X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

The Year of the Rookie Pitcher for Fantasy Baseball - Bryce Miller, Matthew Liberatore, Tanner Bibee, more

Matthew Liberatore - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Several highly-touted arms debuted and busted recently (Pfaadt, Stone) while others have been awesome (Bryce Miller, Bobby Miller). What should make of the next crop of young arms to come up?

Which of these young pitchers looks good under the hood? And which of them are showing signs that they could struggle?

Kev Mahserejian (@RotoSurgeon) analyzes the rookie pitcher landscape of 2023 between those that have arrived and those that are still waiting to give readers the best bets to help lead to a fantasy baseball championship.

Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association including Baseball Writer of the Year, Football Writers of the Year, Golf Writer of the Year and many more! Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!

 

Top Rookie Starting Pitchers

Bryce Miller - Seattle Mariners

Bryce Miller's start to the season is nothing short of stellar. His 1.15 ERA and 0.51 WHIP are pristine while his most impressive stat may be allowing just three walks in 31 and 1/3rd IP. Obviously, Miller will regress somewhat as these surface numbers are unsustainable even for the greats. His 3.64 SIERA and 3.82 xFIP suggest he may be closer to very good rather than an elite pitcher but his FIP and xERA are quite favorable. Miller is a must-start in all formats regardless of matchup despite this.

Matthew Liberatore - St. Louis Cardinals

Liberatore dominated AAA this season and earned his promotion to the bigs. His 3.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 21.1% K-BB across 8 starts bodes well for his rest-of-season outlook in the bigs.

Liberatore took full advantage of his first MLB start of 2023. He shut out the Brewers in five innings allowing just three hits and three walks each while striking out six. A necessary caveat for this start is Milwaukee leading the MLB in strikeout rate versus left-handed pitching but given the state of pitching this season, we will take good wherever possible.

Bobby Miller - Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers finally received a good start from a rookie starting pitcher this season with Bobby Miller's electric outing this past Tuesday. Miller struck out five batters in five innings while allowing just one run in four hits and one walk. The start was most notable given that it was against the Atlanta Braves who had just mauled fellow rookie starter Gavin Stone the day prior.

Miller looks like an ace starter at 6'5" 220lbs and has the 100MPH gas to boot. His 5-pitch repertoire is impressive as well, especially given that he utilized each pitch at least 12% of the time in this initial start. His next outing comes at home against the lowly Nationals which makes Miller as much of a must-start as possible.

Mason Miller - Oakland A's

Injuries suck. Miller was throwing gas but made only a few starts before heading to the IL.

Louie Varland - Minnesota Twins

Varland was less heralded than his colleagues here coming into the season but his performance thus far is just as impressive as the best. If you ignore the unfortunate 4.18 ERA, we can see some favorable numbers to project forward. His 20.3% K-BB is on par with top-20 starters while his 13.4% swinging strike rate is bordering on top-10 (just below Cristian Javier).

The sample on Varland is small but as the Twins have demonstrated with Joe Ryan and Sonny Gray's elite emergence this season, they know a thing or two about pitching. A velocity jump matched with Varland's command may have been the recipe for success. He should be rostered in all leagues 12+ while starting in most matchups until further notice.

J.P. France - Houston Astros

France ate his worst outing of the season against the Cubs last week with 6ER, 9 hits, 2BB, and just 2K in 3 and 2/3 innings. This could very well be considered his regression game as a sub-1.00 ERA was not sustainable coming into the game with his low K-BB% (13.6%) and extremely lucky .156 BABIP.

The strikeouts France displayed throughout the minors finally showed up versus the Milwaukee Brewers but they unfortunately strike out versus everyone. France has been lucky this season but is worth holding for the short term as he lines up to face an unhealthy Twins lineup next.

Tanner Bibee - Cleveland Guardians

Bibee is somewhat walking on thin ice. His 3.18 ERA and 1.20 WHIP are great and all but a 4.60 xFIP and 4.42 SIERA loom. He came out of the gate firing but over the past three starts Bibee's strikeouts have diminished while the walks have increased. There is definitely hope for Bibee given the repertoire he possesses but the trend is not pretty. Best to move off before disaster than after, especially with a tough test against the Cardinals next.

Logan Allen - Cleveland Guardians

Allen is the better of the two new Guardians pitchers. While his ERA and WHIP are higher than Bibee, Allen's peripherals are much more palatable despite lesser stuff. Allen's 16.4% K-BB is above-average while his xFIP and SIERA sit at or below 4.00. He should be considered a start in most matchups going forward.

Brandon Pfaadt - Arizona Diamondbacks

Brandon Pfaadt's minor league struggles have carried over to the majors. His ERA, WHIP, and peripherals are egregiously high and nothing in his profile suggests any improvement. Pfaadt was a home run starter in the minors and even more so through 20 major league innings as he has given up seven home runs. The best bet on Pfaadt is to leave on waivers and hope a league mate takes the damage.

