It’s time for the second half of the season! There have already been some really good performances like Grayson Rodriguez and Brady Singer. It’s time to see if the breakout pitchers can keep it up. It’s also worth monitoring which of these pitchers might be on the move before the trade deadline.
Before jumping in, here’s a list of important terms to keep in mind.
(OFF) means the team has an off-day before they play that team.
(DH) indicates a doubleheader that day.
SPOT is used when that game might be projected to be someone different than the mainstay in the rotation. Notes will explain.
??? represents an unclear rotational spot, and the notes will explain options.
(ASB) is the game following the All-Star break.
Finally, before jumping in, let’s take a look at Nick’s most recent hitting rankings.
Nick’s Loose Team Offense Rankings (Updated 7/19)
| Top | Solid | Average | Weak | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | @CIN | ARI | CHC | CHW |
| BAL | CLE | BOS | vs. CIN | vs. COL |
| HOU | @COL | MIN | DET | LAA |
| LAD | MIL | NYM | SFG | MIA |
| NYY | SDP | TBR | STL | OAK |
| PHI | TEX | TOR | WSN | PIT |
| KCR | SEA |
AL East
Orioles’ Expected Starters
| BAL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Suárez | @ MIA (OFF) | SDP | @ CLE | @ TOR |
| Bruce Zimmermann | @ MIA | TOR (DH) | @ CLE | @ TOR |
| Corbin Burnes | @ MIA | TOR (DH) | @ CLE | @ TBR |
| Grayson Rodriguez | SDP | TOR | @ CLE | @ TBR |
| Dean Kremer | SDP | TOR | @ TOR (OFF) | @ TBR |
- Grayson Rodriguez is coming off a strong start against the Rangers where he gave up a couple of runs and struck out eight over six innings.
Red Sox’s Expected Starters
| BOS | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Houck | @ COL | NYY | @ TEX (OFF) | @ KCR |
| Cooper Criswell | @ COL | SEA | @ TEX | HOU (OFF) |
| Nick Pivetta | @ COL | SEA | @ TEX | HOU |
| Brayan Bello | NYY (OFF) | SEA | @ KCR | HOU |
| Kutter Crawford | NYY | SEA | @ KCR | TEX |
- Coming out of the All-Star break, Nick Pivetta threw six shutout innings against the Dodgers while striking out eight. Starting the second half on a good note.
Yankees’ Expected Starters
| NYY | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Rodón | TBR | @ BOS | TOR | TEX |
| Luis Gil | NYM | @ PHI | TOR | TEX |
| Gerrit Cole | NYM | @ PHI | @ LAA (OFF) | TEX |
| Nestor Cortes | @ BOS (OFF) | @ PHI | @ LAA | @ CWS |
| Marcus Stroman | @ BOS | TOR (OFF) | @ LAA | @ CWS |
- Over his last four starts, Gerrit Cole has three starts where he gave up only a single run. It looks like he’s found his rhythm.
Rays’ Expected Starters
| TBR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Littell | @ NYY | CIN | @ STL (OFF) | HOU |
| Ryan Pepiot | @ TOR | MIA (OFF) | @ STL | HOU |
| Jeffrey Springs | @ TOR | MIA | @ STL | HOU |
| Zach Eflin | @ TOR | @ HOU (OFF) | BAL | ARI (OFF) |
| Taj Bradley | CIN | @ HOU | BAL | ARI |
| Shane Baz | CIN | @ HOU | BAL | ARI |
- In one of the more interesting statlines of the year, Shane Baz threw 3.1 innings without giving up an earned run. However, he only struck out one batter and walked five.
Blue Jays’ Expected Starters
| TOR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Berríos | TBR (OFF) | TEX | @ NYY (OFF) | BAL |
| Yariel Rodríguez | TBR | @ BAL (DH) | @ NYY | OAK |
| Chris Bassitt | TBR | @ BAL (DH) | @ NYY | OAK |
| Yusei Kikuchi | TEX | @ BAL | BAL (OFF) | OAK |
| Kevin Gausman | TEX | @ BAL | BAL | @ LAA |
- Enjoy the matchups this week, because soon it’s a stretch against the Yankees and Orioles twice right after.
AL Central
White Sox’s Expected Starters
| CWS | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erick Fedde | @ TEX | SEA | @ MIN (OFF) | @ OAK |
| Garrett Crochet | @ TEX | SEA | @ MIN | CHC (OFF) |
| Chris Flexen | @ TEX | KCR | @ MIN | CHC |
| Jonathan Cannon | @ TEX | KCR | @ OAK | NYY (OFF) |
| Drew Thorpe | SEA | KCR | @ OAK | NYY |
- If you take out Drew Thorpe’s first two starts, he’s given up eight earned runs while striking out 14 batters and walking 13 across 16.1 innings.
