Welcome to the 26th 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 Shane Baz 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
- Max Fried hasn’t had the season he envisioned, but he’s still been effective. Over his last 10 outings, he’s pitched to a 2.28 ERA and 1.01 WHIP with a 28.9% K rate.
- Logan Gilbert has two starts at home this week against two AL West teams. It doesn’t get much better than that. He’s allowed 3 ER or fewer in 9 of his last 10 starts and is averaging over a strikeout per inning.
- Zack Wheeler has allowed just 3 ER over his last 4 starts (26 IP) with 29 strikeouts, and is averaging over 100 pitches per start in his last 6 outings.
- Logan Henderson has a 2.25 ERA and 0.75 WHIP over his last 10 starts with a ridiculous 31.2% strikeout rate and 4.1% walk rate.
- Jared Jones has struck out over a batter per inning in his last 6 starts. The pitch counts have been hovering around 90, which has led to 2 quality starts in his last 3 outings.
- Shane Baz (STOW) has seen his velo take a step back. The Blue Jays and Yankees are ranked 16th and 18th, respectively, in wRC+ vs RHP.
- Jake Bennett struck out 7 against the Rangers. The Cubs have destroyed LHP (123 wRC+), but early in the week against the Guardians (88 wRC+ vs LHP) could be intriguing.
- Anthony Kay has thrown 67 and 66 pitches in his last two starts, completing only 4 innings in each. He hasn’t finished the fourth inning since a 6-inning outing against Atlanta on August 20th.
- Foster Griffin has mostly been a high-floor option since being acquired by the Guardians. The last two starts have not gone his way, but the velocity was higher in his last outing. If that trend holds, he’s a strong option against the Royals over the weekend as the Guardians battle for the division.
- Cristian Javier pitched well in the two starts prior to his outing against the Royals (in which he was fine, allowing 2 ER over 5.1 with 2 K’s and a 1.50 WHIP). The pitch count has hovered around 80 in his last 4 outings. At Seattle is the better option of his starts this week.
- Yusei Kikuchi has an 8th percentile BABIP despite a 67th percentile GB%. His 5.02 ERA is almost a full run higher than his 4.24 FIP. I’m hesitant to trust him in Sacramento, but at Seattle is a play in daily leagues.
- MacKenzie Gore saw his velocity on his four-seamer drop almost a full tick. He generated only 1 whiff on the pitch despite using it 41 times against the Red Sox in an outing where he didn’t strike out a single hitter. In his last 5 outings, he’s completed 5 innings once and 4 innings only twice. Walks have been a problem over that stretch as well.
- Sean Manaea pitched well against the Orioles his last time out, completing 5.1 innings on just 67 pitches. The downside is that this is his second consecutive start with a pitch count under 70. The Nationals offense is still a threat (3rd in Runs scored this season), but he’s a fun option at Texas and can be replaced for a different starter later in the week.
- Kevin Gausman hasn’t been as good as expected since being traded to the Cubs, with the expectation that their elite defense would help him pitch closer to his 2025 self. He’s pitched to a 5.04 ERA as a Cub despite improvements to both his K% and BB%, as his HR/9 has almost doubled since joining the Chicago rotation. He’s a high-ceiling, low-floor pitcher at this point.
- Andre Pallante can be an option in deeper daily leagues against the Pirates. I’d look for better options over the weekend, though.
- Michael Soroka looked great against the Marlins, allowing just 1 ER over 5.0 IP with 6 Ks. He generated 13 whiffs on just 80 pitches. Given his reliance on the curveball to be successful, Coors is a scary proposition. That being said, a start in San Diego to end the season could see a similar result as that strong Marlins start.
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!
