Fantasy Baseball starting pitcher rankings for 2026 (31-60)

This year’s crop of starting pitchers has a couple of amazing arms that will cost you a first-round pick if you want to roster them, and as much as I hate to say it, taking a pitcher that high is akin to dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight.  The same two pitchers were the top two off the board last year, so the waters may seem safe, but beware.  Those same waters seemed safe two years ago when Spencer Strider was the top arm off the board. Here are the top 31-60 SP right now in fantasy baseball:

RELATED: Fantasy Baseball starting pitcher rankings for 2026 (1-30)

31) Carlos Rodon, Yankees

He’s likely going to miss the first month of the season after elbow surgery this past October to remove loose bodies and to shave down a bone spur in his left (pitching) arm.  He’s coming off the highest inning total of his career at age 33, so there is some concern for how much of a workload he will be able to handle in 2026, but when he’s on the mound, you’re getting a borderline elite talent.  Consistency and health have been the only things that have kept him from the top echelon of this list.  If you can get him in the mid rounds, he’s worth the pick as a high upside play since he has always been able to pile up Ks, and the wins should be there, pitching for the Yankees.

32) Nick Lodolo, Reds

The arm talent has always been there for this 6’6″ lefty, but it’s taken some time to translate into fantasy relevance due to a combination of health issues and a bad home ballpark.  Last year, he was able to somewhat put it together for a career-high 28 starts and 150+ innings pitched, but he still missed some time due to a blister.  If last year is an indicator, he has traded in a bit of his swing and miss stuff for much-improved control, which makes him a legitimate 4-category threat.  He’s entering his age-28 season, and lefties tend to develop a little later, so I’m willing to invest in this being the season he is able to put it all together for 30+ starts.

33) Michael King, Padres

Coming into last season, King was being drafted as a top-of-the-rotation anchor for many of our fantasy teams, but a shoulder injury cut 2025 short in May.  He was able to make it back from the shoulder, and then a knee ailment ended the comeback in August.  The positive news is that he made it back from the shoulder injury, and he looked very good when he was able to take the mound.  He’s just 30 years old coming into this year and has been given a clean bill of health.  If you can get a discount, grab him and bank on maybe 80-90% of what he did in 2024 as a baseline.  

34) Trevor Rogers, Orioles

When the Orioles acquired him, they were expecting him to slide right into their rotation and help them make a postseason push.  That was back in 2024.  While Kyle Stowers was mashing in Miami last year, Rogers began the season in the minors.  Thankfully, for O’s fans, Rogers was given the call at the end of May, and once he got to Baltimore, he never looked back.  In 109.2 innings over 18 starts, he posted an immaculate 1.81 era and 0.90 whip with 103 Ks and 9 wins.  He’s poised to anchor this Baltimore rotation along with Kyle Bradish in 2026.  I’m not buying him based on the small sample size numbers from 2025, but based on the increase in velocity and K rate.  He makes a great SP3 if you can get him in the 12th round or so.

35) Ryan Pepiot, Rays

He was the Rays ace last year, posting 11 wins while averaging a strikeout per inning over 167 frames.  Entering his age-28 season, he should be able to stay at around this level, and possibly even improve with the move back to Tropicana Field.  While he did allow more home runs at home last season, he actually had a much higher era on the road.  He doesn’t seem to have a ton of upside, but he should be a steady performer who could be pushed north of 180 innings pitched this season.

36) Drew Rasmussen, Rays

Here’s another pitcher who has put up elite numbers without putting up a ton of innings pitched.  Rasmussen has now made it to his age-30 season without ever throwing more than 150 innings.  The good news?  He threw those 150 innings last season, and he didn’t die.  The Rays will keep him wrapped in bubble wrap again this year, so don’t expect more than 6 innings when he takes the mound.  His K rate isn’t elite, but his control is, and a return to pitching his home games at the Trop will only help.

