All Star Break Consensus Ranks: Starting Pitchers
We’re done! We’re finally done!
With the pitchers we come to the end of another exhausting week of ranking pitchers.
With 60% of the year done, the guys that will start arguments are almost always ones with interesting innings projections. We know a lot of about a pitcher’s talent and results this year, but guys like Shelby Miller (who could get capped around 180 innings, or might not) and Brandon Beachy (who could come back and pitch, but who knows) have unknowns. Even guys like Hisashi Iwakuma (who didn’t have great innings totals in Japan) and Andrew Cashner (who hurts himself often) are hard to project when it comes to playing time.
As always, go with quantity. Quality is important, but in a league where 40% of the starters hit the DL in a given season, you’re going to need all the arms you can get.
With the color-coding we hope to highlight the biggest movers. That definition changes as you follow the ranks down the list — players had to move more to register a color change as you near the bottom of the list. These are rest-of-season rankings for 5×5 roto. Jeff Zimmerman’s rankings are a combination of ZiPs and Steamer rest-of-season projections with playing time determined by our depth charts. You can find the projections on every player page and the depth charts here
RG | Pitcher | ES | JZ | MP | ZS |
1 | Clayton Kershaw | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2 | Felix Hernandez | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
3 | Justin Verlander | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 |
4 | Yu Darvish | 5 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
5 | Cliff Lee | 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
6 | Max Scherzer | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
7 | Adam Wainwright | 10 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
8 | Matt Harvey | 4 | 16 | 13 | 5 |
9 | Stephen Strasburg | 11 | 14 | 7 | 7 |
10 | Chris Sale | 7 | 8 | 16 | 9 |
11 | Madison Bumgarner | 9 | 9 | 12 | 10 |
12 | David Price | 12 | 15 | 10 | 12 |
13 | Cole Hamels | 16 | 7 | 11 | 17 |
14 | CC Sabathia | 17 | 13 | 9 | 16 |
15 | Mat Latos | 14 | 12 | 18 | 15 |
16 | James Shields | 15 | 11 | 14 | 20 |
17 | Gio Gonzalez | 13 | 19 | 26 | 13 |
18 | Zack Greinke | 18 | 18 | 15 | 22 |
19 | Matt Cain | 25 | 17 | 19 | 26 |
20 | Jered Weaver | 28 | 25 | 17 | 21 |
21 | Homer Bailey | 24 | 27 | 24 | 19 |
22 | Mike Minor | 22 | 26 | 34 | 14 |
23 | Matt Moore | 23 | 28 | 22 | 24 |
24 | Jeff Samardzija | 20 | 20 | 28 | 31 |
25 | Anibal Sanchez | 21 | 24 | 21 | 34 |
26 | Jordan Zimmermann | 26 | 34 | 32 | 18 |
27 | A.J. Burnett | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 |
28 | Jake Peavy | 32 | 30 | 29 | 32 |
29 | Derek Holland | 29 | 32 | 36 | 27 |
30 | Hiroki Kuroda | 27 | 45 | 38 | 25 |
