Hello and welcome to the ninth installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.
I'll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.
Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.
This is a living document, so we'll update the options below as the weekend moves along.
Before we get into it, we'll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:
The way things line up as of now for the Red Sox, with a doubleheader on Friday and six games next week, it doesn’t appear as though any of their starters are going to pitch twice. Garrett Crochet will take the ball on Monday against the Brewers in Milwaukee, and they could opt to use him on regular rest on Sunday against the Braves in Atlanta, but they would need to push someone else back to make them happen. It’s a non-decision though for fantasy managers as Crochet should be active each week regardless of matchup.
The Astros have been dealing with a plethora of injuries to their starting rotation, with Hayden Wesneski (elbow) and Ronel Blanco (elbow) the latest victims to go down. It’s not yet clear who will fill those spots in the rotation or when they will pitch. The expectation is that Colton Gordon will start on Sunday against the Mariners. That would leave either AJ Blubaugh or Brandon Walter to start on Tuesday, which would give him a two-start week of vs. Athletics, vs. Rays. We’ll keep an eye on the situation throughout the weekend, as either one could have some mixed league viability.
Without further ado, let's dig into the options for the week of May 26.
Going Twice…
Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, May 16, and are subject to change.
American League
Strong Plays
Joe Ryan (@ Rays, @ Mariners)
Aside from one disastrous start against the Braves in mid-April, Ryan has been outstanding this season. He sports a stellar 2.68 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and a 67/8 K/BB ratio over 57 innings on the season. Both matchups are on the road this week, but neither one inspires any sort of fear. Like most upper-echelon starting pitchers, Ryan should be a staple in fantasy lineups every week and this juicy two-start week is no exception to that rule. Enjoy the extra production from the studly 28-year-old hurler this week.
Jacob deGrom (vs. Blue Jays, vs. Cardinals)
I’ll be honest, I was skeptical that this version of Jacob deGrom – trying to stay within himself more and intentionally work with slightly reduced velocity instead of all-out effort every pitch – would work in keeping him healthy. It’s still early in the season, so the jury is still out there, but while the results haven’t been peak deGrom, he has still been pretty impressive through his first 10 starts. He boasts a 2.33 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and a 62/12 K/BB ratio across his first 58 innings. Now he gets a premium matchup at home against the Blue Jays before taking on a surprisingly good Cardinals’ offense in Arlington. Fantasy managers should have deGrom locked into lineups for as long as he remains healthy and this week is no different.
Kevin Gausman (@ Rangers, vs. Athletics)
We have seen a different version of Kevin Gausman so far this season, one with a reduced strikeout rate and improved command. He’s still managing to have success; it’s just not in the way that fantasy managers had envisioned when calling his name on draft day. Personally, I’ll take that trade off in fewer strikeouts for an elite 0.98 WHIP, let’s just see if he can keep it going. He draws a pair of strong matchups this week, battling the Rangers in Arlington and finishing up by hosting the Athletics. There’s no reason to avoid Gausman this week, he should be started in all leagues.
Decent Plays
Gavin Williams (vs. Dodgers, vs. Angels)
Williams is another player who had been lined up for two starts this past week that got pushed due to a rain out. The same reasons we had for exercising caution with him last week remain in play this week though, specifically his sky-high WHIP. He also has a matchup against the Dodgers on tap, which is a team that you never want to be attacking. If your biggest concern is strikeouts, I can see looking his way as he should have no problem amassing 10-12 K’s over his two starts this week. He’ll even have a decent shot at a victory in that second start. He just may give your ratios a good whipping while doing so.
JP Sears (@ Astros, @ Blue Jays)
There’s no denying that Sears has pitched relatively well this season – compiling a 4.00 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 42/10 K/BB ratio across 54 innings through his first 10 starts. One glance at that overall line may lead some fantasy managers to believe that Sears represents a decent streaming option for his upcoming two-start week. Here’s why that’s wrong though. After giving up three runs or fewer in each of his first eight starts to the season, Sears has been pounded for four runs and six runs by the Giants and Angels his last two times out. He’s also scheduled to face two strong offenses on the road – both of which are in the upper half of the league in production against left-handed pitching. I’m not saying that you can’t take a chance and stream him this week, just be aware that the ratio risk is far greater than his overall numbers would imply.
