Pitcher List Fantasy Baseball

This week on Hacks & Jacks, Brett and Scott talk through all the injuries, news, and surprising roster decisions leading into Opening Day 2026. The guys discuss the potential for rookies JJ Wetherholt and Kevin McGonigle and how their presence in the big leagues could impact other players around them. Scott tosses out a handful of names that he's interested in entering the season and specifically what he's looking for out of each of those watchlist guys.

Hosts: Brett Ford | Scott Chu

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On The Corner

 

Nick Pollack and Eric Samulski look at roster moves across the league and talk about the pitchers they are adding ahead of the first weekend of the season.

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The Approach Angle

Nate Schwartz (@_nateschwartz) and Kyle Bland (@blandalytics) discuss the importance of WHIP and how it can be analyzed with Str-ICR to find underappreciated pitchers. 

They talk about the basis of WHIP: first, why it's an important stat, and how it can be forgotten when analyzing a pitcher. Is it still important in today's analysis? Then, the discussion pivots to the most volatile part of WHIP, batted ball results. Ideal Contact Rate (ICR) groups all contact that's bad for a pitcher, and is an easier way to understand the quality of contact a pitcher is giving up. The two discuss the significance of finding the right batted balls to measure, and how ICR can be combined with Strike Rate as a proxy for estimating WHIP. This concept comes from an article Kyle wrote two years ago (https://pitcherlist.com/introducing-str-icr/). Finally, they mention players who stand out between their 2025 Str-ICR and 2026 projected WHIP.

Players mentioned: Mick Abel, Jose Soriano, Cade Horton, Spencer Strider, George Kirby

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Episode Breakdown

0:00 – Intro, NFBC weekend, and episode setup

Discussion of draft season activity, NFBC Main Event context, and defining “wild card” players in fantasy baseball drafts.

Players discussed: none

8:00 – FAAB rules, roster strategy, and stashing players

Breakdown of NFBC rules around undrafted players, debut timelines, and why early FAAB periods are critical for securing upside.

Players discussed: Jared Jones, Zack Wheeler, Carlos Rodon, Konnor Griffin

20:00 – Early-season strategy: avoiding zeros and bullpen value

Exploration of why avoiding zeroes in lineups is critical early in the season and how speculative relievers can provide value in saves and ratios.

Players discussed: Brad Keller, Jeremiah Estrada, Garrett Clevenger, Taylor Rogers, JoJo Romero

32:00 – ASK Game (Rookie Catchers)

Evaluation of rookie catchers based on playing time, opportunity, and stash viability.

Players discussed: Harry Ford, Carter Jensen, Samuel Basallo, Freddy Fermin, Keibert Ruiz

45:00 – ASK Game (Rookie Outfielders)

Breakdown of rookie outfielders with uncertain roles but significant upside.

Players discussed: Justin Crawford, Carson Benge, Dylan Beavers, Johan Rojas, Luis Robert Jr., Juan Soto, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, Jorge Polanco, Mike Tauchman, Tyrone Taylor, Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, Taylor Ward

1:02:00 – ASK Game (Rookie Starting Pitchers)

Discussion of stash-worthy rookie pitchers, weighing early-season opportunity versus long-term upside.

Players discussed: A.J. Blubaugh, Robbie Snelling, J.R. Ritchie, Konnor Griffin, Sal Stewart

1:15:00 – Wild card stashes and speculative adds

Identification of players worth stashing or adding before they become high-demand FAAB targets.

Players discussed: Anthony Volpe, Kirby Yates, Reid Detmers, Robert Stephenson

1:24:00 – Final strategy thoughts and roster construction

Summary of key takeaways on managing stash spots, balancing risk, and optimizing roster flexibility heading into Opening Day.

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This Week In Fantasy Baseball - John Ke (@thejohnke) and Patrick Fitzgerald (@PFitzgerald_99) catch you up on everything in "This Week in Fantasy Baseball"!

 

John and Patrick round out the offseason by looking at a few spring training battles that have yet to be resolved and their impacts on drafts in the upcoming weeks.

 

Timestamps:

5:35 - Twins Rotation (Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Simeon Woods Richardson)

12:20 - Dodgers #5 Spot (Roki Sasaki, Justin Wrobleski)

15:47 - Tampa Bay's Closer (Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, Bryan Baker, Edwin Uceta)

18:53 - Red Sox #5 Spot (Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Johan Oviedo)

23:39 - Guardians #4 and #5 Spot (Parker Messick, Joey Cantillo, Logan Allen)

26:21 - Tigers Shortstop (Kevin McGonigle, Zach McKinstry, Javier Baez)

29:36 - Pirates Shortstop (Konnor Griffin, Nick Gonzales)

34:13 - Brewers #4 and #5 Spot (Kyle Harrison, Robert Gasser, Logan Henderson, Brandon Sproat)

38:52 - Diamondbacks #5 Spot (Merrill Kelly, Michael Soroka)

45:10 - Padres #4 and #5 Spot (Walker Buehler, JP Sears, Randy Vasquez, German Marquez)

 

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Connect: @ThisWeekPL | [email protected]

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