The list of ERA sleepers includes some post-hype pitchers, as well as one whose big hype could be only the beginning.

It’s never too early to prepare for your draft, and some of us draft fiends are already setting our draft dates for 2026—or even drafting now.

For nearly a decade, I contributed a series of offseason features at Rotoworld breaking down category sleepers across each of the 5x5 roto categories. Over the next 10 weeks, I’ll be providing a list of sleepers for each 5x5 roto category (BA, HR, RBI, R, SB, W, ERA, WHIP, K, SV). Since the hot stove hasn’t heated up much yet, the early part of the series will focus on players in categories that are less dependent on opportunity and more driven by skill. Categories more reliant on opportunity, supporting cast, batting order spot (R, RBI, SB), or team context and managerial decisions (W, SV) will be covered later in the series.

Before reading any further, it’s important to define what a “sleeper” means here. In this case, it’s a player who is expected to exceed both draft-day ADP and projection totals in a particular category. Players are broken down into mixed-league sleepers and single-league sleepers.

Mixed League Players

Reid Detmers, P, Los Angeles Angels

The old saying, “Fool me once, shame on you…” applies to anyone with a history of rostering Detmers. Aside from his official rookie season in 2022, he’s been a dud—there’s just no other way to say it. The last three years have included minor league demotions, role changes, and trade rumors. What makes the results so frustrating is that the former first-round pick has objectively good stuff, including a mid-90s fastball, slider, and changeup that have individually graded as plus pitches at times. He’s also shown excellent strikeout rates, particularly over the last three seasons, while consistently producing ERA estimators that outperform his actual ERA.

All of those reasons lead to optimism for 2026, but there are a few other factors that might convince you to roster Detmers for the first time or once more. Detmers showed increased velocity last season in relief and narrowed his repertoire to focus on his fastball, slider, and curveball. While it’s not unexpected to see a velocity bump in shorter stints, the more encouraging trend was a flyball rate that plunged from 44% in 2024 to 31% last season. That helped him keep the ball in the park, which has long been one of the biggest obstacles to his success. He also showed strong control in the second half, albeit in limited innings (six walks in 20.1 innings). Another potential boon is the addition of respected pitching coach Mike Maddux, who could help translate Detmers’ raw stuff into consistent results. With an NFBC ADP near 350, the market still isn’t buying in, but the upside is substantial at that price.

Robert Gasser, P, Milwaukee Brewers

Buying pitchers coming back from injury is one way to find a discount, though the results aren’t always profitable, as Sandy Alcantara reminded us in 2025. Still, it can be a worthwhile risk when the upside far outweighs the cost, as is the case with Gasser. The lefty impressed during his MLB debut in 2024 and returned from elbow surgery late last season to make two starts. His minor league track record points to a highly effective pitcher who can miss bats, highlighted by a 10.9 K/9 and 3.72 ERA across four seasons at Triple-A.

Gasser brings a deep five-pitch arsenal, headlined by a wipeout sweeper to go along with a low-90s fastball and sinker. He’s consistently limited hard contact and has never had major issues keeping the ball in the yard. His 3.39 K/BB ratio in the minors underscores his strong command. Recent seasons in Milwaukee have shown that rotation opportunities will emerge, and Gasser has the skill set to capitalize. With an ADP beyond 500, he’s a classic upside flier.

Max Meyer, SP, Miami Marlins

The start of Meyer’s MLB career has been interesting, to say the least. He made headlines in 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery, when a midseason demotion followed a strong start and sparked accusations of service-time manipulation. While there may have been some truth to that, Meyer also showed clear areas in need of refinement. He finished the year with a 5.68 ERA in 11 MLB starts and struggled to keep the ball in the park.

Meyer returned to the rotation at the start of last season, showing increased velocity and striking out more than a batter per inning. Unfortunately, the home run issues persisted, as his fastball was frequently punished. Still, there were encouraging signs, including a 42% whiff rate on his primary slider and the addition of sinkers and sweepers to his arsenal. With a groundball rate hovering near 50% in the majors, the continued home run trouble is perplexing, but the harder, more effective stuff points to untapped potential. He should be ready for Opening Day following a hip injury that ended his 2025, and an ADP outside the top 400 makes Meyer another appealing gamble.

