Some old faces are set to make their season debuts soon, including Tyler Glasnow (SP – TB) tomorrow and perhaps Triston McKenzie (SP – CLE) next week, though that isn’t confirmed yet. Keep an eye out for guys you can finally elevate from your IL. As the schedule currently sits, our top 50 starters for next week are listed below based on ability, matchups, and their number of scheduled starts. These rankings are for the week beginning Monday, May 29.
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Top 50 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 9 (2023 Fantasy Baseball)
Our planning always starts with the Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) and is adjusted based on FantasyPros’ Pitcher Planner and their season-to-date statistics. As rotations change frequently, double-check the planner before setting your lineup. The complete top 50 is below, but first, let’s review some of next week’s matchups.
Two-Start Starters with the Best Matchups
Who would’ve thought in the preseason that we’d consider San Diego a neutral matchup, at best? That’s been the case thus far, so Sandy Alcantara (SP – MIA) managers should be excited about his upcoming schedule, which includes home dates against the Padres and dismal Oakland A’s. Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) also has a desirable slate against the Tigers in Detroit and the Mariners at home. Tyler Wells (SP – BAL) struggled in his last outing, but his matchups against Cleveland at home and the Giants on the road are enough for him to crack the Top 50.
Two-Start Starters with Mixed Matchups
None of the two-start starters in the Top 50 have two terrible matchups, but a few have one bad and one good. Zac Gallen (SP – ARI), our top-ranked pitcher for the week, gets the Rockies (good) and Atlanta (bad) at home. Twins teammates Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) and Sonny Gray (SP – MIN) start the week in Houston, then finish the week at home against the Guardians. Marcus Stroman (SP – CHC), who has pitched well lately, will have to tangle with the Rays in Tampa before getting the Padres at home. Bryce Elder (SP – ATL) and Domingo German (SP – NYY) each have two road starts ahead. Elder gets Oakland and Arizona, while German will take on the Mariners and Dodgers.
Solo-Start Starters with the Best Matchups
Dylan Cease (SP – CWS) has been inconsistent in 2023, but we love his matchups against the Tigers at home. The Friars’ Joe Musgrove (SP – SD) and Blake Snell (SP – SD) get a rankings boost thanks to their dates against the Marlins in Miami. Chris Sale (SP – BOS) could hit double-digit strikeouts against the Reds at home, and Jon Gray (SP – TEX) will face the struggling Tigers’ offense in Detroit.
Solo-Start Starters with the Worst Matchups
Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY) is always a must-start, but you don’t love having to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Luis Castillo (SP – SEA) will take on the Rangers in Arlington, which hasn’t been easy this year. Giants teammates Logan Webb (SP – SF) and Alex Cobb (SP – SF) get the Orioles at home. Unfortunately, Baltimore’s offense has excelled away from Camden. Justin Steele (SP – CHC) better have his good slider against the Rays at home, while Tyler Glasnow and Hunter Greene (SP – CIN) will attempt to tame the Red Sox at Fenway.
| Rank | Player | Matchup(s) |
| 1 | Zac Gallen | COL, ATL (two starts) |
| 2 | Shane McClanahan (SP – TB) | @CHC, @BOS (two starts) |
| 3 | Joe Ryan | @HOU, CLE (two starts) |
| 4 | Sandy Alcantara | SD, OAK (two starts) |
| 5 | Gerrit Cole | @LAD |
| 6 | Shohei Ohtani (SP,DH – LAA) | @HOU |
| 7 | Spencer Strider (SP,RP – ATL) | @ARI |
| 8 | Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR) | MIL |
| 9 | Corbin Burnes (SP – MIL) | @CIN |
| 10 | Aaron Nola (SP – PHI) | @NYM |
| 11 | Framber Valdez (SP – HOU) | LAA |
| 12 | Luis Castillo | @TEX |
| 13 | Sonny Gray | @HOU, CLE |
| 14 | Nathan Eovaldi | @DET, SEA |
| 15 | Cristian Javier (SP,RP – HOU) | LAA |
| 16 | Shane Bieber (SP – CLE) | @BAL |
| 17 | Zack Wheeler (SP – PHI) | @WSH |
| 18 | Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD) | NYY |
| 19 | Max Scherzer (SP – NYM) | PHI |
| 20 | Dylan Cease | DET |
| 21 | Justin Verlander (SP – NYM) | TOR |
| 22 | George Kirby (SP – SEA) | NYY |
| 23 | Yu Darvish (SP – SD) | CHC |
| 24 | Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN) | CLE |
| 25 | Logan Gilbert (SP – SEA) | NYY |
| 26 | Logan Webb | BAL |
| 27 | Nestor Cortes Jr. (SP – NYY) | @SEA |
| 28 | Joe Musgrove | @MIA |
| 29 | Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL) | @TOR |
| 30 | Chris Bassitt (SP – TOR) | @NYM |
| 31 | Eduardo Rodriguez (SP – DET) | @CWS |
| 32 | Marcus Stroman | TB, @SD (two starts) |
| 33 | Charlie Morton (SP – ATL) | @ARI |
| 34 | Lucas Giolito (SP – CWS) | LAA |
| 35 | Alek Manoah (SP – TOR) | MIL |
| 36 | Justin Steele | TB |
| 37 | Hunter Greene | @BOS |
| 38 | Jordan Montgomery (SP – STL) | @PIT |
| 39 | Hunter Brown (SP,RP – HOU) | MIN |
| 40 | Blake Snell | @MIA |
| 41 | Kodai Senga (SP – NYM) | PHI, TOR (two starts) |
| 42 | Tyler Glasnow | @BOS |
| 43 | Chris Sale | CIN |
| 44 | Andrew Heaney (SP – TEX) | SEA |
| 45 | Alex Cobb | BAL |
| 46 | Jon Gray | @DET |
| 47 | Bryce Elder | @OAK, @ARI (two starts) |
| 48 | Domingo German | @SEA, @LAD (two starts) |
| 49 | Tyler Wells | CLE, @SF (two starts) |
| 50 | Zach Eflin (SP,RP – TB) | @CHC |
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