There is a lot of fun young pitching around the league right now. Paul Skenes is dominant early, Grayson Rodriguez is coming back from the IL, and Luis Gil set a rookie record for the Yankees. There are some new names solidifying they’re spots in their respective rotations.
With another week in the books, don’t forget this list of helpful terms as you scroll through this weeks expected starting pitching matchups.
(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.
Before jumping in, here are the most recent offense rankings.
Nick’s Loose Team Offense Rankings (Updated 5/13)
| Top | Solid | Average | Weak | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | ARI | @COL | vs. BOS | CHW |
| BAL | @BOS | KCR | vs. CIN | vs. COL |
| HOU | CHC | MIL | DET | MIA |
| LAD | @CIN | SEA | OAK | LAA |
| NYY | CLE | TOR | NYM | PIT |
| PHI | MIN | TBR | SFG | |
| TEX | SDP | WSN | STL |
AL East
Orioles’ Expected Starters
| BAL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Bradish | @ STL | @ CWS | TBR | @ TBR |
| Cole Irvin | @ STL | BOS | @ TOR | @ TBR |
| John Means | @ STL | BOS | @ TOR | @ TBR |
| Grayson Rodriguez | @ CWS | BOS | @ TOR | ATL |
| Dean Kremer | @ CWS | TBR (OFF) | @ TOR | ATL |
| Corbin Burnes | @ CWS | TBR | @ TBR | ATL |
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- With the return of Grayson Rodriguez from the IL, the Orioles will be going with a six-man rotation.
Red Sox Expected Starters
| BOS | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Houck | @ TBR | MIL | DET | @ CWS |
| Cooper Criswell | @ TBR | @ BAL | DET | @ CWS |
| Brayan Bello | @ TBR | @ BAL | DET | @ CWS |
| Kutter Crawford | MIL (OFF) | @ BAL | ATL (OFF) | @ CWS |
| Nick Pivetta | MIL | DET | ATL | PHI (OFF) |
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- Garrett Whitlock will be back soon, which likely spells the end for Cooper Criswell in the short term.
Yankees’ Expected Starters
| NYY | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Stroman | SEA | @ SDP | @ SFG | MIN |
| Clarke Schmidt | SEA | @ SDP | @ SFG | LAD |
| Nestor Cortes | SEA | @ LAA (OFF) | @ SFG | LAD |
| Luis Gil | SEA | @ LAA | MIN (OFF) | LAD |
| Carlos Rodón | @ SDP | @ LAA | MIN | @ KCR |
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- How about Luis Gil striking out 14 batters in 6 innings? That means only four outs weren’t by strikeout the whole start. Good day at the office!
Rays’ Expected Starters
| TBR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taj Bradley | BOS | KCR | @ BAL | BAL |
| Zack Littell | BOS | OAK (OFF) | @ BAL | BAL |
| Ryan Pepiot | BOS | OAK | @ MIA (OFF) | BAL |
| Zach Eflin | KCR (OFF) | OAK | @ MIA | CHC |
| Aaron Civale | KCR | @ BAL | BAL (OFF) | CHC |
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- The short wait is over and Ryan Pepiot is returning to the Rays rotation, and Shane Baz shouldn’t be far behind.
- Tyler Alexander is projected as the odd man out, though he did just register the longest perfect game bid in Rays history.
Blue Jays’ Expected Starters
| TOR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Berríos | CWS | @ DET | PIT (OFF) | BAL |
| Yusei Kikuchi | CWS | @ DET | PIT | BAL |
| Chris Bassitt | CWS | @ CWS | PIT | @ OAK |
| Kevin Gausman | @ DET | @ CWS | BAL | @ OAK |
| Alek Manoah | @ DET | @ CWS | BAL | @ OAK |
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- This is a very streamable schedule coming up for the Blue Jays if you need an extra push this week.
AL Central
White Sox Expected Starters
| CWS | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erick Fedde | @ TOR | BAL | @ MIL (OFF) | BOS |
| Garrett Crochet | @ TOR | BAL | @ MIL | BOS |
| Mike Clevinger | @ TOR | TOR | @ MIL | BOS |
| Brad Keller | BAL | TOR | @ CHC (OFF) | BOS |
| Chris Flexen | BAL | TOR | @ CHC | @ SEA |
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- The bright spot here remains Garrett Crochet. It’s all about staying healthy for him at this point.
