This article is part of our Weekly Pitcher Rankings series.
As always, remember that rotations are subject to change, so if you see something that isn't correct, assume that it was a change that has occurred since this was written and feel free to politely bring it up in the comments, and I'll let you know where the new arm slots.
For the week March 31 - April 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
START
| 1. Justin Verlander - KC, BAL Note: Certainly looks poised to reclaim top spot in at least the AL, if not baseball |
| 2. Chris Sale - MIN, at KC Note: May leave you bummed in leagues that punish losses or heavily favor wins given supporting team |
| 3. Jered Weaver - SEA, at HOU Note: Comes out underrated in a lot of drafts thanks to modest K rate; feels like AL's J. Zimmermann |
| 4. Felix Hernandez - at LAA, at OAK |
| 5. James Shields - at DET, CWS |
| 6. David Price - TOR, TEX Note: Two tough lineups, but easier to swallow at home than in either of their launching pads |
| 7. Justin Masterson - at OAK, MIN |
| 8. Jon Lester - at BAL, MIL |
| 9. Sonny Gray - CLE, SEA Note: Injuries thrust the 24-year-old into Oakland's top spot |
| 10. Erasmo Ramirez - at LAA, at OAK Note: Do not overreact to ST numbers; he showed flashes down the stretch in '13, too |
| 11. CC Sabathia - at HOU, at TOR Note: Speaking of ST numbers, his are great, but paired with uninspiring velocity readings |
| 12. Scott Kazmir |
As always, remember that rotations are subject to change, so if you see something that isn't correct, assume that it was a change that has occurred since this was written and feel free to politely bring it up in the comments, and I'll let you know where the new arm slots.
For the week March 31 - April 6
AMERICAN LEAGUE
START
| 1. Justin Verlander - KC, BAL Note: Certainly looks poised to reclaim top spot in at least the AL, if not baseball |
| 2. Chris Sale - MIN, at KC Note: May leave you bummed in leagues that punish losses or heavily favor wins given supporting team |
| 3. Jered Weaver - SEA, at HOU Note: Comes out underrated in a lot of drafts thanks to modest K rate; feels like AL's J. Zimmermann |
| 4. Felix Hernandez - at LAA, at OAK |
| 5. James Shields - at DET, CWS |
| 6. David Price - TOR, TEX Note: Two tough lineups, but easier to swallow at home than in either of their launching pads |
| 7. Justin Masterson - at OAK, MIN |
| 8. Jon Lester - at BAL, MIL |
| 9. Sonny Gray - CLE, SEA Note: Injuries thrust the 24-year-old into Oakland's top spot |
| 10. Erasmo Ramirez - at LAA, at OAK Note: Do not overreact to ST numbers; he showed flashes down the stretch in '13, too |
| 11. CC Sabathia - at HOU, at TOR Note: Speaking of ST numbers, his are great, but paired with uninspiring velocity readings |
| 12. Scott Kazmir - CLE, SEA |
| 13. R.A. Dickey - at TB, NYY |
| 14. Max Scherzer - KC Note: What will he do for a follow-up to his Cy Young season? |
| 15. Anibal Sanchez - KC Note: Two-week DL stint likely cost the AL's ERA leader the Cy Young Award |
| 16. Alex Cobb - TOR |
| 17. Ricky Nolasco - at CWS, at CLE |
| 18. Chris Tillman - BOS, at DET Note: Dominated BOS in 6 GS last year, but this isn't a great slate for the HR-prone righty |
| 19. Ivan Nova - at HOU Note: Doesn't carry the normal Yankees Tax, but he's got real upside and a low price tag |
| 20. Hiroki Kuroda - at HOU |
| 21. Corey Kluber - at OAK Note: My favorite AL breakout candidate |
| 22. C.J. Wilson - SEA |
| 23. Chris Archer - TOR |
| 24. Matt Moore - TOR, TEX Note: Can he find the plate regularly this year? |
| 25. Drew Hutchison - at TB, NYY Note: Surprising spring standout won a role w/an impressive Grapefruit League |
| 26. Danny Salazar - MIN |
| 27. Hector Santiago - at HOU Note: If he can cut the walks, the 26-year-old lefty carries some upside in his new pitcher-friendly ballpark |
