2022 Starter Rankings

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Up this week are my just-for-fun 2022 player rankings. I’ve done my best to list players where they’ll be eligible next year, and the free agents-to-be are listed without teams. Players with options for next year are still listed with their current teams if those options have a legitimate chance of being exercised. Those players are noted with asterisks.

Click to see other other preliminary 2022 rankings:

Top 300 | SP | RP | OF | 1B | 2B | SS | 3B | C | DH

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2022	SP	Team	2021	July
1	Jacob deGrom	Mets	1	1
2	Gerrit Cole	Yankees	3	5
3	Brandon Woodruff	Brewers	19	16
4	Shane Bieber	Indians	2	18
5	Max Scherzer		5	4
6	Walker Buehler	Dodgers	4	6
7	Chris Sale	Red Sox	64	49
8	Zack Wheeler	Phillies	34	3
9	Joe Musgrove	Padres	21	7
10	Corbin Burnes	Brewers	22	11
11	Julio Urias	Dodgers	31	19
12	Clayton Kershaw		7	8
13	Kevin Gausman		28	2
14	Luis Castillo	Reds	9	14
15	Aaron Nola	Phillies	10	10
16	Jack Flaherty	Cardinals	8	55
17	Lucas Giolito	White Sox	12	15
18	Trevor Bauer	Dodgers*	6	9
19	Freddy Peralta	Brewers	60	24
20	Trevor Rogers	Marlins	142	44
21	Carlos Rodon		140	23
22	Yu Darvish	Padres	13	13
23	Tyler Glasnow	Rays	11	134
24	Kyle Hendricks	Cubs	18	12
25	Pablo Lopez	Marlins	33	22
26	Jose Berrios	Twins	24	17
27	Ian Anderson	Braves	37	30
28	Lance Lynn		32	20
29	Sandy Alcantara	Marlins	38	28
30	Carlos Carrasco	Mets	30	33
31	Jose Urquidy	Astros	17	41
32	Zac Gallen	Diamondbacks	25	29
33	Zack Greinke		26	21
34	Shohei Ohtani	Angels	80	36
35	Robbie Ray		102	46
36	Dinelson Lamet	Padres	20	86
37	Chris Bassitt	Athletics	46	27
38	Mike Clevinger	Padres	NR	NR
39	Hyun-Jin Ryu	Blue Jays	40	26
40	Blake Snell	Padres	15	51
41	Alek Manoah	Blue Jays	NR	43
42	Noah Syndergaard		96	135
43	Max Fried	Braves	39	32
44	Luis Severino	Yankees	115	107
45	Zach Plesac	Indians	29	37
46	Stephen Strasburg	Nationals	27	68
47	Chris Paddack	Padres	16	35
48	Tony Gonsolin	Dodgers	51	40
49	Tyler Mahle	Reds	73	39
50	Sonny Gray	Reds	36	34
51	Sean Manaea	Athletics	54	25
52	Lance McCullers Jr.	Astros	44	45
53	Framber Valdez	Astros	76	53
54	Shane Baz	Rays	NR	108
55	Justin Verlander		NR	NR
56	Kenta Maeda	Twins	14	38
57	Charlie Morton		35	31
58	Logan Webb	Giants	55	69
59	Taijuan Walker	Mets	90	79
60	Luis Garcia	Astros	NR	78
61	Zach Eflin	Phillies	53	42
62	Eduardo Rodriguez		70	60
63	Tarik Skubal	Tigers	63	62
64	Marcus Stroman		62	47
65	John Means	Orioles	72	59
66	Yusei Kikuchi	Mariners*	52	52
67	Anthony DeSclafani		78	50
68	Logan Gilbert	Mariners	172	70
69	Cade Cavalli	Nationals	NR	NR
70	David Price	Dodgers	47	129
71	JT Brubaker	Pirates	89	82
72	Luis Patino	Rays	123	105
73	Michael Kopech	White Sox	112	77
74	Dylan Cease	White Sox	NR	66
75	Jesus Luzardo	Athletics	23	111
76	Frankie Montas	Athletics	49	57
77	Patrick Sandoval	Angels	155	61
78	Nathan Eovaldi	Red Sox	65	48
79	Aaron Civale	Indians	56	72
80	Nate Pearson	Blue Jays	74	125
81	Brady Singer	Royals	68	84
82	Sixto Sanchez	Marlins	45	63
83	German Marquez	Rockies	79	90
84	Elieser Hernandez	Marlins	48	102
85	Mike Soroka	Braves	42	NR
86	Hunter Greene	Reds	NR	NR
87	Casey Mize	Tigers	87	73
88	Huascar Ynoa	Braves	NR	122
89	Matthew Liberatore	Cardinals	NR	133
90	Jake Odorizzi	Astros	61	71
91	Triston McKenzie	Indians	66	157
92	Danny Duffy		174	64
93	Dane Dunning	Rangers	94	124
