We’ve gone over the final 2024 fantasy baseball rankings for hitters and the top 20 starters. This is different than Final Fantasy rankings where you rank Final Fantasy 1 thru Final Fantasy 15. That’s hardcore nerd shizz! This is simply fantasy baseball — we’re softcore nerds like Emmanuelle is to porn. So, there’s no more of these godforsaken recap posts left. You’re welcome. I, my over-the-internet friend, will be talking next about 2025 rookies. Let’s boogie to the next year, you Bougie boogiers! Anyway, here’s the top 40 starters for 2024 fantasy baseball and how they compare to where I originally ranked them:
21. Tanner Bibee – Sorry, broken record time. Hey, when you have a hit, you play it a lot. Ask Frank Stallone. Bibee’s 2023 ERA of 2.98 vs. 3.47 this year? So, his 2023 was a better year or nah? That’s a nah from me, dawg. His Ks went up, his walks went down and it was in more innings — a nice jump in innings that isn’t alarming. Bibee is on the verge of being an ace and had a nice step forward if you ignore his ERA, which you should. Preseason Rank #25, 2024 Projections: 11-7/3.49/1.16/162 in 159 IP, Final Numbers: 12-8/3.47/1.12/187 in 173 2/3 IP
22. Aaron Nola – Prolly forgetting someone but I think pound for pound Nola’s year-to-year numbers are the most absurdly incomprehensible other to say: Saberhagenmetrics. The only thing he does regularly is pitch a lot of innings. With that in mind, he’s within sneezing distance of Eovaldi in these ranks. Think of both as workhorses. Nola and Eovaldi were four spots from each other in last year’s top 40 starters at the end of the year. So, now explain to me like I’ve hit my head a few times how Eovaldi is drafted around 210 overall and Nola is 50. Preseason Rank #15, 2024 Projections: 13-10/3.77/1.11/206 in 191 IP, Final Numbers: 14-8/3.57/1.20/197 in 199 1/3 IP
23. Luis Gil – While unranked, I drafted Gil in a few places but not enough, and he was highlighted towards the end of Spring Training when he was making waves like a jetty. There’s not a ton you can do different with him, as far as preseason drafting and ranking. It’s just a matter of getting in as soon as possible, and seeing where it goes, similar to what I said for Ronel in the top 20 starters. Gil’s numbers are concerning — terrible walk rate, suppressed BABIP, crazy amount of fly balls in a dangerous park to do that and a huge jump in innings. It was fun while it lasted this year. There will be a new Gil in 2025, you don’t need Luis. *cough* Jack Leiter *cough* Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 15-7/3.50/1.19/171 in 151 2/3 IP
24. Carlos Rodon – He fixed all his numbers from the previous year. Don’t think anyone saw that coming. Were some buying because the price was good? Yes, absolutely. But they weren’t buying saying, “He’ll be healthy and fix everything and pitch almost more than any other season.” Unlike Gil or Ronel, where the price was good and I’m kicking myself for not getting in faster, Rodon wasn’t *that* cheap (cheap enough? Sure, I guess) and he was injured, which is a different issue. I don’t like injured pitchers. Better safe than sorry with pitchers. Preseason Rank #56, 2024 Projections: 7-7/4.05/1.31/119 in 109 IP, Final Numbers: 16-9/3.96/1.22/195 in 175 IP
25. Jose Berrios – Drafted Berrios hard this year. I liked him, but I have to give all the props to Rudy and the Draft War Room for why I drafted Berrios everywhere. He was at the top of Rudy’s War Room for at least two rounds every draft. By the end of draft season, I remember actively thinking, “I have Berrios in too many leagues, I have to draft someone else,” then the War Room would say, “AI rules the world, I will draft Berrios for you or kill your car battery, shut off your electricity and lock you in your house.” So, I drafted Berrios again. Preseason Rank #38, 2024 Projections: 12-9/3.72/1.21/177 in 181 IP, Final Numbers: 16-11/3.60/1.15/153 in 192 1/3 IP
26. Pablo Lopez – One of the biggest bad luck pitchers if you consider giving up too many homers bad luck. I don’t. I don’t even know how that works. Oopsie, I gave up a grand slam. My bad. Preseason Rank #8, 2024 Projections: 14-9/3.39/1.09/216 in 186 IP, Final Numbers: 15-10/4.08/1.19/198 in 185 1/3 IP
