Despite a scorching hot stove (I can’t believe the player you’re thinking of did or did not sign with the team you thought they would!), January and February can be some of the darkest months of the year (figuratively and literally). But fear not, restless readers. The Dynasty Guru is here to the rescue.

While you were celebrating the holidays and ushering in the New Year, our brave group of writers has been ranking, debating, re-ranking, re-debating, and re-re-ranking over 600 players for dynasty leagues. The fruits of our efforts will be filling January and February with the deepest, most thoroughly and painstakingly selected dynasty baseball rankings on the internet. We have top-50s, top-125s, top-200s, top-500s (of course!), and even ultra-deep prospect rankings. PLUS, this season we’re including a “Where They’d Rank” section, that outlines where we would put multi-positional guys if we ranked them at their secondary positions.

The Dynasty Guru’s hard-working staff has spent countless hours crafting these rankings, and we hope you enjoy and continue to support our efforts.

So I hope you enjoy the package that the TDG team has put together here. And if you do, I hope that you will make a donation to show appreciation for the content you’ve seen here at the Dynasty Guru and share our content far and wide. You can do that through the field below. All donations are truly appreciated.

Donate To TDG $ Donation Amount: Make a One-Time Donation Select Payment Method PayPal Personal Info First Name * Last Name Email Address * Donation Total: $5

Without further ado, it’s time to continue our 2019 consensus rankings by looking at our 1-30 dynasty starting pitchers.

1) Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox, (Age:29 , Previous Rank:2)

The Conductor had himself another delightful season to the tune of a 2.11 ERA, 1.98 FIP, and 2.31 xFIP. However, he failed to pitch 200+ innings for the third time in his career as a starter (only 158 last year). The Red Sox and dynasty community have downplayed the significance of Sale’s shoulder injury, but he was not quite the same pitcher upon his return. He lost velocity on all of his pitches, which is a pretty damn big red flag. Regardless of some healthy skepticism, the latest reports indicate that Sale will have no setbacks in Spring Training, and is fully healthy, meaning you can continue to count on one the best pitchers in the game providing you with elite ratios (career 2.89 ERA) and elite strikeouts (200+). Oh, he also plays on what was the best team in baseball last year, so he should rack up the Ws too. (Patrick Magnus)

2) Jacob Degrom, New York Mets, (Age: 30, Previous Rank:8)

The Degrominator had himself quite the season on a Mets squad that was less than stellar. Posting a ludicrous 1.70 ERA, 1.99 FIP, and 2.60 xFIP, everything the 30-year-old accomplished in 2018 looks to be completely legit. His arsenal of fastball, curve, slider, sinker, and changeup led him to a disgusting 15.1% swinging strike rate, and he paired that with impressive command (1.91 BB/9), and limited the damage opposing batters could do (6.3% HR/FB). There simply was not a better pitcher in 2018 than Degrom. While nobody likes to see age 30 on a dynasty player, we think it’s safe to say that you’ll be getting a ton of quality from Degrom for the next 3-5 years. (Patrick Magnus)

3) Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies, (Age: 25, Previous Rank:11)

The 25 year-old Phillies ace knows how to pitch. He doesn’t blow hitters away with his fastball, as it only has league-average velocity. Yet he knows how to locate it, and his other pitches are just nasty, including a disgusting curveball that generated 41.1% swing and misses last year, and a change-up that helped him generate a 50.6% groundball rate. While his average fastball velocity may have had people questioning his ability to sustain his success from 2017, Nola had even better results in 2018. It’s unlikely that he’ll continue to post an ERA closer to two than to three, but in the offense-prone state of the league right now that’s plenty good. We’d take Nola as our ace on any squad. (Patrick Magnus)

4) Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays, (Age: 26, Previous Rank:47)

“Ooo that Snell.” All hail 2018’s Cy-Young winner, and very punable last name, Blake Snell. Everything clicked for the young lefty last season. He throws four pitches, three of which generate a ton of swings and misses, and all of his pitches are thrown hard (even the change-up). In 2018 he posted a 1.89 ERA, 2.95 FIP. 3.16 xFIP. In all likelihood, we’re looking at pitcher whose ERA is closer to three than the steller sub-two he posted. Still, with the quality of pitches he throws, the fact that he’s a lefty, really young, and he gets to call the pitcher-friendly Tropicana Field home; we can’t rule out the possibility of more Cy Youngs for the very dangerous lefty. He’ll be telling his competition to “Snell you later” for a long time. (Patrick Magnus)