31 | Doug Fister | 38 | 41 | 37 | 23 |
32 | Matt Garza | 34 | 43 | 33 | 29 |
33 | Shelby Miller | 19 | 68 | 20 | 35 |
34 | Francisco Liriano | 31 | 49 | 31 | 37 |
35 | Tim Lincecum | 37 | 21 | 25 | 69 |
36 | Lance Lynn | 41 | 39 | 43 | 33 |
37 | R.A. Dickey | 33 | 38 | 23 | 64 |
38 | Hisashi Iwakuma | 42 | 47 | 40 | 30 |
39 | Yovani Gallardo | 39 | 22 | 35 | 66 |
40 | Ian Kennedy | 35 | 23 | 61 | 45 |
41 | Jon Lester | 45 | 37 | 49 | 38 |
42 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | 44 | 54 | 42 | 39 |
43 | Justin Masterson | 67 | 36 | 41 | 41 |
44 | Patrick Corbin | 36 | 52 | 44 | 55 |
45 | Kris Medlen | 40 | 55 | 45 | 59 |
46 | Tommy Milone | 54 | 40 | 60 | 47 |
47 | John Lackey | 52 | 88 | 27 | 36 |
48 | Ervin Santana | 43 | 48 | 52 | 61 |
49 | Jeremy Hellickson | 47 | 61 | 50 | 58 |
50 | Julio Teheran | 49 | 71 | 54 | 44 |
51 | Josh Johnson | 61 | 53 | 39 | 65 |
52 | C.J. Wilson | 58 | 35 | 51 | 75 |
53 | Ryan Dempster | 69 | 58 | 59 | 40 |
54 | Andrew Cashner | 50 | 69 | 56 | 52 |
55 | Ricky Nolasco | 64 | 42 | 81 | 53 |
56 | Jose Fernandez | 56 | 92 | 47 | 48 |
57 | Johnny Cueto | 46 | 44 | 46 | 110 |
58 | Edwin Jackson | 68 | 31 | 55 | 94 |
59 | Jarrod Parker | 59 | 66 | 87 | 42 |
60 | Dan Haren | 66 | 33 | 48 | 111 |
61 | A.J. Griffin | 48 | 73 | 92 | 46 |
62 | Alex Cobb | 51 | 84 | 78 | 51 |
63 | Rick Porcello | 70 | 74 | 64 | 56 |
64 | Clay Buchholz | 57 | 86 | 79 | 43 |
65 | Erasmo Ramirez | 55 | 94 | 58 | 63 |
66 | Corey Kluber | 53 | 83 | 53 | 83 |
67 | Phil Hughes | 78 | 46 | 67 | 84 |
68 | Tim Hudson | 80 | 89 | 63 | 57 |
69 | Jeff Locke | 75 | 95 | 70 | 50 |
70 | Wade Miley | 77 | 64 | 74 | 78 |
71 | Ivan Nova | 62 | 76 | 57 | 99 |
72 | Felix Doubront | 72 | 78 | 68 | 77 |
73 | Paul Maholm | 65 | 80 | 75 | 80 |
74 | Bud Norris | 63 | 57 | 121 | 71 |
75 | Wandy Rodriguez | 60 | 65 | 114 | 76 |
76 | Chris Archer | 71 | 97 | 77 | 72 |
77 | Dan Straily | 74 | 85 | 69 | 92 |
78 | Chris Capuano | 73 | 70 | 62 | 115 |
79 | Mike Leake | 91 | 108 | 73 | 54 |
80 | Marco Estrada | 85 | 59 | 80 | 108 |
81 | Kyle Lohse | 76 | 60 | 96 | 102 |
82 | Bronson Arroyo | 82 | 81 | 103 | 70 |
83 | Zack Wheeler | 100 | 120 | 71 | 49 |
84 | Travis Wood | 95 | 72 | 95 | 81 |
85 | Wei-Yin Chen | 93 | 100 | 86 | 68 |
86 | Trevor Cahill | 79 | 63 | 115 | 93 |
87 | Andy Pettitte | 89 | 110 | 91 | 67 |
88 | Jose Quintana | 86 | 96 | 89 | 87 |
89 | Bartolo Colon | 83 | 112 | 82 | 82 |
90 | Scott Feldman | 104 | 101 | 83 | 73 |
91 | Alexi Ogando | 99 | 98 | 76 | 89 |
92 | Ubaldo Jimenez | 84 | 62 | 120 | 96 |
93 | Chris Tillman | 92 | 90 | 84 | 98 |
94 | Brandon Morrow | 107 | 50 | 117 | 91 |
95 | Dillon Gee | 96 | 67 | 99 | 106 |
96 | Kyle Kendrick | 90 | 107 | 100 | 74 |
97 | Joe Blanton | 98 | 56 | 112 | 117 |
98 | Brandon Beachy | 88 | 119 | 122 | 60 |
99 | Tony Cingrani | 81 | 111 | 109 | 90 |