| 28. Jose Quintana - MIN |
| 29. Tyler Skaggs - at HOU |
| 30. Dan Straily - SEA Note: After a solid rookie season, he'll be asked to do even more in the absence of Parker and Griffin |
| 31. James Paxton - at LAA Note: Former top prospect is a bit overlooked now; are the small-sample BB gains from '13 legit? |
| 32. Clay Buchholz - MIL |
| 33. Masahiro Tanaka - at TOR Note: Not exactly a red carpet rolled out for his MLB debut |
| 34. Michael Pineda - at TOR |
| 35. Tommy Milone - SEA Note: Milone at home is a bankable play |
| 36. Scott Feldman - NYY, LAA |
| 37. Tanner Scheppers - PHI, at TB Note: Surprise Opening Day starter has K potential, but how will the ratios fare? |
| 38. Rick Porcello - BAL |
| 39. Felipe Paulino - MIN Note: Excited to see what Don Cooper can do with him; ranking pumped by the matchup |
| 40. Ubaldo Jimenez - BOS Note: these next four will all rate higher regularly, but a tough opening week bid pushes them down the ranks |
| 41. Yordano Ventura - at DET |
| 42. Phil Hughes - at CWS Note: Love him out of Yankee Stadium, but not in this U.S. Cellular outing |
| 43. John Lackey - at BAL |
| 44. Drew Smyly - BAL Note: A lot of excitement for the lefty in debut season as a full-time starter |
| 45. Martin Perez - PHI Note: There's room for more after a strong debut from the 23-year-old southpaw |
| 46. Jake Peavy - MIL |
| 47. Kyle Gibson - at CLE Note: Let's see what the former top prospect learned from a rough 10-start stint in '13 |
| 48. Erik Johnson - at KC |
| 49. John Danks - at KC Note: If he can iron out his command, the once-solid asset can return |
| 50. Garrett Richards - SEA Note: Can he turn the impressive raw stuff into better results? |
| 51. Brett Oberholtzer - NYY Note: I'm at least moderately intrigued by his solid work in '13 |
| 52. Mark Buehrle - at TB |
| 53. Zach McAllister - at OAK |
SIT
| 54. Robbie Ross - PHI Note: Another RP-to-SP conversion for Texas, but how much upside is there here? |
| 55. Jake Odorizzi - TEX |
| 56. Brandon Morrow - at TB Note: He has to prove it at this point, two years removed from those gaudy K rates |
| 57. Jesse Chavez - CLE Note: A very surprising RP-to-SP conversion, but I'm at a loss on what to expect from him |
| 58. Jarred Cosart - NYY Note: Don't be fooled by last year's 1.95 ERA in 60 IP |
| 59. Wei-Yin Chen - BOS |
| 60. Dustin McGowan - NYY Note: I'd just love to see him stay healthy; good results would be a bonus |
| 61. Felix Doubront - at BAL |
| 62. Carlos Carrasco - MIN Note: There's potential here, but let's wait and see |
| 63. Bud Norris - at DET Note: None of these next three are terrible, but no thanks in Detroit |
| 64. Miguel Gonzalez - at DET |
| 65. Jason Vargas - at DET |
| 66. Chris Young - at OAK Note: These last nine will find themselves down here often, provided they even hold their rotation spots |
| 67. Jeremy Guthrie - at CWS Note: He had that streak of excellence vs. CWS when he first joined KC, but then they trounced him a couple times in summer |
| 68. Bruce Chen - at CWS |
| 69. Kevin Correia - at CWS |
| 70. Dallas Keuchel - LAA |
| 71. Lucas Harrell - LAA |
| 72. Mike Pelfrey - at CLE |
| 73. Nick Martinez - at TB |
| 74. Joe Saunders - at TB |
| 75. Roenis Elias - at OAK |
NATIONAL LEAGUE
START
| 1. Jose Fernandez - COL, SD Note: Not sure he can get better, but he can stay excellent |
| 2. Julio Teheran - at MIL, at WAS Note: My NL Cy Young pick! |
| 3. Zack Greinke - at SD, SF |
| 4. Andrew Cashner - LAD, at MIA Note: At least he gets the tougher of his two outings at home |
| 5. Adam Wainwright - at CIN, at PIT |
| 6. Stephen Strasburg - at NYM, ATL Note: Is this the year of 200-plus IP, sub-3.00 ERA? |
| 7. Madison Bumgarner - at ARI, at LAD |
| 8. Matt Cain - at ARI, at LAD |
| 9. Cliff Lee - at TEX, at CHC Note: Even a trip to Texas isn't enough to really depress his value |