37) Robbie Ray, Giants

When I talked about Nick Lodolo, this guy was dancing in my head.  He’s another lefty that took a while to put it all together, transitioning from an elite strikeout artist with questionable control into a Cy Young Award winner at the age of 29.  That was 5 years ago now, and Ray has struggled with various injuries, including missing most of 2023 due to TJS.  Now entering his age-34 season, he looks primed to give the Giants a top-of-the-rotation anchor after logging a healthy 180 innings in 2025.  He’s a solid bet to repeat last year’s stat line with 10+ wins, 180+ Ks, and very solid rate stats.

38) Cam Schlittler, Yankees

This pocket of pitchers all have a few things in common.  Most notably, all are young, and all gave us a taste of what the future may hold in a small sample size last season.  Schlittler was fantastic for the Yankees last year in 14 starts, striking out 84 batters over 73 innings and limiting batters to just 58 hits.  The walk total was higher than we would like, so he is far from a finished product.  Of this group, Schlittler has the best combination of stuff and supporting cast.  The downside is that he has higher expectations and a shorter leash than most of the others, so he will need to succeed to stick around for the full season.

39) Nolan McLean, Mets

Across town from the Bronx, the Mets have their own 24-year-old phenom who dazzled in a brief run last season.  These two pitchers will likely spend their careers being compared to each other for however long they both pitch in the Big Apple.  McLean exhibited better control than Schlittler in the majors over 8 starts, but he did average over 4 walks per 9 across two stops in the minors last season.  Many of the same concerns exist for McLean as his cross-town counterpart, as he will be counted on to pitch for a team hoping to contend for the postseason. Typically, I will buy in on one or two of these players max. 

40) Bubba Chandler, Pirates

The youth movement continues.  Chandler was a hot name in last year’s fantasy drafts, but it took him seemingly forever to finally make it to Pittsburgh in 2025.  He seemed ready at the beginning of May, but he was passed over, and then he went into a funk for about 3 months.  Eventually, he got his chance, and over 4 starts, he looked like a guy who could handle the bright lights of the Show.  At just 23 years of age and pitching for a team that is still developing, he should be given a longer leash than either of the previous young guns.  That could be a great thing, or it could mean he takes his lumps at the major league level, and your fantasy team will pay the price.  He’s definitely worth a shot, just don’t over-pay.  The 12th round is plenty early enough for him. If somebody else wants to pay more, let them.

41) Trey Yesavage, Blue Jays

We are now nearing the end of the run of young guns with unlimited potential.  Yesavage is a guy who isn’t going to fly under the radar after he showed the baseball world what he was made of on the biggest stage possible during last year’s playoffs.  He’s just 22 and his arm is electric, but I’m afraid of his floor and his price tag.  I rank him just below many of his fellow young guns because he’s the youngest, and the fact that he soared through all five levels of the Blue Jays system has me a bit worried about how he will do when he faces opponents for the 2nd and 3rd time.  If you wait for him, you’ll miss him, and I’m OK with that.

42) Chase Burns, Reds

Much like Yesavage, Burns flew through the minors last year and has an electric arm that leads to a ton of swing and miss.  He will also have to work on limiting the walks to avoid tanking the whip category, and pitching in that tiny ballpark in Cincinnati tends to cause these young pitchers to be a bit volatile.  He’s worth a shot if you missed out on the above group of youngsters and you just need a wild card with super high upside potential.  The strikeout total is going to be there, and if all breaks right, he very well could be a top 15-20 fantasy pitcher.  He’s certainly going to be a future ace; it’s just a matter of when.

43) Tanner Bibee, Guardians

Last year was a bit of a setback year for Bibee, as we expected him to take another step forward and complete his ascent to ace status.  He’s still just 27, so it’s very possible the next step will come this year.  At this point, we’ll return to his 2024 form, which gave us 187 Ks in 173 innings with a mid-3 ERA and a 1.12 whip.  I’m buying in if I can get him in the mid rounds as my SP3.

44) Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers

He’s gone from electric prospect to a guy who might have ripened on the vine a bit as he enters his age-32 season without ever having thrown for more than 134 innings in a season.  The Dodgers are the perfect team for him, and they will keep his arm fresh and limit him to no more than 25 starts or so.  He’s shown that he still has great swing and miss ability, and the wins will come pitching for the best team in the league.  The era and whip have always been much better than league average as well.  Injuries will always be a concern, but in smaller leagues, he’s a great middle-of-the-rotation arm who is going to give you quality over quantity.