94	Jordan Montgomery	Yankees	75	67
95	James Kaprielian	Athletics	NR	99
96	Drew Smyly		41	54
97	Ryan Weathers	Padres	NR	93
98	Dylan Bundy		43	80
99	Shane McClanahan	Rays	NR	89
100	Grayson Rodriguez	Orioles	NR	NR
101	Spencer Turnbull	Tigers	127	121
102	Ryan Pepiot	Dodgers	NR	NR
103	Cristian Javier	Astros	113	109
104	Andrew Heaney		86	56
105	Kyle Gibson	Rangers	NR	58
106	Steven Matz		139	75
107	Adbert Alzolay	Cubs	NR	113
108	Brendan McKay	Rays	110	119
109	Ryan Yarbrough	Rays	59	92
110	Jameson Taillon	Yankees	100	112
111	Alex Wood		136	87
112	Matt Manning	Tigers	169	NR
113	Corey Kluber		71	132
114	Reid Detmers	Angels	NR	NR
115	Garrett Crochet	White Sox	128	80 RP
116	Dakota Hudson	Cardinals	NR	NR
117	Matthew Boyd	Tigers	84	104
118	Dustin May	Dodgers	57	NR
119	Yonny Chirinos	Rays	NR	NR
120	Josiah Gray	Dodgers	NR	154
121	Alex Cobb		157	81
122	Domingo German	Yankees	69	91
123	Kyle Muller	Braves	NR	76
124	Kwang-Hyun Kim		85	103
125	Patrick Corbin	Nationals	82	74
126	Joe Ross	Nationals	119	95
127	Max Meyer	Marlins	NR	NR
128	Jon Gray		151	148
129	Wade Miley	Reds*	167	97
130	Griffin Canning	Angels	99	83
131	Daniel Lynch	Royals	NR	NR
132	Michael Pineda		83	96
133	Justus Sheffield	Mariners	58	117
134	Marco Gonzales	Mariners	67	110
135	Justin Dunn	Mariners	164	NR
136	Adam Wainwright		138	65
137	Roansy Contreras	Pirates	NR	NR
138	Ross Stripling	Blue Jays	121	88
139	Sammy Long	Giants	NR	100
140	Brad Keller	Royals	88	126
141	George Kirby	Mariners	NR	NR
142	Spencer Howard	Phillies	101	140
143	Edward Cabrera	Marlins	NR	NR
144	Tanner Houck	Red Sox	NR	150
145	Johnny Cueto		154	98
146	Deivi Garcia	Yankees	114	147
147	David Peterson	Mets	92	116
148	Zach Davies		93	123
149	Garrett Whitlock	Red Sox	NR	155
150	Rich Hill		95	85
151	Nick Lodolo	Reds	NR	NR
152	James Paxton		50	NR
153	J.A. Happ		81	115
154	Bailey Ober	Twins	NR	101
155	Dallas Keuchel	White Sox	165	114
156	Jackson Kowar	Royals	NR	153
157	Mike Minor	Royals	91	118
158	Brent Suter	Brewers	98	131
159	Joe Ryan	Rays	NR	137
160	Carlos Hernandez	Royals	NR	NR
161	MacKenzie Gore	Padres	108	152
162	Austin Gomber	Rockies	NR	136
163	Tucker Davidson	Braves	NR	NR
164	Vince Velasquez		141	106
165	Brent Honeywell	Rays	147	NR
166	Aaron Ashby	Brewers	NR	NR
167	Zach Thompson	Marlins	NR	94
168	Caleb Smith	Diamondbacks	104	127
169	Brailyn Marquez	Cubs	NR	NR
170	Chris Flexen	Mariners	170	139
171	Jordan Balazovic	Twins	NR	NR
172	Cole Winn	Rangers	NR	NR
173	Luke Weaver	Diamondbacks	122	159
174	Simeon Woods Richardson	Blue Jays	NR	NR
175	Anthony Kay	Blue Jays	NR	128
176	Josh Fleming	Rays	173	145
177	Merrill Kelly	Diamondbacks	NR	144
178	Jack Leiter	Rangers	NR	NR
179	Adrian Morejon	Padres	97	NR
180	Alec Mills	Cubs	117	151
181	Clarke Schmidt	Yankees	NR	NR
182	Cole Irvin	Athletics	NR	120
183	Carlos Martinez		77	NR
184	Luis Medina	Yankees	NR	NR
185	Nick Pivetta	Red Sox	175	146
186	Madison Bumgarner	Diamondbacks	105	130
187	Emerson Hancock	Mariners	NR	NR
188	Tony Santillan	Reds	NR	142
189	Corbin Martin	Diamondbacks	NR	NR
190	Randy Dobnak	Twins	124	NR
191	Adrian Houser	Brewers	143	156
192	Kumar Rocker	Mets	NR	NR
193	Tyler Beede	Giants	NR	NR
194	Michael Wacha		120	141
195	Daulton Jefferies	Athletics	116	NR
196	Mitch Keller	Pirates	152	NR
197	Brayan Bello	Red Sox	NR	NR
198	Touki Toussaint	Braves	NR	NR
199	A.J. Puk	Athletics	106	NR
200	John Gant	Cardinals	111	143