| 10. Hyun-Jin Ryu - at SD, SF Note: Keep an eye on out for news on his toe, he could feasibly lose his two-start status because of it |
| 11. Jeff Samardzija - at PIT, PHI Note: Big K and IP totals keep his floor high |
| 12. Johnny Cueto - STL, at NYM Note: Ride him while he's healthy because we never know how long it'll last |
| 13. Ian Kennedy - LAD, at MIA Note: If he's even average outside of Petco, he can have a huge year |
| 14. Francisco Liriano - CHC, STL |
| 15. A.J. Burnett - at TEX, at CHC |
| 16. Nathan Eovaldi - COL, SD Note: Most MIA SPs will look enticing with pair of starts in that ballpark |
| 17. Clayton Kershaw - SF Note: Supposed to get a start later in the week; stay tuned |
| 18. Gio Gonzalez - at NYM |
| 19. Gerrit Cole - STL Note: Tough matchup, but he showed in October that he's not intimidated by them |
| 20. Jordan Zimmermann - at NYM |
| 21. Dan Haren - at SD Note: A healthy Haren is still good and this is a prime matchup |
| 22. Homer Bailey - STL Note: Appears to be past the groin issue that hampered him a bit |
| 23. Lance Lynn - at CIN Note: Enjoyed 11- and 10-K outings against the Reds last year as well as a 3.38 ERA in 32 IP |
| 24. Shelby Miller - at PIT |
| 25. Michael Wacha - at CIN Note: Lot of excitement for both of these young Cardinal arms |
| 26. Yovani Gallardo - ATL, at BOS Note: Last year was quite unspectacular as a two-start week didn't guarantee Ks like it used to |
| 27. Dillon Gee - WAS, CIN |
| 28. Jorge de la Rosa - at MIA, ARI Note: He actually excelled at home with 2.76 ERA in 81.7 IP |
| 29. Wade Miley - SF |
| 30. Charlie Morton - CHC |
| 31. Wandy Rodriguez - CHC Note: Forgotten vet could take the some of the sting out of the Burnett loss |
| 32. Kyle Lohse - ATL Note: Will have ups and downs, but you just gotta stick with him; worst starts last year were at MIN and at CHC |
| 33. Zack Wheeler - WAS Note: Remember, many had him ahead of Harvey when they were minor leaguers |
| 34. Tyson Ross - LAD |
| 35. Jon Niese - CIN Note: Slated to return late week, but stay tuned in case the elbow isn't ready |
| 36. Matt Garza - at BOS |
| 37. Tony Cingrani - STL Note: He needs a second reliable pitch to come anywhere near a 2.92 ERA again |
| 38. Tim Hudson - at ARI |
| 39. Tim Lincecum - at ARI Note: Ks are essentially guaranteed, but at what cost elsewhere? |
| 40. Joe Kelly - at PIT |
| 41. Alex Wood - at MIL Note: Can those mechanics hold up to a 30-start workload? |
| 42. Brandon McCarthy - SF, at COL |
| 43. Trevor Cahill - SF, at COL Note: Cahill, McCarthy have the groundball ability to survive in COL, but it's still a little scary |
| 44. Bartolo Colon - WAS |
| 45. Marco Estrada - at BOS Note: He's kind the NL's Chris Tillman, he needs to cut HR |
| 46. Wily Peralta - ATL Note: Second half showed some solid upside led by that devastating slider |
| 47. Mike Leake - at NYM |
| 48. Eric Stults - at MIA Note: Prefer him at home in SD, but at MIA is a nice alternative |
| 49. Bronson Arroyo - SF |
| 50. Tanner Roark - ATL |
| 51. Taylor Jordan - ATL Note: Both young Nats should get roles now with Fister's injury |
| 52. Travis Wood - PHI Note: Don't be fooled by last year, he's not a low-3.00s ERA guy |
| 53. Jacob Turner - COL Note: ERA was solid last year, but the skills lagged; time for a step forward? |
| 54. Brett Anderson - at MIA, ARI Note: I want to see something first; the MIA start is nice, but how's going to handle Coors? |
| 55. Juan Nicasio - at MIA Note: Both Rockies carry some intrigue and a great debut matchup earn each a start |
| 56. Tyler Chatwood - at MIA Note: Left his Friday start with hammy after running out a triple; #DHinBothLeagues |
| 57. Jason Hammel - at PIT Note: A clean bill of health could bring back the '12 success |
| 58. Edwin Jackson - at PIT |
| 59. Tom Koehler - SD |