27. Tyler Glasnow – I don’t know why I am like this, but I love risky, upside gambles for hitters, and hate them for pitching — unless the price is good. Glasnow’s price is never good. He’s great when he pitches, and maybe you’ll get that dream season one year, but I don’t know how drafting Glasnow at 35 overall is that much smarter than a flyer on Gil, Skenes or some other huge upside gamble 200 picks later. Preseason Rank #17, 2024 Projections: 11-7/3.07/1.04/171 in 131 IP, Final Numbers: 9-6/3.49/0.95/168 in 134 IP
28. Reynaldo Lopez – Another case where his preseason ranking is saying I didn’t like him, but I actually drafted him in a lot of leagues because the price was so cheap. Again back to the Glasnow note. Upside gamble at pick 270 overall? Fantastic! A gamble at pick 30? What are you doing, man? The people who make Glasnow-type draft picks I actively judge. I’m sorry, but I’m judgy and I don’t think you know what you’re doing when you make a Glasnow-type pick. I didn’t like Nola either, but Nola made more sense than Glasnow. A Glasnow-type pick in drafts feels like the person in your league who is a sucker. Preseason Rank #111, 2024 Projections: 6-8/3.09/1.19/112 in 96 IP, Final Numbers: 8-5/2.03/1.15/137 in 128 2/3 IP
29. Nathan Eovaldi – Was looking at him when I wrote up Nola’s blurb, and Eovaldi is so much more trustworthy too. Throw out an injury year of 2019, when offense was inflated and here’s Eovaldi’s ERAs: 3.81, 3.72, 3.75, 3.87, 3.63 and this year. That’s since 2018! Eovaldi got a bad rap early in his career that he threw hard but didn’t get Ks, and that’s just not true anymore. Preseason Rank #44, 2024 Projections: 11-9/3.79/1.16/154 in 164 IP, Final Numbers: 12-8/3.80/1.11/166 in 170 2/3 IP
30. Max Fried – Sadly, I don’t think Fried can ever be good again until he pauses his career and has surgery. Maybe after he gets a long-term contract he’ll finally shut it down and have the surgery he desperately needs. Preseason Rank #18, 2024 Projections: 12-3/2.94/1.10/142 in 154 IP, Final Numbers: 11-10/3.25/1.16/166 in 174 1/3 IP
31. Freddy Peralta – Huge victim of expectations because FreddyKBB is higher in these rankings than I would’ve guessed. Dude was loading up my teams with bad vibes for months and I look at his projections vs. end of the year numbers and I’m like, “Was he bad or is he gaslighting me?” FreddyGaslighter can’t keep the ball in the park or command his pitches, and, while not as bad he felt, he was bad enough, and he can’t gaslight me into thinking otherwise. Preseason Rank #6, 2024 Projections: 15-5/3.52/1.14/224 in 178 IP, Final Numbers: 11-9/3.68/1.21/200 in 173 2/3 IP
32. Logan Webb – His last three K/9 and BB/9: 7.6, 8.1, 7.6 and 2.3, 1.3 and 2.2. After 2023, it wasn’t clear from the 1st year that his third year would follow his first and not second year, but now that can’t be anymore clear. Shows how fickle pitching is too because a guy has one bad stretch of, say, five games with bad command, and it ruins his whole year. Eugenio Suarez goes cold for three months and comes back with a solid half and his stats are great. Webb has a 2.8 BB/9 in July and can’t fix that in his final numbers. Preseason Rank #10, 2024 Projections: 13-7/3.19/1.06/186 in 205 IP, Final Numbers: 13-10/3.47/1.23/172 in 204 2/3 IP
33. Garrett Crochet – We say he was the one bright spot on the Shite Sux. The Bright Sock. And I guess that’s true, but he’s less a bright spot as the sun and the rest of the team were the darkest a dark has ever been. On the Plater Rater, Crochet and Andrew Vaughn (2nd highest guy) had about 100 spots difference. Basically, “rosterable everywhere” vs. “not.” Crochet didn’t just pitch well; he was exceptional. If he had Gallen’s 14 wins, he’d be a top 10 pitcher. He was fatigued by the end of the year, unable to pitch deep into the game, but also the White Sux were playing for nothing so why was he pitching at all? His near-13 K/9 and barely 2 BB/9? He could’ve been a 2.50 ERA and in the top 3 starters. Yeah, he was excellent. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 6-12/3.58/1.07/209 in 146 IP