Dean Kremer (vs. Cardinals, vs. White Sox)
Kremer is another option that we wrote up in this space last week as he had been scheduled for two starts before Thursday’s rainout threw a wrench into the Orioles’ rotation plans. The overall numbers on the season (5.50 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 40/15 K/BB over 55 2/3 innings) are terrible. There’s no disputing that. It’s the matchups that are drawing me in this week. The Cardinals have performed well against right-handed pitching this season, I just don’t see them hanging a bunch of crooked numbers on Kremer in that start and he’ll at least have a shot at a victory with Erick Fedde opposing him. That’s the hard one. He finishes the week taking on the White Sox and Adrian Houser at home. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that. I get that Kremer has burned most fantasy managers at some point over the years – or possibly even this year – but the matchups are enough for me to go back to the well this week in 15 teamers for sure. I may even consider it in 12’s if I was looking to make up ground in wins.
Michael Lorenzen (vs. Reds, vs. Tigers)
What you’ll usually get from Michael Lorenzen is consistency. We know he’ll register a decent ERA with a WHIP that’s a bit on the high side, but not terrible. He’ll strike out a little less than a batter per inning and he’ll earn the occasional victory. Often times, that’s worth using for his two-start weeks, as he’s unlikely to completely crush you and should at least provide some help somewhere across the board. The problem this week is the matchups. He faces two teams that sit in the top 10 in OPS against right-handed pitching. It’s also two teams that he has pitched for in the past, so they’re very familiar with his arsenal. Normally I would be on board with him as a streaming option for his two-start week, but I have apprehension about this one. It may turn out alright, and I’d probably still roll with him in 15 team leagues, but I’m looking to sit him in shallower formats if I had better options.
Ryan Yarbrough (@ Angels, @ Dodgers)
Yarbrough has done a terrific job for the Yankees in a hybrid role this season and has excelled in his transition to the rotation over his last three starts. He’s still getting stretched out – throwing 81 pitches his last time out – but even then he racked up eight strikeouts over five innings of one-run baseball against the Rangers. That first matchup is obviously more intriguing than the start against the Dodgers to finish the week, which is advantageous as you’d be stuck with just the single against the Angels if anything changes in the Yankees’ rotation plans. He looks to me like a strong streaming option for someone that is widely available in most fantasy leagues.
Zack Littell (vs. Twins, @ Astros)
Littell has quietly pitched very well over his last seven starts, compiling a 3.19 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and a 24/7 K/BB ratio over 42 1/3 innings. Strikeouts have never been his thing, but the quality ratios are nice and he’s a threat to earn a victory any time he takes the mound. The matchups are more middle of the pack than scary, which makes Littell a viable streaming option in deeper leagues where he may be available this week.
Taj Bradley (vs. Twins, @ Astros)
Long on promise and short on results has been the story of Bradley’s career thus far. While he has shown flashes of brilliance once again, he has struggled to a 4.61 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and a 48/24 K/BB ratio over 56 2/3 innings through his first 10 starts. You used to be able to at least count on him for strong strikeout totals, and he has failed in that department as well this season. On paper, the Twins and Astros haven’t done major damage against right-handed pitching, so there are potential paths for success here. He has just let fantasy managers down so many times that it’s difficult to trust him, even in a two-start week. If you have him rostered in a 15 teamer, you probably have to bite the bullet and start him. I’d be leery in 12’s though.
Bowden Francis (@ Rangers, vs. Athletics)
I’ll be the first to admit that I may have been wrong about Bowden Francis, as I have absorbed all of the ratio damage that he has inflicted on most of my rosters this season. I still believe in the underlying skillset though and if there’s ever a week for him to get back on track, a double against the Rangers and Athletics seems like the perfect time to do so. I’ll be using him in all leagues in which I have him, and if the results are disastrous once again then it will be time to cut bait.
At Your Own Risk
Adrian Houser (@ Mets, @ Orioles)
Look, I like Adrian Houser, I really do. He used to be a staple on my fantasy rosters during his days with the Brewers. The White Sox picked him up off the streets last week and he fired six innings of shutout baseball in a victory over the Mariners and is now throwing the ball as hard as we have ever seen him throw it. I’m still skeptical. This is a guy that had a 5.03 ERA over 39 1/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock earlier in the season and he’s lined up to make two road starts against top-10 offenses in the league against right-handed pitching. While I would love to see Houser have a resurgence with the White Sox and continue the dominance that he showed his last time out, I think it’s far more likely that he gets absolutely clobbered in one of his starts during the upcoming week. If you’re feeling especially frisky, go ahead and try, just understand that the win equity is almost non-existent with the White Sox – especially on the road twice – and the ratio risk is an ever present danger.
