Welcome to the May starting pitcher rankings update. Up this week are all of May's rest-of-season position rankings and overall top 300. Remember that players are listed where they’re most valuable, so if you don’t see someone you’re looking for, check another position. Designated hitters are listed with the first basemen.
Click to see other May rankings:
Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH
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Starting pitcher Rankings
May | SP | Team | 2016 |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Clayton Kershaw | Dodgers | 1 |
2 | Jake Arrieta | Cubs | 4 |
3 | Max Scherzer | Nationals | 2 |
4 | Stephen Strasburg | Nationals | 11 |
5 | Chris Sale | White Sox | 5 |
6 | Madison Bumgarner | Giants | 3 |
7 | Jose Fernandez | Marlins | 6 |
8 | David Price | Red Sox | 7 |
9 | Noah Syndergaard | Mets | 19 |
10 | Corey Kluber | Indians | 9 |
11 | Gerrit Cole | Pirates | 10 |
12 | Jacob deGrom | Mets | 8 |
13 | Sonny Gray | Athletics | 17 |
14 | Zack Greinke | Diamondbacks | 16 |
15 | Johnny Cueto | Giants | 21 |
16 | Cole Hamels | Rangers | 18 |
17 | Danny Salazar | Indians | 26 |
18 | Dallas Keuchel | Astros | 13 |
19 | Matt Harvey | Mets | 14 |
20 | Jose Quintana | White Sox | 36 |
21 | Garrett Richards | Angels | 23 |
22 | Taijuan Walker | Mariners | 33 |
23 | Carlos Martinez | Cardinals | 29 |
24 | Carlos Carrasco | Indians | 12 |
25 | Felix Hernandez | Mariners | 15 |
26 | Kenta Maeda | Dodgers | 45 |
27 | Jon Lester | Cubs | 28 |
28 | Jake Odorizzi | Rays | 30 |
29 | Jeff Samardzija | Giants | 24 |
30 | Adam Wainwright | Cardinals | 20 |
31 | Drew Smyly | Rays | 48 |
32 | Justin Verlander | Tigers | 25 |
33 | Chris Archer | Rays | 27 |
34 | Masahiro Tanaka | Yankees | 35 |
35 | Marcus Stroman | Blue Jays | 22 |
36 | Yu Darvish | Rangers | 51 |
37 | Michael Wacha | Cardinals | 39 |
38 | Michael Pineda | Yankees | 31 |
39 | John Lackey | Cubs | 43 |
40 | Steven Matz | Mets | 41 |
41 | Francisco Liriano | Pirates | 42 |
42 | Jaime Garcia | Cardinals | 46 |
43 | Wei-Yin Chen | Marlins | 38 |
44 | Kyle Hendricks | Cubs | 47 |
45 | Lance McCullers | Astros | 44 |
46 | Patrick Corbin | Diamondbacks | 37 |
47 | Gio Gonzalez | Nationals | 50 |
48 | Matt Moore | Rays | 69 |
49 | Jordan Zimmermann | Tigers | 53 |
50 | Yordano Ventura | Royals | 40 |
51 | Jason Hammel | Cubs | 59 |
52 | Anthony DeSclafani | Reds | 52 |
53 | Julio Teheran | Braves | 54 |
54 | Juan Nicasio | Pirates | 55 |
55 | Hisashi Iwakuma | Mariners | 49 |
56 | Joe Ross | Nationals | 56 |
57 | Adam Conley | Marlins | 73 |
58 | Tyson Ross | Padres | 32 |
59 | Rick Porcello | Red Sox | 75 |
60 | Raisel Iglesias | Reds | 34 |
61 | Jose Berrios | Twins | 102 |
62 | Mike Leake | Cardinals | 57 |
63 | Marco Estrada | Blue Jays | 67 |
64 | Jimmy Nelson | Brewers | 71 |
65 | Aaron Nola | Phillies | 78 |
66 | Ian Kennedy | Royals | 76 |
67 | Kevin Gausman | Orioles | 68 |
68 | Jesse Hahn | Athletics | 74 |
69 | Scott Kazmir | Dodgers | 65 |
70 | Drew Pomeranz | Padres | 101 |
71 | Rich Hill | Athletics | 95 |
72 | Vincent Velasquez | Phillies | 86 |
73 | Carlos Rodon | White Sox | 85 |
74 | Clay Buchholz | Red Sox | 61 |
75 | James Shields | Padres | 66 |
