PPP 787 – Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitchers To Add And Drop – 5-8-26

Nick Pollack delivers a sharp, data-driven breakdown of fantasy baseball starting pitchers to add and drop for May 8, 2026, cutting through hype with surgical precision. The episode centers on a core paradox: elite performance metrics—like JT Ginn’s 42% per-pitch put away rate or Matthew Libertor’s 60% per-batter rate—are unsustainable red flags, not signs of breakout potential. Pollack argues that pitchers like Michael King and Max Meyer show flashes of elite command and movement, but their long-term viability hinges on consistency, not one-off brilliance. He warns against overvaluing raw stats without context, calling out pitchers like Rhett Lauder and Kade Povich for injury-related collapses and others like Christian Scott and Griffin Jacks as high-upside streamers with clear ceilings. The most contrarian take? Simeon Woods Richardson, the only starting pitcher in the majors with a lower strikeout rate than his hits per nine innings—yet Pollack still sees value in his durability and matchup-driven upside. The episode is a masterclass in separating signal from noise in a crowded fantasy landscape.