RotoGraphs June Consensus Ranks: Starting Pitcher

Starting pitching is so tough to evaluate. First, you get massive amounts of information every five days, but each of those bursts of information is tied to a single park or team and is so context dependent. Second, there are only five starting slots, and if you’re the sixth-best starting pitcher on your team, you’re outta luck.

That last part is really the reason for the delay on these rankings. Tony Cingrani was a starting pitcher yesterday and we were about to pub the rankings — and then news came out that Mat Latos would take his slot this week. Now Cingrani is suddenly among the prospects — who are impossible to project given their uncertain role — and waiting for Alfredo Simon to pumpkin or Latos to hurt again. That’s not great for his ranking.

At some point you have to pull the plug on all the emails and put the rankings out. There’s going to be news tomorrow about an injury, and you’ll have to move that pitcher down mentally in your head.

And, man, is this a volatile list or what. Danny Salazar dropped 106 spots in the rankings! Trevor Cahill might get his spot back, but in the meantime he dropped 55 places in the rankings! Clay Buchholz is down 64! The biggest previously-ranked risers were Johnny Cueto (34), Corey Kluber (38), Scott Kazmir (35), Garret Richards (53), and Yordano Ventura (37), all guys I own everywhere. Wait, no, I was just pointing out your hot young studs. Wait, no, that sounds bad too.

Pitchers — enjoy them like I do. (Damn.)

Again, this is for rest of season 5×5 roto, and though Jeff Zimmerman mostly uses the rest of season projections, it’s not just a computer ranking. We’ve left off the color coding in favor of a simple up or down arrow — those arrows are only next to big movers from their preseason position. The table is designed to be sortable in case you prefer one of the rankings.

