Fantasy baseball analyst Dalton Del Don identifies which pitchers aren’t getting the ADP (average draft position) they deserve.
Pitchers being drafted too low
Jacob deGrom, SP, Texas Rangers (SP12 in ADP vs. my SP3)
DeGrom hasn’t reached 100.0 innings pitched since 2019 and is 36 years old, so he carries obvious risk. After continuously missing time with arm troubles, deGrom finally underwent (a second) Tommy John surgery in June 2023. His velocity was a bit down after returning late last season, but the results remained dominant; deGrom’s 29.5 K-BB% and 33.1% CSW would have comfortably led the league. That came in a tiny sample, but deGrom figures to be fully recovered even more so in 2025.
Just like Chris Sale last season, deGrom is a former ace who’s older but coming off his first normal offseason in years. DeGrom owns a 2.07 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and a 30.5 K-BB% since 2018, which all lead MLB starters by a wide margin. And his arm might be healthier now than during a big stretch of that span. DeGrom can still make a major impact on your ratios even if he’s limited to 100 innings, and he’s the clear favorite to win the Cy Young if he reaches 175.
DeGrom is finally healthy yet isn’t being drafted as a top-10 starter in Yahoo leagues, presenting a major opportunity for fantasy managers.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season]
Spencer Schwellenbach, SP, Atlanta Braves (SP24 ADP vs. my SP15)
Schwellenbach was a second-round pick in the MLB draft, but he’s pitched like a top prospect since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2022. He experienced a big jump in innings last year, but Schwellenbach was especially impressive over the second half, when he posted a 2.73 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP with a 23.3 K-BB% that would’ve ranked fifth on the season. Schwellenbach offers six different pitches and owned a Chase% and BB% in the top five percentiles last season.
Schwellenbach will also benefit from pitching for the Braves for several reasons; Atlanta starters recorded 29% more wins than Detroit’s SPs last season despite both staffs finishing with similar ERAs (3.58 vs. 3.69). The Braves offense comically underperformed and/or got injured last season, so run support should be even greater.
Schwellenbach is the SP24 in Yahoo drafts, but he’s a top-15 starter on my board.
Grayson Rodriguez, SP, Baltimore Orioles (SP31 ADP vs. my SP17)
Rodriguez missed the final two months of last season with a right lat strain, but he was…