Hello and welcome to the 11th 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:
With Jonathan Cannon landing on the injured list with a back issue, there isn’t any clarity yet as to how the White Sox will replace him in their starting rotation. The most likely scenario would be for Bryse Wilson to step back into that role, as he threw 80 pitches over five innings out of the bullpen against the Tigers this past week and can handle the workload. He would line up for two starts (@ Astros, @ Rangers) and should be avoided at all costs even if he does get the ball.
The Royals are another team that I’m not real sure what they are going to do with their rotation just yet. Noah Cameron has simply pitched too well to be relegated back to Triple-A Omaha now that Cole Ragans has returned from the injured list. The guy who should really be booted out of the rotation is Michael Lorenzen, but there haven’t really been any rumblings of that yet. As of now, he’s lined up to pitch on Tuesday. Assuming Cameron stays in the rotation and they go six-man this trip through, no Royals’ pitcher would draw two starts. If they do the right things and boot Lorenzen, then Cameron would draw a two-start week vs. the Yankees and vs. the Athletics. If that were the case, he would make for an outstanding pickup wherever he’s available and he should be started in all formats.
We also don’t have certainty yet over how the Phillies will lineup their rotation next week. Zack Wheeler is currently away on paternity leave and could return to start at any time. If he returns at some point over the weekend, it would line up Cristopher Sanchez for two starts (vs. Cubs, vs. Blue Jays). Wheeler could slot in himself on Monday and draw the two-start assignment. The Phillies could also roll with Mick Abel on Monday and have Wheeler join the rotation later in the week. It’s a situation that’s still in flux that we’ll monitor throughout the weekend.
We don’t have any certainty from the Giants just yet either. Kyle Harrison is currently lined up to start twice – against the Rockies at Coors Field and against the Dodgers in Los Angeles – but Justin Verlander (pectoral) is nearing a return and could be an option to slot in at some point next week. If I knew for sure that Harrison would at least make that first start against the Rockies, I’d still be comfortable using him with the hope that he would actually miss the second start against the Dodgers to finish the week. We’ll monitor the situation through the weekend.
We are still waiting on word to see what the Rangers are going to do with their rotation next week as well after Kumar Rocker was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock following his rough return from the injured list. They could utilize their off day on Monday to skip that spot in the rotation, meaning Jack Leiter would line up for two starts (@ Twins, vs. White Sox) and would be a strong start in all formats. They could also call up a starter from Triple-A or go with some sort of bullpen game, in which case no one would draw two starts next week. Stay tuned as we’ll update this one throughout the weekend.
Without further ado, let's dig into the options for the week of June 9.
Going Twice…
Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, June 6, and are subject to change.
American League
Strong Plays
Yusei Kikuchi, Angels, LHP (vs. Athletics, @ Orioles)
Kikuchi has had mixed results through his first 13 starts with the Angels, posting a solid 3.23 WHIP with a horrifying 1.59 WHIP and just under a strikeout per inning through his first 69 2/3 frames. Getting to take on the Athletics away from Sutter Health Park is an outstanding matchup and the Orioles have been among the worst offenses in all of baseball against left-handed pitching this season. Sure, things could go south and he could give your ratios a massive whipping, but this will be as good of a week as any this season to deploy Kikuchi. If you’re not starting him for this juicy double, there’s absolutely no reason to have him on your roster. I’d use him in any league where I had him and would be actively looking to add him to stream if he was available.
José Berríos, Blue Jays, RHP (@ Cardinals, @ Phillies)
Believe me, I know that it feels super uncomfortable trusting José Berríos. Seemingly every time that you do he ends up dropping a disastrous outing and inflicts serious ratio damage on your fantasy squad. He has been pitching extremely well as of late though, as he has allowed more than two earned runs just twice in his last eight starts – posting a 2.85 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and a 46/17 K/BB ratio over 47 1/3 innings during that stretch. The matchups are both tough, but I would trust the recent results and the track record and I’d be using the 31-year-old right-hander in all formats for the upcoming week.
Decent Plays
Jeffrey Springs, Athletics, LHP (@ Angels, @ Royals)
As expected, Springs has shown plenty of inconsistency in his first season following major surgery, mixing brilliant starts with disastrous outings seemingly at random. He has given up three runs or more in each of his last three though, including a brutal start against the Blue Jays in Toronto where he surrendered six runs in only two innings. The matchups aren’t intimidating in the slightest and it’s actually beneficial to have him pitch on the road twice instead of the bandbox that is Sutter Health Park. I’d probably take the risk and roll him in 15-teamers and may even try it in 12’s if I needed to make up ground in wins and strikeouts. Anything more shallow than that, and you should have more appealing options.
