.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. However, the strikeout and walk rates have maintained for the season, with the biggest difference coming from his BABIP, which is .356 in those five starts. Clay Buchholz had another solid rehab start (he’s had three so far) for the Pawtucket Red Sox, going 3.2 innings and throwing 73 percent strikes. Buchholz has been on the DL since June 9 with a sore neck and looks as though he’ll be ready to face the Tampa Bay Rays this week. Odds are if you owned him for this long, and if you’re in the middle of a playoff race and/or on the cusp of gaining another point (in roto leagues), then it would be extremely difficult to leave him on the bench.

Spot starters

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

47

Ricky Nolasco

LAD

ARI, SF

3.26

19.8%

5.6%

48

Chris Tillman

BAL

NYY, @TOR

3.71

20.3%

8.7%

49

Andrew Cashner

SD

@PHI, @ATL

3.45

17.0%

7.3%

50

Carlos Torres

NYM

WSH, MIA-2

2.89

18.3%

3.2%

51

Zack Wheeler

NYM

WSH

3.36

20.3%

9.6%

52

Matt Moore

TB

@MIN

3.27

22.7%

11.3%

53

Chris Archer

TB

@MIN

3.14

17.4%

7.7%

54

Corey Kluber

CLE

@CWS

3.54

23.2%

5.2%

55

Matt Cain

SF

@LAD

4.43

21.8%

7.3%

56

Travis Wood

CHC

@CIN, @PIT

3.17

17.1%

8.0%

57

Sonny Gray

OAK

@MIN

2.51

25.7%

6.4%

58

Scott Feldman

BAL

NYY

3.75

17.7%

7.0%

59

Wei-Yin Chen

BAL

NYY

3.87

16.3%

7.6%

60

Doug Fister

DET

KC

3.66

17.3%

4.9%

61

Tyler Chatwood

COL

@ARI

3.28

16.0%

8.3%

62

Jake Peavy

BOS

@TB

4.01

20.6%

5.1%

63

Taijuan Walker

SEA

HOU

3.60

10.3%

7.7%

64

Jeff Samardzija

CHC

@CIN

4.29

23.5%

8.6%

65

Matt Garza

TEX

PIT

3.55

22.1%

6.3%

66

Nathan Eovaldi

MIA

@NYM

3.40

17.1%

9.0%

67

Michael Wacha

STL

SEA

3.21

25.0%

6.9%

68

Mike Leake

CIN

CHC

3.51

14.5%

5.9%

Additional Information: If you remove Zack Wheeler’s first three starts, he has a 3.00 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 20.3 percent strikeout rate and 9.5 percent walk rate. With the Mets being so bad, I would have Wheeler lower in the rankings because of the decreased likelihood of earning a win, but with a start against the Nationals and Dan Haren, Wheeler has a great opportunity to have a really solid start. To say Matt Cain has been inconsistent in 2013 would be an understatement, but the Dodgers have .696 OPS at home compared to a .750 OPS on the road. Corey Kluber was originally slated to pitch in relief on Friday, but with the injury to Justin Masterson, Kluber will assume Masterson’s spot in the rotation. I loved Kluber before he went on the DL (on August 6) with a finger sprain.

Proceed with caution

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

69

Gerrit Cole

PIT

@TEX, CHC

3.75

18.0%

5.2%

70

R.A. Dickey

TOR

LAA

4.29

18.4%

7.9%

71

Kyle Lohse

MIL

@STL

3.32

15.5%

4.7%

72

Jon Niese

NYM

WSH

3.66

16.6%

8.4%

73

Jorge De La Rosa

COL

@SF

3.31

15.8%

8.4%

74

Bronson Arroyo

CIN

CHC, @MIL

3.62

15.4%

3.7%

75

Scott Kazmir

CLE

KC

4.36

21.4%

7.7%

76

Jon Lester

BOS

NYY

3.89

19.6%

7.6%

77

Paul Maholm

ATL

SD

4.41

15.4%

7.5%

78

Juan Nicasio

COL

@SF

4.82

16.8%

8.7%

79

Jacob Turner

MIA

@NYM-2

3.12

14.7%

10.4%

80

Hector Santiago

CWS

CLE

3.43

22.1%

11.1%

81

Ubaldo Jimenez

CLE

KC, @CWS

3.79

23.0%

11.7%

82

Randall Delgado

ARI

@LAD, COL

3.68

17.8%

4.8%

83

Ryan Dempster

BOS

@TB

4.79

20.7%

9.9%

84

Danny Duffy

KC

@DET

1.35

24.7%

10.6%

85

Brett Oberholtzer

HOU

LAA

2.80

15.5%

3.6%

Additional Information: The Cleveland Indians have the fifth highest OPS (.750) in the majors against lefties, which is why I would be hesitant to start Hector Santiago. Since the All-Star, break Gerrit Cole has pitched better than his 3.62 ERA would indicate. He’s striking out 21 percent of the batters he faces and is only walking five percent. Five percent may not seem that low, but that puts him in the top 10 percent of starting pitchers. I love pitchers who miss bats and do not allow free passes. Next year, if Cole is in the starting rotation to begin the year, he will most likely be top 30-35 starting pitcher for me. If you remove Ubaldo Jimenez’s first four starts of the year, he has a 2.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP with a 23.3 strikeout rate and 11.3 walk rate. With a WHIP that high, his ERA is unlikely to sustain, but he’s been extremely effective in bursts.

Avoid

Rank

Name

Team

Opp.

ERA

K%

BB%

86

Martin Perez

TEX

PIT, OAK

3.41

15.7%

6.5%

87

Brandon McCarthy

ARI

COL

4.94

14.1%

4.1%

88

Tim Lincecum

SF

COL, @LAD

4.50

23.7%

9.5%

89

Rick Porcello

DET

@CWS

4.76

17.9%

6.1%

90

David Huff

NYY

@BAL

3.32

21.3%

10.7%

91

Dan Straily

OAK

@TEX

4.38

18.9%

8.7%

92

Lance Lynn

STL

MIL

4.37

22.2%

9.1%

93

CC Sabathia

NYY

@BAL, @BOS

4.86

19.5%

6.8%

94

Jarred Cosart

HOU

@SEA

2.13

13.4%

12.9%

95

Erasmo Ramirez

SEA

@STL

5.07

18.9%

7.1%

96

Edwin Jackson

CHC

@CIN

4.91

17.7%

7.7%

97

Jake Arrieta

CHC

@PIT

5.33

19.0%

14.7%

98

Chris Capuano

LAD

ARI

4.41

17.2%

5.2%

99

Jose Quintana

CWS

DET

3.70

19.8%

6.8%

100

Dan Haren

WSH

@NYM

5.02

20.5%

4.0%

101

Jeremy Hellickson

TB

BOS, @MIN

5.04

17.9%

6.6%

Additional Information: If you’re wondering why Bartolo Colon is not on the list, it’s because his fastball velocity was still down in his last start; his max velocity was 93 mph, which is three mph less than before he went on the DL. Since July (13 starts) Lance Lynn has a 5.47 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. His .366 BABIP suggests he has been unlucky, but his BABIP has been so high because the command has been extremely loose, and he’s thrown a lot of meatballs in the middle of the plate.

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