FTN Fantasy Baseball Podcast · FTN Media

The Top 50 Starting Pitchers for 2026

·1 hr 12 min·4 clips

Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet are the two pitchers most likely to anchor a draft from the top three picks.

1. FTN Fantasy Baseball Podcast’s “The Top 50 Starting Pitchers for 2026” centers on early NFBC draft strategy and pitching tiers. 2. Vlad Sedler hosts with Jason Anthony, and both speak as fantasy baseball drafters who track ADP, injuries, and roster construction. 3. The episode asks which starting pitchers are worth paying for before spring training news changes their prices. 4. Brandon Woodruff, Blake Snell, Merrill Kelly, Shane Bieber, and Max Scherzer are cited as examples of spring uncertainty around rotation spots and recovery timelines. 5. The hosts also flag hitter news on Royce Lewis, Brett Baty, Josh Young, Jacob Melton, Brandon Marsh, Aidan Miller, and Chase DeLauter as part of the same injury-driven market. 6. Josh Hader’s biceps issue becomes a separate draft question because his status affects Bryan Abreu and late-round bullpen planning. 7. The first major pitching tier starts with Paul Skenes and Garrett Crochet, and the hosts compare their win chances, innings per start, and ratio safety. 8. Skenes is described as having a sub-2.00 career ERA, while Crochet is favored by one host because he goes deeper into games. 9. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Christopher Sanchez, Brian Wu, Logan Gilbert, and Chris Sale form the next important grouping after the top three. 10. Christopher Sanchez stands out for a 58.3 percent ground-ball rate, a strikeout rate above 20 percent, and strong run prevention. 11. The hosts say Sanchez rose from about 180 overall in the fall to around 60th-70th overall later in draft season. 12. Logan Gilbert draws skepticism because of the elbow flexor tendon issue and a weaker second half after he returned. 13. Yamamoto is treated as a difficult decision because he is coming off a heavy workload that included the regular season, the playoffs, and the WBC. 14. Seattle’s environment is praised because the ballpark helps pitching ratios, and prospect Kate Anderson is mentioned as a future arm in the system. 15. Hunter Green is framed as an extreme skills play after 2025 numbers that included 99-plus mph velocity, a 2.75 ERA, and a sub-1.00 WHIP. 16. Jacob deGrom, Max Fried, Freddie Peralta, Cole Ragans, George Kirby, Jesús Luzardo, Kyle Bradish, Joe Ryan, and Nolan McLean fill out the mid-tier discussion with a mix of upside and workload questions. 17. The tone stays analytical and draft-focused, with the hosts repeatedly weighing skills against age, innings caps, and injuries. 18. The format is a two-host conversation that moves from news recap into tiered pitcher debates and draft-room strategy. 19. Best for NFBC players tracking starting-pitcher ADP and injury risk. 20. Probably skippable for listeners who want stories instead of draft analysis.

As heard by us

A practical look at where the 2026 starting pitcher market starts to get expensive.

The episode treats the 2026 starting pitcher market like a real draft-room problem, with Vlad Sedler and Jason Anthony focusing on where the price gets uncomfortable.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need your pitcher board before draft season gets real?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from FTN Fantasy Baseball Podcast