MLB Two Start Pitchers: Week 9

Last week fantasy owners were searching high and low for two-start pitching options, and then this week rolls around with a wealth of dual-appearance starting pitchers on the slate. There are 48 to pick from when setting your lineups or perusing the waiver wire and free agent market, a true plethora to choose from in Week Nine. Not all are worthy of a roster slot, of course, but there are plenty of hurlers to consider in the middle tier this scoring period.

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:

Any of these pitchers are worth plugging in to your rotation and letting the chips fall where they may. Baseball being a funny game, some will disappoint in one of their trips to the hill, certainly, but overall, these 15 pitchers are the cream of the crop in this week’s set of two-start pitchers. Wind them up and let them go.

Junis has not pitched through six innings in his last three outings but has been delivering good results despite the abbreviated stints while toeing the rubber, as witnessed by his 3.52 ERA and 1.09 WHIP through 10 starts, five of which have been quality starts (QS). He has two home starts this scoring period, although that is not where he has done his best work to date, but facing the Twins and A’s are decent matchups, even so.

Smith has been collecting strikeouts at a prodigious rate, far exceeding expectations based on his Triple-A and prior MLB numbers, so do not expect the 11.86 K/9 rate over his ten starts in 2018 to continue indefinitely. You would be wise to take advantage of the results for the meantime, though, and with the Padres and Diamondbacks on the schedule in Week Nine, expect him to provide strikeouts during his two appearances this week.

Hellickson was forced from his latest start with a blister on his finger, and while the team is saying that the issue is a minor one, you need to monitor his status going into the next week. Hellboy has been effective at inducing opposing batters to hit the ball into the dirt (2.04 GB/FB ratio over 38.0 innings pitched) and is exhibiting excellent control over his seven starts for the Nationals (1.42 BB/9 this season). Two road starts this week are not ideal, but he has been effective overall, and thus is ranked highly in the middle tier.

Gonzales has two games at home this coming week, and while he has been a better road pitcher over his ten starts this year, he does get a couple of good matchups against the Rangers and Rays. He is an okay strikeout option, with an 8.27 K/9 rate over 53.1 IP and shows good control with an attractive 1.86 BB/9 ratio. His FIP of 3.31 (opposed to his 4.05 ERA) and inflated .356 BABIP hint that he may experience some positive regression going forward, and his propensity to generate groundballs works in his favor as well. He is owned in less than 10% of leagues in both ESPN and Yahoo, so now would be a good time to pick him up if you need a dependable SP3/4.

Straily is on the road for both his starts this week, where he has been most effective through his limited five starts in 2018. He has been an effective mound presence since his return to action for the Marlins, along with his rotation-mate Smith who was profiled three paragraphs above. His matchups are also favorable, and the free-swinging San Diego and Arizona squads can potentially improve his below-average strikeout production.

Skaggs is an effective starting pitcher on a team that has been winning apace on the road, so his first start in Week Nine at Detroit bodes well for him to continue his 2018 success on the mound, and a home start against the underperforming Rangers is a good matchup to wind up the scoring period. He is striking out better than a batter per inning this season and has been inducing groundballs at an increased rate to help his production. He is available in more than 40% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, and is worthy of adding to your roster, especially in a two-start period.

McCarthy is back on track, after stumbling badly to open May, allowing just two earned runs over 11.2 innings over his last two starts. He has two home starts this coming week, and he has been effective at home with the exception of the May 5^th 3.1 inning debacle against the Giants where he allowed eight earned runs. He is not a great source of strikeouts and faces a couple of teams that are not known for missing a ton of pitches in the Mets and Nationals but is a decent option for a win or potentially two victories if he continues to deal.

Koch, aside from a disastrous nine hit, eight earned run 4.1-inning performance at home against the Brewers, has been a pleasant addition to the Arizona rotation this season. His two starts in Week Nine are at home, but he has been more of a road warrior in the early part of the season. On the plus side, he gets to face a pair of weak opponents in Cincinnati and Miami. He is not much for missing bats, so do not pick him up for strikeouts.

Fulmer has picked up his whiff rate in 2018, with an 8.01 K/9 rate over his 10 starts this season. His control and ability to induce groundballs have suffered, though, making him a good but not great starting pitcher to rely upon this season. He has a pair of home starts this coming scoring period, a plus for him, as he is posting a sub-4.00 ERA at Comerica this year so far. Take advantage while the strikeout rate is high.

Sanchez has not lasted past the fifth inning in any of his last four outings. He has been a better road option this season and does have a pair of games away from Toronto coming up on the schedule. He does face Boston, against whom he racked up eight strikeouts earlier this season in his first road start, although neither of his opponents are ranked in the top third of strikeouts generated so far this year. Sanchez has potential, but can also blow up your ratios, so start him with less than total confidence.