45) Ranger Suarez, Red Sox

Suarez, much like Glasnow, isn’t what anybody would call an innings eater.  He’s also not somebody who is going to blow people away with his “stuff”.  What he will do is give you very consistent innings, a decent amount of strikeouts, and 10+ wins.  Now pitching in the A.L. East isn’t ideal, but he should adapt fine after pitching in the hitter-friendly confines of Citizen’s bank park for his entire career.

46) Gavin Williams, Guardians

He feels very much like he’s right where his teammate, Tanner Bibee, was a year ago.  He looks ready to take that final step and become a fantasy ace.  While Bibee didn’t take that step, that doesn’t mean that Williams won’t.  His walk rate is concerning, so he will need to improve if he’s going to take that step.  His second half showed some progress in that regard, and at the age of 27, he seems primed for a breakout.  If all goes right, he could be a 200 K arm and a top 5 CYA finisher.

47) Shane Baz, Orioles

His arm is electric, and he was finally able to stay healthy for a full season.  He’s also now free from pitching his home games in a hitter-friendly minor league ballpark.  Camden Yards isn’t quite the pitcher’s paradise that Tropicana Field is, but it’s a heck of a lot better than Steinbrenner Field, where Baz pitched to a 5+ era last season.  He very well could be the ace of this Oriole rotation, and if my league mates sleep on him, I’ll be thrilled to add him as my SP3 or 4.  He has a 200 K season coming, and I think it’s this year, as long as he stays healthy.  Easier said than done.

48) Mackenzie Gore, Rangers

Much like Baz, Gore is an electric arm talent who hasn’t quite put it together yet.  He will also be pitching in a new home this year after moving from the Nation’s capital to Arlington this offseason.  He will pitch in the middle of the Rangers rotation and should benefit from not having to square off with every opposing team’s ace in every start.  I’m expecting his numbers to take a big step across the board, especially the win/loss record. 

49) Spencer Strider, Braves

He made it back from the internal brace variety of TJS last season and during the spring was hitting triple digits, which had the fantasy community salivating for a return to his 2023 levels of dominance.  Then the season started, and his velocity dipped, and he was very hittable.  Now, two years removed from the procedure and his rehab, there’s hope that he can find those missing MPH on his fastball and return to dominance.  I’m not buying him based on his 2023 numbers, but he still should be close to a 10 k/9 guy going forward.  I’ll chalk his disastrous August last year to him running out of gas and will focus more on the September finish.  Hopefully, the walk rate can return to league average, and we’ll live with the rest of his numbers if we get him here.

50) Sandy Alcantara, Marlins

At first glance, his numbers from last year were pretty ugly.  The era was an unsightly 5.36, and his K and BB rates both went in the wrong direction.  Then we have to consider that he missed all of 2024 with TJS and how long it took him last year to “shake off the rust”.  I’m willing to give him a slight pass since it seemed like he was rushed back to show his trade value, and he spent the first 20+ starts of last year trying to show the league that he was worth trading for.   His second-half stats, along with the fact that he was able to throw almost 175 innings, are enough to lure me back at his current draft price. 

51) Cade Horton, Cubs

He looked like a lock for rookie of the year last year as he was flying high through 22 starts.  A ribcage injury cut his 2025 short, and he ultimately finished second to Atlanta’s catching phenom, Drake Baldwin, for top rookie honors.  He did enough last year at just 23 years of age to have us interested in seeing what he will do for an encore.  Although his stuff isn’t quite as high-end as some of the other youngsters in this range, I give him a slight edge for 2026 since he had the most exposure to major league hitters in 2025 and was able to have success in his second start against every team he faced.

52) Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers

He burst onto the scene last year and even made the All-Star Game after just a handful of starts, but the overall results were a bit of a mixed bag.  His control issues come hand in hand with his elite K rate, so the floor is a guy who could hurt your rate stats (era, whip). His upside is 160+ innings with 200 Ks.  If he falls to the double-digit rounds, he’s a great value, but somebody will likely take him much earlier.  In early NFBC drafts, he has gone anywhere between pick 75 and 230. I would prefer to pull the trigger somewhere around his average of #135.  It comes down to your risk tolerance.

