Welcome to the 21st edition of the 2026 two-start pitcher rankings!
Each week, I’ll break down all the projected two-start starters into four tiers: Set and Forget, Most Likely Start, Questionable, and Avoid. Set-and-Forget starters are simply that: get them in your lineup and shift your focus to other positions. The Most Likely tier includes players with a mix of skill and matchups that make them almost certainly two-start plays, though they carry some elevated risk compared to the top tier. Questionable starters are those best suited for daily lineup leagues, where you can bench them against the tougher of their two opponents; they’re more situation-dependent in weekly leagues. Finally, the Avoid tier includes the pitchers who should remain on your bench or the wire.
I will also be highlighting one Two-Start Streamer of the Week. The criteria for a streamer will be a rostered rate under 50% in Yahoo & ESPN leagues. The streamer of the week for this upcoming week is Martín Pérez, and he will have (STOW) next to his name.
As a friendly reminder, the projected starters are just that, projections, and are subject to change
- Nolan McLean is coming off a successful start against Atlanta in which he had a not-Nolan-like 3 K’s over 6 innings. He’s had the occasional blowup start (such as allowing 5 ER to the Guardians two starts ago), but aside from those rare occurrences, the floor and ceiling are both high.
- Cristopher Sánchez is one of the best pitchers in the sport and has a quality start in 17 of his 25 outings. He averages over a strikeout per inning while limiting walks (5.4% BB%) and should be a set-and-forget every week.
- Shane Baz saw his velocity drop in his last outing to 94 mph on his heater, and that’s something to monitor going forward. Despite this drop in velocity, Baz still showcased strong command and will face a struggling Yankees offense before taking on the Rays away from the Trop.
- Ranger Suarez was up to 81 pitches in his last start, throwing more than 70 pitches for the first time since returning to the rotation in late July. If this trend continues, he should be at his regular workload for his second start against the struggling Giants, and could throw 85+ against the Diamondbacks, more than enough to complete 5 innings.
- José Soriano is taking advantage of the improved defense behind him and has increased his sinker usage in both his starts as a Blue Jay. The strike% on both of his fastballs has been above 70% in each of his starts for Toronto, which should help unlock some of his untapped strikeout potential.
- Michael Wacha has one of the better matchup weeks, facing the A’s and Tigers in KC. Wacha quietly has 4 QS in his last 5 outings, including one against the Tigers, whom he’s scheduled to face in his second start of the week.
- Bryce Miller generated 11 whiffs on 41 splitters in his last outing that also saw the fastball average over 96mph. If the fastball velocity stays above that mark, it makes all his other offerings better and increases both his ceiling and floor.
- Brandon Young was effective in his last outing against the Twins, in which he threw a QS, allowing 1 ER and 9 baserunners (3 BBs, 6 H) with 3 K over 6 IP. His recipe of fastballs up and splitter below it should be successful against LHB, but RHB could be tough for him to put away.
- Will Warren should probably return to the bullpen when Carlos Rodón makes his return to the Yankees rotation, as he’s been shaky over the past few months and has a 5.96 ERA and 1.59 WHIP over his last 10 appearances (9 starts, 1 relief appearance).
- Luis Castillo generated 22 whiffs in his last outing, locating his fastballs up and his changeup below the zone extremely effectively. If he continues to command his pitches as he did against the Reds, he’s worth rostering, but for now I’m looking to consider him only when he’s pitching in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
- Framber Valdez’s K% and BB% have remained in line with his season averages (17.9% K rate, 8.5% BB rate) over his last 10 starts (18.2% K rate, 8.5% BB rate), which limits his upside. He did throw 5.2, 7.0, and 7.0 IP in his last three starts and is worth consideration as a streamer against the Royals and potentially the Pirates in deeper leagues.
- Jack Perkins and the A’s are on the road this week, making him an intriguing streaming option. Perkins has a 25% K rate on the season and top 25th percentile SwStr% and CSW, giving him strikeout upside that can be hard to find as a streamer.
- Cristian Javier pitched well against the Angels at the end of July — 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K– and faces them and a struggling Athletics team this week at home. That 7-strikeout start looks like an anomaly, but he could be worth a look in deeper leagues.
- Martín Pérez (STOW) had a devastating changeup in his last outing, generating 7 whiffs on 30 pitches and returning 7 outs on 9 BIP. His changeup is his best pitch, and he’ll mix in just enough fastballs to keep hitters honest. In his last 5 games, he has a 1.08 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 25 IP, and he’s worth streaming consideration while he’s still able to maximize his current approach.
- Andrew Abbott has struggled since a dominant start against the Phillies on July 7th, where he struck out 8 while walking none. In the 6 starts since that outing, he’s walked 19 batters while striking out 21 over 32 IP, pitching to a 4.78 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. His 13.6% BB rate over that period is notably worse than his season average of 11.1%, which is also the worst mark of his career.
- Kyle Leahy is still finding success and is coming off a strong start against the Phillies, whom he’s scheduled to rematch over the weekend. Over his last 9 starts, he’s striking out every 4th batter (25% K rate), allowing just under a baserunner per inning (0.99 WHIP), and has pitched to an elite 1.52 ERA. Pitching in Cincinnati is the main reason he’s in the Questionable tier this week, but in daily leagues he’s a solid option to stash.
I’m looking for better options on the days these pitchers start. There’s not much to say about any of them here, but I’m happy to elaborate on any of the two-start starters this week! Just reply to Nick’s post with the article on Twitter/X, and I’ll answer any questions!