5) Luis Severino, New York Yankees, (Age: 24, Previous Rank:9)

Remember when people thought that Severino would be a reliever? Well, it turns out that his three pitches (fastball, slider, and change-up) are a devastating trio that he deserves to be in the starting rotation. Not only that, but the 100 MPH hurler with a wipe-out slider is an ace at only 24 years-old. The past two years he’s posted 10+ K, a swing-strike rate of over 12%, and a walk rate below 2.5. The good news is that it might not be too late to buy on the young Yankees’ righty, because many people are afraid of his rocky end of the season. Prior to the bumps at the end, Severino was having a phenomenal campaign, but his more advanced metrics indicated an ERA closer to three. Guess what? He finished with an ERA of 3.39, and that’s what we call regression. You can still buy with confidence. (Patrick Magnus)

6) Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets, (Age: 26, Previous Rank:5)

Thus far in Thor’s short career, he’s struggled to stay on the field. However last year he reached the second highest amount of innings in his career (154.1). His injuries, for the most part, have been a bit odd, and nothing too alarming. Last year he even managed to miss time with hand-foot and mouth disease. Still Syndergaard flashes all the signs of a young power-pitching stud. In 2018, even when hitters were able to make contact, it was a rather feeble effort as he was top 2% in the league in barrel percentage, top 5% in exit velocity, and top 3% in hard-hit rate. He paired these league leading stats with a K/9 of 9.04, a miniscule 2.27 BB/9. and a swinging-strike rate of 13.6%. Look for an increase in innings this year and continued path towards utter dominance. (Patrick Magnus)

7) Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals, (Age: 34, Previous Rank:4 )

In dynasty, we are always trying to acquire players who will provide elite stats for many years to come. Scherzer certainly has been that, and just put up the best season of his career at the age 34. Amazingly none of his pitches last year produced fewer than 20% whiffs, the majority of swings and misses come off his fastball, slider, and changeup. That just so happens to be what he threw the majority of the time. So why isn’t Scherzer higher on our list?

His aging curve is just plain up strange in comparison to general pitchers. In dynasty, we’re looking towards the future, and while true that Scherzer isn’t really showing any signs of decline, we can’t count on him continuing to beat biology (10 straight seasons of 30+ starts is otherworldly). Thus, while he may have been the best last year, we’re looking long term here. Still, enjoy the party while it lasts. (Patrick Magnus)

8) Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians, (Age: 28, Previous Rank:55 )

Bauer finally had his breakout campaign in 2018 and even displayed the benefits of pine tar on spin rates. The “scientist” used his already great skills to lead himself to top five in the league in ERA and WHIP, striking out 11.34 batters-per-nine, and posting a fantastic 6.2% HR/FB rate. He was a force on the mound, with a 2.21 ERA, but his xFIP and SIERA suggest he’s more than likely a three ERA kind of guy. However, Bauer was in the top 9% for xBA, top 7% of the league for xSLG, and top 7% xWOBA. So perhaps the young righty can continue to outperform his more advanced metrics. Either way, Bauer has arrived and he’s certainly fit to anchor your dynasty staff for many years. [ Just keep him out of your Twitter mentions- Ed. ](Patrick Magnus)

9) Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians, (Age: 32, Previous Rank:3)

Perhaps my favorite pitching nickname, the Klubot had himself yet another fantastic season. While Kluber’s strikeout rate did fall from 11.71 to 9.29, he still managed to pitch over 200 innings and strikeout over 200 batters for the fifth consecutive year, a feat that is becoming more and more rare these days. The 32-year old right-hander doesn’t have the most blazing of fastballs (20th percentile in velocity), but he does have an extreme amount of spin on the pitch, which creates a ton of movement and a 30.1 K% on the pitch. That fastball’s K% pales in comparison to the insane rate of 54.7% on his curveball. Yet, despite all the movement on his pitches, he is in control of them. Kliber finished in the top 2% of walk percentage in 2018. The Klubot comes equipped with a deadly and accurate arsenal, and he remains among the elite options for dynasty starting pitchers. (Patrick Magnus)

10) Gerrit Cole, Houston Astros, (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 24)