Keider Montero (vs. Giants, @ Royals)
As things currently stand, it looks like Keider Montero will line up for two starts next week for the Tigers – or at least two bulk roles out of the bullpen if they continue to use an opener in front of him. Montero has not pitched well this season – with a 5.28 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and a 21/13 K/BB ratio over 30 1/3 innings through his first six appearances (four starts). The matchups aren’t anything to shy away from though and pitching for the Tigers he’s a threat to earn a victory every time that he takes the mound. The risk here is that the Tigers simply opt for a bullpen game on Monday instead of going to Montero, in which case his week winds up pretty bleak.
Jack Kochanowicz (vs. Yankees, @ Guardians)
Maybe I’m missing something here, but I don’t see any legitimate reason to try to stream Kochanowicz for his upcoming two-start week. He has pitched poorly this season – registering a 4.86 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and a 35/27 K/BB ratio over 53 2/3 innings. He’s not even giving you the strikeouts or a high likelihood of wins to go with the ratio damage that he’s inflicting. Then you throw in the fact that he’s taking on the Yankees in that first start, and it looks like a complete recipe for disaster. I’m staying away from this one.
Logan Evans (vs. Nationals, vs. Twins)
Evans has done a decent job through his first five starts with the Mariners, going 2-1 with a 3.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 21/9 K/BB ratio over 27 innings. He’s on borrowed time in the rotation though as Bryce Miller and Logan Gilbert are quickly working their way back. He should stick around to make both of his starts during the upcoming week, but even then there are reasons for concern. Looking under the hood, his 4.91 xERA and 4.19 xFIP hint that some correction could be coming to his ERA. Combine that with an already poor WHIP and pedestrian strikeout numbers, and there’s no real reason to be trying to stream him this week.
National League
Strong Plays
Clay Holmes (vs. White Sox, vs. Rockies)
It honestly wouldn’t matter which pitcher this was, as Holmes gets the Holy Grail of draws this week – taking on the White Sox and Rockies with both starts coming at home. He’s going to be a huge favorite to earn a victory in each one of those starts and it’s highly unlikely that either of those hapless offenses hangs a disaster start on him. It doesn’t hurt his cause that Holmes has pitched very well this season – posting a 3.13 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 53/20 K/BB ratio over 54 2/3 innings of work while securing five victories. For me, Holmes is the top overall option on the board this week.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (@ Guardians, vs. Yankees)
Yamamoto has pitched like the true ace that the Dodgers expected him to be this season, going 5-3 with a minuscule 1.86 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and a 68/18 K/BB ratio across 58 innings through his first 10 starts. While not quite at that level, his 2.53 xERA and 2.64 xFIP seem to support his dominance. The matchups are a mixed bag, with the front half of the two-start week looking like a strong start before battling the Yankees at home to finish it out. He should be started in all leagues every single week without hesitation and this week is no exception.
Ryan Weathers (@ Padres, vs. Giants)
So far, so good for Weathers through his first two starts of the season, as he has gone 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and a 9/1 K/BB ratio across his first 10 innings. Both of his opponents for the upcoming week are middle of the road against left-handed pitching, so there’s no reason to shy away from the 25-year-old southpaw. He should rack up double-digit strikeouts or close to it while providing strong ratios and a decent shot at a victory this week, making him a strong option in all league sizes. If he’s still hanging around on the waiver wire in shallower formats, now is the time to pounce.
Spencer Strider (@ Phillies, vs. Red Sox)
It had looked like Strider was going to jump back into the Braves’ rotation to make two starts this past week, but ultimately a rain out on Wednesday changed those plans. He’s now in line to make two starts during the upcoming week and despite the struggles in his return, Strider should be started in all leagues this time around as well. The matchups aren’t great, but when Strider is right he can dominate against anyone. It would be shocking to me if he didn’t get at least 10 strikeouts over those two starts and the opposing pitching matchups against Taijuan Walker and Walker Buehler give him some nice win equity as well. Unless you’re in the shallowest of leagues or are extremely risk averse, Strider should simply be set in your lineup every week for as long as he is healthy.
