RADIO
Welcome RotoBallers to article about mid-round starting pitcher draft values and draft targets! Spring training is in full force, and fantasy managers are gearing up for another exciting season in MLB. Once you reach the middle rounds of drafts, everyone is looking to draft players who can provide a great return on value. You can start taking calculated risks on emerging prospects, overlooked veterans, players returning from injury, or even players with some playing time concerns out of the gate. The early rounds are critical, and the late rounds are where you can take your chances on dart-throw sleepers, but the middle rounds can make or break your roster.
Today, we're looking at some middle-round starting pitchers for you to consider drafting in your season-long leagues this season. Are their ADPs undervalued? Will they make significant fantasy contributions and become a priority mid-round draft target? Read on to see our take.
Our editors have hand-picked these specific MLB players for your draft prep enjoyment. Usually only available to Premium subscribers, the five outlooks below are meant to give you a taste of the in-depth analysis you receive with our industry-leading 2024 Draft Kit. Be sure to subscribe today to start reading all of our in-depth 2024 player outlooks and many other premium articles and tools, including Team Sync, the Live Draft Sync assistant, Custom Rankings Service, and so much more -- available exclusively in our 2024 Draft Kit.
Featured Promo: Get any MLB Premium Pass FREE ($119 value) AND up to a $200 deposit match when you sign up with Rival Fantasy. Rival offers 6 and 12-team Best Ball, weekly and daily contests, for as little as $3 per entry. No roster management, just draft and Rival sets your best lineup automatically. Playing fantasy baseball has never been easier! Sign Up Today!
Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals
Cole Ragans had a successful 2023, going 7-5 with a 3.47 ERA and 3.71 xFIP over 96 IP. He made 12 starts and 17 relief outings, a split that can be difficult to evaluate. Luckily, the now 26-year-old was much better as an SP (2.64 ERA, 21.7 K-BB%) than an RP (5.92 ERA, 9.4 K-BB%), so we can trust him to start.
Ragans has a five-pitch mix highlighted by an outstanding fastball that posted an 11.9% SwStr% and 54.3% Zone%. Its 2,481 RPM spin rate and 96.6 mph average velocity support the results. He also possesses a wipeout slider (25.8% SwStr%, 42.8% Zone%, 48.4% chase rate), which offers upside if Ragans starts throwing it more often (just 9.6% in 2023).
Ragans rounds out his arsenal with a change (18.8% SwStr%, 42.4% Zone%, 34.9% chase rate), cutter (9.7% SwStr%, 54.6% Zone%), and curve (8.6% SwStr%, 44.2% Zone%, 23.6% chase rate). Wins could be tough to come by, but Kauffman is a great place to pitch, and the Royals ranked fourth in the league last season with 27 Outs Above Average. Ragans offers an intriguing combination of ceiling and floor at his current ADP of 81.62 in March.
-- Rick Lucks - RotoBaller
Michael King, San Diego Padres
Right-hander Michael King, who had made just 10 big-league starts over four seasons with the New York Yankees heading into 2023, began last year in the bullpen before eventually being moved to a starting role. Nine of his 49 appearances came in a starting role, which allowed King to reach a career-high 104 2/3 innings pitched.
All nine of his starts came in the second half in the Bronx. Regardless of his role, the 28-year-old was effective with a 2.75 ERA -- his second straight season with an ERA under 3.00 -- a 1.15 WHIP, a career-high six saves, 32 walks, and a career-high 127 strikeouts.
King features a four-pitch mix that includes a fastball, sinker, sweeper, and a changeup that was particularly effective against left-handed hitters. He comes to San Diego as the headliner for the Padres in the blockbuster deal that sent Juan Soto to the Yanks. As long as King stays healthy after a career-high workload in 2023, he should be cemented in the Padres' starting rotation to help them replace National League Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
King's strikeout upside and upgrade in home ballpark will make him attractive as fantasy managers look to fill out their rotations in the later rounds of drafts. ATC has him projected for a 3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and a new career high in strikeouts, with 140 in 129 innings pitched. RotoBaller has King ranked as the No. 28 fantasy starting pitcher heading into his first year in San Diego.
-- Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Bryce Miller, Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller enjoyed a very nice rookie year in 2023. The 25-year-old worked to a 4.32 ERA while taking the ball for 25 starts, but a look under the hood reveals he was superior to what his surface ERA suggests. Miller also posted a 3.98 FIP and 4.17 SIERA while walking just 4.8% of the batters he faced, good for ninth among the 87 pitchers who threw at least 130 innings last season.
He posted a mediocre 22.2% K%, but his pinpoint control led him to a quality of 17.3% K-BB%. Additionally, Miller put forth a hefty 29.2% K% in 10 starts at Double-A in 2022, so there is certainly some runway for him to increase his strikeout rate in his sophomore season in 2024.
With an ADP sitting at 172.59 in March, right in line with RotoBaller's 166 ranking, Miller is a reasonable grab at that spot, considering the low-risk nature of his game with room to grow in the strikeout department.
-- Brenton Kemp- RotoBaller
Ryan Pepiot, Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot is gearing up to make regular starts in 2024. After two seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, he was sent to Tampa Bay in the Tyler Glasnow trade last December. Pepiot has thrown just 78 1/3 innings in the majors but has done well, posting a 2.76 ERA and 80 strikeouts. This season, he will likely be in the Rays' starting rotation. There are multiple ways this could improve his fantasy value.
First, Pepiot's advanced metrics suggest he is elite at limiting hard contact and preventing walks. The Rays tend to have an excellent defense, so his play style should translate well. Second, he will still have relief pitcher eligibility in 2024. As a starter, this can be incredibly beneficial to a fantasy team, especially in points leagues.
There is much to like about drafting Pepiot. His NFBC ADP is currently 192 in March. ATC projects him to throw 136 innings with a 3.99 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 23.8% K%. However, he could undoubtedly exceed both his draft stock and his projections. Not only is he talented, but the Rays are second to none when maximizing their pitchers' abilities. Overall, 2024 could be a big year for Pepiot.
-- Wade Smith- RotoBaller
Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs
Japanese left-hander Shota Imanaga is making the jump from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball in 2024 as a member of the Chicago Cubs after signing a four-year, $53 million deal. Imanaga is already 30 years old after pitching for the Yokohama BayStars since 2016, where he posted a 2.80 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 174 strikeouts in 148 innings last year. The southpaw's arsenal consists of a fastball that sits at 92-94 mph, a slider, a curveball, and a split-fingered changeup.
Imanaga isn't dominant by any means and relies on pinpoint control and some nasty movement when on the mound. Because he probably isn't going to miss many bats in the majors in the United States, keeping the ball in the yard is going to be important in his first MLB season, which could be difficult to do at Wrigley Field.
Imanaga will be guaranteed a rotation spot for the Cubs and figures to be more of a matchup-based streamer in deep fantasy leagues in 2024. ATC has the Japanese import projected to go 8-7 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.23 WHIP with 141 strikeouts in 142 innings pitched. RotoBaller has the southpaw ranked 131 overall, making him a solid value at his current 169.72 ADP in March.
-- Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!
