Fantasy baseball 2020 tiered starting pitcher rankings

This tier features pitchers from four different teams. They are middle-of-the-rotation arms that could be serviceable back-end arms.

Yonny Chirinos, TB

The Rays set the tone with the opener strategy. Two of the pitchers they used start off my rankings. Chirinos pitched in 26 games, started 18 of them, and accumulated 133.1 innings. He finished with a 3.85 ERA, 1.050 WHIP and 114 strikeouts. Looking at the Rays pitching staff, I don’t expect them to use the opener again, giving Chirinos a full season of starts.

Ryan Yarbrough, TB

Yarbrough also pitched in 28 games, but started in 14 of them. He had a 4.13 ERA, 0.995 WHIP and 117 strikeouts in that span. Yarbrough made improvements to his walk and strikeout rates. His flyball rate was roughly the same but his ground ball rate improved by five percent. Keeping the ball on the ground is important when pitching in the AL East. As a full-time starter, he will be a good spot starter in standard leagues.

Dallas Keuchel, CWS

Keuchel didn’t sign with the Braves until June of last season. He made his first start on June 21 and made 19 starts. Keuchel, on a shortened season, finished with a 3.75 ERA, 1.367 WHIP and 91 strikeouts. He will know play with the White Sox for 2020 and beyond.

That may be a bad thing but with Yasmani Grandal behind the plate, that will lead to an increase in strikeouts. Outside of the Twins, I wouldn’t be afraid of the AL Central. Keuchel is more of a matchup play but he won’t let you down when you start him.

Chris Archer, PIT

In his first full season with Pittsburgh, Archer was a letdown for fantasy baseball owners. But, if you look at his career, Archer hasn’t been that great. Outside of his 250-plus strikeouts, his ratios were not that reliable. He has a career 3.86 ERA and 1.253 WHIP. The NL Central improved greatly, so Archer will have his work cut out for him. He still has some upside but there isn’t much to get excited about.

Mitch Keller, PIT

Staying with the Pirates, Keller also had a disappointing season. He had a 12.2 K/9 but that was about the best stat he posted. In 11 starts, he had a 7.13 ERA and 1.833 WHIP. However, with a 3.19 FIP, Keller is likely due for a rebound this season. If he can limit the damage allowed in the first inning, 10.64 ERA, then Keller could be a sneaky pick in round 23.

Brendan McKay, TB

The third Rays pitcher so far, McKay pitched in 13 games, 11 of them were starts. He posted a 5.14 ERA, 1.408 WHIP and 56 strikeouts in 49.0 innings. His ground ball rate dropped as he moved up the Rays’ minor league system. The Rays do a great job developing their pitching, so with a few adjustments, McKay could be a nice sleeper pick.

Carlos Martinez, STL

Martinez dealt with a shoulder injury, which forced him to the bullpen. He succeeded in that role, posting a 3.17 ERA, 1.179 WHIP and 24 saves in 48 appearances. Martinez will likely be back in the rotation as the No. 2 starter. Whether he stays in the rotation or moves back to the bullpen, Martinez will help fantasy owners with ratios and a decent amount of strikeouts.

Miles Mikolas, STL

Martinez’s teammate had a great first season back in the majors. Last year, however, Mikolas regressed a bit. His hard hit rate increased by almost 10 percent and his HR/FB rate went up about seven percent. That resulted in a 4.16 ERA, 1.223 WHIP and 14 losses. He is dealing with a strained flexor tendon and his status for Opening Day is unknown. That will push down his draft-day value a few rounds.