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As we approach the Midsummer Classic, this can present a great opportunity to assess your fantasy baseball roster and see where you have to improve on to push your team over the edge in the stretch run.
Throughout the first half of the season, we have seen some of the highest-drafted starting pitchers suffer season-ending injuries, like Spencer Strider (elbow), or injuries that could keep them out until the final month of the season, like Yoshinobu Yamamoto (shoulder).
As a result, several starting pitchers that were seen as late-round targets have emerged as front-of-the-line aces. However, will they remain as productive in the second half?
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Current Top-10 Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Here are the top-10 most-valuable starting pitchers in 5x5 roto leagues right now, according to Yahoo's player rankings.
| Player | W | K | ERA | WHIP |
| Tarik Skubal | 10 | 132 | 2.37 | 0.90 |
| Chris Sale | 12 | 136 | 2.74 | 0.94 |
| Seth Lugo | 11 | 110 | 2.29 | 1.05 |
| Zack Wheeler | 10 | 126 | 2.70 | 0.99 |
| Logan Gilbert | 6 | 115 | 2.94 | 0.90 |
| Corbin Burnes | 9 | 105 | 2.40 | 1.03 |
| Tyler Glasnow | 8 | 143 | 3.47 | 0.93 |
| Ranger Suarez | 10 | 106 | 2.75 | 1.02 |
| Ronel Blanco | 9 | 95 | 2.53 | 0.99 |
| Garrett Crochet | 6 | 146 | 3.08 | 0.97 |
Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler, and Corbin Burnes were popular picks in the early rounds of drafts this spring and they have delivered on their ADP. Skubal has emerged as a legit ace with his stellar 30.5% K rate and 4.6% walk rate, which are among the best marks in the sport.
TARIK. SKUBAL.
🚨 New career-high 13 strikeouts 🚨 pic.twitter.com/D6K8Pb4kmk
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) July 7, 2024
However, the names at the bottom of this list were left on the waiver wire after most drafts. Garrett Crochet was surprisingly named the White Sox Opening Day starter and has looked nothing short of spectacular. However, Ranger Suarez has allowed at least two earned runs in his previous three outings and at least five in his past two and has hit a major roadblock.
Projected Top-10 Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
A lot can and will change between now and October. Here's how I think the top 10 will shake out by the season's end, barring any unforeseen injuries.
- Tarik Skubal
- Corbin Burnes
- Tyler Glasnow
- Chris Sale
- Paul Skenes
- Cole Ragans
- Logan Gilbert
- Aaron Nola
- Garrett Crochet
- Pablo Lopez
Ronel Blanco and Ranger Suarez do not have the best underlying metrics and I cannot see them holding up in the top 10 the rest of the way. I am not saying that they will pitch poorly, but this could present an excellent sell-high opportunity.
Paul Skenes has struck out at least seven batters in his past seven outings and has held a stellar 2.08 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in this span. The former No. 1 overall pick is on a historic pace and I would not be surprised if he is the most valuable starting pitcher going forward.
Paul Skenes has recorded 7+ strikeouts in 9 of his 10 career outings, setting the Major League record for most within a player’s first 10 career games. pic.twitter.com/gjIRH4OlC2
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 6, 2024
Pablo Lopez has had a rough start to the season, but I am not giving up on him yet. While his hefty 5.18 ERA is not pretty, under the hood he holds a 3.38 xERA. In addition, he holds a significantly above-average 28.1% K rate and 5.3% walk rate. If someone in your league is frustrated with the 28-year-old, jump on that opportunity.
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