An excellent stat to examine when dealing with a sample of reduced size is Strikeout-to-walk Ratio (K/BB). It can indicate success simply, yet effectively. Strikeouts are the best outcome for a pitcher. Walks are the opposite. The K/BB ratio reveals who’s getting it done with effective pitching. The guy with the best strikeout stuff can walk some batters as long as they balance it out with Ks. Occasional control specialists can be on this leaderboard but need to keep walks to the bare minimum.
Below are the top 20 in K/BB along with the raw K/9 and BB/9 rates.
The rookie you needed to land was Sixto Sánchez . He’s been a revelation for Miami. High heat, nasty movement, and an advanced feel for it all results in his top 3 appearance here. There’s no reason not to expect that success to continue.
Taylor Rogers has perhaps been a bit unlucky. The command that turned him into such a good high leverage pitcher is still there. Comparing his 3.77 ERA to a 2.37 xFIP shows that luck is indeed at play.
Guessing at saves in certain bullpens can be an immense headache. Tampa Bay certainly falls under that category. When we’ve seen Nick Anderson he’s been his dominant self. It is encouraging that his one appearance since coming off of the IL was for a save.
Richard Rodríguez is a poor man’s Anderson. There are a few walks but the K-rate offsets them. He’s in the mix for saves in Pittsburgh. The save opps are sadly farther between for the Pirates bullpen.
Kenta Maeda made sure people wouldn’t overlook him going forward with a near no-hitter earlier this year. That performance will certainly buoy his stat line all season. The overall performance has been stellar. He does so many things you want your pitchers to do.
The premier control specialist, Kyle Hendricks , makes the bottom of our leaderboard. His ability to consistently give you six innings shouldn’t be underrated. The mishmash pitching usage of this season has precluded plenty of decent pitchers from earning a win. It may be a flawed category but most leagues use it.
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Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.