Nolan McLean, SP, New York Mets

McLean is a different type of sleeper than the pitchers listed above because he won’t come cheaply. The right-hander took the league by storm upon his late-season arrival, posting a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with a 10.7 K/9 across eight starts. That performance followed a dominant campaign split between Double- and Triple-A, where he logged a 2.45 ERA over 113.2 innings.

The arsenal is borderline ace-level. McLean features a mid-90s sinker that has produced an elite 60% groundball rate early in his career, paired with a plus sweeper and curveball. The combination of elite bat-missing ability and groundball generation is rare. Among qualified starters last season, the only pitchers to record a groundball rate above 50% while striking out more than a batter per inning were Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Logan Webb, and Cristopher Sánchez, with Max Fried and Framber Valdez narrowly missing the cutoff in strikeouts. That’s elite company, and it illustrates McLean’s ceiling if he sustains last year’s success. His ADP near 92 is expensive, but it may still be justified.

Single-League Players

J.T. Ginn, SP, Athletics

Not all pitchers develop at the same pace, and Ginn may be a prime example. A second-round pick by the Mets in 2020 out of Mississippi State, he didn’t reach the majors until 2024 at age 25. With the Athletics desperate for pitching help, Ginn logged a meaningful workload last season (90.1 innings) but struggled to a 5.00-plus ERA. He was particularly vulnerable at the hitter-friendly home park, allowing 12 homers and posting a 6.85 ERA in 47.1 innings.

The home run issues are a major concern, but other elements point toward potential improvement. Ginn established himself as an extreme groundball pitcher with a 53% rate last season and had rarely battled home run problems in the minors. He also showed a notable velocity increase, which led to improved results at Triple-A and a meaningful jump in strikeouts. While questions remain about his ability to neutralize left-handed hitters, Ginn showed real progress in 2025 and could take another step forward.

Carson Seymour, P, San Francisco Giants

Seymour made 16 appearances during his rookie season with the Giants, including several late-year starts. He earned his opportunity after a solid run at Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a 3.86 ERA in 77 innings. His MLB results were underwhelming, however, finishing with a 4.75 ERA and shaky peripherals.

A deeper look suggests Seymour could still be worth an NL-only stash. He showed premium velocity, averaging nearly 97 mph on his fastball, and leaned on a hard sinker that helped him generate a groundball rate north of 50%. While the strikeouts didn’t translate immediately to the majors, Seymour posted a strong 10.5 K/9 in the minors, right in line with his career norms. At age 27, he profiles as at least a swingman and could provide rotation depth if the Giants don’t add further starters beyond Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle.

Joey Wentz, P, Atlanta Braves

Few teams were hit harder by pitching injuries in 2025 than the Braves, so it wasn’t surprising to see them claim Wentz off waivers in July. The former first-round pick has long possessed a plus arm, though inconsistent command has limited his effectiveness. His late-season run with Atlanta showed signs of progress at age 27.

Wentz posted the best control of his career after making a significant change to his pitch mix, adding a slider that quickly became his second-most-used offering. While he recorded a 4.92 ERA with Atlanta, his 3.2 BB/9 marked a meaningful improvement, and a 3.43 FIP suggested he deserved better results. With a strong minor league track record, Wentz could fill a swingman role on a staff with several pitchers carrying lengthy injury histories. A good spring could put him back in the rotation mix.

Angel Zerpa, P, Milwaukee Brewers

Milwaukee’s acquisition of Zerpa from Kansas City in exchange for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears was one of the more puzzling moves of the offseason on the surface. Collins finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, and Mears was an effective reliever. Still, Zerpa has been a productive left-handed setup man over the past two seasons, and the Brewers have already floated the idea of stretching him out as a starter.

That possibility alone should grab the attention of fantasy managers. Milwaukee’s track record of unlocking pitchers is well established, with Quinn Priester serving as a recent example, and Zerpa shares some similar traits. He’s evolved into an extreme groundball pitcher, posting a 62% rate last season while continuing to add velocity. Zerpa has remained a capable strike thrower, and his minor league résumé includes a successful stint as a starter, highlighted by a 3.56 ERA and 3.19 K/BB ratio. At minimum, his usage during Spring Training will be worth monitoring.

--Seth Trachtman