With all the sophistication around baseball analytics it’s a bit ironic that one of the most commonly used words for assessing a pitcher is ‘stuff’. We often hear phrases like ‘elite stuff’ or ‘nasty stuff’ used to describe pitcher talent. Though, what does ‘stuff’ really mean? Well, according to Eno Saris and Max Bay’s proprietary Stuff+ model, we can now measure a pitcher’s stuff.
According to the model description, this measures the physical characteristics of a pitch, like the movement, spin rate, and velocity. This is especially true for small sample sizes early in the season to gauge sustained success. That’s why I factor in this model’s data for several emerging starting pitchers to best project the start confidence rating in the weekly starting pitcher rankings.
More great Fantasy Baseball Analysis: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire | Weekly SP Rankings | Pitching Streamers | Two-Start Pitchers | Lineup Analysis | MLB Injury Report | Rookie Report | Advanced Stats | Under the Radar | Overvalued & Undervalued | Bullpen Report
Starting Pitcher Rankings for Week 5 (4/20 – 4/26)
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent | Start Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tarik Skubal | DET | MIL | 9 |
| 2 | Dylan Cease | TOR | @LAA | 9 |
| 3 | Chris Sale | ATL | @WSH | 8 |
| 4 | Jacob deGrom | TEX | PIT/ ATH | 8 (both matchups) |
| 5 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto | LAD | @SF | 8 |
| 6 | Jacob Misiorowski | MIL | PIT | 8 |
| 7 | Cristopher Sanchez | PHI | @CHC | 8 |
| 8 | Paul Skenes | PIT | @MIL | 8 |
| 9 | Kevin Gausman | TOR | CLE | 8 |
| 10 | Chase Burns | CIN | @TB/ DET | 7 (both matchups) |
| 11 | Sonny Gray | BOS | DET | 7 |
| 12 | Garrett Crochet | BOS | @BAL | 7 |
| 13 | Cole Ragans | KC | LAA | 7 |
| 14 | Parker Messick | CLE | HOU/ @TOR | 7 (both matchups) |
| 15 | Joe Ryan | MIN | @NYM/ @TB | 7 (both matchups) |
| 16 | Tyler Glasnow | LAD | @SF | 7 |
| 17 | Freddy Peralta | NYM | COL | 7 |
| 18 | Nolan McLean | NYM | COL | 7 |
| 19 | Max Fried | NYY | @BOS | 7 |
| 20 | Shohei Ohtani | LAD | @SF/ CHC | 7 (@SF=8 & CHC=6) |
| 21 | Braxton Ashcraft | PIT | @TEX | 7 |
| 22 | Emerson Hancock | SEA | ATH | 7 |
| 23 | George Kirby | SEA | @STL | 7 |
| 24 | Bryan Woo | SEA | @STL | 7 |
| 25 | Connelly Early | BOS | NYY/ @BAL | 6 (NYY=5 & @BAL=7) |
| 26 | Logan Webb | SF | LAD/ MIA | 6 (LAD=5 & MIA=7) |
| 27 | Logan Gilbert | SEA | ATH/ @STL | 6 (both matchups) |
| 28 | Merrill Kelly | ARI | CWS | 6 |
| 29 | Eduardo Rodriguez | ARI | CWS | 6 |
| 30 | Brady Singer | CIN | DET | 6 |
| 31 | Tanner Bibee | CLE | HOU | 6 |
| 32 | Framber Valdez | DET | @CIN | 6 |