• In part because some very good pitchers took one-year deals last winter, 13 of the top 70 starters here are free agents after the season (plus Trevor Bauer and whatever ends up happening with him). It’ll be interesting to see who gets the biggest deal of the bunch. The 37-year-old Max Scherzer could get the highest 2022 salary, but 31-year-old Kevin Gausman, 29-year-old Carlos Rodon and 34-year-old Lance Lynn should be in line for longer pacts. The 30-year-old Robbie Ray will also be in extremely high demand if his increased velocity and 5:1 K:BB ratio hold up; the Jays sure wish they could have gotten an option year tacked on to his deal when they re-signed him last winter.

• No. 1 here was easy enough, and assuming Jacob deGrom finishes the year healthy, it’s hard to imagine a change in that spot prior to the offseason rankings. No. 2 is far less clear cut. I had Gausman there and Zack Wheeler third in the July rest-of-season rankings, but I think I still favor Gerrit Cole and Shane Bieber for 2022. The other strong candidate was Brandon Woodruff. I’ve been worried about durability there since he doesn’t have many high-inning counts in his past. I’ll feel a lot better about him next year if he can make 30 starts and remain strong into September this season.

• Justin Verlander should be ready to pitch at the beginning of next year after Sept. 2020 Tommy John surgery, though at age 39, it seems like a long shot that he’ll be the Verlander of old. Yonny Chirinos, one of my favorites, should also be ready to pitch, though there’s a chance he won’t have a spot in Tampa Bay’s rotation initially. I’m guessing Mike Clevinger, who had his Tommy John in November, will miss at least the first month or he’d be considerably higher than No. 38. James Paxton and Dustin May didn’t have their Tommy Johns until April and May of this year, so they figure to be limited in what they contribute next season.

• Tops on the list of those yet to debut in the majors in Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz at No. 54. Baz, the third piece in the trade that sent Chris Archer from Tampa Bay to Pittsburgh, has a 2.09 ERA and a 77/8 K/BB ratio between Double- and Triple-A this year. The Nationals’ Cade Cavalli, the Reds’ Hunter Greene, the Cardinals’ Matthew Liberatore and the Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez also crack the top 100.