of ranking so much to sort through.
DJ has a top. 20 Scott has a top 20,
DJ will start and we'll go a little faster for 20 through 11
before we get into the top 10. What do you start with that
tie? Your top 20. So 24 me is Max freed and I think the thing
that separates him
from some of the other fantasy Aces, we want to see that
Innings total go up has yet to throw 200 innings in his
career. Made some awesome strides with this control last
season sauce. I like them a lot but I want to see him get Ooh,
that
200 inning threshold
in 2023, Shane Bieber, have 19
and the reason I'm doing that is because
we're going to have this balance schedule this year and
Major League Baseball. So I wonder not pitching against
the AL Central as much how that end picks impacts that you are a.
Maybe it bumps him over 3
will see Zack Wheeler I might be under rating here but we
know he had that form. Forearm issue down the stretch last
year, the velocity was kind of up and down
during the postseason. So, yes, to answer some questions for
me, this Ring, Luis Castillo. I have at number 17.
Now, getting a pitch, a full season
in Seattle. I think leaving Cincinnati is going to be big
for him ahead of 299 ERA last year. Could do even better this
season Zach Gowen,
he was awesome and the second half last year had that what 44
inning scoreless streak leaned into his curveball usage last
season. I think he could be a fantasy Ace. Maybe even a sigh
Young Contender
this season Christian Javier already went over. His case,
why I like him. As a breakout, pick shohei Otani.
I feel like he gets underrated as a pitcher because of what he
does as a hitter. But to me, he's right on the cusp of being
a fantasy Ace. Maybe doesn't have that workload of other
fantasy Aces, but was more efficient last season like him
a lot.
Kevin gausman at 13 has struck out two hundred batters in each
of the past two seasons. So he's right there in the cusp of
the top 12 starters Julio Arias for me
very efficient. Strikeout rate might not be there but, you
know, he's going to get a lot of wind. For the Dodgers. So
I'm a big fan of him Max Scherzer. I have it number 11.
I mean, the fact with him is just how many endings can he
throw, he hasn't thrown 200 Innings since 2018, so it's
been a little while when he's healthy though. He's going to
be great
Scott, looking at your top 20. Who do you start with and where
do you differ from DJ's? Come on 10:40.
Yeah, you're gonna hear a lot of the same names I have Zach
gal at number 20 but, you know, DJ had him a few slots higher
and maybe I need to revisit that rank. It's a good defense.
In Arizona and that Park is misunderstood. It's actually
a picture of favoring park over the last few seasons
Alec Manoa and Kevin gausman, I have back-to-back at 19 and 18,
if not for the dimension changes, I'd probably have them
higher. I think gospel is better served to be okay,
because he's got that ground ball tilt
Carlos were down, is my 17 picture, which means I'll
probably be out on him just a little bit nervous. The big
contract in that Homer friendly Park. Dylan cease my number 16
pitcher. He needs to get that walk right down, and I don't
think he can match his current ADP.
I'm going to be out.
Him where I have him ranked against the market. I'm just
concerned. He walks too many, guys. Luis Castillo DJ
outlined, it looks. Cincinnati is hellish for pictures. She L
is a good pitching ballpark. I really believe in a lot
of the moves is team has made. They made the playoffs last
year. I think they'll be back in the playoffs this season
Julio. Urias at 14. He breaks the ER, a estimator. She always
has that better era than the components that suggests it.
When you do that enough times, I start to believe it's part of
a skill that you own so I'll be happy to draft him proactively
show. Hey,
Of Tawny remembering Yahoo. He's two different players. Hit
her Otani pitcher, Otani probably autonomies last year
with the angels, the Angels. Say the heck with it? Let's
just lean into him. Give him a heavier workload. He may not be
in our team next year. He made
me traded the middle of the season
for all, we know. So you might get 20 or 30 more Innings than
you expected with Otani. Always a difficult guy to rank. I have
him at 13, Zack Wheeler such a Dependable, strikeout guy.
I believe in the Phillies infrastructure
even without Bryce Harper for about half the season,
I have him at 12
now DJ, Great point about Shane Bieber. He's my number 11
pitchers so I like him more than DJ does. I know it's
a so-so fastball but his off-speed stuff is outstanding
his slider. He's got a great strikeout right? Won't get as
much of the AL Central as were
used to with the schedule more balanced this year.
But I like that Cleveland defense and I don't care that
he doesn't light it up. He's not going to throw 100 mile
an hour fast balls. I'm not concerned about that. I will
draft Shane Bieber proactively
and 26, this where the stakes get a little higher. These are
typically your Frontline fantasy starters and most
likely going to be A number one, for whatever team they're
drafted to. Where do you start?
So we're going to start out here with Carlos, saura Donna,
I kind of already went over, why? I like him a lot with
the Yankees, just a reliable, strikeout guy and it's pretty
amazing. I think Scott mentioned this earlier,
the White Sox
giving up on him not even giving him a qualifying offer,
but I think he answered some questions about his health last
season
and to me is the top 10 starter Shane, McClanahan had Shane
McClanahan have I have it number nine and he was great
during the first half last she was probably the
Out pitcher in Major League. Baseball, second half, not so much
dealt with a shoulder issue. During the second half as well,
strikeouts wind down, walks went up. So you have some
questions to answer for me, but I still think he's a top 10
starter. Spencer Strider was the fastest pitcher in baseball
history
to make it to 200 strikeouts in a season
and he topped. Randy Johnson for that
metric. So that's, that's pretty impressive.