Finally, the Gerrit Cole we were promised showed up in 2018! All it took was getting out of one data-driven organization and into another. The Houston Astros’ tweaked Cole’s pitch usage, increasing the use of his curveball, and decreasing the amount of sinkers and change-ups Cole threw. The results of the tweaked arsenal? A top-5 pitcher worth 6.3 WAR. Still only 28 years-old there should be plenty more years in the tank of the new fully-formed ace. Although he’s entering the last year of his contract with the Astros, we can bet that the skills he has unlocked will long outlast that. We’re not sure how much better Cole can get, as he was one of the most dominating pitchers in the game in 2018, but we are sure there’s much more quality to come. (Patrick Magnus)

11) Walker Buehler, LA Dodgers (Age: 24, Previous Rank: 38)

Walker Buehler was one of League’s top pitchers in 2018, albeit only for 24 starts, and with the Dodgers rotation filled with more question marks and injury risks than in recent years, Buehler will be leaned upon to carry a heavy workload for one of the NL’s top teams in 2019. The Dodger youngster posted dominant ratios (2.62 ERA and .96 WHIP) paired with a 9.9 K/9 and peripherals that indicate his performance is likely repeatable. Buehler is 24 years old, already a near-ace, and owns prospect pedigree and minor league dominance to back up his MLB debut to back up everything he has shown thus far. (Mitch Bannon)

12) Clayton Kershaw, LA Dodgers (Age: 31, Previous Rank: 1)

When Zach Greinke left the Dodgers for the desert it would seem unfathomable that Clayton Kershaw would not be the highest ranked Dodger pitcher anytime soon (except for Luis Urias believers), yet here we are. When healthy, Clayton Kershaw is largely the same dominant pitcher that was a top pick in recent years, but that ‘when’ is seemingly becoming more and more of a risk as back and arm injuries continue to pile up. In 2018, Kershaw saw his usual dominance in ERA and WHIP, but an almost two MPH drop in his fastball velocity saw a scary tick in his strikeout route. Kershaw is an interesting case where in all likelihood he gives you 150+ elite innings, but injury and velocity concerns could truly hit the former top starter at any moment. (Mitch Bannon)

13) Justin Verlander, Houston Astros (Age: 36, Previous Rank: 19)

While age and injury come for all, especially those who throw baseballs for a living, Justin Verlander, at 36 years young when the season starts, is as dominant as he has ever been. Verlander had one of the greatest seasons of his career in 2018, posting a 2.59 ERA and 0.90 WHIP, and posting his 3rd consecutive season over 210 innings pitched. His 2018 career high K/9 of 12.2 should regress, but the 35-year-old’s 34.6 chase rate was a large reason for his strikeouts and seems sustainable given the Astros’ ability to increase swings and misses. While just how long JV can keep this up is a concern in dynasty formats, aging starters who still ‘have it,’ which Verlander certainly does, often pose great value for teams looking to win now. (Mitch Bannon)

14) Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins (Age: 24, Previous Rank: 21)

Jose Berrios found himself on many breakout lists heading into the 2018 season, and he certainly delivered. Berrios took a massive step forward, raising his K/9 almost a full digit and logging a 3.84 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. While there is a question surrounding Berrios’ ability to log innings like some of the league’s other top fantasy pitchers, coming off a career high of 192 IP in 2018, Berrios could very easily break 200 for the first time in his career in the coming season. Though heading into his third full season in the big leagues, Berrios is still only 24 and is miles ahead of many similar aged pitchers just finding their roles in Major League rotations. (Mitch Bannon)

15) Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians (Age: 32, Previous Rank: 12)

After signing a four-year, 47 million dollar extension to stay with the Cleveland Indians, Carlos Carrasco may be one of the biggest steals in Major League Baseball. The 31-year-old has managed to perennially be one of the best fantasy values amongst starting pitchers as well, annually posting mid-to-low three ERAs and some of the best strikeout numbers amongst starting pitchers. The Indians have one of the better defensive infields, and teams in general, which will help Carrasco post another stellar season across all pitcher categories. While Carrasco may very well be the third best pitcher on his team, his consistency is largely underestimated in a tier of pitchers that includes numerous youngsters, aging aces, and injury question marks. (Mitch Bannon)

16) German Marquez, Colorado Rockies (Age: 24, Previous Rank: 102)

