Top 100 Starting Pitchers For 2025 Fantasy Baseball: Week 4 – 4/21 | Pitcher List

Welcome to Week 4 of the Top 100 Starting Pitchers for 2025 Fantasy Baseball! Each week, we dive deep into the ever-shifting landscape of MLB rotations to provide you with the most up-to-date rankings and insights to dominate your fantasy leagues. This week, we will cover injuries, stashes, and the top performers! This list is crafted with a focus on 5×5, 12-team, H2H formats, balancing both roto and head-to-head considerations.

This week’s list sees some significant shifts due to injuries, emerging prospects, and fluctuating performances. We’ll highlight key risers and fallers, providing context for the changes and offering actionable advice for your fantasy rosters. Whether you’re chasing upside or seeking stability, this guide will help you make informed decisions.

From true aces to potential streamers, we leave no stone unturned. Join us as we break down the top 100 starting pitchers, offering detailed notes and analysis to help you navigate the waiver wire and optimize your lineups. Read on to gain an edge in your fantasy baseball leagues!

Rules and Guidelines

To ensure clarity and consistency, here are the rules guiding these rankings:

1. Format Focus: 5×5, 12-teamer, H2H format. Adjust accordingly for other formats.
2. Injury Table: Players on the IL are ranked in a separate table, reflecting their potential value when healthy.
3. Rotation Confirmation: Only confirmed rotation members are included, with exceptions for expected rotation members.
4. Upside vs. Floor: Upside is heavily weighted in the back-half of the rankings, encouraging ceiling chasing.
5. Limited Labels: Players are limited to two labels for clarity.
6. Read the Notes: Please read the notes for detailed insights and context.

Let’s dive into the injured pitchers who could be fantasy-relevant when healthy.

Injured Pitchers Who Could Be Fantasy Relevant

Injuries are a constant concern in fantasy baseball. Here’s a breakdown of injured pitchers and their relative rank when healthy:

These rankings are relative and fluid, influenced by the overall pitching landscape. Remember that pitchers may need time to ramp up after returning from injury.

SPs To Consider Stashing In 12-Teamer Redraft Leagues

Here are some minor league pitchers to consider stashing in 12-team redraft leagues, ordered by preference:

Green indicates players worthy of a stash in 12-teamers right now.

PLV Projections Team Offense Ranking (4/21 Update)

Here’s a look at how offenses are ranked, powered by PLV Projections (in alphabetical order by tier):

This table provides a general guideline, but keep in mind that matchups against LHP or RHP can vary.

Ranking Notes

• Read these notes to understand ranking changes.
• Rankings change mostly in the back half of The List due to waiver wire volatility.

The following players were added and removed from the Top ~60:

• Added: Pablo López (18)
• Removed: None

Understand how these changes affect movement across The List.

Tier 1 – The True Aces

These pitchers are dope and make us feel dope.

1. Tarik Skubal
2. Garrett Crochet
3. Paul Skenes
4. Zack Wheeler
5. Jacob deGrom
6. Cole Ragans
7. Logan Gilbert

Tier 2 – AGA With Something To Prove

They have the AGA tag, though they all have a quirk that could mean they lose it by May.

1. Max Fried
2. Tyler Glasnow
3. Michael King
4. Hunter Greene
5. Yoshinobu Yamamoto
6. Spencer Strider
7. Dylan Cease
8. Joe Ryan

Tier 3 – We Expect Success Every Night

They have to earn the AGA tag but are just a few starts away from it.

1. Spencer Schwellenbach
2. Pablo López
3. Logan Webb
4. Shota Imanaga
5. Jack Flaherty
6. Bryan Woo
7. Drew Rasmussen
8. Shane Baz

Tier 4 – So Dang Close To Greatness

I trust all these pitchers to produce this season while they also have heightened nightmare potential on a given night.

1. Chris Sale
2. Corbin Burnes
3. Framber Valdez
4. Freddy Peralta
5. Robbie Ray
6. Ryan Pepiot

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Tier 5 – Same But Different

These are also Holly types, but they aren’t as exciting as the ones above. You should be fine with them, there’s just a little more risk.

1. Carlos Rodón
2. Sonny Gray
3. Hunter Brown
4. Nathan Eovaldi
5. Cristopher Sánchez
6. Kodai Senga
7. Seth Lugo

Tier 6 – Why Do I Feel So Scared?

This is the toughest tier to rank and will likely be filled with landmines. Which will turn into the stud you dreamed of and which will be the bust?

1. Bryce Miller
2. Tanner Bibee
3. Sandy Alcantara
4. Jesús Luzardo
5. Nick Lodolo
6. Bailey Ober
7. Aaron Nola
8. Luis Castillo
9. Zac Gallen

Tier 7 – I Think You’re Great. Please Be Great.

I’m likely too high on someone in here, though all have shown potential to be legit starters and flex a floor that you’re willing to stomach for the time being.

1. Landen Roupp
2. Dustin May
3. Chris Bassitt
4. Grant Holmes
5. Kris Bubic
6. Nick Pivetta
7. Max Meyer

Tier 8 – At The Edge Of The Cliff

Now that we’re past the “hey, this is legit value I’m unlikely to drop this season”, it’s time to shift to pure upside. It’s why these rankings are more aggressive than projections or likely other rankings you’ve seen elsewhere. It’s a 12-teamer and you should be embracing the burn-and-churn of your starting pitchers.