We know, he dealt with Al a tissue down the stretch last
year, but plenty of time to get healthy during the off-season,
I'm very very interested to see what he can do. Over a full
season, Justin, Verlander defeating father time, just
turned 40 years old, but
you wouldn't know it after what he did last year returning from
Tommy, John surgery. Am I expecting a sub two era?
Probably not. But I still think he's going to be great. This
year are Enola.
We improved the ERA last year, the control was great
for me, he's a Workhorse fantasy, work hard, work horse,
all the way 235 strikeouts last year, I think he just Every box
for a fantasy. Ace
Scott. I know. You're ten to 6:00 starts with a bit of
a surprise. So break it down for the people. Yeah. Ted. And
I have Jacob, degrom and I have, my notes is scares
the expletive out of me. I
just don't think I have the nerve to draft a grand. Maybe
it's because I've been burned by him. The last couple of
years, every picture is an injury risk, but I think
there's just extra risk baked into him. So I'm not going to
get him where I have him. Slotted Shea McClanahan could
be a sigh Young Contender. We know the Rays always have
a plus defense.
He's into an age 26 Season.
These are the years to get invested. I have met nine.
I could conceivably, move him up. I have the two old guy Mets at
eight and seven Verlander into his age. 40 season Scherzer
into a gauge 38th season,
you could really rank those in any order you want.
Are we comfortable drafting these guys in their mid late
30s? You know, even in 244 Verlander. That's a kind of
a personal choice for everybody by rank them where I may get
them on some team Spencer Strider. I have it six. The
only concern for me
because when he did pile up the strikeouts, he's only a 2 pitch
guy. We We talked about a starting pitcher needs three
pitches but if the two pitches are dominant enough maybe it
doesn't matter. Atlanta is built to be a 95 win team
against Riders. Also only done it once
which can make us consider
concerned at times.
I have them at sp6. The market may have among little bit
loftier than that. So I don't think I'll draft Striders often
as maybe a normal manager would but still
a pretty good real estate for him as my sp6.
Finally, DJ your top five fantasy starting pitchers for
the 2020 three seasons. So now Number five, I have Brandon
Woodruff and I think he actually goes underrated
because he's on the same staff is Corbin Burns but
you look at what he's done over the past three season. I mean,
he has a sub three era in that time and he's legit. I think
you could push for 200 strikeouts with the full season
of health and to me,
I think he's one of the best pitchers in the game even
though he doesn't necessarily get the recognition for it.
I have Jacob degrom at number four. I said earlier, I'm
probably not going to touch him and drafts but that's true,
but
potential.
He could be the number one fantasy starter when it's all
said and done. Am I going to going to draft him if I see him
on the board? You know, as the number four starter maybe not
but potential, he's right there,
Sandy Alcantara. I think, what's interesting about him is
that he doesn't have the strikeout rate to match those
other fantasy Aces. But in terms of pure volume, he's
going to throw more Innings than anyone assuming that he's
healthy. He pitches deep into games so he still got to two
hundred
and seven strikeouts last year even though he didn't have that
electric. Take out percentage. I think winds are a little
shaky there with the Marlins but
I think he's legit as well.
Gerrit Cole. I think era is always going to be the tricky one
with Cole pitching in Yankee Stadium. We've seen those days
where he's just off. It's giving up home runs but when
it's all said and done, you know, he puts up 250
strikeouts, so you can't complain about that
and Corbin Burns, which is
fascinating. We've seen over the past week that the Brewers
actually took this guy to arbitration and
and angered him in the process.
Yeah, not great, but we'll see how much longer Burns actually
pitches for the Brewers. But for me, he's the best pitcher
in the game. He's the most reliable fantasy starter in
the game.
What? He's done over the past three seasons, just
the transformation that he's had. Is just been remarkable, Scott.
How does your top five differ and most importantly overall?
Just, how does it stack up?
Yeah, a lot of the same names. I think we have the same top
three, I have Austin Nola at five, I think he was DJ's
number six picture, the problem with Nola's at the defense has
never really been great in Philadelphia and he is a
around the plate so much that he's going to allow contact. We
know you can't shift this year, which is going to be a concern
with some guys who pitched a contact. So, I'm happy to draft
Nola, but he's not necessarily a target for me. Brendan,
Woodruff at number 4,
we finally going to get 180, 190, 200 Innings. Those numbers
were come down, right? We used to want 250 inning horses.
That's a dead issue. Now, I'd love to see a hundred eighty
five innings of Woodruff and he'll need it to justify my SP
for ranking. Alcantara
as DJ mentioned, not a strikeout God, but because he's
gonna throw So many innings he'll get you strikeouts off
volume and he pitches to so much we contact and you know
all those groundouts are weak outs or because of
things he does with sequencing
with the quality of his stuff. So I don't care that he doesn't
have the greatest strikeouts per nine, I will draft him
aggressively even after a sigh Young season. Isn't it crazy
that caracoles never had the site young season? Maybe it's
the Home Run problem,
but he's a horse he's going to strike out 220 230 guys,
every season and again you know winds are fluky
but I'll take wins on
The New York Yankees team over
75 or 80 win team. At some point caracoles. Just going to
win 20 games and win a sigh Young? Why not this season? It
isn't it funny Corbin Bernsen goes to arbitration. The
Brewers have to talk the guy down
and he's number one on a lot of fantasy boards, including my
board, including DJ's board into an age 28 season. The
Brewer still fancied themselves a contender. I know
the divisional,
maybe the divisional matchup don't mean as much because
the schedules a little bit more balanced but still, I want to
pitch against the Cubs. I want him pitching.
Against the Pirates.
And I think Milwaukee, maybe they won't have Burns for
the Long Haul. I think we'll have them for the balance of this
season perfectly happy to take him in the second round of
a fantasy draft.