Gavin Stone - Los Angeles Dodgers

Gavin Stone's been awful in the majors thus far but there may be light at the end of the tunnel (unlike Pfaadt). Stone's matchups through two starts have been brutal as he has faced the Phillies and Braves. Meanwhile, despite struggling to throw strikes once again, Stone's second start was quite promising as he induced plenty of whiffs. when pitching in the zone.

Stone's next start does not get any easier as he faces the righty-mashing Rays but if he can demonstrate some of the strikeout upside he possesses, a speculative add would be worthwhile.

Jared Shuster - Atlanta Braves

Jared Shuster's start to the season was typical for any Spring Training star. He fell face-first through two starts and was sent back down to AAA. Recently, Shuster returned to the MLB and finally had a positive start, albeit against a lowly Mariners offense. Shuster allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out seven across six innings. His next start comes against a solid Phillies offense and if he can show out once more, an add across the board may be necessary given Shuster's pedigree and Atlanta's need for pitching.

 

Fantasy Baseball Rookie Stashes



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!



More Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Advice

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Pickups & Streamers
Rookies & Call-Ups
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Carson Hocevar37 mins ago

Looks Impressive Again at Texas
Zane Smith42 mins ago

Slow In Practice and Qualifying at Texas
Todd Gilliland53 mins ago

in Downgraded Equipment for Texas
Luis Arraez2 hours ago

Suffers Injury On Saturday
DeAndre Hopkins3 hours ago

Expected To Play In Week 3
DK Metcalf3 hours ago

Active For Week 3
Ryan Preece5 hours ago

Will Start 25th At Texas
Chase Briscoe5 hours ago

The Top Value Play On Sunday At Texas
Ricky Stenhouse Jr6 hours ago

.'s Struggles At Texas To Continue This Weekend
Joey Logano6 hours ago

Makes For A Nice Bounce Back Play At Texas
NASCAR7 hours ago

Bubba Wallace Wins Pole At Texas Motor Speedway
Ryan Blaney7 hours ago

A Core Play At Texas
Harrison Burton7 hours ago

Still On Wood Brothers Hot Seat
Austin Cindric7 hours ago

Keeps On Struggling In Qualifying
Daniel Suarez7 hours ago

Thrives In Texas Qualifying Saturday
Jamaal Williams7 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Chase Elliott7 hours ago

Starts From Near The Back At Texas
Ross Chastain7 hours ago

Offers Less Upside At Texas
Jaylen Waddle7 hours ago

Won’t Play In Week 3 Against Denver
Ty Gibbs7 hours ago

Poised To Continue Strong Run In Texas
Aric Almirola8 hours ago

Tops Stewart-Haas In Qualifying
NASCAR8 hours ago

A.J. Allmendinger Surprises With Sixth In Qualifying
Kyle Larson8 hours ago

Starts 11th On Sunday Afternoon
Kyle Busch8 hours ago

Looks To Rebound On Sunday
Martin Truex Jr9 hours ago

. Hoping For Better Fortunes In Texas
Kenley Jansen11 hours ago

Returns From COVID List
Mike Trout12 hours ago

Hits Off Tee
Deon Jackson13 hours ago

Colts Release Deon Jackson
Yordan Alvarez13 hours ago

Doubles In A Run, Managing Elbow Issue
MLB13 hours ago

Diamondbacks-Yankees Postponed Saturday Due To Rain
MLB13 hours ago

Braves-Nationals Postponed On Saturday
Nolan Arenado14 hours ago

Cardinals Place Nolan Arenado On Injured List
Sandy Alcantara14 hours ago

Suffers Setback After Rehab Start
Clayton Keller14 hours ago

Ready To Become 100-Point Player
Nicklas Backstrom14 hours ago

Feeling At 100 Percent
Oliver Ekman-Larsson14 hours ago

Set To Get Look On Top Power-Play Unit
Carter Verhaeghe15 hours ago

Battling Muscle Tightness
Nikolaj Ehlers15 hours ago

Struggling With Neck Spasms
Logan Cooley15 hours ago

Scores Wonder Goal In Preseason Opener
15 hours ago

Chauncey Billups Backs Scoot Henderson To Become A "Star"
Josh Green15 hours ago

Aims To Become A Bigger Defensive Presence
Josh Hart15 hours ago

Set To See Minutes As Power Forward
Cade Cunningham16 hours ago

Jaden Ivey Believes Cade Cunningham Will "Shock" People
DeMar DeRozan16 hours ago

Ready To Shoot More Threes
Marcus Morris16 hours ago

Sr. Set To Remain A Starter In New Season
DK Metcalf19 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Brandon Lowe23 hours ago