Guardians’ Expected Starters
| CLE | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Carrasco | DET | @ PHI | BAL | ARI |
| Spencer Howard | DET | @ PHI | BAL | @ MIN (DH) (OFF) |
| Tanner Bibee | DET | @ DET | BAL | @ MIN (DH) |
| Gavin Williams | DET | @ DET | ARI | @ MIN |
| Ben Lively | @ PHI | BAL (OFF) | ARI | @ MIN |
- After a stint with the Giants, Spencer Howard joins the Guardians rotation where he’ll get a start against Detroit this week.
Tigers’ Expected Starters
| DET | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarik Skubal | @ CLE | MIN | KCR | @ SEA |
| ??? | @ CLE | MIN | KCR | @ SFG |
| Jack Flaherty | @ CLE | CLE | KCR | @ SFG |
| Reese Olson | @ CLE | CLE | @ SEA (OFF) | @ SFG |
| Keider Montero | MIN | KCR | @ SEA | SEA (OFF) |
- Our projections have Matt Manning in the rotation. However, he recently suffered a lat strain.
Royals’ Expected Starters
| KCR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Ragans | ARI | CHC | @ DET | BOS |
| Alec Marsh | ARI | @ CWS | @ DET | STL (OFF) |
| Michael Wacha | ARI | @ CWS | @ DET | STL |
| Brady Singer | CHC (OFF) | @ CWS | BOS | @ MIN (OFF) |
| Seth Lugo | CHC | @ DET | BOS | @ MIN |
- Brady Singer did well in his first start post-All-Star break. He struck out seven batters across seven shutout innings against the White Sox.
Twins’ Expected Starters
| MIN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey Ober | PHI | @ DET | CWS | CLE (DH) (OFF) |
| Simeon Woods Richardson | PHI | @ NYM | CWS | CLE (DH) |
| Chris Paddack | PHI | @ NYM | @ CHC | CLE |
| Pablo López | @ DET (OFF) | @ NYM | @ CHC | CLE |
| Joe Ryan | @ DET | CWS (OFF) | @ CHC | KCR |
- Pablo López and Joe Ryan against Detroit later this week are going to be fun matchups for pitching. I suspect the hitters might not enjoy it as much.
AL West
Astros’ Expected Starters
| HOU | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Arrighetti | @ OAK | PIT | @ TEX | @ TBR |
| Jake Bloss | @ OAK | PIT | @ TEX | @ TBR |
| Hunter Brown | @ OAK | PIT | @ TEX | @ TBR |
| Justin Verlander | LAD (OFF) | TBR (OFF) | @ BOS (OFF) | CWS (OFF) |
| Framber Valdez | LAD | TBR | @ BOS | CWS |
| Ronel Blanco | LAD | TBR | @ BOS | CWS |
- Justin Verlander is in our projections, but there’s still no guarantee that he will be back. He’s thrown bullpen sessions, but he may require a rehab stint since he hasn’t pitched an MLB game since early June.
Angels’ Expected Starters
| LAA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Fulmer | @ SEA | OAK | NYM | @ NYY |
| Jack Kochanowicz | @ SEA | OAK | NYM | @ WSN |
| Griffin Canning | @ SEA | COL | NYM | @ WSN |
| Tyler Anderson | OAK | COL | @ NYY | @ WSN |
| José Soriano | OAK | COL | @ NYY | TOR |
- With the Angels rotation not looking in the best shape, they have a good stretch of offenses coming over the next few series.
Athletics’ Expected Starters
| OAK | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hogan Harris | HOU | @ LAA | LAD | @ TOR (OFF) |
| Osvaldo Bido | HOU | @ LAA | LAD | @ TOR |
| JP Sears | HOU | @ SFG (OFF) | CWS | @ TOR |
| Ross Stripling | @ LAA | @ SFG | CWS | @ NYM (OFF) |
| Joey Estes | @ LAA | LAD (OFF) | CWS | @ NYM |
- Ross Stripling is in the projected rotation, but at the time of writing this, there’s no official word on whether he’ll be back this week or not.
Mariners’ Expected Starters
| SEA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Gilbert | LAA | @ CWS | PHI | NYM |
| Bryce Miller | LAA | @ BOS | PHI | NYM |
| Luis Castillo | LAA | @ BOS | DET (OFF) | NYM |
| George Kirby | @ CWS (OFF) | @ BOS | DET | @ DET (OFF) |
| Bryan Woo | @ CWS | PHI (OFF) | DET | @ DET |
- According to Nick’s offense rankings, this high-powered pitching rotation is in for a potentially very good week.