| 60. Henderson Alvarez - COL Note: I'm not as confident as some others, but I'll use him at home in the right format |
SIT
| 61. Ryan Vogelsong - at LAD |
| 62. Mets Fifth Starter? - CIN Note: This could be Matsuzaka or Mejia; I'd start the latter |
| 63. Roberto Hernandez - at CHC |
| 64. Alfredo Simon - at NYM |
| 65. David Hale? - at WAS Note: Hasn't officially been given a spot just yet |
| 66. Randall Delgado - at COL Note: I'm actually a fan of Delgado overall, but not in Coors |
| 67. Edinson Volquez - STL |
| 68. Chris Rusin - PHI |
| 69. Franklin Morales - ARI |
| 70. Kyle Kendrick - at TEX |
| 71. Aaron Harang - at MIL |
| 72. Braves Fifth Starter? - at WAS Note: This could be someone named Gus Schlosser or you, check your voicemails |
MLB TOP 100
| 1. Justin Verlander - KC, BAL |
| 2. Jose Fernandez - COL, SD |
| 3. Chris Sale - MIN, at KC |
| 4. Julio Teheran - at MIL, at WAS |
| 5. Zack Greinke - at SD, SF |
| 6. Jered Weaver - SEA, at HOU |
| 7. Felix Hernandez - at LAA, at OAK |
| 8. Andrew Cashner - LAD, at MIA |
| 9. Adam Wainwright - at CIN, at PIT |
| 10. Stephen Strasburg - at NYM, ATL |
| 11. Madison Bumgarner - at ARI, at LAD |
| 12. Matt Cain - at ARI, at LAD |
| 13. James Shields - at DET, CWS |
| 14. David Price - TOR, TEX |
| 15. Cliff Lee - at TEX, at CHC |
| 16. Hyun-Jin Ryu - at SD, SF |
| 17. Jeff Samardzija - at PIT, PHI |
| 18. Johnny Cueto - STL, at NYM |
| 19. Justin Masterson - at OAK, MIN |
| 20. Ian Kennedy - LAD, at MIA |
| 21. Francisco Liriano - CHC, STL |
| 22. A.J. Burnett - at TEX, at CHC |
| 23. Nathan Eovaldi - COL, SD |
| 24. Jon Lester - at BAL, MIL |
| 25. Sonny Gray - CLE, SEA |
| 26. Erasmo Ramirez - at LAA, at OAK |
| 27. CC Sabathia - at HOU, at TOR |
| 28. Scott Kazmir - CLE, SEA |
| 29. R.A. Dickey - at TB, NYY |
| 30. Max Scherzer - KC |
| 31. Anibal Sanchez - KC |
| 32. Alex Cobb - TOR |
| 33. Clayton Kershaw - SF |
| 34. Gio Gonzalez - at NYM |
| 35. Gerrit Cole - STL |
| 36. Ricky Nolasco - at CWS, at CLE |
| 37. Chris Tillman - BOS, at DET |
| 38. Jordan Zimmermann - at NYM |
| 39. Dan Haren - at SD |
| 40. Homer Bailey - STL |
| 41. Lance Lynn - at CIN |
| 42. Shelby Miller - at PIT |
| 43. Michael Wacha - at CIN |
| 44. Ivan Nova - at HOU |
| 45. Hiroki Kuroda - at HOU |
| 46. Corey Kluber - at OAK |
| 47. C.J. Wilson - SEA |
| 48. Chris Archer - TOR |
| 49. Matt Moore - TOR, TEX |
| 50. Drew Hutchison - at TB, NYY |
| 51. Danny Salazar - MIN |
| 52. Yovani Gallardo - ATL, at BOS |
| 53. Dillon Gee - WAS, CIN |
| 54. Jorge De La Rosa - at MIA, ARI |
| 55. Wade Miley - SF |
| 56. Hector Santiago - at HOU |
| 57. Jose Quintana - MIN |
| 58. Tyler Skaggs - at HOU |
| 59. Charlie Morton - CHC |
| 60. Wandy Rodriguez - CHC |
| 61. Kyle Lohse - ATL |
| 62. Zack Wheeler - WAS |
| 63. Tyson Ross - LAD |
| 64. Jon Niese - CIN |
| 65. Matt Garza - at BOS |
| 66. Tony Cingrani - STL |
| 67. Dan Straily - SEA |
| 68. James Paxton - at LAA |
| 69. Clay Buchholz - MIL |
| 70. Masahiro Tanaka - at TOR |
| 71. Michael Pineda - at TOR |
| 72. Tommy Milone - SEA |
| 73. Scott Feldman - NYY, LAA |
| 74. Tanner Scheppers - PHI, at TB |
| 75. Rick Porcello - BAL |
| 76. Felipe Paulino - MIN |
| 77. Ubaldo Jimenez - BOS |
| 78. Yordano Ventura - at DET |
| 79. Phil Hughes - at CWS |
| 80. John Lackey - at BAL |
| 81. Drew Smyly - BAL |
| 82. Martin Perez - PHI |
| 83. Tim Hudson - at ARI |
| 84. Tim Lincecum - at ARI |
| 85. Joe Kelly - at PIT |
| 86. Alex Wood - at MIL |
| 87. Jake Peavy - MIL |
| 88. Brandon McCarthy - SF, at COL |
| 89. Trevor Cahill - SF, at COL |
| 90. Bartolo Colon - WAS |
| 91. Marco Estrada - at BOS |
| 92. Wily Peralta - ATL |
| 93. Mike Leake - at NYM |
| 94. Eric Stults - at MIA |
| 95. Bronson Arroyo - SF |
| 96. Tanner Roark - ATL |
| 97. Taylor Jordan - ATL |
| 98. Travis Wood - PHI |
| 99. Jacob Turner - COL |
| 100. Kyle Gibson - at CLE |
