Completely happy Monday, Razzball trustworthy!
It appeared fairly becoming to guide with Shrek this week after being swamped with Easter preparations and sweet gathering for the final seven days. Then, after I considered it some extra, it was a little bit of a pure segue since, “Someone as soon as advised me, the world is gonna roll me…”, appears like a track we might’ve sung whereas we waded by means of the murkiest of nasty and smelly waters from final week’s SP201-300 listing. Yuck!
Should you bear in mind the theme track from Shrek, you’ll perceive why I selected this for our first installment of my modified Prime 100 Beginning Pitchers. For this week, I’ve obtained all Prime 100 names, however I’ll solely add blurbs from our #1 by means of #25. There’s positive to be some “All-Star(s)” on this group.
Just a few notes earlier than we start…for the primary couple of months, I used Rudy’s 15-team combined league 2024 preseason rankings. Once I began to piece this listing collectively final week, I questioned how many people play in these 15-teamers in comparison with the 12 or 10-team leagues that appear far more prevalent in our fantasy panorama.
So for this listing, I used a little bit of the 12 staff combined league rankings as a base for a number of the names, and added in my very own spin on how I really feel about sure gamers all through the season. Do I take any of the miniscule pattern sizes from spring coaching or Week 1 into consideration? I believe I’d be a little bit of a swamp donkey to disregard these performances altogether, however they won’t maintain the supreme weight that the 2024 stats will as we transfer by means of the season.
I’ll spin by means of the SP1-25 intimately this week, observe it up with phrases about SP26-50 subsequent week, and so forth till we get to the top of the Prime 100. Then I’ll attempt to observe with anybody who has had an excellent (or not so good) first month of the season. As I stated above, we should always have some respectable knowledge factors or data to carve up by then. In spite of everything, the Prime 100 is form of like an onion…
The Prime 100 SP has layers…and, hopefully, it doesn’t make you cry an excessive amount of
With out additional delay, let’s get to the ‘Fortunately Ever After’ that’s…
The Prime 100 Beginning Pitchers for 2024…
(And let’s not overlook to have an excellent outdated Easter egg hunt for these Marmo Purchase and Rodzilla Promote icons, too!)
| RANK | Title | TEAM | BUY? NOTES? ANYTHING!? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spencer Strider | Braves | |
| 2 | Kevin Gausman | Blue Jays |  |
| 3 | Corbin Burnes | Orioles | |
| 4 | Zack Wheeler | Phillies | |
| 5 | Luis Castillo | Mariners | |
| 6 | Freddy Peralta | Brewers | |
| 7 | Pablo Lopez | Twins | |
| 8 | George Kirby | Mariners | |
| 9 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | Dodgers | |
| 10 | Logan Gilbert | Mariners | |
| 11 | Framber Valdez | Astros | |
| 12 | Aaron Nola | Phillies |  |
| 13 | Zac Gallen | Diamondbacks | |
| 14 | Tarik Skubal | Tigers | |
| 15 | Tyler Glasnow | Dodgers | |
| 16 | Grayson Rodriguez | Orioles | |
| 17 | Blake Snell | Giants | |
| 18 | Max Fried | Braves | |
| 19 | Logan Webb | Giants | |
| 20 | Zach Eflin | Rays | |
| 21 | Jesus Luzardo | Marlins | |
| 22 | Bobby Miller | Dodgers | |
| 23 | Joe Ryan | Twins | |
| 24 | Shane Bieber | Guardians | |
| 25 | Chris Sale | Braves |
Spencer Strider (1) – Not a lot to say right here. With the damage to Gerritt Cole, Strider is the most effective within the enterprise…and it’s not notably shut. (Not that I essentially assume it was to start with).
Kevin Gausman (2) – My AL Cy Younger decide from our Razzball Workers Picks for 2024. Click on on these blue phrases there to offer it a as soon as over. The quick model? Gausman gave up 2 hits by means of 4.1 innings yesterday with 6 Okay’s (and a solo residence run to Randy Arozarena). This follow-up to his 7 Okay’s in 3 IP towards the Pirates final week ought to be another sigh of aid from individuals who had been anxious about that shoulder. Hopefully, it was only a matter of taking issues slowly throughout spring coaching.
Corbin Burnes (3) – New digs. New offense. New AL Cy Younger contender? Completely. Burnes ought to put up 200 Okay’s this 12 months, with some strong run assist to assist him chase down 20 wins – well being allowing.
Zack Wheeler (4) – Talking of 200 Okay’s…he’s tallied 195 strikeouts or extra in 3 of the final 4 seasons (and, no, we don’t rely that aberration that was the 2020 ‘season’). The ‘Wheels’ on the bus go whiff, whiff, whiff.
Freddy Peralta (6) – Gray stated it greater than as soon as on the pod. A whole lot of the RazzStaff is in on this as properly. I focused Peralta as my SP1 in TGFBI and almost took him earlier than I took Framber in RazzSlam. I’m fairly positive we’re greater on him than anybody else on Freddy KBB. If something occurs to Spencer Strider, I wouldn’t be stunned to see Peralta take residence that NL Cy Younger award in 2024.