| 33 | Seth Lugo | KC | BAL | 6 |
| 34 | Jose Soriano | LAA | TOR | 6 |
| 35 | Sandy Alcantara | MIA | @SF | 6 |
| 36 | Mick Abel | MIN | @NYM | 6 |
| 37 | Taj Bradley | MIN | @TB | 6 |
| 38 | Ryan Weathers | NYY | @HOU | 6 |
| 39 | Kyle Bradish | BAL | @KC/ BOS | 6 (@KC=7 & BOS=5) |
| 40 | Zack Wheeler | PHI | @ATL | 6 |
| 41 | Michael King | SD | @ARI | 6 |
| 42 | Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | ATH | 6 |
| 43 | MacKenzie Gore | TEX | ATH | 6 |
| 44 | Trey Yesavage | TOR | @LAA | 6 |
| 45 | Ranger Suarez | BOS | NYY/ @BAL | 5 (NYY=4 & @BAL=6) |
| 46 | Reynaldo Lopez | ATL | @WSH/ PHI | 5 (both matchups) |
| 47 | Michael Soroka | ARI | CWS | 5 |
| 48 | Zac Gallen | ARI | SD | 5 |
| 49 | Chris Bassitt | BAL | @KC | 5 |
| 50 | Dean Kremer | BAL | BOS | 5 |
| 51 | Shota Imanaga | CHC | PHI | 5 |
| 52 | Rhett Lowder | CIN | @TB | 5 |
| 53 | Bryce Elder | ATL | @WSH/ PHI | 5 (both matchups) |
| 54 | Michael Wacha | KC | BAL/ LAA | 5 (both matchups) |
| 55 | Andrew Abbott | CIN | DET | 5 |
| 56 | Gavin Williams | CLE | @TOR | 5 |
| 57 | Jack Flaherty | DET | @BOS | 5 |
| 58 | Cam Schlittler | NYY | @BOS/ @HOU | 5 (both matchups) |
| 59 | Spencer Arrighetti | HOU | @CLE | 5 |
| 60 | Mike Burrows | HOU | NYY | 5 |
| 61 | Kris Bubic | KC | BAL | 5 |
| 62 | Yusei Kikuchi | LAA | @KC | 5 |
| 63 | Bubba Chandler | PIT | @TEX/ @MIL | 5 (both matchups) |
| 64 | Eury Perez | MIA | @SF | 5 |
| 65 | Brandon Woodruff | MIL | PIT | 5 |
| 66 | Bailey Ober | MIN | @TB | 5 |
| 67 | Kodai Senga | NYM | MIN | 5 |
| 68 | Will Warren | NYY | @HOU | 5 |
| 69 | Andrew Painter | PHI | @ATL | 5 |
| 70 | Mitch Keller | PIT | @MIL | 5 |
| 71 | Michael McGreevy | STL | @MIA | 5 |
| 72 | Randy Vasquez | SD | @COL | 5 |
| 73 | Robbie Ray | SF | MIA | 5 |
| 74 | Luis Castillo | SEA | ATH | 5 |
| 75 | Shane McClanahan | TB | MIN | 5 |
| 76 | Jack Leiter | TEX | PIT | 5 |
| 77 | Jack Kochanowicz | LAA | TOR/ @KC | 4 (TOR=3 & @KC=5) |
| 78 | Matthew Boyd | CHC | PHI/ @LAD | 4 (both matchups) |
| 79 | Ryne Nelson | ARI | SD | 4 |
| 80 | Jacob Lopez | ATH | @SEA | 4 |
| 81 | Jeffrey Springs | ATH | @TEX | 4 |
| 82 | Grant Holmes | ATL | PHI | 4 |
| 83 | Shane Baz | BAL | @KC | 4 |
| 84 | Keider Montero | DET | MIL | 4 (both matchups) |
| 85 | Trevor Rogers | BAL | BOS | 4 |
| 86 | Edward Cabrera | CHC | PHI | 4 |
| 87 | Noah Schultz | CWS | WSH | 4 |
| 88 | Ryan Feltner | COL | SD | 4 |
| 89 | Michael Lorenzen | COL | @NYM | 4 |
| 90 | Ryan Weiss | HOU | @CLE | 4 |
| 91 | Lance McCullers Jr. | HOU | NYY | 4 |
| 92 | Noah Cameron | KC | LAA | 4 |
| 93 | Reid Detmers | LAA | @KC | 4 |
| 94 | Emmet Sheehan | LAD | CHC | 4 |