A dominant young pitcher who has figured out Coors Field and could be a top 10 starter and it ISN’T Jon Gray? Yup. Following a sequencing switch in July, Marquez was top 10 amongst Major League starters in nearly every major fantasy category. There is, naturally, concern with drafting a starting pitcher who suits up for the Colorado Rockies, but the recent success of Kyle Freeland and Jon Gary (for that one season there) should give fantasy owners ease. Additionally, following his adjustments, Marquez managed to outperform his road splits in notoriously hitter-friendly Coors Field, so anyone steering clear due to his home park is afraid of him for the wrong reasons. (Mitch Bannon)

17) Patrick Corbin, Washington Nationals (Age: 29, Previous Rank: 101)

The Yankees went into the 2019 offseason with a clear plan to acquire dominant left handed pitching, so they traded for James Paxton and went after Patrick Corbin. However, the Yankees swung and missed (something Corbin is very adept at causing) on the newest member of the Washington Nationals rotation. Corbin took the step into elite fantasy starters mainly due to his ability to raise his K/9 to an incredible 11.07, from a previous career high of merely 8.45. Getting out of Arizona would seem to be a positive for Corbin’s fantasy value, but Nationals Park surprisingly acted as one of the highest offensive environments in baseball in 2018. Yet, Max Scherzer had no issue with his home park so this shouldn’t raise a serious concern over Corbin’s 2019 production. (Mitch Bannon)

18) Jack Flaherty, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 23, Previous Rank: 85)

F – Fastball that touches 95 MPH

L – Lights out track record, dominance throughout the minor leagues

A – All Star floor and Cy Young potential

H – Has some concern over a low 2018 babip (.257), but will legitimize himself in 2019

E – Even with question marks on reproducing 2018 ratios, elite strikeouts are unquestionable

R – Relies largely on two pitch mix of a dominant fastball and slider

T – Twenty-three years of age, making him the youngest top 20 starting pitcher

Y – You better believe it. (Mitch Bannon)

19) Mike Clevinger, Cleveland Indian (Age: 28, Previous Rank: 79)

Clevinger’s breakout can be directly attributed to one single category: BB/9. In his previous two seasons, wherein he pitched a combined 174 innings, Clevinger’s walk rate was a ghastly 4.6 per nine. To put that in perspective, the only two pitchers who were above or near that level last year were Lucas Giolito and Sean Newcomb. Sadly, when you offer that many free passes, your ERA/FIP/DRA will hover near a 4. Luckily, Clevinger cleaned up his act. How did he do it? Well, for starters he pounded the zone a bit more, elevating his Zone% from 40.8% to a whopping 48.2%. Then, we dig a little deeper and see his four-seam pitch value jumped from -.08 to .03. Hm…correlation? You bet! In 2017, Clevinger’s fastball sat in the zone 38.8% of the time. 2018? 44.4%. For a 28-year-old to have the light turn on is exciting. These slight changes in zone selection, combined with the ability to pitch 200 innings and a little over a strike per inning? Choo choo! All aboard the ace express. (Adam Lawler)

20) Shohei Ohtani, LA Angels (Age: 24, Previous Rank: 18)

Ohtani, a true unicorn in baseball, showed up in a big way in 2018 with a great batting season and a very good (short) pitching season. His 3.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings are elite ratios. His fastball hit 102mph. His sliders and curveballs broke hitters. His Swinging Strike Percentage of 15.6% would place him 3rd behind Scherzer and Sale. Not to mention he was pitching through injury the whole time. In October 2017 he had ‘preventative’ PRP injection for his UCL strain. It didn’t work. His average fastball velocity dropped every month from 97.9 mph to 95.6mph and now Ohtani’s pitching arm will miss all of 2019 with Tommy John surgery, and the risk with him isn’t if he’ll recover fully to pitch again, it’s the risk of the Angels moving him to the bullpen or away from pitching entirely. His bat was so elite last year it might force the Angels to have him fully focus on batting. If you have a daily league where you can use him as a batter and a pitcher he still has #1 overall upside in 2020 and beyond. (Britt Engelbrecht)

21) Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (Age: 30, Previous Rank: 6)

