Baseball is back! Here are the two-start pitchers for Week 2 (4/11-4/17). I will be providing these pitchers each week for the entire season. A couple of things to keep in mind, streaming is risky. There is a reason why a lot of these pitchers are on your waiver wire and/or were not drafted. Stream strategically and always remember a high-quality one-start pitcher is almost always better than a two-start streamer.
This article was produced on Saturday before the week starts so double-check the rotations have not changed before you make any moves. For this week I will be citing teams’ 2021 wRC+ vs righties and lefties until we have more information on 2022. With that said, I adjusted my tiers based on teams offseason transactions and injuries. Lastly, a shoutout to Chris Clegg who assisted me in this article while providing the framework.
Two-Start Pitchers for Week 2
Tier Description:
Must-Start: These pitchers should be started regardless of match-up. They are a must-start in all leagues until further notice.
Should-Start: These pitchers should start in most leagues. However, these pitchers are not elite and are more subject to variance in performance. Tread lightly.
Questionable: Only start these pitchers if you are in a very deep league or if you are desperate for counting stats.
Sit: Do not start these pitchers.
Must Starts
| Pitcher | ERA (2021) | Start 1 | Team wRC+ (2021) | Start 2 | Team wRC+ (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alek Manoah | 3.22 | @ NYY | 97 | OAK | 101 |
| Zach Wheeler | 2.78 | NYM | 97 | @ MIA | 86 |
| Tyler Mahle | 3.75 | CLE | 90 | @ LAD | 107 |
| Corbin Burnes | 2.43 | @ BAL | 85 | STL | 92 |
| Yu Darvish | 4.22 | @ SF | 110 | ATL | 100 |
Tyler Mahle pitched a gem against the World Series defending Atalanta Braves to open the season. Mahle struck out seven over five innings and he only gave up three hits. Next week he faces an underwhelming Guardians team at home. Then he takes on the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road. Last year Mahle had a 3.82 SIERA over 180 innings along with a 27.7 strikeout percentage (77th percentile). He is underrated and should be a great SP option all year.
Yu Darvish pitched six hitless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Darvish topped out at 97mph and had a great feel for his splitter. Darvish did somewhat labor through his innings though. He threw 92 pitches while walking four batters. Next week is going to be a big test for the 35-year-old with the Giants and Braves. But I believe Darvish’s track record and he should be able to collect a win or two.
Yu Darvish, Filthy 90mph Splitter. 😷 pic.twitter.com/cxXWYUsNL4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 8, 2022
Should Start
| Pitcher | ERA (2021) | Start 1 | Team wRC+ (2021) | Start 2 | Team wRC+ (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger Suarez (L) | 1.36 | NYM | 94 | @ MIA | 80 |
| Alex Wood (L) | 3.83 | SD | 94 | CLE | 99 |
Alex Wood faces the Padres and Guardians next week. Both teams struggle against left-handed pitching and both games are in San Francisco. In 2021, Wood had a career-high 26% strikeout percentage and he threw his slider a career-high 693 times. Wood’s slider had a .189xBA with a 39.9% whiff rate. The Giants find the ability to get the most out of their veteran arms. It appears Wood is on track for a solid year.
Questionable
| Pitcher | ERA (2021) | Start 1 | Team wRC+ (2021) | Start 2 | Team wRC+ (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yusei Kikuchi (L) | 4.41 | @ NYY | 110 | OAK | 102 |
| Patrick Corbin (L) | 5.82 | @ ATL | 93 | @ PIT | 78 |
| Chris Flexen | 3.61 | @ MIN | 98 | HOU | 117 |
| Ryan Yarbrough (L) | 5.11 | OAK | 107 | @ CWS | 113 |
| Michael Wacha | 5.05 | @ DET | 90 | MIN | 98 |
| Aaron Civale | 3.84 | @ KC | 86 | SF | 110 |
| Carlos Hernandez | 3.68 | CLE | 90 | DET | 90 |
| Taijuan Walker | 4.47 | @ PHI | 92 | ARI | 79 |
| Huascar Ynoa | 4.05 | WAS | 96 | @ SD | 94 |
| Jameson Taillon | 4.3 | TOR | 111 | @ BAL | 85 |
| Luis Patino | 4.31 | OAK | 101 | @ CWS | 108 |
| Eric Lauer (L) | 3.19 | @ BAL | 102 | STL | 115 |
| Nestor Cortes (L) | 2.9 | TOR | 116 | @ BAL | 102 |
This year we will learn if Nestor Cortes is for real or not. In 93 innings last year, Cortes had a 2.90 ERA with a 27.5 strikeout percentage. Cortes does a good job of limiting walks. Since he decreased his slider usage, he has found a lot more success with his fastball and change-up.
With Yusei Kikuchi, I am currently on the fence. After coming out of the gates hot in 2021, he had a terrible second half of the season. During spring training, Kikuchi has flashed signs that he is fully ready to bounce back in 2022. As of now, I am sitting him because of the tough road match-up against the Yankees in weekly leagues. In daily leagues, I would scoop him for his second start against the A’s.
Yusei Kikuchi Spring Training Debut. 2.0IP, 4 K, and his fastball was touching 95. I’m so excited for this guy pic.twitter.com/6abFEAg56N
— spencer: (@Spenred) March 23, 2022
Huascar Ynoa’s match-ups this week are really juicy so I would understand if you take the leap and start him. It was a tale of two seasons for Ynoa last year. Before the All-star game, Ynoa went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA. After the break, Ynoa struggled to a 5.05 ERA. Which Ynoa will we get this year? That is the question.
Sit
| Pitcher | ERA (2021) | Start 1 | Team wRC+ (2021) | Start 2 | Team wRC+ (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Hicks | 5.4 | KC | 86 | @ MIL | 92 |
| Joan Adon | 3.38 | @ ATL | 100 | @ PIT | 85 |
| Zach Thompson | 3.24 | @ STL | 92 | WAS | 96 |
| Dakota Hudson | 2.08 | PIT | 85 | @ MIL | 92 |
| Bruce Zimmermann (L) | 5.04 | MIL | 90 | NYY | 110 |
| Tyler Alexander (L) | 3.81 | BOS | 102 | @ KC | 99 |
| Paul Blackburn | 5.87 | @ TB | 111 | @ TOR | 111 |
| Taylor Hearn (L) | 4.66 | COL | 77 | LAA | 101 |
| Keegan Thompson | 3.38 | @ PIT | 85 | @ COL | 77 |
| Austin Gomber (L) | 4.53 | @ TEX | 79 | CHC | 99 |
| Elieser Hernandez | 4.18 | @ LAA | 91 | PHI | 92 |
| Jose Quintana (L) | 6.43 | @ CHC | 99 | WAS | 112 |
| Matt Manning | 5.8 | BOS | 109 | KC | 86 |