Finished For 2023 With Knee Fracture
Salvador Perez23 hours ago

On Track For Return On Sunday
Andy Dalton23 hours ago

To Start In Week 3
Triston McKenzie23 hours ago

Set To Return For Sunday's Start
Jaden McDaniels1 day ago

Timberwolves Desire To Extend Jaden McDaniels
Boston Celtics1 day ago

Celtics Signing Lamar Stevens As Bench Piece
Frank Ntilikina1 day ago

Could Be Limited At Training Camp
Jayson Tatum1 day ago

To Play More Point Guard In 2023-24?
Randy Arozarena1 day ago

Leaves With Right Quad Tightness
Isiah Pacheco1 day ago

Picks Up Questionable Tag
Brandin Cooks1 day ago

Set To Return In Week 3
David Montgomery1 day ago

Doubtful To Play In Week 3
Ha-Seong Kim1 day ago

Returns To The Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.1 day ago

Rejoins The Lineup On Friday
Zay Jones1 day ago

Ruled Out For Sunday Against Houston
Luis Arraez1 day ago

Back In The Lineup On Friday
Puka Nacua1 day ago

Back At Practice On Friday
Rasmus Dahlin1 day ago

Sabres Aiming To Lock Up Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power Long-Term
Joe Burrow1 day ago

Limited In Friday's Practice
Connor Hellebuyck1 day ago

Focused On The Jets In 2023-24
DK Metcalf1 day ago

Questionable For Week 3
Trevor Zegras1 day ago

Jamie Drysdale Absent On First Day Of Camp
Jaylen Waddle1 day ago

Questionable With Concussion
Andrew Cogliano1 day ago

Hoping To Be Cleared For Season Opener
Amon-Ra St. Brown1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Week 3
Alexander Barabanov1 day ago

Prefers To Remain In San Jose
Austin Ekeler1 day ago

Ruled Out Again
Mattias Ekholm1 day ago

Roughly A Week Away From Skating
Matt McLain1 day ago

On Track To Return Tuesday
Orion Kerkering1 day ago

Phillies Promote Prospect Orion Kerkering Friday
Michael Kopech1 day ago

Undergoes Surgery, Placed On Injured List
Luke Raley1 day ago

Placed On 10-Day Injured List
Jamaal Williams1 day ago

Ruled Out With Hamstring Issue
Royce Lewis1 day ago

Goes On Injured List
DeAndre Hopkins1 day ago

Listed As Questionable Against Browns
Christian Yelich1 day ago

Back In Brewers Lineup
Amari Cooper1 day ago

No Longer On The Injury Report
Deebo Samuel1 day ago

Considered Day-To-Day With Rib Injury
Damian Lillard1 day ago

Suns Considered Dark Horse To Facilitate Damian Lillard Deal
Donovan Mitchell1 day ago

Not Expected To Sign An Extension Next Summer
1 day ago

Amen Thompson Is Ready To Go For Training Camp
Buddy Hield1 day ago

Mavericks, 76ers, Bucks Have Shown Interest In Buddy Hield
Kelly Oubre1 day ago

Jr. Expected To Sign With 76ers
Mateusz Gamrot1 day ago

Seeking Victory In Seventh UFC Appearance
Rafael Fiziev1 day ago

Looks To Get Back In Win Column
Michelle Waterson-Gomez1 day ago

In Dire Need Of Victory
AJ Fletcher1 day ago

Set To Showcase On Main Card
Bryan Battle1 day ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 79
Evgeny Kuznetsov2 days ago

Sees New Head Coach As "Perfect Match"
Mark Scheifele2 days ago

Open To Staying With Jets
BUF2 days ago

Buffalo Sabres Reportedly Eyeing Patrick Kane
Alexander Romanov2 days ago

100 Percent For Training Camp
Jack Quinn2 days ago

Not Close To Returning
Christian Dvorak2 days ago

Out Until November
Jusuf Nurkic2 days ago

Heading To Phoenix?
Damian Lillard2 days ago

Could Be Moved Before Training Camp
Ricardo Ramos2 days ago

Set For First Fight In Over A Year
Charles Jourdain2 days ago

Hoping To Bring UFC Record Above .500
Marina Rodriguez2 days ago

Gets A Rematch At UFC Vegas 79
Dan Ige2 days ago

Enters UFC Vegas 79 On Two-Fight Win Streak
Bryce Mitchell2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back After First Career Loss
VEG2 days ago

Daniil Miromanov Ruled Out Long-Term
Chris Wideman2 days ago

Out Indefinitely With Back Injury
Mason McTavish2 days ago

Nursing An Upper-Body Injury
Brooklyn Nets3 days ago

Jordan Hall Signs With Nets
Xavier Moon3 days ago

Signs With Clippers
Aleksej Pokusevski3 days ago

To Miss Next Six Weeks
Buddy Hield3 days ago

Pacers Attempting To Trade Buddy Hield
Alexa Grasso6 days ago

Retains Flyweight Title With Split Draw
Valentina Shevchenko6 days ago

Unsuccessful In Bid To Recapture Title
Jack Della Maddalena6 days ago

Pulls Out Close Decision Win At Noche UFC
Kevin Holland6 days ago

Takes Close Loss In Split-Decision Showing
Raul Rosas Jr.6 days ago

Knocks Out Terrance Mitchell In 54 Seconds

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP