2017 MLB Two-Start Pitchers: Week 7

The two start options this week are not particularly strong at the top of the list, nor in the middle tier, either. Plenty of pitchers to avoid in the bottom tier, though. Most of those grouped into the middle tier are worth one start, but only those at the top of the tier are worth trusting with two starts.

Please realize that these articles feature most recent rotation information available when the article is written, but that circumstances do change due to weather conditions, injuries and general craziness with managers. If a pitcher is listed here as having two starts ends up with one (or perhaps none) in the upcoming week, my apologies but this article is meant to provide analysis, it is up to the manager to set the lineups or rotations.

Without further ado, here are this week’s two start pitchers:

Only seven two-start options grace the top tier, and if Triggs did not get to face Boston at home, he would not have made the cut. Holland and Estrada are likely short term members of the top tier, unless they can continue their recent streak of strong starts. If you own any of these pitchers, go ahead and place them in your lineup and expect good results.

Chase Anderson leads off the middle tier, and while he has a couple of road starts in Week 7, he has not been much worse away from his home park. He is an average strikeout producer, but keeps the ball in yard, as evidenced by his 0.5 HR/9 rate.

Kyle Freeland also has two road starts coming up, but since his home field is Coors, that is not necessarily a bad thing. He has been much better away from home this season, although he has held his own while hosting other teams with a superb 1.65 ERA over three starts covering 16.1 innings. He is also working on a streak of four quality starts (QS) and faces a couple of beatable teams in the Twins and Reds.

Matthew Boyd has been spinning QS in five of his last six starts and gets two home appearances in Week 7, where he has been much more effective than on the road. His 3.89 ERA and 1.45 WHIP are concerns, as is his control (4.35 BB/9), and he is a poor strikeout option, with a 6.64 K/9 rate over his 39.1 innings this season. Still, QS are nice if your league rewards for them and he tends to keep the ball inside the park.

Zack Wheeler has been inconsistent this season, but does produce decent strikeout numbers (8.07 K/9) and his second start at home against the Angels looks tasty. Heading to Arizona and Chase Field for his first start could be a good reason to only use him for one start this week, although his high groundball rate (2.68 GB/FB over six starts) will help him survive in the desert.

Zack Godley has secured the fifth starters slot in Arizona, now that Shelby Miller is slated for Tommy John surgery, at least for the moment. He has a small sample size with just two starts this season for the Diamondbacks, but looked good in Triple-A prior to joining the big league squad. He is striking out a batter per inning, so there is that going for him. A low BABIP of .243 and an unsustainable 81.8% strand rate do suggest that regression is due to hit at some point but he also has two good matchups against the Mets and Padres this upcoming scoring period.

Joe Musgrove has been up and down this season, tossing a good game, then giving up a bunch of runs in the next game or two. His strikeouts are down this season so far, and he needs to improve his control to be an effective SP, not just a streaming option. He is backed by a good offense, which can bail him out, and that could be helpful when he faces Cleveland at home for his second start.

Jimmy Nelson is on the road for his two starts this week, which is not ideal. He is an average strikeout producer, and suffers from control issues with a 3.29 BB/9 rate over his 38.1 innings. It might behoove his owners to sit him when he goes against the Cubs in his second start, but heading to San Diego looks safe.

Luis Perdomo has yet to get a decision in one of his starts, but is working on a three game QS streak. Although he is facing a couple of tough offenses in Week 7, he does get to pitch at home in both starts. He also keeps the ball in the park (0.3 HR/9) and generates a ton of grounders (5.60 GB/FB ratio through 28.1 innings).

Jesse Chavez gets to face a couple of teams that are not necessarily powerhouse offenses, although the Mets are a decent hitting club at home. He is a better option when the White Sox come to visit in his first start. He is more of a streaming option with the right matchup, and is not someone to just plug in and play every time he gets a start.

Dan Straily has a 1.08 WHIP on the season, which belies his 4.03 ERA. He is striking out nearly a batter per inning, although his control needs work, as it sits at a terrible 4.26 BB/9 over his seven starts. His first start against Houston at home is not a superb matchup, but facing the Dodgers in LA for his second start is a nice spot start option if you have him on your roster.

Lance Lynn has two home starts this week, and he has pitched extremely well in St. Louis this season, with a 1.47 ERA and 0.98 WHIP over 18.1 innings this year. He is a good strikeout producer with a 8.24 K/9 rate over his seven starts in 2017. He has never shown great control, and that continues to plague him this season.

Hyun-Jin Ryu did not look good in his return to action, getting roughed up at Coors by the Rockies to the tune of 10 runs (five earned) on eight hits and six walks. Chalk this up as an aberration, as he had been pitching effectively in the two starts before the hip injury sent him to the DL. A start in San Francisco to open Week 7 should help out, and his second start at home against the Marlins is also a winnable matchup.

Sean Manaea is coming off a shoulder injury, and gets to return to the mound in Seattle, a good pitcher’s park, then hosts the Red Sox at home. Both are decent options for him to bounce back to form and push his inflated 5.18 ERA down to a more respectable level, and with a 1.19 WHIP, that seems possible.

There a quite a lot of bottom tier dwellers this week, many who have had success in the past but are not pitching well enough to trust this season. The first name, John Lackey, could easily rebound but right now, there is no reason to believe he will provide useful stats for your fantasy squad. Of course, if you are pressed to find a starter or two due to your league requirements, you could take a flier on Jerad Eickhoff at Pittsburgh, or perhaps Matt Cain at home against the Dodgers. The others in this tier are best left on the bench or waiver wire.

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