100 | Scott Kazmir | 97 | 115 | 66 | 116 |
101 | Jason Hammel | 94 | 87 | 85 | 130 |
102 | Jon Niese | 116 | 51 | 128 | 105 |
103 | Chris Carpenter | 101 | 121 | 93 | 88 |
104 | Hector Santiago | 109 | 103 | 72 | 122 |
105 | Jhoulys Chacin | 106 | 116 | 123 | 62 |
106 | Gerrit Cole | 103 | 128 | 94 | 85 |
107 | Zach McAllister | 105 | 106 | 98 | 104 |
108 | Eric Stults | 122 | 113 | 101 | 79 |
109 | John Danks | 115 | 104 | 97 | 100 |
110 | Carlos Villanueva | 113 | 91 | 90 | 127 |
111 | Jason Vargas | 128 | 79 | 130 | 86 |
112 | Mark Buehrle | 114 | 82 | 130 | 97 |
113 | Brett Anderson | 87 | 114 | 111 | 114 |
114 | Roberto Hernandez | 120 | 118 | 65 | 125 |
115 | Brandon McCarthy | 112 | 99 | 110 | 112 |
116 | Jacob Turner | 111 | 124 | 104 | 95 |
117 | Jorge De La Rosa | 119 | 117 | 102 | 103 |
118 | Nathan Eovaldi | 102 | 122 | 108 | 119 |
119 | Tommy Hanson | 129 | 75 | 125 | 126 |
120 | Wade Davis | 124 | 77 | 129 | 129 |
121 | Kyle Gibson | 123 | 126 | 106 | 107 |
122 | Jordan Lyles | 117 | 102 | 113 | 130 |
123 | Colby Lewis | 110 | 123 | 118 | 113 |
124 | Matt Harrison | 118 | 93 | 130 | 123 |
125 | Tyler Skaggs | 127 | 129 | 88 | 121 |
126 | Aaron Harang | 130 | 105 | 116 | 118 |
127 | Joe Kelly | 121 | 125 | 105 | 120 |
128 | David Phelps | 108 | 109 | 130 | 128 |
129 | Martin Perez | 126 | 130 | 119 | 109 |
130 | Samuel Deduno | 130 | 130 | 127 | 101 |
131 | Tyler Chatwood | 130 | 130 | 107 | 130 |
132 | Ross Detwiler | 125 | 127 | 130 | 124 |
133 | Esmil Rogers | 130 | 130 | 124 | 130 |
134 | Juan Nicasio | 130 | 130 | 126 | 130 |
Ranked once were Daniel Hudson, Stephen Fife, Clayton Richard, Jeremy Guthrie, Miguel Gonzalez, J.A. Happ, Kevin Correia, Edinson Volquez, James McDonald, Barry Zito, Roy Halladay, Josh Beckett, Shaun Marcum, Ryan Vogelsong, Mike Fiers, Scott Baker, Luke Hochevar.
With a phone full of pictures of pitchers' fingers, strange beers, and his two toddler sons, Eno Sarris can be found at the ballpark or a brewery most days. Read him here, writing about the A's or Giants at The Athletic, or about beer at October. Follow him on Twitter @enosarris if you can handle the sandwiches and inanity.
I got an argument starter for ya: Bartolo Colon! His rank here would seem to be based on the 40% of the season left during which you all assume he’ll get hurt/suspended and completely ignoring the 60% of the season for which he’s been a Top-10 pitcher. There’s got to be a little hedge in there somewhere, right?
These rankings are strictly for the rest of the season, so his performance to date is irrelevant. His strikeouts are non-existent and his SIERA is over 4.00. He also hasn’t thrown more than 165 innings since 2005.
I’m factoring in the (now huge) probability of suspension. I just traded him immediately upon hearing the Braun news, for Blanton and Ichiro in a deep dynasty.
Who the heck traded for him?