Boyd is a risky option, after leaving his last start with an oblique issue. He is scheduled to make his next start, the team saying he had spasms and not a strain, but caution is advised as to his ability to make both starts lined up for Week Nine. He is a mediocre strikeout producer (7.10 K/9 over 52.0 innings) and has bouts of wildness that make him an inconsistent pitcher. He does limit the long ball, despite being an extreme flyball pitcher (0.52 HR/9 and 0.74 GB/FB ratios), which increases his ability to survive long enough to rack up a quality start, if not a victory.

Suter held the opposition to just three earned runs in his last two outings, although he fell an out short of accumulating six innings in each of those contests. He has yielded six homers over his last four starts, a troubling trend, to be sure. His control has been spot on, however, with a 2.03 BB/9 over his 53.1 innings, but he has also been giving up more than a hit per inning, which accounts for his inflated 1.31 WHIP. The second outing against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field is where you should consider using him this week.

Tropeano has put together three quality starts, marred only by a hiccup on May 18^th, where the Rays sent him to an early shower after just 2.2 innings and put up four earned runs on six hits and three walks. He has had control issues this season, with a 3.63 BB/9 ratio over 39.2 innings, nor does he rack up a huge number of strikeouts, carrying a below average 7.26 K/9 rate in his seven starts for the Angels. He has had better success away from his home park through the first two months of 2018 and faces the Tigers at Comerica for his first start in Week Nine, then gets the Rangers at home, so the matchups are decent this scoring period.

Kuhl is certainly not an electrifying starting pitching alternative, just a pitcher that can provide innings with good strikeout totals (8.57 K/9 rate over 55.2 innings) and the possibility of an occasional victory. The ratio numbers are not where his value lies, so make certain you can put up with an ERA above 4.00 if you elect to use him this scoring period.

Matz has been a solid if unspectacular pitcher in three of his last four outings. He has been pitching deeper into games, with two six-inning efforts out of his last four trips to the bump, and while not racking up huge strikeout numbers on the season, he is posting a good 8.23 K/9 rate over his nine starts this season. He has been a much better road pitcher in 2018, although heading to Atlanta is not an ideal trip. He also gets to face Lester and the Cubs at Citi Field in his second start, so despite the two starts, he is not necessarily an ideal choice in shallower leagues, and thus his lower place among this tier’s options.

Chatwood has two road starts in Week Nine, and with his road/home splits so far this season, that is a positive development for him. Of greater concern is his absurdly bloated walk rate which is an unbelievable 7.88 BB/9, and this is not due to one or two poor outings; he has held opponents below three walks in just three of his nine starts, with the other six outings resulting in 34 free passes. The second start against the Mets is his best matchup in Week Nine, if you feel the need to use a starting pitcher who has a problem locating his pitches.

Lynn has been brutal away from Target Field in his first season with Minnesota, and truth be told, has not exactly been stellar while tossing the horsehide at home, either. Still, all told, his second start at home against the Indians is looking like his best option for a decent performance. As with the fellow just above him in the tier, he is having difficulty locating the plate, posting an inflated 6.14 BB/9 rate over his 44.0 IP this season, although he has been showing better command in three of his last four appearances on the mound.

Plutko replaced the struggling Josh Tomlin in the Cleveland rotation, and has picked up a pair of victories in his first two starts. Cleveland has not been playing up to expectations but taking on the division rival White Sox and Twins may be the tonic needed to turn things around. He is not a great strikeout artist, and his 5.53 FIP and .153 BABIP are portents of negative regression, but again, the matchups are decent this week.

Sabathia has lasted just 13.1 innings over his past three starts, a decided downturn for the 37-year old southpaw. He has also seen his ERA rise from a stellar 1.39 at the beginning of May to the current useful but less desirable 3.55. He takes on Houston at Yankee Stadium, a decidedly effective road squad, and then heads to Baltimore’s cozy ballpark to wrap up the week. It is possible he gets back on track, but there is significant risk, especially with his limited strikeout potential these days.

Hernandez is certainly not the ace he once was, that much has been obvious the past couple of seasons. He does have a couple of home starts with good matchups this coming week, taking on the sad-sack Rangers and then the sub-.500 Rays. Despite a below average strikeout rate, the Rangers do strike out the most in all of the MLB, so that may increase his utility for a game at least in Week Nine.

Bundy winds up the middle tier, and aside from his ability to miss bats, there’s little reason to recommend him, despite two starts in Week Nine. An 11.06 K/9 rate is impressive, but a 4.45 ERA is mediocre at best. Pitching for the woeful Orioles is not exactly high praise for his potential this week, but if you need strikeouts, he can be useful.

In a week where you have so many middle tier options to consider, you should simply avoid these bottom tier denizens if you value your fantasy production. Sure, it is always possible that one or more will twirl a gem of a game, but the risk outweighs any potential benefit you might obtain by rolling those dice. The 12 pitchers dwelling in the bottom tier will likely provide poor results should you decide to employ their services in Week Nine. 

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