Stephen Strasburg enters his age-30 season having pitched 1229.2 innings since debuting in 2010. He has a career 3.14 ERA, a 10.57 career K/9, and a BB/9 ratio of 2.35. To date, he has accumulated 30.7 career WAR and maintains FIP and xFIP ratios of 2.91 and 2.92, respectively. So why does he feel like a dynasty liability? That has something to do with his extensive injury history. You name an injury pitchers typically experience, and it’s likely Strasburg has suffered through it. TJS? Yes. Elbow impingement? See 2017. Back strain? Of course. Oblique strain? Check. Last year a cervical nerve impingement and shoulder inflammation cost him almost all of June, July and August. Stras has only pitched fewer than 200 innings every season except for one, and he has only eclipsed the 180 IP mark twice. Since 2015, he has averaged 145 IP per season. That’s disheartening to say the least, because when he is on the mound he remains one of the elite pitchers in baseball. We believe in his talent, and his ranking reflects the immense risk and reward inherent in rostering this national treasure. (Jonathan Merkel)

22) Jameson Taillon, Pittsburgh Pirates (Age: 27, Previous Rank: 50)

Like Strasburg, Jameson Taillon has also overcome a fair amount of injury adversity to land on our list. However, his biggest injury–testicular cancer in 2017–was of the ‘freak occurrence’ variety. Thankfully he is now cancer free. With that scary test behind him, he was able to get a full season to work from the mound. His jump from 50 on last year’s list is bolstered by what we now know he’s capable of producing. In addition to striking out batters and limiting walks, Taillon excels at keeping the ball on the ground and in the park. His HR/9 and GB/FB ratios both ranked in the Top 20 among all qualified starters. As a result, his 3.20 ERA is legitimized by FIP and xFIP of 3.46 and 3.58, respectively. While he’s not the most dominant strikeout pitcher, he can punch guys out, and looking ahead Taillon feels like a very safe investment for dynasty owners. (Jonathan Merkel)

23) James Paxton, New York Yankees (Age: 30, Previous Rank: 20)

The newest addition to the New York Yankees rotation, James Paxton looks to keep good times rolling in his age-30 season. Always an injury risk, the Big Maple came through and pitched the most innings of his six year career in 2018. That’s good. He finished with 160.1. That’s… nice. And though his injury history doesn’t instill a ton of confidence, his results do. Last year he dominated histters to the tune of 11.68 K/9 and 2.36 BB/9. Oh yeah, and that 14.3% SwStr%? It was good for fifth in the league among starters with more than 160 IP. Like Strasburg, when Paxton is on the hill, he’s fire. He might also be available for an oft-injured discount on draft day. If he is, don’t be afraid to pounce. (Jonathan Merkel)

24) Forrest Whitley, Houston Astros (Age: 21, Previous Rank: 27)

Forrest Whitley sits amongst a bevy of proven stud pitchers as our 24th ranked starter. It might be the last time he’s ranked this low for a decade. The potential in this kid is immense: Whitley has some nasty stuff, to put it mildly. The only thing Whitley doesn’t have is experience. Even as a quick riser, his minor league credentials look light. Since being drafted in 2016 Whitley has only pitched only 137.1 career innings in the Astros’ system. Granted, he has had his way with hitters during every one of those innings, but the world is eager to see more. Here’s to hoping the lanky stud gets in a full season’s work and is able to prove himself as a future ace. If he gives the Triple-A team about 40 to 60 Whitley-esque innings, he’ll no doubt be getting the call to Houston. Let’s hope that happens. Even if it doesn’t, Whitley will remain the best pitching prospect in baseball. (Jonathan Merkel)

25) Madison Bumgarner, San Fransisco Giants (Age: 29, Previous Rank: 7)

Unlike Whitley before him, Madison Bumgarner is a player whose best days may be behind him. The San Francisco legend has been a stalwart in our Top 10 for years, but the shoulder injury he suffered during a 2017 dirt bike accident has demonstrably affected his ability to strike batters out. His walk-rate has suffered as well. He finished with the lowest K-BB% of his career: an uninspiring 12.6%. That rate sits below guys like Jake Odorizzi, Trevor Cahill, and Wade LeBlanc. Not exactly elite company. 2018 also saw Bumgarner post career worst FIP and xFIP ratios of 3.99 and 4.32. Our ranking of Bumgarner is indicative of his tremendous track record of durability and dominance, but unless something drastic changes, it’s hard to envision MadBum’s career ending the way we might have expected just two seasons ago. (Jonathan Merkel)

26) Jesus Luzardo, Oakland Athletics (Age: 21, Previous Rank: 167)

