Skip to content
TrackPodcasts
sportsAug 21, 20261:10:06pending

Who Are MLB’s REAL Aces? Eno’s Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings

About this episode

Who are the best starting pitchers in baseball right now — and which arms actually belong in the ace tier? Eno Sarris returns with his updated starting pitcher rankings as DVR breaks down some of the toughest calls, biggest risers and most surprising placements on the board.


Blake Snell is back in the top 10, landing at No. 10 after another strong stretch, while Drew Rasmussen climbs all the way to No. 11 as his health and consistency continue to change the way we value him. How sustainable are the pitch-mix and process changes that have helped pitchers like Snell and Rasmussen reach another level?


Then there’s Bryan Woo at No. 22. Woo has flashed ace-level stretches and was pushed aggressively during fantasy draft season, but familiar home-road splits and questions about sustaining an elite strikeout rate may leave him looking more like a high-end SP2 than a true fantasy ace.


Then, one of baseball’s top pitching prospects arrives. Kade Anderson is set to make his MLB debut Saturday against the Chicago Cubs after skipping Triple-A. The Mariners’ left-hander has dominated Double-A pairing elite command with a four-pitch arsenal.


Finally, the guys preview the fantasy baseball waiver wire, including Ethan “Tugboat” Holliday, Ethan Pecko’s MLB debut, Jackson Kent’s second look and several pitchers who could matter during the fantasy playoffs.


Rates & Barrels with Derek Van Riper and Eno Sarris delivers fantasy baseball strategy, MLB analysis, advanced pitching metrics, prospects, waiver-wire advice and everything you need for the stretch run.


Like, Subscribe and drop us a comment!


First Pitch Arizona: https://www.baseballhq.com/pricing/first-pitch-arizona-2026


Follow DVR on Bluesky: @DVR.bsky.social

Follow Eno on Bluesky: @enosarris.bsky.social


e-mail: [email protected]

Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/FyBa9f3wFe

Subscribe to The Athletic: theathletic.com/ratesandbarrels


Hosts: Derek VanRiper & Eno Sarris

Executive Producer: McEnroe Francis

Editor: McEnroe Francis


Thumbnail Credit: Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images(SNELL)

Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images(WOO)


00:00 Eno’s Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings

03:24 Blake Snell Is Back in the Top 10

05:16 Drew Rasmussen Keeps Rising

09:00 Logan Henderson vs. Kyle Harrison

11:48 Managing Pitcher Workloads Down the Stretch

12:43 When Will Chase Burns Be Shut Down?

14:58 Bryan Woo at No. 22 — Ace or SP2?

17:57 Why Is Joey Cantillo Ranked No. 40?

20:38 What’s Going Wrong With José Soriano?

25:19 Kade Anderson Is Coming to the Majors

26:35 What Should We Expect From Kade Anderson?

27:37 What Troy Melton Can Teach Us About Anderson

31:01 How Historic Is Anderson’s Double-A Dominance?

35:14 Does Dominating Double-A Predict MLB Success?

36:58 Projecting Kade Anderson in the Majors

38:18 Where Would Anderson Rank Right Now?

41:10 Should You Add Kade Anderson?

42:33 Why Second-Half Stats Can Mislead Us

42:52 Pete Crow-Armstrong & the Second-Half Trap

43:43 What Brice Turang Tells Us About Recency Bias

45:01 Can Second-Half Slumps Create Draft Bargains?

51:08 Waiver Wire & Baseball News

51:29 A’s Hit Hard By Season-Ending Injuries

55:09 Orioles Playing-Time Opportunities

57:43 What’s Going On With Ketel Marte?

59:09 Jordan Lawlar Gets His Opportunity

1:01:31 Rookie Pitchers to Target on Waivers

1:01:54 Tugboat, Ethan Pecko & Jackson Kent

1:07:00 Ethan Pecko’s Stuff & Role

1:07:28 What Happened With Tugboat’s Fastball?


#FantasyBaseball #BlakeSnell #BryanWoo #MLB #Pitching #KadeAnderson #RatesAndBarrels


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get every episode summarized

Each time Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.

Hosts & guests

No transcript yet

This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.

Who Are MLB’s REAL Aces? Eno’s Updated Starting Pitcher Rankings

Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

0:00
1:10:06

More episodes

More from Rates & Barrels: A show about Baseball

View all episodes →