2017 MLB Two-Start Pitchers: Week 8

There is a wealth of two-start options to consider heading into Week 8, with a nice set of “no questions asked” arms in the top tier (there were 11 until Dallas Keuchel was placed on the DL yesterday), and a generous helping of another 17 starting pitchers in the middle tier. As usual, some of the middle tier selections are better used as one-start options, either due to venue or opponent. As per usual, there are some additions to the bottom tier that you may want to start for one reason or another, but you are urged to ignore these impulses.

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.

A fine selection of plug in and forget about them options for this upcoming week of fantasy baseball. Houston had a pair of two-start pitchers, Keuchel and McCullers, but that scenario took a kick to the teeth with Keuchel going on the DL yesterday with a neck issue, although Keuchel is expected to be back for his second start. With the backing of a strong offense, and a return to form, McCullers is a good option still. Pineda was at one time a risk for the long ball at home, but he has been suffering the homer problem on the road more often this season, so a two-home start week looks tasty. Especially with Pineda’s K potential, he is a good choice this week. Although the Royals are still struggling, both Duffy and Vargas are pitching well, so even with two road starts, they still make the cut, although do not be surprised if neither comes up with a victory for their owners in Week 8.

Lance Lynn opens the middle tier, and he has thrown five quality starts (QS) in his past six starts. He offers good strikeout numbers (7.94 K/9), but his lack of control (3.38 BB/) and a 5.19 FIP, .228 BABIP and unsustainable 86% strand rate hint that a correction is coming. He is also on the road for both his Week 8 starts, and the second is at Colorado, although he has pitched well at Coors Field over the past three seasons (not so well at LA, though). He has a hot hand, and while this streak of QS may come to an end soon, it is difficult not to like the results of late.

Ervin Santana has been a true ace for the Twins, although he is coming off a poor effort against the Rockies where he allowed five earned runs on six hits and four walks, an aberration on his prior dominance. He sports a 2.07 ERA and superb 0.89 WHIP over his nine starts. A 4.53 FIP is worrisome, and his BABIP and strand rates (.147 and 85.1% respectively) are not sustainable. He heads to Baltimore for his first Week 8 start, but has a better matchup with Tampa Bay coming to visit at the end of the scoring period, so maybe he is not a true two-start option but more of a pitcher to plug in at the end of the week.

Jon Lester is not having a stellar 2017 season, but is still striking out better than a batter per inning (9.17 K/9). He gets to face the Giants at home in his first start, and he has been very good at home this season, but a second start at LA against Kershaw might make you want to take a second thought about using him for both his starts.

Rick Porcello is certainly not looking like he did in his 2016 Cy Young season, but part of that has to do with less run production from his offense this season. The strikeouts are there (9.43 K/9) and his control is spot on at 1.95 BB/9 over his 55.1 innings this year. Yielding a MLB-leading 66 hits and 10 HR in 9 starts also have contributed to a decline from his career-year 2016 season. Pitching at home has not helped his stats this season, and facing the Rangers at Fenway for his first start is not exactly promising, but the second start when the Mariners come to visit has more than some potential for a decent outing.

Alex Cobb is working on a string of four QS, and his strikeout numbers have been improving. He is exhibiting good control (2.24 BB/9) and his extreme groundball inducing ways are a big help to his success. With the Angels coming in for his first start, and then heading to Minnesota at the end of the week, he looks good for at least one start this week, and if you believe the Twins are due to fade sometime soon, then he is a fine two-start option.

Jose Urena has been solid in his last three appearances this season, and boasts a superb 1.91 ERA and a useful 1.21 WHIP on the year. Pitching in Oakland for his first trip to the mound bodes well for a good opening to the week, and facing the weak hitting Angels at home holds promise for his two-start week.

The 33-year old veteran right handed Matt Garza has put together a nice string of four consecutive QS, and gets to pitch at home for both his Week 8 starts, although in a small sample size, he has been much better on the road. He is relying on his control (1.82 BB/9) to succeed, as he is still a poor strikeout producer as he has been for the past several seasons. Being backed by a strong offense does not hurt his chances to continue his 2017 success.

Matt Shoemaker has been pitching much better after a tough start to the season, putting up two QS in his last two appearances. He gets two road games this week, and the second start against the struggling Marlins is a must start. The first against the Rays is less promising, but still worth considering in light of his home/road splits this season.