| 95 | Roki Sasaki | LAD | CHC | 4 |
| 96 | Simeon Woods Richardson | MIN | @NYM | 4 |
| 97 | Cade Cavalli | WSH | ATL/ @CWS | 4 (ATL=3 & @CWS=5) |
| 98 | Clay Holmes | NYM | MIN | 4 |
| 99 | David Peterson | NYM | COL | 4 |
| 100 | Aaron Nola | PHI | @CHC | 4 |
| 101 | Carmen Mlodzinski | PIT | @TEX | 4 |
| 102 | Dustin May | STL | @MIA | 4 |
| 103 | Matthew Liberatore | STL | SEA | 4 |
| 104 | Walker Buehler | SD | @COL | 4 |
| 105 | Drew Rasmussen | TB | MIN | 4 |
| 106 | Kumar Rocker | TEX | PIT | 4 |
| 107 | J.T. Ginn | ATH | @SEA/ @TEX | 3 (both matchups) |
| 108 | Tomoyuki Sugano | COL | SD/ @NYM | 3 (both matchups) |
| 109 | Luis Severino | ATH | @TEX | 3 |
| 110 | Sean Burke | CWS | @ARI | 3 |
| 111 | Brandon Williamson | CIN | @TB | 3 |
| 112 | Slade Cecconi | CLE | HOU | 3 |
| 113 | Joey Cantillo | CLE | @TOR | 3 |
| 114 | Max Meyer | MIA | STL | 3 |
| 115 | Casey Mize | DET | MIL/ @CIN | 3 (both matchups) |
| 116 | Kyle Leahy | STL | @MIA/ SEA | 3 (both matchups) |
| 117 | Zack Littell | WSH | ATL/ @CWS | 3 (ATL=2 & @CWS=4) |
| 118 | Kyle Harrison | MIL | @DET | 3 |
| 119 | Jesus Luzardo | PHI | @CHC | 3 |
| 120 | Matt Waldron | SD | @COL | 3 |
| 121 | Adrian Houser | SF | MIA | 3 |
| 122 | Nick Martinez | TB | CIN | 3 |
| 123 | Max Scherzer | TOR | CLE | 3 |
| 124 | Colton Gordon | HOU | @CLE/ NYY | 3 (@CLE=4 & NYY=2) |
| 125 | Foster Griffin | WSH | ATL | 3 |
| 126 | Colin Rea | CHC | PHI/ @LAD | 2 (both matchups) |
| 127 | Anthony Kay | CWS | @ARI/ WSH | 2 (both matchups) |
| 128 | Chase Dollander | COL | SD/ @NYM | 2 (both matchups) |
| 129 | Aaron Civale | ATH | @SEA | 2 |
| 130 | Martin Perez | ATL | @WSH | 2 |
| 131 | Brayan Bello | BOS | NYY | 2 |
| 132 | Jameson Taillon | CHC | @LAD | 2 |
| 133 | Erick Fedde | CWS | WSH | 2 |
| 134 | Justin Wrobleski | LAD | @COL | 2 |
| 135 | Chris Paddack | MIA | STL | 2 |
| 136 | Janson Junk | MIA | STL/ @SF | 2 (both matchups) |
| 137 | Luis Gil | NYY | @BOS | 2 |
| 138 | Andre Pallante | STL | SEA | 2 |
| 139 | German Marquez | SD | @ARI | 2 |
| 140 | Landen Roupp | SF | LAD | 2 |
| 141 | Brandon Sproat | MIL | @DET/ @PIT | 2 (both matchups) |
| 142 | Steven Matz | TB | CIN | 2 |
| 143 | Jesse Scholtens | TEX | MIN | 2 |
| 144 | Jake Irvin | WSH | ATL | 2 |
| 145 | Miles Mikolas | WSH | @CWS | 2 |
| 146 | Taijuan Walker | PHI | @CHC/ @ATL | 2 (both matchups) |
| 147 | Eric Lauer | TOR | @LAA/ CLE | 2 (both matchups) |
| 148 | Davis Martin | CWS | @ARI | 1 |
| 149 | Jose Quintana | CLE | LAD | 1 |
| 150 | Chad Patrick | MIL | @DET | 1 |
| 151 | Tyler Mahle | SF | LAD | 1 |
| 152 | Jesse Scholtens | TB | CIN | 1 |
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