We are down to a month left in the MLB season. It’s time to make every stat count as we near the end of the fantasy baseball year. Looking ahead to next week’s two-start pitchers, I highlight two players as my favorites for the week. One is a starter who has come out of nowhere to become one of the hottest pitchers, and a star rookie.
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There are a few teams missing from the list, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers have a six-man rotation. The Chicago White Sox, Miami Marlins, and Houston Astros are lined up for a bullpen game unless someone is called up. In my fantasy baseball two-start pitcher report, I break eligible pitchers into four categories. The first tier is the “No-Brainers,” with ideal pitchers and matchups that require no thought. Next is the “Next In Line” tier, which includes other optimal matchups but carries some risk.
The third tier is the “Streamer” tier, as the name suggests: pitchers who can produce decent stats, but the matchups aren’t ideal, so start at your own risk. The last tier is the “Avoid” tier, which includes pitchers with terrible matchups or who have been pitching badly and can be left on the bench or on the waiver wire. I also highlight my favorite matchups for the week.
MLB Two-Start Pitchers for August 24-30
My Favorite Two-Start Pitchers of the Week
Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals (vs Rockies, vs Marlins)
Cade Cavalli’s last two games were phenomenal. Against the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, he combined for 14 shutout innings, allowing only four hits, and had 21 strikeouts. The right-handed pitcher carried a no-hitter going into the seventh against the Cubs before Michael Busch singled with two outs. The Nationals probably wish he was pitching this well before the trade deadline.
The matchups he gets next week aren’t ideal, but sometimes you just have to ride with a hot pitcher. Both the Rockies and Marlins are in the top 10 of MLB in OPS against right-handed pitchers. The strikeout potential isn’t great either, with the Rockies ranking 15th (21.8%) and the Marlins ranking 22nd (21.3%).
However, since the trade deadline, the Marlins have become a better target for righties. They now rank 16th in OPS (.704) and 11th in strikeouts (23%). Plus, since they’re NL East rivals, Cavalli has seen these hitters before. He’s seen them twice this season, allowing two earned runs over five innings in both games. He wasn’t pitching this elite at that point of the season, so I’m making Cavalli my top pick for two-start pitchers next week.
Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians (@ Angels, vs Royals)
Parker Messick is having an outstanding rookie season. His 9-8 record is misleading, as the Guardians offense hasn’t pulled their weight, ranking 29th in runs per game (3.96). He’d be more in the AL Rookie of the Year discussion if he had a more appealing record, as the rest of his stats look great.
Next week, he gets two teams already looking at next season. The Angels are also a top team to target with a southpaw on the mound, ranking third in strikeout rate (25.4%) and 21st in OPS (.696). The Royals are slightly better, ranking 23rd in strikeout rate (21.2%) and 13th in OPS (.703). However, their offense struggles to score runs, ranking 23rd (4.19), slightly ahead of the Angels (4.14).
Even though the Royals are AL Central rivals, Messick has the advantage of seeing them for the first time, which is a big advantage for a strikeout pitcher. He has faced the Angels once this season, allowing two earned runs off four hits, and striking out six over 6.2 innings. Have full confidence starting the rookie for both matchups.
Two-Start Pitcher No-Brainers
Ranger Suarez, Boston Red Sox (@ Marlins, @ Yankees)
Payton Tolle, Boston Red Sox (@ Marlins, @ Yankees)
Drew Rasmussen, Tampa Bay Rays (@ Tigers, vs Padres)
Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies (@ Mariners, @ Angels)
Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds (@ Giants, @ Cubs)
Next In Line Two-Start Pitchers
Andrew Alvarez, Washington Nationals (vs Rockies, vs Marlins)
Walbert Urena, Los Angeles Angels (vs Guardians, vs Phillies)
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners (vs Phillies, @ Blue Jays)
Braxton Ashcraft, Pittsburgh Pirates (@ Padres, @ Cardinals)
Robbie Ray, San Diego Padres (vs Pirates, @ Rays)
Zac Thornton, New York Mets (vs Brewers, vs Astros)
Two-Start Pitcher Streamers
Kumar Rocker, Texas Rangers (@ White Sox, @ Brewers)
Kevin Gausman, Chicago Cubs (@ Diamondbacks, vs Reds)
Merrill Kelly, Arizona Diamondbacks (vs Cubs, @ Giants)
Zebby Matthews, Minnesota Twins (@ Athletics, vs White Sox)
Will Warren, New York Yankees (vs Astros, vs Red Sox)
Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals (@ Blue Jays, @ Guardians)
Tyler Mahle, Atlanta Braves (vs Dodgers, vs Rockies)
Chris Bassitt, Baltimore Orioles (@ Cardinals, vs Athletics)
Matthew Liberatore, St. Louis Cardinals (vs Orioles, vs Pirates)
Adrian Houser, San Francisco Giants (vs Reds, vs Diamondbacks)
Avoid These Two-Start Pitchers
Keider Montero, Detroit Tigers (vs Rays, vs Dodgers)
Ryan Feltner, Colorado Rockies (@ Nationals, vs Braves)
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics (vs Twins, vs Orioles)
Max Scherzer, Toronto Blue Jays (vs Royals, vs Mariners)
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