Hayden Birdsong (@ Tigers, @ Marlins)
Fantasy managers finally got what they have been waiting for as Birdsong was given his shot in the rotation with Jordan Hicks getting moved back to the bullpen. A few days later Justin Verlander landed on the injured list, further stabilizing Birdsong’s spot in the rotation. He picked up a win in his first start, allowing just an unearned run over five frames against the Royals. Look for him to work deeper into the game this week, with more opportunities to pile up strikeouts. The matchup against the Tigers isn’t perfect, but it’s at the spacious confines of Comerica Park. He then gets to finish the week with a dream matchup against the Marlins. Birdsong should be rostered and started in 100 percent of leagues this week and if he’s available on the waiver wire in your league you should be aggressive in targeting him.
Ryne Nelson (vs. Pirates, vs. Nationals)
Nelson looked terrific in his return to the Diamondbacks’ rotation, giving up just one run on three hits over five innings against the vaunted Dodgers’ offense. The assignment gets much easier this week as he’s set to take on the lowly Pirates and the Nationals, with both starts coming at home. The 27-year-old hurler wants his return to the rotation to be permanent and knows that he has to pitch exceptionally well over his next few starts so that the Diamondbacks have no choice but to keep him in there. I think he absolutely shoves over both starts this week, piling up around 10 strikeouts with great ratios and a strong shot at at least one victory. He should be started in all formats and aggressively targeted in leagues where he may still be available.
Jameson Taillon (vs. Rockies, vs. Reds)
It doesn’t matter who you are, if your matchups include vs. Rockies, then you’re worth a look for fantasy purposes. Taillon has performed about as expected through his first 10 starts on the season, registering a 4.13 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and a 44/12 K/BB ratio while serving up a National League-leading 14 home runs. Taking on the Rockies at home is an absolute dream matchup and squaring off against Carson Palmquist only makes it better for Taillon. The second start isn’t a cake walk, as the Reds have hit right-handers especially well this season, but the first one is good enough for me to roll Taillon out in every format that I possibly can.
Randy Vásquez (vs. Marlins, vs. Pirates)
This one is much more of a matchup-based recommendation than a skills-based one. Vásquez has been underwhelming through his first 10 starts on the season, posting a 3.49 ERA, a troublesome 1.43 WHIP and just 27 strikeouts in 49 frames. He gets the benefit of taking on two of the worst offenses in all of baseball this week though, with both starts coming in the friendly confines of Petco Park. If there’s ever a week to use him, this would be it. I’d be actively looking to add him in any places that he may be available.
Decent Plays
Nick Martinez (@ Royals, @ Cubs)
If you haven’t been paying much attention to the Reds, you may have missed out on the fact that Martinez has been absolutely rolling over his last six starts – posting a 1.96 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 24/6 K/BB ratio over 36 2/3 innings. The only thing missing here is the strikeouts, and that’s mitigated by him having an extra start this week. No one should be scared of throwing their pitchers against the Royals, so the only real concern is facing the Cubs at Wrigley Field to end the week. Overall, this looks like a very strong double on paper and one that I’ll be using or seeking out anywhere that I can get it.
Chad Patrick (vs. Red Sox, @ Phillies)
Patrick seems to be the forgotten man in the Brewers’ rotation, but he has performed very well when taking the ball this season – compiling a 3.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and a 45/16 K/BB ratio over 53 innings in his first 11 appearances (10 starts). There’s a chance, albeit undeservedly, that he gets bumped from the rotation when Brandon Woodruff returns, but for as long as he remains in the Brewers’ rotation, he deserves consideration for fantasy purposes. The matchups are both tough, but I’d be comfortable trotting him out there in both 15 and 12 team formats this week.
Andrew Heaney (@ Diamondbacks, @ Padres)
Is it safe to say that Andrew Heaney is actually good again? The 33-year-old southpaw has been a godsend to the Pirates’ rotation this season, registering a 2.91 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 42/21 K/BB ratio over 55 2/3 innings through his first 10 starts. Heaney hasn’t allowed more than four runs in any start this season and he has given up two runs or fewer in seven of those 10 outings. That’s outstanding. He’ll get a real test this week, taking on two tough National League West opponents on the road, but if you’ve been rolling with him this long and enjoying the production I think you have to keep throwing him out there and use his two-start week.