George Kirby (8) – His sub-9 Okay/9 is the one factor pushing him this low within the listing. The truth that this knocked him down and he’s nonetheless a prime 10 arm ought to be all it’s essential know in regards to the sky-high attain of this ceiling. If he figures out learn how to ramp that Okay/9 as much as double digits…Increase goes the dynamite.
Aaron Nola (12) – Following Kirby up with this appears a bit hypocritical since Nola has been in a position to put up a ten+Okay/9 in 4 of the final 5 years. He’s a superb alternative as an ace on your squad, however the price ticket is simply too steep for me. A man that has received greater than 12 video games simply as soon as in his nine-year profession? Getting pumped for 12 H and seven ER in 4.1 IP with 5 XBH allowed on Saturday doesn’t assist his case right here both. Cross.
Grayson Rodriguez (16) – That is one other one from our Workers Picks article. I’ve Rodriguez down as my “Infatuation” for this 12 months for a number of causes. From my February twenty sixth article…
“I discussed Cole Ragans final week and I really feel just like the Grayson Rodriguez observations are fairly related so far as a story of two halves of the season is anxious. Like Ragans, Rodriguez had a reasonably atrocious first half of 2023 (27% HR/F charge, 10% BB charge, 5.32 ERA, 1,51 WHIP). Additionally like Ragans, this child flipped a swap within the second half and didn’t look again. After ditching the cutter, (his worst pitch), and bettering his velocity and command, Grey-Rod corrected all the aforementioned issues and confirmed why he’s been touted by some as the subsequent large ace within the American League. Be ready to pay up for him in drafts, however issues are trying good at Camden in the event you’re attempting to find expertise as of late.”
Jesus Luzardo (21) – I discussed the fellows’ podcast earlier. Gray dives into the Luzardo properly much more deeply than I’ll right here, however his level of Luzardo going at 90 total in drafts and that he’d reasonably take the Marlins’ younger lefty right here than a man like Aaron Nola is a sentiment that I can agree with for positive. A repeat of 200+ strikeouts and a visit up our listing listed below are two predictions that I’m snug making.
Shane Bieber (24) – The information bites are plentiful on Bieber this spring. Velocity is again up on his fastball. The changeup that he hardly ever used final 12 months was tinkered with over the offseason and he’s snug utilizing it extra usually now. The slider nonetheless appears nice. Six scoreless innings with 11 Okay’s within the Guardians opener, (albeit towards the hapless A’s). A whole lot of the check-boxes are crammed on the “Shane Bieber Comeback” web page already. Right here’s hoping he can stick with it and transfer up our board.
Chris Sale (25) – I needed to not embrace Sale right here. I flip-flopped between him and Cole Ragans. The skinny, white duke act shouldn’t be carried out by a lanky beginning pitcher with a historical past of arm points…and I believe I ought to get bonus factors for managing to work in two Bowie references in consecutive weeks…however the crash that I anticipated hasn’t began but. I discovered a quote from an MLB.com article on March twenty fifth that sounds fairly encouraging.
“I’m nonetheless sturdy now, like I used to be at the start of spring,” Sale stated. “Fortunately, I didn’t actually run into something, no hiccups throughout spring, which was good. That’s what all of the onerous work was for.”
This clip from his Braves debut is perhaps a greater indicator of how issues began. To be trustworthy, I wouldn’t be stunned if that is yet one more Alex Anthopoulos magic wand wave. I’m slowly going from a promote to a purchase for Sale this season…with that pesky caveat of well being lurking.
Chris Sale’s @braves season debut:
5??.1?? IP
5?? H
2?? ER
2?? BB
7?? Okay pic.twitter.com/kuIjV9K9TM— Bally Sports activities: Braves (@BravesOnBally) March 31, 2024
BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE!!!
Right here’s the remainder of the listing! Be sure that to jot this all down so you possibly can take part within the Not-So-Celeb RazzMatch battle within the feedback while you see your man ranked too low or a man you dislike ranked too excessive. (smile emoji)
Omitted however thought of :
Jacob deGrom, Clayton Kershaw, Matt Manning, Brady Singer, Joe Boyle, Ryne Nelson, Clarke Schmidt, JP Sears, Zack Littell, Chris Paddack, Jordan Hicks, Trevor Rogers, Reynaldo Lopez, Tanner Houck, Bowden Francis, Max Meyer, Frankie Montas, Miles Mikolas, Michael Soroka, James Paxton, Ricky Tiedemann, John Means
Oh man. One factor I noticed whereas feverishly sliding these names round prefer it was a chess set fabricated from margarine…you would make a case for at the least 150 names to incorporate on this Prime 100 SP listing. For sure, that is an ever-evolving group and I stay up for seeing how the season unfolds so we are able to experience this chaos practice collectively!
Omitted and never thought of :
Alek Manoah.
That’s all for this week! I hope you loved it! Subsequent week, I’ll put up the Prime 100 Beginning Pitchers with extra blurbs in that 26-50 ranked part.
Drop some feedback within the chat in the event you’re feeling further fired up about a number of the names I do (or don’t) have right here. Have an excellent week!
Comply with me @marmosdad on Twitter/X and Bluesky @marmosdad.bsky.social