Last year, Dynasty Guru Jake Devereaux wrote the following about our 167th ranked starter, Jesus Luzardo: “Oakland is a pretty good place to pitch. Lefties with three solid pitches who show good command at 19-years-old are also pretty good. This combo works for me. If it all breaks right we could have a number three starter here. Not bad.” Luzardo’s current rank of 26 is indicative of Luzardo experiencing everything breaking the right way in 2018. He dominated Double-A ball over 78.2 innings in 2018, and now finds himself on the cusp of a major league debut. Luzardo is praised for a dynamic arsenal and strong command. Though bumps are to be expected as he acclimates to Triple-A–he still has only pitched 16 innings at the level–and then the majors, Luzardo is a very exciting dynasty option for owners in win-now and win-later modes. (Jonathan Merkel)

27) Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta Braves (Age: 27, Previous Rank: 156)

Folty cracks our Top-30 after a career year. We saw his ERA plummet to 2.85, and his strikeout rate surge from 8.36 K/9 to 9.93. He achieved this while maintaining a reasonable walk-rate and improving his home run management for the fourth straight year. A .251 BABIP tells me some of what Foltynewicz accomplished is too good to be true. His FIP and xFIP–3.37 and 3.77–agree. But what Folty did in 2018 was different. He cut his sinker usage by almost 10%, and leaned on his slider 10% more instead, according to Brooks Baseball. It’s strange that he’d never attempted to make this switch before; his sinker isn’t a strikeout pitch and his sinker generated whiffs 18.71% of the time in 2018. This helps explain the growth we’ve witnessed. It also gives me assurance that 2018 Folty is the pitcher we’ll see from now on. (Jonathan Merkel)

28) Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks (Age: 35, Previous Rank: 23)

Zack Greinke has been one of the league’s most dominant starters since about 2007. Even at a ripe 35 years of age, he demands respect. Though his fastball velocity has dropped about 4+ MPH since his early days, Greinke continues to rely on his 90 MPH ‘heater’ about 43.2% of the time. That velocity is in the bottom 12th percentile according to Statcast, yet the pitch can work because its spin is good enough to put it in the league’s 72nd percentile. When combined with a nasty change, slider, and curve–plus stellar command–Greinke’s repertoire is still capable of making hitters look silly and delivering ace-level results. Last season he pitched over 200 innings for the eighth time, posted a SwStr% of 10.8%, and maintained a K-BB% over 18.6%. That K-BB% was good enough for 16th best among qualified starters. Greinke is making a compelling case for Hall of Fame consideration, and though he’s not assured of a spot yet, there’s still time for him build his résumé. I’m excited to see him do so over the next few seasons, and dynasty owners can rejoice in the discount his ‘old age’ will provide to his draft price. (Jonathan Merkel)

29) Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds (Age: 26, Previous Rank: 29)

Luis Castillo returns to the 29th spot after an up-and-down year. He entered on many sleeper lists, and probably disappointed a number of excited owners. However, while Castillo may not be as good as he seemed in 2017, he’s not as bad as he appeared in 2018. He struck out 8.75 per 9 IP, and reduced his walks to 2.60 per 9. That’s good. He fared worse by allowing 1.49 homers per 9 innings. That’s bad. But now is not the time to forget about him. In fact, it’s probably the best time to buy in. Castillo’s second half was absolutely stellar. In 66.1 IP, he posted an ERA of 2.44, a K/9 of 9.36, a 1.90 BB/9, and allowed a wOBA of .268. So on second thought, he might be as good or even better than we saw in 2017. Fortunately for you, most of this second half dominance is hidden within gaudy flawed results from the rest of the year. Don’t give up on this kid. He’s still a beast. (Jonathan Merkel)

30) Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals (Age: 30, Previous Rank: 157)

Miles Mikolas returned to the majors after a stint in Nippon Professional Baseball and proved he belongs in the big leagues. Though he lacks flamethrower stuff, Mikolas is more than capable of commanding the strike zone and getting batters out. He finished 7th in ERA and 9th in WHIP among qualified starters. He also kept the ball on the ground. The Lizard King’s 1.73 GB/FB ratio was 5th best among qualified starters. Many see imminent regression from this type of pitcher simply because he doesn’t strike out a million hitters. That may be true. But I like what I see here and believe Mikolas’ command and ground ball generating ability will play, and age, well for dynasty owners. Don’t be afraid of this soft-tosser. (Jonathan Merkel)