SPECULATOR: Downside risk of leading pitchers

Earlier this week, we profiled 10 hitters who currently reside among the league's best, but about whom we have grave concerns over their balance-of-season performance. Let's take a look at 10 pitchers who we're similarly concerned about. Remember the key lesson here: Even if you are doing well in your league on the backs of some of these guys, the players who got you to this point are not necessarily the ones who will carry you over the finish line. Don't rely on inertia to carry you to your league championship.

American League

Yu Darvish (RHP, TEX)
What he's done so far: 10-5, 3.59 ERA with 117 K in 103 IP
The looming risk: Adjustment. On the surface, this looks like a credible US transition for Darvish to date. And he is...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Speculator

We continue the rookie class check-in outside the Top 25 in this year's HQ100.
Jul 29 2026 3:09am
We check in on the Top 25 preseason prospects who have made their MLB debut so far, and speculate on their outlooks moving forward.
Jul 22 2026 3:06am
How much can we trust certain pitchers entering uncharted workload territory in the second half?
Jul 15 2026 3:07am
Aroldis Chapman is likely on the move, but instead of speculating on where he might go, we'll dive into potential fill-ins.
Jul 8 2026 3:07am
A retrospective look at first-half all-stars taken late in drafts, including CHW duo Miguel Vargas and Sam Antonacci.
Jul 1 2026 3:06am

Tools