MLB Two Start Pitchers: Week 10

Week Ten arrives with Memorial Day celebrations, bearing a boatload of good to great two-start pitching options to employ in your fantasy baseball lineups. There are full dozen residing in the top tier this week, and another group of 12 to consider utilizing to improve your team’s fantasy performance in the scoring period. Naturally, with this bounty also arrives a slate of starters to avoid wasting your rotation slots on, as the results will likely be disappointing.

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:

The Nationals may be mired in 4th-place in their division, but they still feature two ace SPs in Kershaw and Strasburg, and you should be relying on them in each and every start they give you as a fantasy owner. Hill has been dealing for the Dodgers, but given that he has not pitched more than 135 innings in a season just once since 2008 (and just over 135 in 2017 at 135.2 innings pitched (IP)), you should use him now while you are able to do so. The balance of these pitchers are well worth winding up and letting go for both their times toeing the rubber in the upcoming scoring period.

Lyles opens the middle tier for Week Ten and was rolling along toward his fourth consecutive quality start (QS) when the floodgates burst open and he allowed six earned runs to the Rockies at home, coming one strike away from pitching a six-inning shutout. At least he still was able to record a win, due to his team’s offensive output. He gets to face the weak-hitting Reds, albeit on the road, but then gets to take on the Brewers away from their home base, where they have been much less dominant.

Bassitt is at home for both of his Week Ten trips to the mound and is providing his owners with a great set of ratio stats: 2.48 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 36.1 IP in 2019. He is also striking out plenty of opposing hitters, posting a superb 10.9 K/9 rate over his six starts to date. His issues are giving up too many long balls (1.7 HR/9) and having shaky control (3.7 BB/9), plus his peripherals hint at negative regression at some point in his future efforts on the hill.

Gonzalez gets a two-start week, as the Brew Crew stick with a five-man rotation to wind up Week Nine and head into the next scoring period. Gonzalez is not pitching deep into contests, not having gone long enough to rack up any QS if your league values those over victories. His K production is poor, sitting at just 6.5 K.9 through his 26.1 IP, although he continues to demonstrate excellent control and keep the ball in the yard, with just a lone HR to mar his stat line to date. He is away from Miller Park for both his upcoming starts, but has been a road warrior so far in 2019, although with his limited innings so far that is subject to correction.

Gray has a couple of home starts in Week Ten, but that is not exactly a good reason to target him for your rotation needs, as he has been much more effective when pitching on the road for the past couple of seasons, and this season, as well. He does offer good strikeout potential with a 10.3 K/9 rate over 10 starts. He is also relatively stingy with the crash bombs, allowing just 0.7 HR/9 through his 50.0 IP to date. That is a good technique for a SP that calls The Great American Ballpark his home.

Urena is traveling for both his Week Ten starting appearances, leaving a very good pitchers’ park in Miami to take on the Nationals to open his week, then heading to the west coast to face the Padres. The matchup potential is good, although he is not much of a whiff generator despite a mid-90s fastball in his pitch repertoire. He has tossed six QS out of his last seven trips to the bump, so there is potential for continued success for the 27-year old righty.

The Texas rotation has been awful overall, but Lynn and rotation-mate Mike Minor are not the cause for concern in Arlington. Lynn should continue to rack up the Ks when he faces the Mariners in his first Week Ten appearance, coming off an 11-strikeout effort against the same group of batters in his most recent trip to the mound. The Royals, his second opponent in the scoring period, are less free-swinging, so his up and down whiff rate should raise its head.

Yarborough looked good in his first start for the Rays after being recalled from Triple-A Durham, going 7.1 innings and allowing just two earned runs to the host Indians, collecting a victory. He will rely on his control (1.9 BB/9 rate in the majors this season) as his fastball tops out in the high 80 MPH range, and the strikeout rate is below average. He does have a pair of home starts this coming week, but looking at his home/road splits, that is not necessarily a selling point for the southpaw. Tread warily in employing his arm in your fantasy rotation, despite the success (on the road, remember) against Cleveland.

Strahm would be bringing a six-game QS streak into Week Ten had he been able to gather three more outs in his May 15th start against the Dodgers in LA. As it is, he takes on the Yankees in New York to open the scoring period, but then gets the Marlins at Petco to wrap up his week’s labors. His ratio stats are appealing: 3.06 ERA and 1.12 WHIP through an even 50 IP, covering nine starts. His K/BB ratio is favorable, too, sitting at 5.13 to date.

Matz is likely due for a negative correction at some point, as his FIP is almost exactly one whole run higher than his ERA (4.62 vs 3.63) and his strand rate is unsustainable at 81.0% currently. He has also been allowing a ton of baserunners as evidence by his inflated 1.37 WHIP (48 hits and 13 walks over 44.2 IP thus far in 2019). His road efforts have been disastrous thus far and lo and behold, both his Week Ten starts are away from Citi Field. In the plus column, he is striking out about a batter per inning (9.1 K/9 over his nine starts).

Plutko stumbled badly in his second start this season in the big leagues, yielding seven runs on four homers to the visiting Tampa Bay hitters. Because of injuries to three of the projected starters for the Tribe, though, he is going to be penciled in for a two-start week, both on the road. Both opponents, Boston then the White Sox, feature more prolific offenses than the Cleveland squad, so Plutko will need to return to his stingy ways evidenced in his first start for the Indians, although given that was against the pitiful Orioles, it would be wise not to expect too much from the right handed 27-year old hurler.

Richards sets up in Week Ten to face the Giants at home in Miami, then heads out on the road to take on the Padres, a more daunting task this season. He has been good in the odd-start but is just a mediocre option overall, although he does feature some K potential (8.3 K/9 over 54.1 IP).

This tier winds up with the veteran righthander Samardzija, who has a promising couple of matchups in the form of the Marlins and Orioles, neither an intimidating opponent. Remember, though, that Samardzija pitches for the Giants, another team that does not exactly strike fear into opponents’ hearts. Pitching on the road is not a strength for him, either, but at least the matchups have some potential for success.

Out of these 15 SPs, there may be one or two starts that appeal for streaming purposes, but for the most part, you would be best advised not to rely on these arms in Week 10. Your counting stats and ratios will thank you for your discretion. Perhaps consider Gonzales at home against the Rangers, or Sampson later in the week when the Royals and Homer Bailey come for a visit. Otherwise, steer clear of these pitchers, even with the allure of two starts in the scoring period.

Feel free also to send any starting pitching or other fantasy baseball questions to ia@fantasyalarm.com for a private response to your specific issue. The more detail you can provide about your team and league, including settings (H2H vs roto, points or categories, weekly or daily moves, roster size, league size, etc.) the better the response will be suited to your individual situation. As ever, good luck and Godspeed in all your fantasy endeavors.