RG	Name	Jeff	Zach	Mike	Eno
1	Clayton Kershaw	1	1	1	1
2	Felix Hernandez	2	2	4	2
3	Yu Darvish	4	6	2	3
4	Adam Wainwright	9	3	3	4
5	Max Scherzer	3	5	7	8
6	Chris Sale	7	8	5	6
7	Masahiro Tanaka	12	4	8	5
8	Stephen Strasburg	8	9	6	7
9	Madison Bumgarner	5	10	9	9
10	Zack Greinke	10	7	11	10
11	David Price	6	14	10	15
12	Anibal Sanchez	15	12	16	13
13	Johnny Cueto	17	11	28	11
14	Cole Hamels	13	22	21	20
15	Julio Teheran	20	13	38	12
16	Corey Kluber	33	18	12	22
17	Jon Lester	14	17	39	16
18	Michael Wacha	27	19	25	18
19	Hisashi Iwakuma	26	15	23	26
20	Jordan Zimmermann	19	41	15	17
21	James Shields	21	29	20	27
22	Alex Cobb	35	16	22	25
23	Hyun-Jin Ryu	32	20	27	19
24	Jeff Samardzija	23	21	32	23
25	Justin Verlander	11	57	14	24
26	Cliff Lee	16	66	13	14
27	Sonny Gray	37	27	26	21
28	Jered Weaver	28	31	19	34
29	Doug Fister	24	24	34	30
30	Gio Gonzalez	42	25	18	32
31	Ian Kennedy	18	36	42	29
32	Mike Minor	30	23	44	33
33	Scott Kazmir	45	28	24	35
34	C.J. Wilson	25	37	35	39
35	Homer Bailey	34	56	17	31
36	John Lackey	29	33	41	42
37	Matt Cain	40	40	31	40
38	Andrew Cashner	38	38	47	36
39	Gerrit Cole	53	34	50	28
40	Ervin Santana	31	64	36	37
41	Shelby Miller	39	68	43	41
42	Hiroki Kuroda	44	74	29	47
43	Dan Haren	47	44	52	51
44	Lance Lynn	36	77	33	49
45	Tim Hudson	54	45	53	43
46	Kyle Lohse	60	30	56	53
47	Mat Latos	101	17	59	41
48	Dallas Keuchel	105	26	51	38
49	Nathan Eovaldi	86	35	55	48
50	Zack Wheeler	48	55	71	52
51	Marco Estrada	80	43	46	59
52	Chris Archer	52	51	72	54
53	Jaime Garcia	66	48	48	68
54	Francisco Liriano	22	92	49	72
55	Rick Porcello	68	52	58	57
56	Jesse Chavez	81	32	82	45
57	Matt Garza	62	69	40	71
58	Justin Masterson	41	78	54	70
59	Tyson Ross	76	47	60	61
60	Garrett Richards	79	53	68	44
61	R.A. Dickey	51	84	30	81
62	Jose Quintana	61	65	65	55
63	Tim Lincecum	43	80	45	83
64	Phil Hughes	71	49	74	58
65	Drew Hutchison	97	42	67	50
66	Yordano Ventura	85	59	75	46
67	Josh Beckett	95	76	37	62
68	Jason Hammel	73	61	63	74
69	Jon Niese	75	54	73	76
70	Drew Smyly	72	91	66	60
71	Tyler Skaggs	58	94	70	69
72	A.J. Burnett	57	85	79	73
73	Gavin Floyd	87	62	61	86
74	Yovani Gallardo	59	86	59	93
75	Ubaldo Jimenez	49	79	84	95
76	Collin McHugh	135	39	78	56
77	Wily Peralta	116	50	81	65
78	Tommy Milone	63	88	87	84
79	Tanner Roark	84	71	77	91
80	Aaron Harang	83	58	94	89
81	Roenis Elias	103	60	95	67
82	Mike Leake	74	63	121	75
83	Travis Wood	67	87	105	77
84	Wade Miley	55	97	88	99
85	Mark Buehrle	92	46	113	90
86	Bartolo Colon	56	73	103	111
87	Marcus Stroman	89	89	76	98
88	Wei-Yin Chen	64	83	89	117
89	Drew Pomeranz	99	95	97	63
90	Brandon McCarthy	77	135	57	87
91	Tony Cingrani	46	126	101	94
92	Jason Vargas	98	82	110	78
93	Jake Peavy	69	147	62	92
94	Trevor Bauer	151	72	69	79
95	Taijuan Walker	90	70	119	101
96	Chris Tillman	78	102	85	118
97	CC Sabathia	50	111	115	109
98	Henderson Alvarez	104	75	109	104
99	Dillon Gee	132	131	64	66
100	Charlie Morton	100	108	80	110
101	Ryan Vogelsong	115	67	96	122
102	Derek Holland	82	110	128	88
103	Jake Odorizzi	94	119	92	106
104	Kevin Gausman	118	113	91	97
105	Chase Whitley	151	114	90	64
106	Miguel Gonzalez	96	99	106	127
107	Bud Norris	112	98	107	113
108	Edwin Jackson	70	117	118	126
109	Chase Anderson	145	106	100	80
110	Jorge de la Rosa	125	104	83	120
111	Josh Tomlin	120	100	111	114
112	Danny Duffy	133	96	133	85
113	Jenrry Mejia	65	151	151	96
114	Rubby de la Rosa	151	127	93	103
115	Jake Arrieta	108	116	138	112
116	Ricky Nolasco	102	144	86	143
117	Bronson Arroyo	109	123	99	144
118	Josh Collmenter	93	109	151	125
119	David Phelps	140	81	131	132
120	Andrew Heaney	123	105	151	107
121	James Paxton	147	146	112	82
122	Edinson Volquez	128	122	116	124
123	Alex Meyer	91	150	151	100
124	Felix Doubront	114	129	122	128
125	Jacob deGrom	149	134	102	108
126	Robbie Erlin	107	137	151	105
127	Rafael Montero	106	125	151	121
128	Alfredo Simon	131	93	134	146
129	Michael Pineda	146	138	104	116
130	Danny Salazar	101	151	151	102
131	Erik Bedard	138	139	98	131
132	Yusmeiro Petit	88	151	151	119
133	Kyle Kendrick	141	103	123	151
134	Chris Young	151	107	125	137
135	Scott Feldman	129	133	108	150
136	Clay Buchholz	126	151	114	130
137	Zach McAllister	121	132	120	149
138	Eric Stults	119	151	126	129
139	Jordan Lyles	151	90	151	135
140	Colby Lewis	124	142	139	123
141	Juan Nicasio	136	101	140	151
142	Jhoulys Chacin	130	124	130	151
143	Kyle Gibson	151	136	135	115
144	Jarred Cosart	151	115	137	134
145	Brandon Workman	142	120	151	133
146	Jeff Locke	111	151	136	151
147	Bruce Chen	127	151	127	151
148	Trevor Cahill	110	151	151	145
149	Roberto Hernandez	139	151	117	151
150	Tom Koehler	151	112	144	151
151	Jeremy Guthrie	151	118	141	151
152	Noah Syndergaard	151	121	151	139
153	J.A. Happ	137	151	129	151
154	Randy Wolf	134	140	151	151
155	Jimmy Nelson	151	141	151	136
156	Nicholas Martinez	151	130	151	147
157	Brett Anderson	150	128	151	151
158	Archie Bradley	151	149	151	141

Ranked by one analyst: John Danks, Hector Santiago, Brad Peacock, Kevin Correia, Franklin Morales, Carlos Villanueva, Carlos Carrasco, Tim Stauffer, Matt Shoemaker, Jonathan Gray, Matt Wisler, Joe Kelly, Brandon Cumpton, T.J. House, Tyler Chatwood, Eddie Butler, and Allen Webster.