76 | Erasmo Ramirez | Rays | 81 |
77 | Shelby Miller | Diamondbacks | 58 |
78 | Eduardo Rodriguez | Red Sox | 77 |
79 | Hector Santiago | Angels | 99 |
80 | Derek Holland | Rangers | 88 |
81 | Nate Karns | Mariners | 89 |
82 | Mike Fiers | Astros | 62 |
83 | Luis Severino | Yankees | 64 |
84 | Collin McHugh | Astros | 72 |
85 | Tanner Roark | Nationals | 132 |
86 | Nathan Eovaldi | Yankees | 79 |
87 | Nick Tropeano | Angels | 118 |
88 | Aaron Sanchez | Blue Jays | 107 |
89 | Adam Warren | Cubs | 87 |
90 | Phil Hughes | Twins | 63 |
91 | Anibal Sanchez | Tigers | 70 |
92 | Alex Wood | Dodgers | 83 |
93 | Sean Manaea | Athletics | 167 |
94 | Rubby De La Rosa | Diamondbacks | 91 |
95 | Andrew Cashner | Padres | 84 |
96 | J.A. Happ | Blue Jays | 103 |
97 | Chris Devenski | Astros | 253 |
98 | Tyler Glasnow | Pirates | 123 |
99 | Robbie Ray | Diamondbacks | 90 |
100 | Edinson Volquez | Royals | 154 |
101 | Blake Snell | Rays | 139 |
102 | Kris Medlen | Royals | 92 |
103 | Kendall Graveman | Athletics | 96 |
104 | Wade Miley | Mariners | 104 |
105 | Kyle Gibson | Twins | 82 |
106 | Steven Wright | Red Sox | 146 |
107 | Chris Heston | Giants | 108 |
108 | Jake Peavy | Giants | 80 |
109 | Michael Fulmer | Tigers | 194 |
110 | Josh Tomlin | Indians | 114 |
111 | Matt Cain | Giants | 93 |
112 | Brandon Finnegan | Reds | 179 |
113 | R.A. Dickey | Blue Jays | 98 |
114 | Martin Perez | Rangers | 106 |
115 | A.J. Griffin | Rangers | 172 |
116 | Daniel Norris | Tigers | 116 |
117 | Jerad Eickhoff | Phillies | 159 |
118 | Hyun-Jin Ryu | Dodgers | 124 |
119 | Andrew Heaney | Angels | 60 |
120 | Shane Greene | Tigers | 100 |
121 | Trevor Bauer | Indians | 133 |
122 | Jeff Locke | Pirates | 109 |
123 | C.J. Wilson | Angels | 122 |
124 | Mat Latos | White Sox | 144 |
125 | Lucas Giolito | Nationals | 162 |
126 | Brandon McCarthy | Dodgers | 131 |
127 | Tyler Chatwood | Rockies | 246 |
128 | Chris Young | Royals | 113 |
129 | Cody Reed | Reds | 203 |
130 | Henry Owens | Red Sox | 161 |
131 | Bartolo Colon | Mets | 136 |
132 | Jon Gray | Rockies | 117 |
133 | James Paxton | Mariners | 119 |
134 | Tyler Skaggs | Angels | 115 |
135 | Jon Niese | Pirates | 121 |
136 | Jeremy Hellickson | Phillies | 138 |
137 | Chase Anderson | Brewers | 111 |
138 | Henderson Alvarez | Athletics | 202 |
139 | Joe Kelly | Red Sox | 110 |
140 | Chris Tillman | Orioles | 151 |
141 | Alex Cobb | Rays | 149 |
142 | Zack Wheeler | Mets | 148 |
143 | Doug Fister | Astros | 140 |
144 | Ervin Santana | Twins | 147 |
145 | Tim Cooney | Cardinals | 112 |
146 | Drew Hutchison | Blue Jays | 134 |
147 | Ross Stripling | Dodgers | 224 |
148 | Jered Weaver | Angels | 137 |
149 | Yusmeiro Petit | Nationals | 125 |
150 | CC Sabathia | Yankees | 142 |
151 | Homer Bailey | Reds | 135 |
152 | Vidal Nuno | Mariners | 127 |
153 | Travis Wood | Cubs | 130 |
154 | Ubaldo Jimenez | Orioles | 145 |
155 | Brett Anderson | Dodgers | 155 |
156 | Matt Wisler | Braves | 163 |
157 | Ricky Nolasco | Twins | 164 |
158 | Julio Urias | Dodgers | 175 |
159 | Cody Anderson | Indians | 105 |
160 | Michael Feliz | Astros | 152 |
161 | Jesse Chavez | Blue Jays | 143 |
162 | Colin Rea | Padres | 177 |
163 | Jhoulys Chacin | Braves | 241 |