Teammates R.A. Dickey and Mike Foltynewicz have one home start each this week against the Pirates, and although teams seem to be lighting it up in Atlanta’s home park this season, Pittsburgh is not exactly a powerhouse road team this season. For their second starts, they get to pitch against the weak hitting Giants in a pitcher’s park. Still, the best approach is to avoid the home starts for Atlanta pitchers, and thus, plug these two in for their second starts in Week 8. Neither is a great strikeout producer, and both sport weak peripherals, but chalk some of that up to their home park. (Update: Julio Teheran was originally slated for two starts this week, but R.A. Dickey and Teheran switched spots for this week. Teheran now gets 1 start on Wednesday.)

Kyle Hendricks had a career year in 2016, so some falloff was expected. After a rocky start to the season, though, he has settled in, with four of his last five starts being QS. His K-rate is down (7.49 K/9) and more worrisome, his BB rate is up (3.55 BB/9), but his groundball rate is keeping him relevant as a SP in fantasy leagues (1.94 GB/FB over his 45.2 innings pitched over eight starts). Getting to face the Giants at home and then heading to Dodger Stadium are both positives for him, just do not expect the same results he produced the last two seasons.

Johnny Cueto is hauling around an unsightly 4.50 ERA this season, and he is not being as effective at keeping the ball on the ground as in the past. Still, he has a track record of success, and gets to face the Braves at home at the end of the week. He has struggled somewhat at Wrigley over the past three seasons, so sitting him on the road in his first start might be a wise decision, given his home-road splits this season.

Andrew Cashner has yet to fail to toss a QS in May, and while he does not put up great strikeout numbers with a woeful 4.24 K/9 this year (and his walks are at an alarming 4.69 BB/9 over his 40.1 innings), he has been getting results by keeping the ball within the walls, and generating his share of grounders (1.59 GB/FB ratio over seven starts). He does not have the luxury of pitching at home in Week 8, instead heading to Boston and Toronto for road starts. Thus, he is more of a desperation play this scoring period.

Ty Blach heads to Chicago to face the Cubs in his first start, which is not exactly a key to success on the mound, but then gets the Braves at home (and away from Turner Field, a definite positive). An 11:10 K/BB ratio over his 34.2 innings pitched in 2017 limits his value to a huge extent, but he has had success by limiting the homers and generating a decent number of grounders (0.8 HR/9 and 1.59 GB/FB). Even so, he is likely a one-start option, that being the game against Atlanta at home at the end of Week 8.

J.C. Ramirez is a weak K option, with just a 7.36 K/9 over his 47.2 innings pitched this season. He does feature a 95 MPH fastball, so that could change although he never showed much swing and miss potential during any of his stints in the majors (the minors are a different matter entirely, so there is potential). He is demonstrating good control with 2.27 BB/9 this season, and he has finally pushed his ERA below 4.00 again with his last outing against the White Sox, a seven inning no-decision where he allowed just two earned runs on five hits and no free passes. The second start in Miami is his best option for a quality start this coming week, with his first trip to the mound in Tampa Bay being a bit more questionable.

German Marquez has been pitching more effectively on the road in 2017, hardly a surprise given that his home park is Coors Field (although this is a reversal of his 2016 home/road splits). Of course, his road start is in Philadelphia, and then he gets the Cards at home at the end of the week. He has only allowed two homers in five games started, and those came in one game against the Diamondbacks at Coors. His strikeout ratio is weak (7.45 K/9) and he has struggled with his control (3.10 BB/9). He is backed by a good offense, though, and the road game looks like a streaming option in Week 8.

Eflin wraps up the middle tier, and he had been working on a four-game QS streak prior to getting lit up by the Rangers to the tune of seven earned runs on 11 hits and two walks over just four innings. He does have two home games in Week 8, and his home/road splits suggest that this favors his production. The Rockies are not as fearsome on the road, and Cincinnati is certainly a better option away from the Great American Ballpark. Before the poor outing in Arlington in his last start, he was posting a 2.81 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over 32.0 innings. Of all the SPs at the bottom of this tier, he puts forth the best potential for a good two-start week, although his offense raises questions about him delivering victories in either of his starts.

The bottom tier is heavily populated with 17 SPs, and those at the top of the tier may be tempting if you own them on your team(s). Eickhoff, Harvey and Corbin all have the potential to be valuable starting options, but recent history shows all three are too inconsistent to trust right now. Montgomery, Garrett and Glasnow were seen as potential breakout pitchers, but all have struggled. Glasnow does boast a strong strikeout rate (9.70 K/9) but lack of control and command, and a recent bout where he has allowed opposing hitters to take him deep devalues the youngster’s value. Chatwood could have made the middle tier, save for having to pitch on the road in Philly and then at home at Coors in his second start. Overall, these are not the pitchers to rely on for results in Week 8.

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