34. Michael Wacha – Almost exactly what I said for Seth Lugo. Wacha’s last three years of ERAs? 3.32, 3.22 and 3.35 in 427 1/3 IP. Where’s the risk? Because he was drafted at a 300 ADP, so it seems like there was risk. Wacha is excata kind of pitcher I want as my number two through five. Give me lots of Wachas. A myriad of Wachas. Preseason Rank #64, 2024 Projections: 8-10/3.46/1.14/143 in 156 IP, Final Numbers: 13-8/3.35/1.19/145 in 166 2/3 IP
35. Bryan Woo – Mariners are doing things so perfectly with their pitchers. Woo’s BB/9 is under one. Like an anti-Joey Chestnut, sit with that, relish it, enjoy it. In 121 1/3 IP, he had 13 walks. You can’t be bad with that sorta command. I’m not being superlative. You cannot be bad with that, because you’re not just in the zone, you are commanding your pitches perfectly. Mariners are building a team of Little Madduxes. Preseason Rank #41, 2024 Projections: 9-8/3.88/1.18/138 in 132 IP, Final Numbers: 9-3/2.89/0.90/101 in 121 1/3 IP
36. Luis Castillo – I keep saying I like the M’s, except Castillo, so worth explanation: Getting older, can’t strikeout people as he was, now accumulating injuries, losing velocity and can’t keep ball down anymore. I used to love Castillo, but this season really changed things for me. Preseason Rank #5, 2024 Projections: 13-7/3.28/1.07/206 in 188 IP, Final Numbers: 11-12/3.64/1.17/175 in 175 1/3 IP
37. Nick Martinez – Call him Tee Eff, as in WTF. As in, where Tee Eff did this come from? Tee Eff has 116 Ks in 142 1/3 IP. Howling. What the fudge is Tee Eff doing? How about a barely 7 K/9. Thankfully, he has a 1.1 BB/9. Incredibly, this is the kind guy I want to draft now. Make up for lack of Ks with relievers and give me Daddy No Ks or get Tee Eff out of here. Preseason Unranked, Final Numbers: 10-7/3.10/1.03/116 in 142 1/3 IP
38. Kevin Gausman – We rarely see such a clear delineation between a guy’s usefulness and falling off the cliff like Gausman, so I guess congrats? Ks suck, velocity is bad, stopped being able to induce grounders — gave all his mojo to Bowden Francis. Preseason Rank #4, 2024 Projections: 15-6/3.12/1.16/228 in 191 IP, Final Numbers: 14-11/3.83/1.22/162 in 181 IP
39. Jameson Taillon – Has even worse Ks than Tee Eff. So TF is Taillon TF’ing with? Goes to show you though, my gut feeling to leave behind Ks and just go for guys with crazy good command is the way to go. Very happy with this movement of mine, and I didn’t just eat fiber. As said numerous times before, a guy that doesn’t walk anyone can’t allow a double as the runner takes 2nd base with that goofy pitch clock. Don’t get me wrong. I think the pitch clock is the best rule change in sports in my lifetime. It’s so much better. But it does allow everyone to take 2nd base and get in immediate run-scoring position, so you have to limit walks, as a pitcher. Preseason Rank #97, 2024 Projections: 9-11/4.18/1.26/156 in 174 IP, Final Numbers: 12-8/3.27/1.13/125 in 165 1/3 IP
40. Zac Gallen – Lucky for his fluky wins because this might’ve been an even bigger collapse. He missed a month, due to a hamstring strain, and didn’t look right for two months. If he’s more September (2.67 ERA) and April, May (3.38, 2.81) and not that 5+ ERA guy when he first returned, then Gallen might’ve hid himself in plain sight. Some guys that didn’t make this end-of-the-year recap include, 41. Tanner Houck, he was my last ranked starter in the preseason and I will be 100% honest, I have no idea why. I know what I wrote, but it doesn’t illuminate my thoughts at all. Did I underestimate Houck Tauh mania? Clearly. Did I underestimate everything about Houck? Yes. He had a 5.01 ERA in 2023, pitched pretty much the same and shaved two points off his ERA. Yeah, but ERA is knowable. 42. Ranger Suarez, who I loved in the 1st half. Then 43./44./45./46 Hunter Brown, Joe Ryan, Erick Fedde and Yusei, and many guys after, which brings me to my point: Hitters after the top 40 are mostly miserable, but pitchers have great stretches where they are usable, then you drop them or just don’t start them in bad matchups. In other words: Streamonator. Preseason Rank #9, 2024 Projections: 13-6/3.33/1.09/202 in 195 IP, Final Numbers: 14-6/3.65/1.26/156 in 148 IP