164 | Danny Duffy | Royals | 120 |
165 | Colby Lewis | Rangers | 183 |
166 | Jose Urena | Marlins | 210 |
167 | Mark Appel | Phillies | 222 |
168 | Matt Shoemaker | Angels | 97 |
169 | John Lamb | Reds | 178 |
170 | Carlos Villanueva | Padres | 128 |
171 | Aaron Blair | Braves | 260 |
172 | Robert Stephenson | Reds | 255 |
173 | Ivan Nova | Yankees | 157 |
174 | Josh Hader | Brewers | 229 |
175 | Justin Nicolino | Marlins | 287 |
Dropping off (from preseason top 150): Chris Bassitt (94th), Marco Gonzales (126th), Tyler Lyons (129th), Charlie Morton (141st), Mike Bolsinger (150th)
- I’m feeling a little better now about Arrieta for a durability standpoint, so he jumps past Scherzer and Bumgarner. I still think he’s more of a health risk than those two, but he certainly seems strong right now. On a per-inning basis, I did have him a tad higher than those two entering the year (ignoring durability, my top five entering the year would have been Kershaw, Arrieta, Fernandez, Sale, Scherzer).
- I still worry about Syndergaard’s arm. He’s undoubtedly a top-five pitcher for the short term, but I’m not optimistic about him racking up 200 innings. Carlos Martinez, Maeda, Archer and Jaime Garcia are some other guys whose rankings are held back by durability concerns.
- Zimmermann’s fast start in the AL hasn’t swayed me in the least; his velocity remains down and his strikeout rate is in a steady decline. He’s a smart pitcher and he’ll keep making adjustments in an effort to stay ahead of hitters, but I don’t think it leads to a sub-3.50 ERA the rest of the way.
- Rich Hill was ranked in the 60s among SPs going into the spring, but he looked so lost in March that I dropped him all of the way down to 95 in the final preseason rankings. He’s back up to 71 now. In truth, he’s a top-50 pitcher at the moment. However, he’s about as big of a health risk as anyone currently in a major league rotation.
- Like Hill, Nola is riding an exceptional curveball, and not much else, to some excellent early-season results. Nola is averaging just 90 mph with his fastball, and his changeup has been a below average pitch for him in the majors. His curve is ridiculously good and he’s getting enough grounders with the fastball that I don’t want to write him off as a mixed-league asset. I think he’s pitching above his head right now, though.
- I don’t quite know what to do with Velasquez, who is a top-30 starter today but is going to be a non-factor come September and probably quite a bit earlier. Not only is he a big health risk, but he’s going to get shut down early even if he does stay healthy. Owners should probably ride him for another month and then see about selling.
- Severino turned in a quality start Tuesday against the Orioles, but there’s increased chatter about sending him to Triple-A anyway. That’d be quite an overreaction; Severino is throwing 95 mph, he’s walked just five in 25 2/3 innings and he’s sporting an above average groundball rate. He has a 4.42 FIP and a 3.59 xFIP to go along with his 6.31 ERA. I don’t think Severino is suddenly going to bust out as a star this year, but I’m pretty sure he’s better than Ivan Nova or anyone else the Yankees could turn to.