To ensure this list of risers and fallers is relevant for most fantasy baseball managers, either the current ranking or the prior ranking must be in the top 300. I have also tried to avoid any players who have risen or fallen because of injury.
Also, make sure to check out our weekly pitcher rankings.
The fantasy baseball landscape shifts rapidly, and it’s important to know who is rising and falling, and why. Over the last 10 days, five pitchers have become the biggest risers; five have become the biggest fallers.
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
Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers
PITCHING RISERS
Logan Webb (SP, SFG)
Webb made the list last week and has climbed even higher this week. Across 15.0 innings, Webb posted a 1.20 ERA and an improved 0.87 WHIP. During that 10-game span, he ranks sixth in K/BB and has the most innings pitched of any starter. Add a complete game to the mix and you have the most dominant pitcher in the last ten days. Since June 8th he has pitched eight innings in each game. Maybe the most impressive part of his game right now is that he has only given up one home run since May 29th.
Current Rank: 141Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 224Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rostered: 99
Logan Gilbert (SP, SEA)
Another Logan makes the list this week. Gilbert ranks third in K% and third in K/BB% during the last ten days. In three of his last four starts, he has struck out at least eight batters. His best outing was on June 16th when he struck out ten. Since May 16th he has thrown over 91 pitches in each game. His batting average against has been less than .200 in his last three games. By altering the look of his secondary pitches, increasing the use of his slider, and not relying as much on his fastball, his average exit velocity dropped to 87.2 mph during this window.
Current Rank: 41Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 95Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rostered: 100
Nathan Eovaldi (SP, TEX)
Eovaldi is still giving up too many runs, but his recent performance has driven his ranking upward. His four-seam fastball velocity returned to a 95.8 mph average, up from a lower 94.2 mph mark earlier in the month. Over the last ten days, he has the eighth most strikeouts, the tenth best K/BB%, and the fourth best xFIP of all starting pitchers. During this span, he has the second-best hard-hit rate at only 14.7. As long as he can stay healthy, this 36-year-old starter should continue to rise in the rankings.
Current Rank: 84Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 134Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rostered: 98
Peter Lambert (SP, HOU)
Lambert keeps improving a little each game. His innings pitched in his last four are 5.0, 5.1, 6.1, and 7. He has improved his control enough that in the last two games, he has walked no one. Even though he has made a jump in the standard 5×5 rankings, there isn’t much in his profile that makes me believe this will last. He doesn’t rank very highly in any of the counting stats, and the two teams he faced last week were the Tigers and the A’s, both ranking in the bottom half of offensive stats.
Current Rank: 109Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 166Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rostered: 62
Martin Perez (SP, ATL)
In the last 14 days, Perez has a 1.59 ERA. Since May 24, he has given up only one home run. Perez also has the second-highest ground ball percentage in the league. He has been extremely consistent, pitching at least five innings in each game he started since May 6. He reduced his four-seam usage and increased his sinker-changeup mix, which kept his hard-hit rate under 28%, which is the tenth lowest during this stretch.
Current Rank: 83Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 137Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Rostered: 55
PITCHING FALLERS
Stephen Kolek (SP, KCR)
Kolek entered mid-June, showing stable back-end rotation utility. A disastrous June 21 outing against the St. Louis Cardinals completely changed his fantasy outlook. The Cardinals shelled him for a career-high nine earned runs on nine hits—including three home runs—in a brief 1.2-inning start. This single appearance caused his season ERA to balloon to 4.15 alongside a 1.19 WHIP. Statcast diagnostics reveal that his hard-hit rate surged past 48% over this 10-day window. His sinker velocity dropped from 94.8 mph to 93.3 mph. His other start during this ten-day window, he went 7.1 innings and gave up zero runs. This shows how far you can fall in the rankings with just one terrible outing.
Current Rank: 372 Previous Rank: 246 Rostered: 69
Grant Holmes (SP, ATL)
Holmes has hit a wall of inefficiency, making him a high-risk liability for fantasy managers. In his June 22 loss against San Diego, Holmes fought his command over 4.2 frames, surrendering a season-high five walks. Over his last three starts, he has logged a mere 10.1 innings while handing out 10 free passes. In his last 16.1 innings pitched, he has given up nine runs. His ERA sits at 4.17 for the year and his WHIP is a frightening 1.418
Current Rank: 396 Previous Rank: 272 Rostered: 68
Emmet Sheehan (SP, LAD)
Sheehan’s ranking is in freefall following a brutal beating by the Orioles on June 21, where he was chased after 3.1 innings after yielding six earned runs on eight hits and three walks. With his four-seam fastball velocity ticking downward by nearly a full mile per hour, Sheehan is failing to miss bats. In his last seven starts, he has given up a home run in all but two. In three of those starts, he has given up multiple home runs.
Current Rank: 397 Previous Rank: 296 Rostered: 94
Freddy Peralta (SP, NYM)
This is not what the Mets expected when they traded two of their top prospects for Peralta. On June 20 against Philadelphia, he unraveled completely, lasting just 2.2 innings and giving up 10 earned runs to push his season ERA to an un-Peralta-like 4.83 and his WHIP to 1.39. His career-low 22.7% strikeout rate this year is alarming. His average exit velocity allowed has jumped to 91.4 mph over his last two turns. In four of his past six starts, he’s now been charged with four earned runs or more. He has only four strikeouts in his last two games. In his last three games, he has pitched 13.2 innings, has an ERA of 11.20, and a WHIP of 1.756.
Current Rank: 272 Previous Rank: 176 Rostered: 99
Randy Vasquez (SP, SDP)
Vasquez’s early-season magic (1.88 ERA through his first five starts) has officially evaporated. Over his last five outings, Vasquez has surrendered four or more earned runs three times. His ERA is up to 4.17 with a 1.40 WHIP. The last time he pitched six innings was on May 15th. It probably won’t get any better when he faces off against the first-place Atlanta Braves for his next start.
Current Rank: 297Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Previous Rank: 202 Rostered: 76
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