2019 Fantasy Baseball Rankings (AL)

There are a handful of starting pitchers that stand out above the rest, but Sale and Scherzer may belong in a tier of their own at this point. Sale posted an unfathomable 0.861 WHIP last season and 13.5 K/9. As long as he returns to health, we could be looking at a 340 Ks

Verlander may be turning 36 years old soon, but his velocity is still as impressive as ever and he 2018 was actually his best K% (34.8%, second best 28.1%) of his career while his BB% (4.4%) was his lowest. Don't avoid him because of his age. He is rocking better than ever before

You can look at Cole's 3.50 second half ERA and assume he got worse over the season, but all the underlying numbers suggest he was actually better. Don't shy away from him because of a false fear of his risk. Rather, expect another 250+ strikeouts with plenty of wins and excellent ratios

Each of the past five years, Kluber has given fantasy owners 200 innings while compiling 1,228 strikeouts. In four of those five seasons, he has provided 18 or more wins. If you draft him in the second round, you can be certain to get a true ace

Snell may have posted the single greatest second half of any pitcher in the last 50 years with a 1.17 ERA, .155 BAA and 12.7 K/9. There is a chance he finishes as the #1 fantasy pitcher this season, but both Scherzer and Sale are safer bets because of their sustained reliability

Although Cleveland doesn't pay him like it, Carrasco has been a true ace for five straight years, posting a sparkling 3.27 ERA with 193 Ks per season in that time. There is more upside with a pitcher like Syndergaard or Strasburg, but Carrasco's floor makes him one of the top 15 pitchers in this year's fantasy drafts

Paxton has posted back-to-back seasons with an excellent strikeout rate and WHIP, but his ERA grew by nearly a run last year thanks to a spike in his home run rate. Under normal circumstances that could be chalked up to an outlier season, but Paxton is moving to a much more homer-friendly home park this season so it is possible the long ball issue could linger. Last season's 160 1/3 innings also represented a career-high for Paxton, who is not exactly known for his durability. Expect him to be quite good when he's on the mound, but don't expect more than about 150 innings and an ERA in the mid-3.00s.

Greinke's age is now 35 and he did have a rough season three years ago, but besides then, he has been phenomenal since 2009. Expect plenty more of the same in 2019 with excellent ratios, about 15 wins and around 200 strikeouts. This makes him a top 20 starting pitcher for 2019 fantasy leagues

Treinen was simply phenomenal for Oakland last season, and he enters 2019 neck-and-neck with Edwin Diaz for the title of fantasy's number one closer.

After dominating in a smaller 2017 sample size, Clevinger took it up another notch in 2018, this time with 200 innings of proof. He might not win 16 games or strikeout 240 batters like some of the top tier aces, but his ratios and 200 Ks put him firmly in the 6th-8th rounds of this season's drafts

Aroldis Chapman was his typical dominant self last season and enters 2019 as the clear closer in the Bronx. This shapes up as arguably the best bullpen in baseball, however, so the Yankees will have no shortage of potential replacements should Chapman struggle or get hurt.

Berrios' 2018 season was pretty similar to 2017. He made some strides in strikeout rate and WHIP, but it didn't help his ERA much thanks to a spike in home runs allowed. Berrios is a good but not great strikeout pitcher and his walk rate is just ok, so he'll need to make further improvements to live up to the hype he had as a prospect. That could certainly happen in his age-24 season, but it isn't guaranteed.

A Cy Young Award contender though June, Severino imploded with a 5.20 ERA over the final three months. That inconsistency is perilous for a staff headliner, but he still finished 2018 with a 3.39 ERA, 2.95 FIP, and 220 strikeouts. Despite his start-by-start inconsistency, he has delivered on a macro level in consecutive seasons. However, he will miss at least all of April with a shoulder injury, Previously a viable top-10 candidate, he's now too risky to draft as a top-25 starter.

