Fantasy Baseball Risers and Fallers: Wheeler Surges, Ray Falls

First, a bit of housekeeping. This is not added and dropped. What it is instead is a group of pitchers who have climbed up the ranks the most over the last 10 days. This is a list of players who have risen in the ranks or fallen because of their production over that period. Not the hot new prospect that was just called up, or the pitcher that just came off an injury.

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

Also, I have made these numbers fit a standard 5×5 scoring system. So, if your league has settings for hit batsmen, pickoffs, or any of the other 70+ categories Fantrax allows, then your ranking may be different.

This list includes only players ranked in the top 300.

To see the complete rankings you can find them here.

Fantasy Baseball Pitching Risers

Stephen Kolek

Kolekis is generating massive fantasy buzz after capitalizing on Cole Ragans’ injury. Over the last 10 days, the right-hander has skyrocketed up waiver wire rankings, fueled by a dominant stretch that culminated in a brilliant 4-hit, complete-game shutout against Seattle on Saturday. Now 3-0 with a pristine 2.77 ERA and a minuscule 0.85 WHIP through four starts, Kolek is a high-priority add in all standard leagues while he commands Kansas City’s rotation.

Previous Rank: 505     Current Rank: 196     Rostered: 42%

Bryce Miller

Miller has climbed fantasy rankings after returning from an early-season oblique injury with significantly increased velocity. Over his first three appearances, the Mariners right-hander has posted a 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 14 strikeouts across 16 innings of work. Miller’s four-seam fastball is currently averaging a career-high 97.1 mph, which has driven an elite 4.5% walk rate and heavily limited hard contact.

Previous Rank: 569     Current Rank: 293     Rostered: 87%

Zack Wheeler

Wheeler has taken a big jump in the rankings over the last 10 days by delivering back-to-back dominant performances. The Phillies’ ace earned consecutive victories against the Pirates and Guardians, allowing no runs on just six hits across 13 combined innings while striking out 14 batters. Wheeler is now 4-0 on the season with a 1.67 ERA, 0.82 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts over 37.2 innings.

Previous Rank: 156     Current Rank: 55     Rostered: 99%

Andre Pallante

Pallante has climbed over the last 10 days by delivering consecutive quality starts for the Cardinals. Pallante’s major turnaround over his last two starts comes down to vastly improved command and missing more bats. After getting hit hard early in May—including a five-run shellacking by the Brewers—the Cardinals’ right-hander has significantly cut down on free passes. Over his last 12.2 innings against the Royals and Reds, Pallante has issued just one walk while racking up 10 strikeouts.

Previous Rank: 265     Current Rank: 170     Rostered: 42%

Grant Holmes

Over the last 10 days, Holmes has delivered back-to-back exceptional outings for the Braves. The right-hander blanked the Red Sox over six frames on May 17, then followed it up on Saturday by striking out a season-high 10 batters against the Nationals. Through 10 starts, Holmes owns a 3.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and 48 strikeouts over 52.1 innings. His increased reliance on a sharp curveball-slider combination is generating elite swing-and-miss depth.

Previous Rank: 329     Current Rank: 245     Rostered: 67%

Fallers

Erick Fedde

Over the last 10 days, Fedde has had a pair of rough outings for the White Sox. The right-hander struggled against the Giants on Saturday, surrendering eight earned runs on 10 hits across 3.1 innings. Fedde has now given up 12 earned runs over his last 6.1 frames, pushing his season record to 0-5 with a 5.47 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

Previous Rank: 367     Current Rank: 698     Rostered: 21%

Connor Prielipp

Prielipp has slid down fantasy rankings over the last 10 days following a major speed bump for the Twins. After allowing two earned runs or fewer in his first five MLB starts, the rookie left-hander struggled Friday in Boston. Prielipp surrendered five earned runs on seven hits and three walks over four innings. The outing pushed his ERA to 4.03, underscoring command risks. Because past elbow surgeries have heavily limited his professional career, Minnesota is closely monitoring his workload. This cautious handling limits his depth in outings and lowers his immediate fantasy floor.

Previous Rank: 190     Current Rank: 446     Rostered: 61%

Trevor McDonald

McDonald’s value took a hit over the last 10 days, primarily because of a brutal outing against the White Sox last Friday. After starting his season with three stellar performances, the Giants’ right-hander struggled, allowing seven earned runs on three hits and a walk over just 3.2 innings. The blowout inflated his ERA from 2.37 to 4.76. With ace Logan Webb progressing through a minor league rehab assignment and nearing a return to San Francisco’s rotation, McDonald’s security as a long-term starting option is shrinking.

Previous Rank: 191     Current Rank: 411     Rostered: 60%

Trevor Rogers

Rogers has had a brutal May stretch. The Orioles left-hander suffered his sixth straight loss on Sunday, giving up four earned runs over 4.2 innings against Detroit.

Rogers has surrendered 17 earned runs across a mere 12.1 innings over his last three outings. This rough patch has ballooned his season ERA to 6.96 and his WHIP to 1.62, wiping out any fantasy value.

Previous Rank: 475     Current Rank: 693     Rostered: 86%

Robbie Ray

Ray’s consecutive meltdowns for the Giants have caused a significant drop in fantasy rankings over the past 10 days. The veteran southpaw surrendered nine earned runs to Arizona on May 18. He then followed that up on Sunday by coughing up four runs and walking a career-high seven batters. He did this over four innings against the White Sox.

This rough stretch has ballooned Ray’s ERA from 3.04 to 4.60 while pushing his WHIP to 1.38. Given a sudden loss of command and only six strikeouts across his last three outings, fantasy managers should downgrade him in all formats.

Previous Rank: 107     Current Rank: 324     Rostered: 98%