Guardians’ Expected Starters
| CLE | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Lively | NYM | @ LAA | WSH | @ MIA |
| Carlos Carrasco | NYM | @ COL | WSH | @ MIA |
| Triston McKenzie | NYM | @ COL | KCR (OFF) | @ MIA |
| Logan Allen | @ LAA (OFF) | @ COL | KCR | @ CIN (OFF) |
| Tanner Bibee | @ LAA | WSH (OFF) | KCR | @ CIN |
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- Gavin Williams has been throwing bullpens without issue. He was placed on the 60-day IL retroactive to March 25th.
Tigers’ Expected Starters
| DET | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reese Olson | @ KCR | TOR | @ BOS | @ TEX |
| Casey Mize | @ KCR | TOR | @ BOS | MIL (OFF) |
| Tarik Skubal | @ KCR | PIT (OFF) | @ BOS | MIL |
| Jack Flaherty | TOR | PIT | @ TEX | MIL |
| Kenta Maeda | TOR | @ BOS | @ TEX | WSN (OFF) |
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- Kenta Maeda has started his rehab assignment in Triple-A. He shouldn’t require long before he’s back with Detroit.
Royals’ Expected Starters
| KCR | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Wacha | DET | @ TBR | SDP | @ CLE |
| Alec Marsh | DET | @ MIN | SDP | SEA |
| Cole Ragans | DET | @ MIN | SDP | SEA |
| Seth Lugo | @ TBR (OFF) | @ MIN | @ CLE (OFF) | SEA |
| Brady Singer | @ TBR | @ MIN | @ CLE | NYY |
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- The Royals pitching staff has been fantastic this year, and there are a set of good matchups on the way.
Twins’ Expected Starters
| MIN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pablo López | @ WSN | TEX | @ HOU | @ PIT |
| Joe Ryan | @ WSN | KCR | @ HOU | @ PIT |
| Simeon Woods-Richardson | @ WSN | KCR | @ NYY (OFF) | @ PIT |
| Bailey Ober | TEX (OFF) | KCR | @ NYY | COL |
| Chris Paddack | TEX | @ HOU | @ NYY | COL |
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- At time of writing, this group has the least amount of walks of any rotation in the league, which is a nice compliment to having the seventh-most strikeouts.
AL West
Astros’ Expected Starters
| HOU | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Framber Valdez | LAA | @ SEA | MIN | @ LAA |
| Cristian Javier | LAA | @ SEA | STL | @ SFG |
| Hunter Brown | LAA | @ SEA | STL | @ SFG |
| Justin Verlander | @ OAK (OFF) | @ SEA | STL | @ SFG |
| Spencer Arrighetti | @ OAK | MIN | @ LAA (OFF) | DET (OFF) |
| Ronel Blanco | @ OAK | MIN | @ LAA | DET |
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- Spencer Arrighetti is projected for Oakland, but after that José Urquidy is slated to return.
Angels’ Expected Starters
| LAA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reid Detmers | @ HOU | CLE | @ SEA | HOU (OFF) |
| Griffin Canning | @ HOU | NYY (OFF) | @ SEA | HOU |
| Tyler Anderson | @ HOU | NYY | SDP | HOU |
| Patrick Sandoval | CLE (OFF) | NYY | SDP | @ ARI (OFF) |
| José Soriano | CLE | @ SEA | SDP | @ ARI |
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- The struggles for Reid Detmers continued and things won’t get easier with Houston and Cleveland on the horizon.
Athletics’ Expected Starters
| OAK | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Brooks | COL (OFF) | HOU | @ ATL | TOR |
| Joey Estes | COL | @ TBR (OFF) | @ ATL | TOR |
| Kyle Muller | COL | @ TBR | SEA (OFF) | TOR |
| Ross Stripling | HOU | @ TBR | SEA | @ SDP |
| JP Sears | HOU | @ ATL | SEA | @ SDP |
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- There are several new faces in the Athletics rotation for the upcoming week after Alex Wood and Paul Blackburn hit the IL.
Mariners’ Expected Starters
| SEA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Gilbert | @ NYY | @ WSN | HOU | @ OAK |
| Bryan Woo | @ NYY | @ WSN | LAA | @ OAK |
| Bryce Miller | @ NYY | HOU | LAA | @ KCR |
| Luis Castillo | @ NYY | HOU | LAA | @ KCR |
| George Kirby | @ WSN | HOU | @ OAK (OFF) | @ KCR |
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- Opposing hitters are hitting just .216 against this group of starters entering the week, which is the second-lowest mark in the league.
Rangers’ Expected Starters
| TEX | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Gray | @ PHI (OFF) | @ MIN | @ MIA | SFG |
| Andrew Heaney | @ PHI | ARI (OFF) | DET | SFG |
| José Ureña | @ PHI | ARI | DET | @ LAD (OFF) |
| Michael Lorenzen | @ MIN | @ MIA (OFF) | DET | @ LAD |
| Nathan Eovaldi | @ MIN | @ MIA | SFG (OFF) | @ LAD |
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- Jack Leiter finds himself back in Triple-A. Last week I talked about him settling in, but things have gone very, very poorly to this point and it’s worrisome.