Rangers’ Expected Starters
| TEX | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Lorenzen | CWS | @ TOR | BOS (OFF) | HOU |
| Jon Gray | CWS | @ TOR | BOS | @ NYY (OFF) |
| Nathan Eovaldi | CWS | @ STL | BOS | @ NYY |
| Max Scherzer | CWS | @ STL | HOU | @ NYY |
| Andrew Heaney | @ TOR | @ STL | HOU | @ BOS |
- After a two-inning outing against the Orioles, Max Scherzer will look to bounce back against the White Sox lineup this week.
NL East
Braves’ Expected Starters
| ATL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Sale | CIN | @ NYM | MIA | MIL |
| Reynaldo López | CIN | @ NYM | MIA | @ COL |
| Spencer Schwellenbach | CIN | @ MIL | MIA | @ COL |
| Charlie Morton | @ NYM | @ MIL | MIL (OFF) | @ COL |
| ??? | @ NYM | MIA | MIL | @ SFG |
- As of right now, we project Max Fried in that open rotation spot, but he was put on the IL on Sunday.
Marlins’ Expected Starters
| MIA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yonny Chirinos | NYM | @ MIL | @ ATL | CIN |
| Max Meyer | BAL | @ MIL | @ ATL | CIN |
| Edward Cabrera | BAL | @ TBR (OFF) | @ ATL | SDP |
| Roddery Muñoz | BAL | @ TBR | CIN | SDP |
| Trevor Rogers | @ MIL | @ ATL | CIN | SDP |
- Though no official roster move has been made, it seems like Max Meyer should be coming back shortly.
Mets’ Expected Starters
| NYM | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Scott | @ MIA | ATL | @ LAA (OFF) | @ COL |
| David Peterson | @ NYY | ATL | @ LAA | @ COL |
| Sean Manaea | @ NYY | MIN | @ LAA | @ SEA |
| Kodai Senga | ATL | MIN | @ STL | @ SEA |
| Jose Quintana | ATL | MIN | @ COL | @ SEA |
- The time has come! Kodai Senga is projected to be back in the Mets rotation this week for his 2024 debut.
Phillies’ Expected Starters
| PHI | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zack Wheeler | @ MIN | CLE | @ SEA | @ ARI |
| Ranger Suárez | @ MIN | NYY | @ SEA | @ ARI |
| Aaron Nola | @ MIN | NYY | @ LAD | @ ARI |
| Cristopher Sánchez | CLE (OFF) | NYY | @ LAD | @ ARI |
| Tyler Phillips | CLE | @ SEA (OFF) | @ LAD | MIA (OFF) |
- Tyler Phillips earned more time in the Philly rotation after throwing six scoreless innings against the Pirates.
Nationals’ Expected Starters
| WSN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Parker | SDP (OFF) | @ STL | MIL | SFG |
| DJ Herz | SDP | @ ARI | MIL | LAA |
| Patrick Corbin | SDP | @ ARI | SFG | LAA |
| MacKenzie Gore | @ STL | @ ARI | SFG | LAA |
| Jake Irvin | @ STL | MIL (OFF) | SFG | @ BAL (OFF) |
- In his first start of the second half, MacKenzie Gore lasted only two innings against the Reds where he walked four.
NL Central
Cubs’ Expected Starters
| CHC | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Assad | MIL | @ KCR | STL | @ CWS (OFF) |
| Jameson Taillon | MIL | @ CIN | STL | @ CWS |
| Justin Steele | MIL | @ CIN | MIN | @ CLE (OFF) |
| Kyle Hendricks | @ KCR | STL | MIN | @ CLE |
| Shota Imanaga | @ KCR | STL | MIN | @ CLE |
- Shota Imanaga is still really good. He threw seven innings and struck out 10 while giving up only one run against Arizona in his first outing of the second half.
Reds’ Expected Starters
| CIN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Greene | @ ATL | @ TBR | @ SFG | @ MIA |
| Nick Martinez | @ ATL | CHC | @ SFG | @ MIL |
| Frankie Montas | @ ATL | CHC | @ MIA | @ MIL |
| Nick Lodolo | @ TBR (OFF) | CHC | @ MIA | @ MIL |
| Andrew Abbott | @ TBR | @ SFG (OFF) | @ MIA | STL |
- Hunter Greene had three good starts heading into the All-Star break, but he has a tough draw against Atlanta to start the second half.
Brewers’ Expected Starters
| MIL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colin Rea | @ CHC | MIA | @ WSN | CIN |
| Tobias Myers | @ CHC | ATL | @ WSN | CIN |
| Joe Ross | @ CHC | ATL | @ ATL (OFF) | CIN |
| Freddy Peralta | MIA (OFF) | ATL | @ ATL | LAD |
| Aaron Civale | MIA | @ WSN (OFF) | @ ATL | LAD |
- In three starts since joining the Brewers, Aaron Civale has thrown 15.2 innings with a 5.74 ERA with 18 strikeouts and nine walks.
