We made it through the MLB trade deadline, and now the fantasy baseball trade deadline. It is really crunch time which means evaluation is key. You must be aware of your place in the standings and what categories you need to attack for the remainder of the season. Utilizing two-start pitchers can help do this.
From a pitching standpoint, it is often a balancing act between the ratios (ERA/WHIP) and the counting categories (Wins/Strikeout), and then Saves also come into play. When we are dealing with points leagues, things are very different as it no longer matters where the points come from, just how many points you can accumulate. In either type of league, effectively using two-start pitchers can be a great way to stay ahead of your competition.
I won’t be listing all two-start pitchers for the upcoming week as that could be too cumbersome. With this being said, we will only detail the viable options that will be taking the mound twice.
If you are in the position of trolling the waiver wire, especially in deeper leagues, it is hard to find comfort with the options that are likely available, so caution must be exercised. Regardless of league size, this is something that must be managed across the board.
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Fantasy Baseball Two-Start Pitchers
No Doubters
There are simply some pitchers who are going to be weekly occupants of your starting lineup regardless of any other variables.
Max Scherzer, Texas Rangers, vs. LA Angels, vs. Milwaukee
Scherzer has hit the ground running with his new team as he has ripped off victories in consecutive starts. The veteran has won each of his last three starts to improve to 11-4 on the season. His recent success has brought his ERA down to 3.88 while he continues to strike out more than 10 batters per nine innings. Home runs continue to be an issue, but the overall body of work is still pretty good.
Yu Darvish, San Diego Padres, vs. Baltimore, vs. Arizona
Facing the Orioles is always going to be tough this season while Arizona has cooled down. That is the opposite of Darvish who has a 0.95 ERA in his last three starts. After struggling through May and June, Darvish posted a 3.62 ERA in July. This is a streak to jump on as while the strikeouts are down, Darvish is still at more than a batter an inning.
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners, at Kansas City, at Houston
Gilbert gets the week off to a nice start by facing the Royals. With 22 strikeouts and just three walks over his last three starts, Gilbert has been locked in. The fact that Gilbert is walking just 1.57 batters per nine innings helps to reduce the risk as does his 3.66 ERA. This is the second straight strong season for the right-hander who is in position to pick up his 11th victory.
Max Fried, Atlanta Braves, vs. NY Yankees, vs. San Francisco
After six shutout innings in his first start back, Fried struggled in the encore. The left-hander made it through just four innings while allowing four runs against the Pirates. Neither of these lineups should generate much fear and Fried has been good when healthy this year. Through seven starts, he is striking out more than a batter an inning to go along with a 2.50 ERA while generating a 64.2% ground ball rate.
Solid Options
These two-start pitchers are likely going to be rostered in the majority, if not all leagues, and started in most of them as well.
Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles, at San Diego, at Oakland
Talk about an exciting young pitcher. Rodriguez is backed by both run support and a strong bullpen, and in his second stint with the Orioles, he is pitching up to those standards as well. Seeing the top prospect as a two-start pitcher certainly is exciting though. The fact that his second start comes in Oakland is even better. Rodriguez posted a 3.18 ERA in three July starts and a 3.86 ERA in two August starts and there is clear strikeout upside.
Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks, at Colorado, at San Diego
It goes without saying, but Kelly takes a hit this week as heads to Coors Field. With that being said, it has been a strong year for Kelly and his 3.05 ERA. While he is now walking over three batters per nine innings, Kelly did boost his strikeout rate to over nine. The Padres are an interesting team, but Kelly has proven to be a worthy option.
Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers, vs. Milwaukee, vs. Miami
From a talent and potential standpoint, there is a lot to like here. The problem, from a fantasy perspective, is that the Dodgers will continue to limit Miller’s innings. Over his last three starts, Miller has logged just 14.2 innings which will keep him fresh. With a 2.45 ERA and 13 strikeouts, the good news is that we do not have to worry about performance.
Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals, vs. Oakland, vs. NY Mets
Mikolas really hits the jackpot this week as he faces the A’s and Mets. While he is winless in his last three starts, Mikolas has a strong 3.07 ERA in that stretch, so the concern is minimal. Overall, Mikolas has a respectable 4.20 ERA, and while strikeouts are not an asset, he is a solid source of innings.
Worthy of a Start in Most Leagues
In 10-team leagues, these two-start pitchers might be not worth the trouble, but in anything deeper, these Fantasy Baseball Two Start Pitchers are worth strong consideration at a minimum, and likely deserving of a starting spot this week.
Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees, at Atlanta, vs. Boston
Schmidt has been one of the few bright spots in the rotation for New York as of late. This week, the right-hander will be tested by the Braves before facing Boston. With almost a strikeout per inning, eight victories in 23 starts, and a 4.23 ERA, Schmidt is a solid two-start pitcher option this week.
Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals, vs. Seattle, at Chicago Cubs
Going into the season, I was high on Singer but his performance did not reflect that. After an 8.49 ERA in April and a 5.47 mark in May, things have gone in the right direction. In his last three starts, Singer’s ERA is just 2.29 as he continues to round into form. While we would like to see improvement, 2.81 walks per nine innings could be worse. With a 48.9% ground ball rate, 7.7% barrel rate, and 9.6 degree average launch angle, hitters are also not squaring the ball up against Singer.
Braxton Garrett, Miami Marlins, vs. Houston, at LA Dodgers
The issue here preventing Garrett from a higher tier is the fact that he faces the Astros and Dodgers. With a 2.65 ERA in his last three starts, Garrett is coming off a recent string of success. That brought Garrett’s ERA down to 4.08 on the season. It is a nice recovery after his 5.92 ERA in July, but the good news is that he strikes out more than a batter per inning. The risk is mitigated by a lack of walks and a groundball rate of close to 50%.
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox, at Washington, at NY Yankees
The good news is that you know what you are getting with Pivetta. What might be even better, are his two favorable matchups. Pivetta has a solid 4.06 ERA on the season which certainly works. The upside then comes from 11.10 strikeouts per nine innings. On the risk side, the right-hander is walking 3.51 batters per nine innings and allowing 1.57 home runs.
Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs, vs. Chicago White Sox, vs. Kansas City
Hendricks recent body of work is tainted by a seven-run outing against Atlanta. He bounced back allowing just two runs to Mets to bring his ERA back to 4.17 after it was 3.61 entering the start against the Braves. Facing the White Sox and Royals this week should make things life easier for the veteran right-hander who does leave us wanting more with respect to strikeout upside.
Wade Miley, Milwaukee Brewers, at LA Dodgers, vs. Texas
A 1.13 ERA in his last three starts catches our attention, and then Miley’s opponents give us some cause for concern. Just over six strikeouts per nine innings will not generate much upside, but a 2.90 ERA does help. It just unclear how much it will help given Miley’s 4.41 FIP.
Graham Ashcraft, Cincinnati Reds, vs. Cleveland, vs. Toronto
It has been an up-and-down season for Ashcraft, but we are currently in an upswing. In his last three starts, Ashcraft has a strong 1.71 ERA which brought his mark for the year down to 4.95. The upside is lacking though as he strikes out less than seven batters per nine innings while walking 3.45.
Logan Allen, Cleveland Guardians, at Cincinnati, vs. Detroit
With a 3.55 ERA in 17 starts, it has been a solid overall season for Allen. He does struggle with walks though, as evidenced by his 1.37 WHIP, but Allen has done a solid job of limiting damage this year. A 4.46 xERA does make things a little worse, but facing Detroit does help Allen’s standing among two-start pitchers this week.
Two-Start Pitchers from the Waiver Wire
These are pitchers who are rostered in less than 50% of leagues who could provide value both for this week and the remainder of the season. This is especially the case in deeper leagues, but these options have potential across most formats if you are looking to maximize your innings.
Reese Olson, Detroit Tigers, at Minnesota, at Cleveland
After three straight uneven performances, Olson took care of business against Minnesota in his last start. Of course, there is some concern as his next start will be an encore, but it is hard to overlook six shutout innings. Olson limited the Twins to just two hits and three walks while striking out eight. Through 13 games, 10 starts, Olson has a respectable 4.45 ERA with 8.60 strikeouts per innings, but I would be careful of asking too much of him.
David Peterson, New York Mets, vs. Pittsburgh, at St. Louis
The Mets have not asked too much of Peterson in his recent starts, and pull him at the first sign of trouble. While he has only allowed two runs in his last starts, it has come in just 6.2 innings. After success last year, Peterson has struggled through most of this year, while pitching better as of late, it will not be a smooth ride.
Zack Littell, Tampa Bay Rays, at San Francisco, at LA Angels
Littell has started each of his last three games allowing five runs in 17 innings of work. Littell has updated his pitch mix from prior seasons, not surprising since this is first with Tampa Bay, and he is worthy of some attention with a 4.10 in 41.2 innings this year.
JP Sears, Oakland A’s, at St. Louis, vs. Baltimore
We know that Sears will struggle to generate run support, but other than in chasing wins, how much do we want to hold that against him? It is interesting that Sears’ ERA is almost a run higher on the road than at home this year. Home runs, 1.79 per nine innings, are a clear problem and his 27.2% ground ball rate is troubling. Additionally, a 24.1-degree average launch angle and 12.7% opposing barrel rate are concerning, so tread carefully here.
Carlos Carrasco, New York Mets, vs. Pittsburgh, at St. Louis
If you are desperate for two-start pitchers, then use with extreme caution. Carrasco did limit the Cubs to two runs over five innings in his last start, but this is not going to be an easy ride.