NL East
Atlanta Expected Starters
| ATL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Sale | SDP | @ PIT | WSN | @ BOS |
| Charlie Morton | @ CHC | @ PIT | OAK | @ WSN |
| Max Fried | @ CHC | WSN | OAK | @ WSN |
| Bryce Elder | @ CHC | WSN | OAK | @ WSN |
| Reynaldo Lopez | @ PIT | WSN | @ BOS (OFF) | @ WSN |
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- As a rotation, Atlanta starters are having a good year in a lot of respects. However, they enter the week tied with the White Sox in strikeouts in just about as many innings.
Marlins’ Expected Starters
| MIA | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Weathers | MIL | @ ARI | TEX | CLE |
| Trevor Rogers | MIL | @ SDP | TEX | CLE |
| Jesús Luzardo | MIL | @ SDP | TBR (OFF) | @ NYM (OFF) |
| Braxton Garrett | @ ARI | @ SDP | TBR | @ NYM |
| Sixto Sánchez | @ ARI | TEX (OFF) | CLE (OFF) | @ NYM |
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- Max Meyer struggling in Triple-A kind of argues against my stance that he should be in the majors. He’ll need to right the ship because he was the best pitcher in this rotation at the time he was shockingly sent down.
Mets’ Expected Starters
| NYM | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tylor Megill | @ CLE | SFG | ARI | @ WSN |
| José Quintana | @ CLE | LAD | ARI | @ PHI (OFF) |
| Christian Scott | @ CLE | LAD | ARI | @ PHI |
| Luis Severino | SFG (OFF) | LAD | @ WSN | MIA (OFF) |
| Sean Manaea | SFG | ARI | @ WSN | MIA |
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- Mets starting pitchers have allowed the most walks of any team in the league entering the week, which has really hurt them statistically.
Phillies’ Expected Starters
| PHI | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger Suárez | TEX (OFF) | @ COL | STL | @ NYM (OFF) |
| Taijuan Walker | TEX | @ SFG | STL | NYM |
| Zack Wheeler | TEX | @ SFG | MIL | @ BOS (OFF) |
| Cristopher Sánchez | @ COL | @ SFG | MIL | @ BOS |
| Aaron Nola | @ COL | STL (OFF) | MIL | @ BOS |
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- Just to put into perspective how insanely good this rotation has been, they’ve produced a 6.9 fWAR at the time of writing this. The next closest team is at 5.2.
Nationals’ Expected Starters
| WSN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Parker | MIN | SEA | @ CLE | ATL |
| Patrick Corbin | MIN | @ ATL | @ CLE | ATL |
| Jake Irvin | MIN | @ ATL | NYM | ATL |
| MacKenzie Gore | SEA (OFF) | @ ATL | NYM | ATL |
| Trevor Williams | SEA | @ CLE | NYM | @ DET (OFF) |
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- The Nationals have the second-most unearned runs given up in so far this year. That doesn’t really help for fantasy baseball, but I think it’s an interesting stat.
NL Central
Cubs’ Expected Starters
| CHC | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javier Assad | ATL (OFF) | @ STL | CIN | @ CIN |
| Justin Steele | ATL | @ MIL | CIN | @ CIN |
| Kyle Hendricks | ATL | @ MIL | CIN | @ CIN |
| Shota Imanaga | @ STL | @ MIL | CWS (OFF) | @ CIN |
| Jameson Taillon | @ STL | @ MIL | CWS | @ TBR (OFF) |
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- It looks like the Cubs got a really good deal with Shota Imanaga. He’s been fantastic!
Reds’ Expected Starters
| CIN | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Abbott | SDP (OFF) | LAD | @ CHC | CHC |
| Nick Martinez | SDP | STL | @ CHC | CHC |
| Frankie Montas | SDP | STL | @ COL | CHC |
| Graham Ashcraft | LAD | STL | @ COL | CHC |
| Hunter Greene | LAD | @ CHC (OFF) | @ COL | @ MIL (OFF) |
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- By the time I type up next week’s expected starters, Nick Lodolo should be back in the mix, which likely pushes Nick Martinez back out.
