MLB Two Start Pitchers: Week 8

It was not that long ago you were being cautioned about small sample sizes distorting perceptions about starting pitchers. Well, now we are into mid-May and it is time to begin making decisions about which fantasy options you want to cut loose and those that you want to ride out, at least for the present time. Those that are consistently in the bottom tier are suggested as early casualties of misplaced draft optimism. The denizens of the middle tier, while not necessarily worthy of permanent roster positions, are certainly suitable for consideration while they are performing adequately or better.

Week 8 is not loaded with dual start options, with just six residents in the top tier. With merely six teams taking the field for seven contests, the pickings are slim for the scoring period. So choose well when setting your fantasy lineups for the current week.

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 listed here as having two starts ends up with one (or perhaps none) in the upcoming week, 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:

As noted above, there are only a half dozen no question options heading into the upcoming week. Plus, Pivetta is an unproven young arm, albeit one that has been effective this season. He does have a pair of home starts going for him, too.

Foltynewicz is an elite strikeout pitcher, coming off a 10 strikeout effort over five innings against the visiting Cubs in his most recent appearance, and he has a superb 10.91 K/9 rate over his 47.0 innings pitched (IP) in 2018. While no slouch at home this season, he has been stellar on the road and gets a pair of away contests in Week 8. The biggest downside is having to face the powerful Boston lineup in Fenway at the end of the week, although pitching at Citizens Bank Park in Philly is not necessarily an easier task. If the matchups were not what they are, he would have been ensconced in the upper tier for this scoring period.

Cahill has only made five starts this year although he was mostly sharp in his return to action after dealing with an elbow impingement, yielding three earned runs to the Red Sox over five innings. He owns an attractive 2.79 ERA and 1.00 WHIP this season, and an elite 4.57 K/BB ratio over his 29.0 innings pitched (9.93 K/9 and 2.17 BB/9). Plus, he generates an extreme number of groundballs (2.87 GB/FB ratio) and keeps the ball in the park (0.9 HR/9). With two home starts, he is an excellent option for his two starts this coming week.

Taillon has been pitching well after struggling during a couple of starts in late April. The talent is certainly there for the ace of the Pittsburgh staff, providing he can stay healthy and in the rotation. A matchup against the Reds to open the week is certainly attractive and getting the Cardinals at home is not a terrible opportunity for the 26-year old righty. It would be nice to see the strikeout rate take an upturn, but his control and tendency to induce grounders are good skills to bank on going forward.

It was a two-to-three weeks ago that it you were advised to avoid all Baltimore starting pitchers but Gausman has actually been a decent starting option of late. He was roughed up by the Red Sox in his most recent trip to the bump, but before that he had been within one out of tossing six consecutive quality starts (QS). He is on the road for both his upcoming starts and has been better away from Camden Yards this season.

Lyles has joined the Padre rotation full-time and was perfect through 7 1/3 innings in his last start against the Rockies. He is a nice source of strikeouts with good control (9.00 K/9, 2.53 BB/9 through 32.0 IP), and if his two starts were not away from Petco this week, he would be rated higher in this tier.

Cashner is another Oriole starter that has been hurt by his team’s offensive production (or lack thereof) but also gets the advantage of plying his trade away from his home park in Week 8, where he has had more success thus far this year. While he lacks the control that his teammate Gausman has demonstrated this season, he is a better source of strikeouts with a useful 8.23 K/9 rate over his nine starts comprising 50.1 innings. As with Gausman, he gets to face the struggling White Sox in his first trip to the mound, although the second game against the Rays could be more of a test for him.

The veteran southpaw Happ has been mostly dependable this season, aside from the ten hit, seven earned run effort against the Mariners prior to his last shutout effort against the Mets on the road. He has been missing bats at an unprecedented rate this season, so expect that to normalize at some point but even if he returns to his career levels, he is a useful source of whiffs. He has struggled at home, so if you are going to use him with confidence, his second trip to toe the rubber against Philly is the better option in the coming week.

Berrios has been up and down this season but is coming off a stellar two hit, one earned run game against the Cards where he racked up ten strikeouts. The 23-year old righty is certainly not a dependable arm to bank on, and while he is a better option at home this season, it is becoming difficult to count out the Tigers, his first opponent. The skills are intriguing, but the inconsistency can be frustrating.

Anderson returns to the Milwaukee rotation, after a bout of food poisoning caused him to miss his last scheduled start. He has been a superior road option this year, so two home games are not a reason to employ his services, necessarily. He is a poor strikeout option with a subpar 5.96 K/9 rate over his 45.1 innings in 2018, and his control is weak as well (3.18 BB/9). If you have a better two-start option, you should probably consider using him, although Anderson is certainly capable of providing useful stats in any trip to the mound.

Colon continues to defy the calendar, with the soon to be 45-year old hurler consistently pitching deep into games. He is not racking up many strikeouts, which is helping him keep his pitch counts down, and while his 2.82 ERA seems due for a negative regression (witness his 4.53 FIP and unsustainable .212 BABIP and 79.4% strand rate for hints at that development in the future), he does have a pair of home starts in Week 8. Of his two visits to the mound this week, though, the second against the Royals looks to be the most likely to generate a strong stat line.

Harvey came back to earth in his second start for the Reds, allowing three earned runs in a road start in San Francisco. He is still stretching out his arm after his bullpen stint with the Mets prior to being traded, having lasted just four innings in his two starts for Cincy. It is difficult to fully get behind him given his limited innings, and a start at Coors Field to wind up the week looms as a potential stumbling block in his return to the ranks of starting pitchers. Not that a home game to open Week Eight against the visiting Pirates is necessarily a great matchup. It is a bit early to fully trust or doubt Harvey, so take a wait-and-see approach, and use him with discretion at this point.

Marquez rounds up the middle tier. He gets the Dodgers in LA for his first matchup, and given his home/road splits this season, that is the start that looks most promising for him in Week 8. He is a good source of strikeouts with an 8.86 K/9 rate over 43.2 IP, but needs to harness his control, as he is walking better than four batters per nine innings through his nine starts. Even against the woeful Reds, starting him at home in his second appearance this week is not necessarily a safe decision.

Of these twelve starting pitchers, only Faria gives pause, but he has been awful against both his week eight opponents this season. No real reason to run him out there, hoping he has somehow figured out a way to shut down the two teams that have beat him up in 2018. The balance of the pitchers in this bottom tier are not worthy of consideration unless you absolutely have to get some innings due to your league requirements, and even then, there are likely better streaming options to pursue on the free agent market or waiver wire.          

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