1. MacKenzie Gore
2. Jordan Hicks
3. Gavin Williams
4. Jackson Jobe
5. Tylor Megill

Tier 9 – The Tobys Who Could Be More

These are potential Holly arms and I can see how all of them can take the leap across the next month.

1. Justin Verlander
2. Kevin Gausman
3. Brandon Pfaadt
4. Jake Irvin
5. Bowden Francis
6. Clay Holmes

Tier 10 – You Want To Ride The Magic Bus

It’s a little section of arms who everyone is buzzing about. So why not, take a chance and figure out if these stick.

1. Matthew Liberatore
2. Andrew Abbott
3. Shane Smith
4. Tyler Mahle

Tier 11 – They Will Drive You Up The Wall

I’m willing to bet this tier will upset people the most. I see them as HIPSTER arms who could potentially smooth out into stable arms or make you wish in August that you never drafted them. Who knows when they’ll perform at their potential?

1. Roki Sasaki
2. Taj Bradley
3. Jeffrey Springs
4. Yusei Kikuchi

Tier 12 – Fine, You Need Innings

I expect them to be rostered in your 12-teamers and will be solid stabilizers throughout the year.

1. David Peterson
2. José Soriano
3. Reese Olson
4. Nick Martinez
5. Michael Wacha
6. Matthew Boyd
7. Merrill Kelly
8. Walker Buehler
9. Clarke Schmidt

Tier 13 – Ms. Frizzle’s Students

You’re likely upset to see some of these guys higher than others. But winning 12-teamers is all about the Ms. Frizzle method: Take chances, make mistakes, get messy! Chase the upside over the others if you’re in position to do so.

1. Luis L. Ortiz
2. Will Warren
3. David Festa
4. Brayan Bello
5. Hayden Wesneski
6. Edward Cabrera

Tier 14 – Fine, You Need More Innings

These guys are a step down from the Tobys in Tier 11 but sure, I get why they’re rostered.

1. Eduardo Rodriguez
2. Brady Singer
3. Casey Mize
4. Jameson Taillon
5. Luis Severino
6. Erick Fedde
7. Tobias Myers
8. Tanner Houck

Tier 15 – Streamers and WannabeTobys

I like their matchups and they could be productive for a week before we let them go back to the wire.

1. Tyler Anderson
2. J.T. Ginn
3. Andrew Heaney
4. Ronel Blanco
5. Jack Kochanowicz
6. Jose Quintana

Honorable Mentions

Here is every pitcher who is not on The List and currently has a rotation spot. If I’m missing someone, it’s likely because I removed them from The List last week and forgot to add them here, or I meant to add them to The List and I got crossed up somewhere. Let me know if I’m missing someone, please!

• Joey Estes (ATH)
• Mitch Spence (ATH)
• AJ Smith-Shawver (ATL)
• Bryce Elder (ATL)
• Brandon Young (BAL)
• Cade Povich (BAL)
• Charlie Morton (BAL)
• Dean Kremer (BAL)
• Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL)
• Kyle Gibson (BAL)
• Sean Newcomb (BOS)
• Colin Rea (CHC)
• Davis Martin (CWS)
• Jairo Iriarte (CWS)
• Jonathan Cannon (CWS)
• Martín Pérez (CWS)
• Sean Burke (CWS)
• Ben Lively (CLE)
• Logan Allen (CLE)
• Ben Brown (CHC)
• Rhett Lowder (CIN)
• Carson Spiers (CIN)
• Germán Márquez (COL)
• Ryan Feltner (COL)
• Kyle Freeland (COL)
• Antonio Senzatela (COL)
• Bradley Blalock (COL)
• Chase Dollander (COL)
• Keider Montero (DET)
• Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU)
• Ryan Gusto (HOU)
• Michael Lorenzen (KCR)
• Kyle Hendricks (LAA)
• Bobby Miller (LAD)
• Clayton Kershaw (LAD)
• Justin Wrobleski (LAD)
• Landon Knack (LAD)
• Matt Sauer (LAD)
• Tony Gonsolin (LAD)
• Cal Quantrill (MIA)
• Connor Gillispie (MIA)
• Aaron Ashby (MIL)
• Aaron Civale (MIL)
• Chad Patrick (MIL)
• DL Hall (MIL)
• Logan Henderson (MIL)
• Quinn Priester (MIL)
• Tyler Alexander (MIL)
• Chris Paddack (MIN)
• Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN)
• Zebby Matthews (MIN)
• Griffin Canning (NYM)
• Carlos Carrasco (NYY)
• JP Sears (OAK)
• Osvaldo Bido (OAK)
• Taijuan Walker (PHI)
• Bailey Falter (PIT)
• Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT)
• Mitch Keller (PIT)
• Thomas Harrington (PIT)
• Emerson Hancock (SEA)
• Luis F. Castillo (SEA)
• Andre Pallante (STL)
• Miles Mikolas (STL)
• Steven Matz (STL)
• Kyle Hart (SDP)
• Randy Vásquez (SDP)
• Zack Littell (TBR)
• Patrick Corbin (TEX)
• Jack Leiter (TEX)
• Kumar Rocker (TEX)
• Easton Lucas (TOR)
• José Berríos (TOR)
• Brad Lord (WSN)
• Mitchell Parker (WSN)
• Trevor Williams (WSN)

SCROLL BACK UP AND READ THE NOTES