Ranking Every Two-Start Pitcher For Week 7 (5/14 – 5/20)

(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Every Friday I look at every projected two-start pitcher for the week ahead and detail my thoughts about rolling with them on your roster. There are four tiers: Definitely, Probably, Questionable, Bench. Definitely Start features starters that are no doubters for the week ahead followed by Probably Start with pitchers that look like good plays but may create a hesitation or two. Players labeled as Questionable are for deeper leagues or have one-of-two outings that should be skipped. Pitchers under Bench should be avoided despite their two starts in the week ahead.

Note: This article was written Friday morning, estimating probable starters through the week. These are subject to change.

Definitely Start

Carlos Carrasco (@DET, @HOU)

Miles Mikolas (@MIN, PHI)

Lance McCullers Jr. (@LAA, CLE)

Sean Manaea (@BOS, @TOR)

Rick Porcello (OAK, BAL)

Eduardo Rodriguez (OAK, BAL)

Patrick Corbin (MIL, @NYM)

Zack Greinke (MIL, @NYM)

Alex Wood (@MIA, @WSH)

• Carlos Carrasco and Zack Greinke are easy calls given their AGA status
• Sean Manaea is a must start even facing the Sawx considering he no-hit them in their last bout paired with a comfortable outing against the Jays.
• There are questions about Patrick Corbin’s velocity, though good matchups make him an easy choice.
• I’m amazed at the command of Alex Wood and you should expect it to continue against the Fish + Nats
• Teammates Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez have both impressed mightly this year, giving them top tier status for the week ahead.
• There’s no sign for concern with Miles Mikolas‘ pair of starts to hold you back, while the strikeout upside of Lance McCullers is enough to justify a clear Start.

Probably Start

Reynaldo Lopez (@PIT, TEX)

Nick Pivetta (@BAL, @STL)

Joey Lucchesi (COL, @PIT)

Yu Darvish (ATL, @CIN)

Jose Quintana (@ATL, @CIN)

Mike Foltynewicz (CHC, MIA)

Tyler Anderson (@SDP, @SFG)

• Tyler Anderson gets the benefit of playing two weak opponents outside of Coors and could be a sneaky pickup even in your 12-teamers for the week ahead.
• Yes, there are a ton of questions about Yu Darvish’s ability, though the real gamble here is against the Braves as the Reds should be a beneficial outing. I’d take the chance.
• Reynaldo Lopez’s secondary stuff was improved in his last start, with the Pirates and Rangers acting as favorable options for a two-start week.
• Jose Quintana and Mike Foltynewicz are both rolling and deserve your love.
• Another fine option is Joey Lucchesi who gets decent matchups and can easily take advantage of them to give you stable production.

Questionable

Julio Teheran (@CHC, MIA)

Mike Minor (@SEA, @CHW)

Andrew Heaney (HOU, TBR)

Trevor Williams (CHW, SDP)

Mike Leake (TEX, DET)

Junior Guerra (@ARI, @MIN)

Chris Stratton (CIN, COL)

Daniel Mengden (@BOS, @TOR)

• As much as I don’t believe in the longterm success of Julio Teheran, he does get decent matchups these week that makes him a decent play.
• I am a fan of Andrew Henaey, though I question if a start against the Rays is worth the gaunlet against the Astros.
• I’m not loving how Mike Minor looked in his previous start, though there’s a chance he spins a pair of solid performances, especially against the ChiSox
• Mike Leake and Trevor Williams are not options I endorse often, though they are slated for two starts agains below average opponents and could be sneaky options.
• Junior Guerra could pull off another gem as his fastball earned 15 whiffs last time out, while Daniel Mengden’s start against Toronto may outweight the risk of the Red Sox.
• I don’t like believing in Chris Stratton at the moment, but he is a slight step up from Tier 4 as he hosts the Rockies and Reds in San Fran.

Bench

Sal Romano (@SFG, CHC)

Andrew Cashner (PHI, @BOS)

Jaime Garcia (@NYM, OAK)

Wade Leblanc (@MIN, DET)

Mike Fiers (CLE, @SEA)

Jake Odorizzi (SEA, MIL)

Francisco Liriano (CLE, @SEA)

Wei-Yin Chen (LAD, @ATL)

Ty Blach (CIN, COL)

 

Eric Skoglund (TBR, NYY)

• Plenty of clear benches here including Andrew Cashner, Eric Skoglund, Wei-Yin Chen, Francisco Liriano, Wade LeBlanc, and Mike Fiers.
• I can fathom a decent week from Sal Romano but his volatility and a date with the Cubs make me stay away.
• Jaime Garcia gets the Mets, but it’s far from enough when he has an evening with the strong Oakland offense as well.
• It’s not out of the question Ty Blach squeaks out passable outside as he hosts the Reds and Rockies, but he’s far from someone I would chase in 12-teamers.
• The floor of Jake Odorrizi far outweighs the possible return as he faces the Mariners and Brewers.