Erick Fedde (@ Orioles, @ Rangers)
I feel like this section is perfect for Fedde, as that’s what he is, a decent pitcher. He’ll go out there and provide you with solid ratios, minimal strikeouts and a decent enough shot at a victory every time out. That’s not really worth using for most single start weeks, but in deeper leagues he has value when he’s lined up to start twice. The Orioles have hit right-handed pitching well this season which makes that first matchup a bit scary, but the Rangers are one of the worst teams in the league against right-handers, so as long as the schedule doesn’t change and he actually takes the ball twice, there’s a good chance that Fedde will wind up being an asset this week. I’d be comfortable starting him any league where I had him and would be looking to add him in both 12 and 15 team formats if he was available.
At Your Own Risk
Carson Palmquist (@ Cubs, @ Mets)
I’ve said all along that I don’t think I’ll ever recommend a Rockies’ starting pitcher for his two-start week this season, and that’s definitely not changing this week. Palmquist has been destroyed in his first two big league starts, posting a horrifying 11.88 ERA, 2.52 WHIP and a miserable 2/5 K/BB ratio over his first 8 1/3 innings. While he avoids Coors Field this week, the matchups are both extremely difficult. There’s no guarantee that he sticks around in the rotation long enough to make his second start of the week, and no fantasy manager in his right mind would ever be streaming Palmquist for one start against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Don’t overthink it, just avoid him at all costs.
Taijuan Walker (vs. Braves, vs. Brewers)
With Aaron Nola (ankle) shelved, we get to see more of Taijuan Walker in the Phillies’ rotation. Joy. He has somehow defied logic and pitched well this season, posting a 2.97 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and a 33/16 K/BB ratio over 39 1/3 innings of work in his first nine outings (seven starts) despite a 3.67 xERA and 4.43 xFIP. There is a disaster start brewing here and it’s not something that you’re going to want to absorb. He could once again sneak through this week with decent enough numbers and a shot at a victory, but if you’re looking to protect your ratios I wouldn’t be taking that gamble.
Mitchell Parker (@ Mariners, @ Diamondbacks)
While his overall line on the season appears to be decent, Parker has struggled to an 8.61 ERA, 1.83 WHIP and 16/14 K/BB ratio over 23 innings over his last five starts. There’s simply no reason to take on that type of ratio risk with the way that he’s throwing the ball right now – especially for two starts on the road against teams that have handled left-handed pitching this season. This one looks like an easy avoid to me.
Streamer City
Here are a couple of my hand-picked streaming options for the upcoming week that are readily available in most fantasy leagues. I’ll track these results throughout the season so you can see how my recommendations have performed.
American League
Charlie Morton, Orioles, RHP (vs. White Sox - Friday 5/30)
Here's a fun one for those in deeper leagues. Morton is rostered in just four percent of all Yahoo leagues at the moment. He gets a dream matchup against the White Sox at home on Friday and is coming off of a strong outing in which he punched out six batters over 4 1/3 innings of one-run baseball behind an opener against the Nationals last week. We'll see how his start goes in between these two, but as of now Morton looks like a nice deep league streamer for next week.
National League
Cade Horton, Cubs, RHP (vs. Rockies - Tuesday 5/27)
The rookie right-hander is currently rostered in just 21 percent of all Yahoo leagues, which is far too low with a matchup against the historically bad Rockies on tap at home on Tuesday. His chances of earning a victory against German Marquez will be quite high in that one and he should deliver a handful of strikeouts while posting solid ratios as well. It should be all systems go for that start.
Last Week's Review
Jack Leiter, Rangers, RHP (@ White Sox - Saturday 5/24)
We don't have any results on Leiter yet, as he's set to battle the White Sox in Chicago on Saturday. We're still very optimistic that he'll deliver a dominant performance there.
Nick Martinez, Reds, RHP (@ Pirates - Tuesday 5/20)
Martinez was terrific in a losing effort against the Pirates on Tuesday, giving up just one run on four hits and two walks while punching out three batters over his six innings. You would have liked to see him earn a victory there, but it's not his fault that the Reds couldn't provide a single run of support for him. We'll take that line every time.
