Starting Pitcher Chart – May 20th, 2026

by
May 20, 2026
Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Welcome to the Daily SP Chart, click here if you’re new to get an idea of what I’m doing with these rankings.

The chart includes their performance for 2026, their opponent’s wOBA versus the pitcher’s handedness, and recently added opponent’s K% (also v. SP handedness), my general start/sit recommendation for 10-team, 12-team, and 15-team (or more) leagues – essentially a shallow, medium, deep league setup – and then a note about some, most, or all depending on the day. If a pitcher only has an “x” in 15-team, it doesn’t mean there’s no potential use in 10s and 12s, but it’s a much riskier stream for those spots.

These are general recommendations for standard 5×5 roto leagues, and your league situation will carry more weight whether you are protecting ratios or chasing counting numbers. I usually won’t have much to write about aces who are locked into our rotations. If you want to discuss someone further, please feel free to leave a comment. I usually do a few sweeps of the comments before game time in case there are time-sensitive questions.

  • Hancock bounced back from his only Dud of the year with a 6 IP/1 ER gem v. SDP.
  • Early has tapped into his Ks the last 2 times out with 14 in 12 IP, against 2 tough to K teams, too! (TBR/ATL have 2nd/8th lowest K% vL).
  • Going into Wrigley is never easy, but Harrison has looked every bit like the 3x Top 100 Prospect he was coming up.
  • Upon further look, Cabrera might deserve a lower ranking. He hasn’t been bad, but after opening the season w/11.7 scoreless IP, he has a 5.26 ERA in 7 starts. Despite the elevated ERA, he’s only allowed more than 3 ER just once so it’s not like he’s getting stomped every 5th day. Not sure I’d take any 2-x’ers over him so I’d probably only drop him to 11 on a re-rank.
  • McGreevy’s been great this year with a 2.10 ERA/0.88 WHIP thru 9 starts but the 4.08 SIERA hints at trouble ahead. The .203 BABIP/90% LOB rate can’t sustain at those levels so there will be regression and it could be sharp. Throw in that PIT has been great vR this year and this becomes a bit dangerous. It’s tough because how can you put ratios like that on your bench even when you know danger is comin’?
  • Anderson might need to stretch out to be a full part of the rotation, but he did make it 4 IP last time out and I do think he could be a solid SP for DET once fully stretched out.
  • All 3 1-x guys are terrifying for their own reasons – Vásquez for the matchup, of course, and Nola/Burrows because they simply haven’t been great this year but their matchups give ’em a tinge of playability. I’d rather take the better guy facing the Dodgers, though.

—

Starting Pitcher Chart May 20th
Rk PITCHER Team Opponent 10 12 15+ IP ERA WHIP K% K-BB OPP K% opp wOBA RK
1 Cam Schlittler NYY v. TOR x x x 60 1.35 0.78 30% 25% 18% 25
2 Chris Sale ATL at MIA x x x 55 1.96 0.91 30% 23% 24% 12
3 Shohei Ohtani LAD at SDP x x x 44 0.82 0.82 29% 23% 23% 26
4 Joe Ryan MIN v. HOU x x x 50.2 3.20 1.01 26% 19% 22% 9
5 Emerson Hancock SEA v. CHW x x x 53.2 3.02 1.01 27% 22% 25% 17
6 Connelly Early BOS at KCR x x x 47.2 3.21 1.20 23% 14% 21% 22
7 Kyle Harrison MIL at CHC x x x 38.2 2.09 1.19 30% 22% 21% 2
8 Edward Cabrera CHC v. MIL x x x 51 4.06 1.31 21% 13% 20% 7
9 Trey Yesavage TOR at NYY x x x 19.1 1.40 1.29 26% 16% 24% 3
10 Tanner Bibee CLE at DET x x x 52 4.15 1.35 21% 12% 23% 18
11 Sean Burke CHW at SEA x x x 48.1 4.10 1.18 20% 15% 24% 8
12 Michael McGreevy STL v. PIT x x 51.1 2.10 0.88 19% 13% 22% 4
13 Michael Wacha KCR v. BOS x x 57.1 2.83 0.99 21% 13% 23% 29
14 Steven Matz TBR v. BAL x x 37.1 3.86 1.10 19% 10% 25% 17
15 Drew Anderson DET v. CLE x x 27 4.67 1.33 27% 16% 20% 22
16 Carmen Mlodzinski PIT at STL x x 45 4.40 1.44 22% 14% 22% 12
17 Randy Vásquez SDP v. LAD x 50.1 2.68 1.11 22% 16% 21% 2
18 Aaron Nola PHI v. CIN x 45.2 5.91 1.55 23% 14% 23% 21
19 Mike Burrows HOU at MIN x 50.1 5.72 1.53 21% 13% 24% 20
20 Shane Baz BAL at TBR 51.1 5.26 1.52 18% 9% 19% 6
21 Tyler Mahle SFG at ARI 46.2 5.59 1.56 23% 13% 22% 24
22 Janson Junk MIA v. ATL 50 4.14 1.24 18% 11% 21% 1
23 Aaron Civale ATH at LAA 46.2 2.70 1.39 17% 10% 26% 27
24 Andrew Abbott CIN at PHI 51.1 4.21 1.50 16% 5% 22% 20
25 Merrill Kelly 켈리 ARI v. SFG 35 5.91 1.54 15% 3% 21% 28
26 Zach Thornton NYM at WSN 24% 1
27 Jack Leiter TEX at COL 49.2 4.35 1.35 26% 16% 23% 13
28 Kyle Freeland COL v. TEX 33.2 7.22 1.66 20% 12% 27% 29
29 Jack Kochanowicz LAA v. ATH 51.1 4.56 1.36 15% 4% 21% 5
30 Zack Littell WSN v. NYM 41.1 6.10 1.50 11% 3% 20% 30
Recommendations for Roto 5×5 Leagues

Intro

The chart includes their performance for 2026, their opponent’s wOBA versus the pitcher’s handedness, my general start/sit recommendation for 10-team, 12-team, and 15-team (or more) leagues – essentially a shallow, medium, deep league setup – and then a note about some, most, or all depending on the day. If a pitcher only has an “x” in 15-team, it doesn’t mean there’s no potential use in 10s and 12s, but it’s a much riskier stream for those spots.

These are general recommendations for standard 5×5 roto leagues, and your league situation will carry more weight whether you are protecting ratios or chasing counting numbers. I usually won’t have much to write about aces who are locked into our rotations. If you want to discuss someone further, please feel free to leave a comment. I usually do a few sweeps of the comments before game time in case there are time-sensitive questions.

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Color Coding: 

  • Blue – Best | Green – Good | Yellow – OK | Red – Bad | Black – Worst





 

Paul is the Editor of Rotographs and Content Director for OOTP Perfect Team. Follow Paul on Twitter @sporer and on Twitch at sporer.

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AnonMember since 2025
1 day ago

Wind at 10+:

PHI – across from L to R at 10, warm too
DET – out to R at 11
WAS – in from L at 10
NYY – out to R at 10
Wrigley – in from L at a stout 17, bump to arms

Rain:

Coors – 51-65% all game
WAS – 49-60% all game
NYY – 60% all game

3
Paul SporerFanGraphs Staff
1 day ago
Reply to  Anon

Yesss, strengthens my Harrison resolve (not that he was being sat anywhere, but want to use him in a daily game I play on OOTP, too).

1