Kings of Command 2026: Nine breakout pitchers to draft late

"Among the 50 most productive undrafted players in ESPN leagues, 33 were pitchers (14 starters and 19 relievers), while among the 50 best-performing players who also exceeded their preseason ADP by more than 100 ranking spots, 25 were pitchers (19 starters and six relievers)."

"My preferred method is to identify pitchers with potentially elite skill sets, but whose surface statistics -- "back of the baseball card" measures such as wins and ERA -- belied their true talent. These are my annual "Kings of Command," pitchers who meet a specific set of statistical benchmarks reflecting excellence in the command department."

"Starting pitchers must have faced at least 200 batters, and relief pitchers must have faced at least 100 batters, while serving in either role. Pitchers who qualify for inclusion exceeded the MLB averages in swinging-strike rate, first-pitch strike rate, and command rate (K's per walk)."

Fantasy baseball managers can find significant value by targeting pitchers in later draft rounds, particularly those with elite command skills that don't reflect in traditional statistics like wins and ERA. Last season demonstrated this opportunity, with 33 of the 50 most productive undrafted players being pitchers, and 25 of the 50 players who exceeded their preseason ADP by over 100 spots being pitchers. The "Kings of Command" approach identifies pitchers meeting specific statistical benchmarks: starting pitchers need swinging-strike rates above 11.7%, first-pitch strike rates above 62.6%, and K/BB ratios of 2.80 or higher, while relief pitchers require swinging-strike rates above 12.6%. This method successfully identified late-round gems like Cristopher Sanchez, Bryan Woo, and Carlos Rodon in previous seasons.

Read at ESPN.com