53) Zack Wheeler, Phillies

He was one of the best pitchers in the game coming into 2025, and he pitched like it through 24 starts.  Then he went down with that dreaded Thoracic Outlet Syndrome injury that has basically ended many careers.  Thankfully, the version that befell Wheeler was the milder Venous variety, and he’s only expected to miss about a month of 2026.  Still, he’ll be 36 years old this season, and to expect him to just slide back in as the Philly ace would be ambitious to say the least.  Taking him here feels like a decent hedge, where he won’t have to make it all the way back to still be an asset.  If somebody else drafts him earlier because of his name value, I’ll be fine with it.

54) Nate Eovaldi, Rangers

He was having a Cy Young-worthy season until a shoulder injury sidelined him after just 22 starts.  The injury wasn’t anything too serious, and he has reported to camp in full health after off-season hernia surgery.  He’ll turn 36 before camp gets into full swing, so I don’t expect him to simply pick up where he left off last season, but he is a good bet to give us close to what he gave us in 2023-2024.  He’s never been a true workhorse that has been able to take the mound 30+ times a year, but 26-27 starts and a sub 4 era, with 10+ wins, is pretty bankable.

55) Matthew Boyd, Cubs

Sometimes there are pitchers who we have high hopes for when they first come up, and then years go by.  The next thing you know, they look like they’ve finally figured things out, but they’ve gotten old.  May I present 35-year-old Matthew Boyd?  Back in 2019, he whiffed 238 batters in 185 innings, and we were all ready for him to take a step forward and become an ace.  Now, after a bunch of injuries and a pandemic, he looks to have finally put things together.  He will be a fixture in the Cub rotation this year and makes for a fine roster filler and mid-rotation pitcher if you can get him, but he will have to at least come close to last year’s innings total (179) to be a true fantasy asset.

56) Joe Musgrove, Padres

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Musgrove, but he’s been given a clean bill of health, and Padres manager Craig Stammen says that he won’t be on an innings limit going into 2025.  That’s great, but he hasn’t thrown over 100 innings since 2022, so we should temper expectations.  When he has been able to pitch, he’s been one of the more solid pitchers in the game, so if we can pencil him in for 25 starts and 140-150 innings, we can squeeze out some profit if we have him in the bottom half of our fantasy rotations.

57) Shota Imanaga, Cubs

He faded in the second half after a strong start.   The K rate also went in the wrong direction from his rookie season, and at the age of 32, I don’t know that we can count on a big bounce back.  Let somebody else take the chance on him and go for a younger arm with more upside potential in the middle rounds.  If he’s still kicking around at the end of your draft, go ahead.  If I do happen draft him this season, I will strongly consider selling high if he starts hot, but that’s easier said than done.

58) Shane McClannahan, Rays.

He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2023, but now he’s healthy.  We promise.  Well, we don’t, but the Rays do.  He’s just 28 years old, and he’s a lefty, so if he didn’t have any injury history at all, we wouldn’t have much concern for a player with his profile and repertoire.   But the injury history is real, and I don’t think we can expect more than 20 or so starts and around 100 innings pitched.  He’s going to be worth starting when he is able to go, so he’s worth a bench spot, but I can’t sign off on investing a top 10-12 round pick on him.

59) Zac Gallen, Diamondbacks

Gallen ended up signing a 1-year deal with the D-backs for the exact same amount as the qualifying offer he turned down earlier in the offseason.  His stats have been declining for three straight years, but he still won double-digit games while piling up a healthy K total in 2025.  A strong second half suggests a bounce back is possible, and at just 30 years old, I’m willing to take a shot if the rest of the room lets him fall.  He’s been available well into the double-digit rounds thus far this spring.

60) Jack Flaherty, Tigers

He’s an innings eater by today’s standards, and he can pile up strikeouts.  He will be pitching comfortably in the middle of the Tigers rotation and should be a safe bet to post another stat line similar to last year.  The era should come back down with a little better luck, but don’t expect a full rebound to 2024 numbers.

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