Pirates’ Expected Starters
| PIT | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch Keller | STL | @ ARI | ARI | @ LAD |
| Paul Skenes | STL | @ HOU | ARI | @ LAD |
| Martín Pérez | STL | @ HOU | SDP (OFF) | @ LAD |
| Luis Ortiz | @ ARI (OFF) | @ HOU | SDP | @ SDP |
| Marco Gonzales | @ ARI | ARI (OFF) | SDP | @ SDP |
- That’s rookie NL All-Star game starter Paul Skenes to you! Jared Jones is still out but could be back sometime in August.
Cardinals’ Expected Starters
| STL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lance Lynn | @ PIT | WSN | @ CHC | TBR |
| Andre Pallante | @ PIT | TEX | @ CHC | TBR |
| Sonny Gray | @ PIT | TEX | @ CHC | @ KCR |
| Kyle Gibson | WSN | TEX | NYM | @ KCR |
| Miles Mikolas | WSN | @ CHC | TBR | @ CIN (OFF) |
- Sonny Gray was able to strike out 10 batters against Atlanta across seven innings in his most recent start. He also allowed five ER.
NL West
Diamondbacks’ Expected Starters
| ARI | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Montgomery | @ KCR | PIT | @ PIT | PHI |
| Yilber Diaz | @ KCR | WSN | @ PIT | PHI |
| Ryne Nelson | @ KCR | WSN | @ CLE | PHI |
| Zac Gallen | PIT (OFF) | WSN | @ CLE | PHI |
| Brandon Pfaadt | PIT | @ PIT (OFF) | @ CLE | COL |
- Yilber Diaz got two starts prior to the All-Star break where he threw 12 innings and gave up two runs. He’ll look to keep that momentum up against the Royals this week.
Rockies’ Expected Starters
| COL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Freeland | BOS | @ SFG | @ SDP | ATL |
| Ryan Feltner | BOS | @ LAA (OFF) | @ SDP | ATL |
| Cal Quantrill | BOS | @ LAA | NYM (OFF) | ATL |
| Germán Márquez | @ SFG (OFF) | @ LAA | NYM | @ ARI |
| Tanner Gordon | @ SFG (DH) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Austin Gomber | @ SFG (DH) | @ SDP | NYM | @ ARI |
- Tanner Gordon is projected to get a start in one end of the doubleheader against the Giants, but then the Rockies’ five-man rotation resumes.
Dodgers’ Expected Starters
| LAD | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Paxton | SFG (SPOT) | @ HOU | PHI | @ MIL |
| Landon Knack | SFG | @ SDP (OFF) | PHI | @ MIL |
| Tyler Glasnow | SFG | @ SDP | PHI | @ MIL |
| Clayton Kershaw | SFG | @ OAK (OFF) | PIT (OFF) | @ MIL |
| Gavin Stone | @ HOU | @ OAK | PIT | @ STL |
| Justin Wrobleski | @ HOU | @ OAK | PIT | @ STL |
- We have River Ryan projected to start on Monday before James Paxton takes over the second time through the order.
Padres’ Expected Starters
| SDP | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randy Vásquez | @ WSN (OFF) | @ BAL | COL | @ MIA |
| Matt Waldron | @ WSN | LAD | @ PIT (OFF) | @ MIA |
| Dylan Cease | @ WSN | LAD | @ PIT | PIT |
| Michael King | @ BAL | COL (OFF) | @ PIT | PIT |
| Adam Mazur | @ BAL | COL | @ MIA | PIT |
- Over his last four starts before the break, Randy Vásquez threw 20.1 innings and gave up five runs while striking out 15 batters. It’s been his most impressive stretch to date, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the second half.
Giants’ Expected Starters
| SFG | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Webb | @ LAD | COL (DH) | @ CIN (OFF) | @ WSN |
| Robbie Ray | @ LAD | COL (DH) | @ CIN | @ WSN |
| Hayden Birdsong | @ LAD | COL | @ CIN | DET |
| Kyle Harrison | @ LAD | OAK (OFF) | @ WSN | DET |
| Blake Snell | COL | OAK | @ WSN | DET |
- It seems Robbie Ray is going to be back this week to make his much-anticipated return.
This article series is great, but would benefit from anchoring weeks and potential starts with dates. Many leagues combine short weeks with full weeks. Therefore, what is week 17 & 18 for one leage may be different. In my keeper roto league, we are in week 19.