Brewers’ Expected Starters
| MIL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Ross | @ MIA | @ BOS | CWS | @ PHI |
| Robert Gasser | @ MIA | CHC | CWS | @ DET (OFF) |
| Freddy Peralta | @ MIA | CHC | CWS | @ DET |
| Bryse Wilson | @ BOS (OFF) | CHC | @ PHI | @ DET |
| Colin Rea | @ BOS | CHC | @ PHI | TOR |
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- Entering the week Robert Gasser is producing good results for the Brewers through his first two starts. Miami is another very good matchup for him.
Pirates’ Expected Starters
| PIT | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Pérez | SFG (OFF) | ATL | @ TOR | MIN |
| Jared Jones | SFG | @ DET (OFF) | LAD (OFF) | MIN |
| Paul Skenes | SFG | @ DET | LAD | @ STL (OFF) |
| Bailey Falter | ATL | @ TOR (OFF) | LAD | @ STL |
| Mitch Keller | ATL | @ TOR | MIN | @ STL |
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- Paul Skenes is every bit as nasty as he was anticipated to be. The Pirates are going to have one of the most fun 1-2 punches in the league between Skenes and Jared Jones.
Cardinals’ Expected Starters
| STL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Gray | BAL | CHC | @ PHI | COL |
| Lance Lynn | BAL | @ CIN | @ PHI | COL |
| Kyle Gibson | BAL | @ CIN | @ HOU | COL |
| Miles Mikolas | CHC (OFF) | @ CIN | @ HOU | COL |
| Matthew Liberatore | CHC | @ PHI (OFF) | @ HOU | PIT (OFF) |
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- The Cardinals are at the bottom of the NL Central right now, and this rotation is a reason why. They have the sixth-highest ERA among starters entering the week.
NL West
DBacks’ Expected Starters
| ARI | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slade Cecconi | @ LAD | MIA | @ NYM | SFG |
| Brandon Pfaadt | @ LAD | @ TEX (OFF) | @ NYM | @ SDP |
| Ryne Nelson | @ LAD | @ TEX | SFG | @ SDP |
| Zac Gallen | MIA (OFF) | @ NYM | SFG | @ SDP |
| Jordan Montgomery | MIA | @ NYM | SFG | @ SDP |
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- Zac Gallen with a matchup against the Mets has the potential to be a very good day for the pitching side of things.
Rockies’ Expected Starters
| COL | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Quantrill | @ OAK (OFF) | PHI | @ LAD | @ STL |
| Austin Gomber | @ OAK | CLE | @ LAD | @ STL |
| Ryan Feltner | @ OAK | CLE | CIN | @ STL |
| Ty Blach | PHI | CLE | CIN | @ STL |
| Dakota Hudson | PHI | @ LAD (OFF) | CIN | @ MIN |
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- Note: Coors Field is where balls go to fly a long way. If the Rockies are at home, then their pitchers will bear the brunt of that from a value standpoint.
- Every week I talk about how rough this group is. They’re very behind in almost every statistical category. For example, entering the week Rockies starters have 163 strikeouts while the next lowest total is 191. Stream at your own risk.
Dodgers’ Expected Starters
| LAD | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Stone | ARI | @ CIN | COL | @ NYY |
| Tyler Glasnow | ARI | @ NYM | COL | @ NYY |
| James Paxton | ARI | @ NYM | @ PIT (OFF) | @ NYY |
| Walker Buehler | @ CIN (OFF) | @ NYM | @ PIT | TEX (OFF) |
| Yoshinobu Yamamoto | @ CIN | COL (OFF) | @ PIT | TEX |
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- There were some concerns about Yoshinobu Yamamoto after his first few starts, but he’s settled in well as of late.
Padres’ Expected Starters
| SDP | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Cease | @ ATL | NYY | @ KCR (OFF) | @ LAA |
| Michael King | @ CIN | NYY | @ KCR | ARI |
| Matt Waldron | @ CIN | MIA | @ KCR | ARI |
| Yu Darvish | @ CIN | MIA | @ LAA | ARI |
| Joe Musgrove | NYY | MIA | @ LAA | ARI |
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- Tough sledding this week for the Padres rotation. Finishing the Atlanta series before going to Great American Ballpark to face the Reds, then the Yankees lineup.
Giants’ Expected Starters
| SFG | First Start | Second Start | Third Start | Fourth Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Webb | @ PIT (OFF) | @ NYM | NYY | @ TEX (OFF) |
| Kyle Harrison | @ PIT | PHI | NYY | @ TEX |
| Blake Snell | @ PIT | PHI | @ ARI | @ TEX |
| Jordan Hicks | @ NYM | PHI | @ ARI | HOU |
| Spencer Howard | @ NYM | NYY (OFF) | @ ARI | HOU |
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- Blake Snell is coming back and Keaton Winn is projected to be back next week, too.