The Indians let Andrew Miller and Cody Allen walk in free agency, clearing the path for Brad Hand to serve as the team's clear-cut closer this season. At age 28, Hand has put together three straight seasons with an ERA under 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.11 or better, and his already impressive K/9 rate grew to 13.25 last season. Hand didn't experience any drop-off after moving from San Diego to Cleveland, and with little in the way of competition, he is fully capable of being one of the very best closers in fantasy baseball this year.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch has affirmed that Osuna will again serve as the team's closer, a role he inherited last year upon returning from a 75-game suspension and getting traded from the Blue Jays. Osuna was a dominant closer from 2015-2017, but his K/9 rate alarmingly fell to 7.58 between Toronto and Houston last year. The good news is that he maintained an above-average 14.7 percent swinging-strike rate, indicating that he should return to striking out over a batter per inning while maintaining elite control. Save opportunities should also be plentiful on the World Series-contending Astros, so it makes sense for Osuna to get drafted as one of the first 10, if not five, closers off the board.

Price isn't going to thrill anyone as a workhorse ace anymore, but he still posts plenty of Ks to go with useful ratios each and every season. With Boston's lineup behind him, we can expect plenty of wins as well, making him one of the most appealing third-tier starting pitchers this year.

After nearly a decade of mediocrity, the Astros turned Morton into a high-end starter in 2017, and he was even better in 2018. At this point, he feels relatively safe to pencil in for a mid-3.00s ERA, 10.0 K/9 rate, and WHIP in the 1.15-1.20 range. The concerns are his advancing age and durability -- he's never thrown more than 172 innings in a season. The move to Tampa Bay is also a mild concern, less so for the change of division than for the move away from a Houston team that seemingly knew how to get the best out of him.

Tanaka was basically the same pitcher last year as he was in 2017, but he shaved a run off of his ERA thanks to slight improvements in BABIP allowed, home runs allowed, and left-on-base percentage. Still, home runs remain an issue for Tanaka, which explains why his ERA generally lags behind his WHIP. He's also never made it to 200 innings, so he's not exactly a workhorse. At this point we should just accept Tanaka for what he is: a solid third or fourth fantasy starter.

Leclerc emerged from relative obscurity in 2018 to become a dominant closer, producing a 1.56 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 13.27 K/9. That performance clearly impressed manager Chris Woodward, who has left no doubt that Leclerc will be the Rangers' closer again in 2019. He could be one of the better fantasy closers in the league even if Texas doesn't win a ton of games.

Bieber is the rare pitcher who may throw too many strikes. His pinpoint control is helpful for his WHIP, and he's shown the ability to strike out close to a batter per inning, but he gave up so many hits as a rookie that his ERA ballooned to 4.55. That is due for quite a bit of positive regression, but Bieber's ERA may always trail behind his WHIP. For now, expect his ERA to settle in the mid-to-high 3s.

The undervalued Happ massively out-performed his 2018 draft pick despite posting his highest ERA (3.65) since 2014. He now owns a 3.49 ERA and 8.45 K/9 over those past four seasons, and yet many drafters have scoffed at him going around the pick-150 range. Seems like a reasonable price for someone who accompanied his career-high 193 strikeouts with a career-high 10.3% swinging-strike rate and career-low 78.3% contact rate. He looked comfortable in pinstripes (2.69 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) and could once again reap the rewards of run support to a crooked wins tally. Don't run away just because the southpaw is 36.

An intriguing option when healthy, Rodriguez took another step forward with a 3.82 ERA, 3.65 FIP, and 10.13 K/9 in 2018. Good luck getting a full season out of the lefty. Knee and ankle injuries contained him to 129.2 frames, so he has yet to make 25 starts for more than 137.1 frames in a single season. He flaunted a high ceiling by mixing in fewer four-seamers in favor of a cutter, and he has reportedly spent the offseason working on his slider with help from Chris Sale and Pedro Martinez. Drafters must prepare to make up the lost innings elsewhere, but he's nevertheless the type of high-strikeout hurler worth targeting after locking down sturdier rotation anchors.

The Blue Jays took on Ken Giles in the Osuna trade last year. Although Giles' 2018 stats don't look pretty at first glance, his underlying numbers - including a terrific 53-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio - weren't too bad. Giles actually makes for a decent bounce-back candidate and potential draft-day value if your leaguemates are scared off by last year's 4.65 ERA.

