Every Sunday here at Pitcher List, we review all expected starting pitcher matchups for the week ahead. This week is a little different with just the opening weekend featured today and an expanded article for next week arriving over the weekend.
There are three labels: Start, Maybe, and Sit. Outings marked with a Maybe are circumstantial and dependent on your needs in a 12-teamer, while the other two are self-explanatory. Feel free to question my designations in the comments and we’ll dive into it together.
Here’s the massive table containing every opening weekend start from 3/28 – 3/31:
Note: These matchups are subject to change.
| Date | Game | Away Pitcher | Sit / Start | Home Pitcher | Sit / Start |
| 3/28 | PIT vs CIN | Taillon | Start | Castillo | Start |
| 3/28 | CHW vs KCR | Rodon | Maybe | Keller | Maybe |
| 3/28 | ARI vs LAD | Greinke | Start | Ryu | Start |
| 3/28 | COL vs MIA | Freeland | Start | Urena | Bench |
| 3/28 | STL vs MIL | Mikolas | Start | Chacin | Maybe |
| 3/28 | CLE vs MIN | Kluber | Start | Berrios | Start |
| 3/28 | BAL vs NYY | Cashner | Bench | Tanaka | Start |
| 3/28 | LAA vs OAK | Cahill | Maybe | Fiers | Bench |
| 3/28 | ATL vs PHI | Teheran | Bench | Nola | Start |
| 3/28 | SFG vs SDP | Bumgarner | Start | Lauer | Bench |
| 3/28 | BOS vs SEA | Sale | Start | Gonzales | Bench |
| 3/28 | HOU vs TBR | Verlander | Start | Snell | Start |
| 3/28 | CHC vs TEX | Lester | Start | Minor | Maybe |
| 3/28 | DET vs TOR | Zimmermann | Bench | Stroman | Bench |
| 3/28 | NYM vs WSH | deGrom | Start | Scherzer | Start |
| 3/29 | ARI vs LAD | Ray | Start | Stripling | Start |
| 3/29 | COL vs MIA | Marquez | Start | Richards | Maybe |
| 3/29 | STL vs MIL | Flaherty | Start | Peralta | Bench |
| 3/29 | LAA vs OAK | Harvey | Bench | Estrada | Bench |
| 3/29 | SFG vs SDP | Samardzija | Start | Lucchesi | Start |
| 3/29 | BOS vs SEA | Eovaldi | Start | Kikuchi | Start |
| 3/29 | HOU vs TBR | Cole | Start | Morton | Start |
| 3/29 | DET vs TOR | Boyd | Start | Shoemaker | Bench |
| 3/30 | PIT vs CIN | Williams | Maybe | Gray | Start |
| 3/30 | CHW vs KCR | Lopez | Start | Junis | Maybe |
| 3/30 | ARI vs LAD | Godley | Bench | Maeda | Start |
| 3/30 | COL vs MIA | Anderson | Bench | Lopez | Start |
| 3/30 | STL vs MIL | Hudson | Bench | Woodruff | Start |
| 3/30 | CLE vs MIN | Bauer | Start | Odorizzi | Bench |
| 3/30 | BAL vs NYY | Karns | Bench | Paxton | Start |
| 3/30 | LAA vs OAK | Pena | Bench | Anderson | Bench |
| 3/30 | ATL vs PHI | Wilson | Maybe | Pivetta | Start |
| 3/30 | SFG vs SDP | Holland | Start | Strahm | Start |
| 3/30 | BOS vs SEA | Rodriguez | Start | Leake | Bench |
| 3/30 | HOU vs TBR | McHugh | Start | Glasnow | Maybe |
| 3/30 | CHC vs TEX | Darvish | Start | Volquez | Bench |
| 3/30 | DET vs TOR | Turnbull | Maybe | Sanchez | Maybe |
| 3/30 | NYM vs WSH | Syndergaard | Start | Strasburg | Start |
| 3/31 | PIT vs CIN | Musgrove | Start | Roark | Maybe |
| 3/31 | CHW vs KCR | Giolito | Bench | Lopez | Bench |
| 3/31 | ARI vs LAD | Weaver | Start | Buehler | Start |
| 3/31 | COL vs MIA | Gray | Start | Alcantara | Bench |
| 3/31 | STL vs MIL | Wacha | Start | Burnes | Start |
| 3/31 | CLE vs MIN | Carrasco | Start | Pineda | Maybe |
| 3/31 | BAL vs NYY | Bundy | Bench | Happ | Start |
| 3/31 | LAA vs OAK | Skaggs | Start | Montas | Bench |
| 3/31 | ATL vs PHI | Wright | Maybe | Arrieta | Start |
| 3/31 | SFG vs SDP | Rodriguez | Maybe | Paddack | Start |
| 3/31 | BOS vs SEA | Porcello | Start | LeBlanc | Bench |
| 3/31 | HOU vs TBR | Miley | Maybe | Opener? | Bench |
| 3/31 | CHC vs TEX | Hamels | Start | Lynn | Bench |
| 3/31 | DET vs TOR | Moore | Bench | Thornton | Bench |
| 3/31 | NYM vs WSH | Wheeler | Start | Corbin | Start |
Like this table. Was really helpful last year.
Freeland question – Fangraphs and other sources project Freeland’s ERA to be north of 4.00 and WHIP 1.25 or higher. You mentioned you moved him up in your rankings due to an increase in velo and slider usage this spring? Where do you conservatively see his ratios this year?
Hey man!
I think projections often overlook a pitcher’s craft and how they are able to induce poor contact at a consistent basis.
I’m not seeing a 4.00 ERA from Freeland…nor a sub 3.00 mark. A 3.50 with a 1.20 WHIP and 23% strikeout rate (as he raises his cutter/slider usage + showcases improved velocity) seem very reasonable to me.
That’s good enough for me. Drop Stripling for him? I currently have Clevinger, Flaherty, Buehler, Marquez, Stripling and Strahm. It’s a 10-team standard roto that uses QS instead of W.
If your league had a cap on the number of pitcher starts each week, how would you handle Kikuchi? It sounds like the Mariners will occsionally limit him to one inning, in an effort to keep him fresh all season. What isn’t known is how often that will happen, and burning a start on a guy who lasts one inning could be pretty costly in a weekly game.
“The whole key with Yusei is to get him through the entire season healthy,” manager Scott Servais said. “I can’t tell you if it’ll be the fourth start or fifth start or sixth start or seventh start. I don’t know when exactly, but it’s definitely something we want to stay on.”
I’m in a league with 12 starts/week and if I had him (I don’t in that one but do in a roto-league) I’d almost certainly sit him for that ‘start’. The counter could be to find out who’s coming in for him in relief and getting those innings (though my league is a QS league so that doesn’t help me)
I should have mentioned my league is a QS league too. I can see it being a total nightmare, unfortunately.
Is Strahm slated to start the Monday game instead of Sat? Thought I saw something on mlb.com about the skipper lining up Strahm for Monday.
Pivetta vs. ATL or Ryu vs. Arizona (QS not wins)
Ryu is safer for a QS.
Thanks Nick!
Got a chance to get Glasnow for Marwin Gonzalez. How much do you believe in him taking a big step forward in 2019?