Always one of baseball's hardest-throwing starters, Eovaldi finally parlayed his high-90s heater to a career-high 22.2 K% supported by a 10.7% swinging-strike rate. He also lowered his walk rate to a career-low 4.4%, leading to a 1.13 WHIP, 3.60 FIP, and 3.23 Deserved Run Average (DRA, per Baseball Prospectus). After re-signing with the Red Sox, he'd be one of the spring's top breakout picks if not for glaring durability and inconsistency concerns. Last year, he went from yielding one run in three combined starts to 21 in his next four. Eovaldi might give investors some headaches on the way to strong SP4 numbers in 150 innings.

 

The Rays appear to be in no hurry to name a closer, and they may not assign the job to a single pitcher. But the early frontrunner should be Jose Alvarado, who earned eight handshakes last year while posting helpful ratios.

Signed by Seattle this winter, Kikuchi heads to the U.S. with a career 2.77 ERA in eight seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. The Japanese signee is expected to make his MLB debut in the Tokyo Dome, giving some last-minute drafters a sneak peek that could vastly sway his cost. Since Kikuchi is accustomed to working in a six-man rotation, Seattle plans to limit him to around five innings per start, which jeopardizes his win potential but could help fortify his ratios. He's a bit of an unknown without a sky-high ceiling, but the 27-year-old southpaw could make a solid mid-rotation piece if competitors get scared off by his uncertainty.

A former elite prospect, Glasnow couldn't quite get his act together in Pittsburgh, but things started looking up when he was moved to the Rays. He struggled mightily with the long ball during his brief stint in Tampa, but the much more important thing is that he nearly cut his walk rate in half. Glasnow can miss bats with the best of them, so if he can stop giving away so many free passes we could suddenly be looking at a pitcher who can provide solid ratios to go along with the elite strikeout numbers. He's an exciting breakout candidate.

Following a rocky return from Tommy John surgery, Heaney made major strides by submitting 180 strikeouts in as many innings last season. Since he also issued just 45 walks, a 3.74 SIERA hints at improvement from last season's 4.15 ERA. The spotty health history and mediocre sinker present concerns, but he flashed ace upside with five double-digit strikeout gems. Don't sleep on Heaney as a borderline top-40 starter with breakout appeal. Early elbow discomfort, however, will push back his 2019 debut.

McHugh was terrific in relief for the Astros last season and is now slated for a return to the starting rotation. This is a pitcher capable of helping in ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts, and the win potential is certainly there as well. He's a nice sleeper.

It is too bad that we don't get to see Ohtani pitch this season since he was so dominant, but his bat is very nearly on the same level. His full season pace last year had him at 34 homers, 16 steals, 95 RBIs, 92 runs and a .285 BA. That is a second round level season. Granted, he likely won't debut until May since he is recovering from an injury, but remember that he was only 23 last year and will finally get to focus on just hitting for the first time in his life.

Although Baltimore may only win 50 games, Givens is one of the closers who has no competition for saves on his team. Even 25 save opportunities is better than what someone like Josh Hader or Zach Britton will get. Pair that with another 80 strikeouts and respectable ratios and we are looking at a top 30 fantasy reliever.

Although you may expect Herrera to be the closer battle in Chicago, some reports are suggesting that Colome has the upper-hand in the competition. This will be one to watch in spring training to see how it plays out. If Colome gets the job, he would be a top 25 closer.

Assuming Craig Kimbrel does not return, Barnes is reportedly the favorite to serve as Boston's closer. Barnes is coming off an impressive 2018 campaign in which his 14.01 K/9 was fourth-highest among all pitchers who threw at least 60 innings. His struggles with command (3.85 career BB/9) should keep his ERA north of 3.00 and WHIP above 1.20, but he can still be a pretty significant mixed-league asset if he's earning most of the team's saves.

 

Betances is merely a closer in waiting, but besides Josh Hader, the best in the game. He is a sure bet for 90+ Ks, with upside ranging to nearly 130. Likewise, his ratios will be terrific each year and you can even rely on a handful of wins and saves too.

Plenty are suggesting that Blake Parker was brought in to be the closer for Minnesota, but

 

Peacock has been very effective as both a starter and reliever for the Astros over the last two seasons and looks likely to open the season in Houston's rotation this year. While it's possible he's eventually pushed out by Josh James or Forrest Whitley, Peacock can be nearly as valuable as a reliever, particularly in innings-capped roto leagues. He's well worth drafting.

 

Josh James went from one of the best sleepers in fantasy baseball this year to a draft and stash when news surfaced that he has a strained quad and is now out of the rotation battle. Chances are that he will start in the minor leagues and be called up the moment a spot in the rotation becomes available. From the moment it happens, he should be a top 30 starter.

 

 

 

 

Initially a candidate for an early-season promotion, Luzardo was shut down for four-to-six weeks in late March because of a strained rotator cuff in his left shoulder. The 21-year-old southpaw still has a bright future, and he could conceivably headline Oakland's weak rotation by the summer. This setback, however, lessens the appeal of drafting and stashing him in shallower re-draft formats.

 

Assuming the Red Sox keep their word and don't re-sign Kimbrel, Braiser will be battling it out with Matt Barnes for one of the most coveted closer jobs in the league. If he wins it, you can count on stellar ratios to go along with all the save opportunities.

 

 

Herrera was presumably signed to close for the White Sox, but they also added Alex Colome who has closing experience. This one is too close to call for now so you may want to add both in a late round just to make sure you get some saves.

 

Pressly isn't expected to pick up more than a save or two this season because of Roberto Osuna's presence, but if Osuna were to suffer an injury, Pressly would likely take over the job and be a top 10 closer right away.

Richards carried a 4.42 ERA with 4 wins last year and formerly played independent baseball after going undrafted. It helps, however, that he has the best changeup in baseball. Richards' changeup is Trevor Hoffman-esque. It carried a 41.2% whiff rate with a .214 xWOBA. It certainly helped his performance when he adjusted by throwing it 38% of the time instead of 23% of the time at the start of the season. In those closing months, hitters were so focused on his filthy change-up that his slider suddenly became even more deadly than the changeup. With two of the most useful pitches in baseball, Richards could breakout this year in Miami much like Jake Peavy did in in 2004 after a rough start to his career.

The Astros replaced Keuchel with Wade Miley and Charlie Morton with rookie Josh James, but now that he is hurt, you'd better believe that as soon as Whitley is ready, the Astros will call him up. Assuming that is before the All-Star break, Whitley is an excellent draft and stash option if you have enough bench spots. He could have a Walker Buehler like impact from the get-go.

Ottavino might be stuck behind Chapman, Betances, Britton and Chad Green for the closer job, but he is a force of nature who could strike out 100 batters this season to go with sparkling ratios and a handful of wins. Don't hesitate to add him late in drafts to boost you in three categories.

Green wasn't as electric in 2018 as the year before, but he still registered 94 strikeouts with excellent ratios and 8 wins. He isn't the closer, nor does he have a path to saves, but you can certainly make a case for drafting him even in standard sized leagues.

 

 

Most depth charts have Shane Greene slotted into the closer role for Detroit but this job is up in the air. Jimenez was an all-star last season, and while he pitched poorly down the stretch, don't sleep on him winning the job this spring.

 

If you play in a deeper league, Castillo can be a ratio master that racks up plenty of saves, or better yet, if you employ the Marmol Strategy, Castillo qualifies as a starting pitcher so you can plug him on days where you don't have enough starters going.

 

 

 

 

 

Britton isn't going to be the closer in New York, nor is he likely the next man up since Dellin Betances is also ahead of him, but Britton is still well worth owning if your league allows you to start four or five relievers. He will help your ratios significantly while adding nearly 80 Ks as usual.

 

 

Boxberger is expected to have the closer job in Kansas City to start the season, but he is among the worst closers in baseball so keep Peralta on speed dial in case he takes over the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May and Parker are seemingly in a batter at the top of Minnesota's depth chart, but Rogers is the type of guy who could find himself in the role at some point, and if it were to happen, he would dominate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Honeywell was ready for the MLB rotation last year before he was shut down for the season. There is a chance he breaks camp with the big league club in Tampa, but more likely, he will get more seasoning in the minors before making the jump. When he does, we are probably looking at a top 60 fantasy starting pitcher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The closer job in Chicago seems to be between Herrera and Colome, but don't be shocked if Fry jumps in at some point in the season, as he has the best raw stuff and numbers.