Luis L. Ortiz, Guardians, RHP (vs. Reds, @ Mariners)
Ortiz has had three rough outings through his first 12 starts on the season and has otherwise been very effective. He has pitched particularly well as of late, registering a 2.28 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and a 31/14 K/BB ratio over his last five starts. I think the chances of a blowup are minimal against the Reds and Mariners and even in the worst case scenario he’s going to approach double digit strikeouts over a two-start week. The pitching matchups work in his favor as well, as he’ll do battle against Wade Miley and Emerson Hancock in those two starts. I’m not quite bold enough to move him up to a strong play, but I do think that he’s worth using in all 12 and 15 team leagues and I may even kick the tires in shallower formats if I wanted to gain ground in wins and strikeouts.
Sawyer Gipson-Long, Tigers, RHP (@ Orioles, vs. Reds)
The 27-year-old right-hander made his highly anticipated return from Tommy John surgery this past week, giving up three runs on five hits over 3 2/3 innings against the White Sox. The good news is that his velocity was back up to pre-injury levels and he got 12 whiffs in the contest – most of them on his secondary offerings. He’s going to show inconsistency as he continues to work his way back, but there are a lot of reasons to be excited about Gipson-Long. Pitching for the Tigers he’ll be a threat to earn a victory each and every time out, and the matchups this week will be particularly strong taking on Cade Povich and Wade Miley. He’s likely to lose his spot in the rotation once Reese Olson, Alex Cobb or Jackson Jobe are ready to return, but for this week at least he looks like a very strong streaming option for his two starts.
Zebby Matthews, Twins, RHP (vs. Rangers, @ Astros)
While fantasy managers had been clamoring for the move for quite some time, Matthews hasn’t quite made as smooth a transition to the big league rotation as they would have hoped. He has struggled to a 5.21 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 25/8 K/BB ratio over 19 innings through his first four starts with the Twins. Fortunately, this looks like a good week for him to get back on track, as the Rangers and Astros are both in the bottom third of the league against right-handed pitching this season. Look for him to add to his win total and notch double digit strikeouts over his two starts on the week, making him an excellent streaming option in shallow formats and an easy start in deeper leagues.
Clarke Schmidt, Yankees, RHP (@ Royals, @ Red Sox)
Schmidt has been pretty consistent through his first nine starts on the season, registering a 4.04 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and a 50/21 K/BB ratio over 49 innings of work. He has allowed more than three runs just one time thus far and has gone at least 5 2/3 innings six times. Even with Jac Caglianone in the fold, we aren’t scared of a matchup against the Royals in Kansas City, though the Red Sox over the weekend present a much tougher challenge. The good news is that he’s very unlikely to deliver a disaster outing and tilt your ratios in the wrong direction and he should contribute double digit strikeouts over his two starts. He’s an easy start for me in 15 team leagues and I’d probably roll with him in 12 team formats as well.
Shane Baz, Rays, RHP (@ Red Sox, @ Mets)
One of the most frustrating pitchers to roster in all of fantasy baseball, Baz just hasn’t been able to deliver consistent results despite his premium arsenal. He holds a miserable 4.96 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and a 60/23 K/BB ratio across 65 1/3 innings through his first 12 starts on the season and has allowed three earned runs or more in six of his last seven outings. Ouch. The peripherals show that he has been getting a bit unlucky perhaps with a 4.32 xERA and a 3.95 xFIP. It’s not going to get any easier this week with matchups against the Red Sox and Mets on tap, both of them on the road. I’d still have a hard time benching him in 15 team leagues given the strikeouts that he provides and the fact that he could turn things around at any time but I think I’m trying to get him on my bench if I have any viable alternative options in leagues that are 12 teams or fewer.
At Your Own Risk
Cade Povich, Orioles, LHP (vs. Tigers, vs. Angels)
Has Povich pitched well this season? No. Has he pitched well recently? Also no. Are the matchups at least in his favor? Well, one of them is. The Tigers have pounded left-handed pitching this season, but the Angels have struggled badly against southpaws. If he survives the first start, there’s at least an opportunity that he could provide something resembling a useful week from a fantasy perspective. I can’t see myself trusting him in most 12 teamers, but I could see avenues toward doing so in 15 team leagues if I was in a tough spot in wins and strikeouts and needed starts.
Brayan Bello, Red Sox, RHP (vs. Rays, vs. Yankees)
Bello has always been long on promise and short on results and things haven’t been any different through his first nine starts of the 2025 campaign. The 26-year-old hurler has made it through five innings just four times in those nine starts though, and only once since May 2. If he’s not going to pitch deep enough into the game to earn a victory and is a liability in strikeouts anyways, it’s difficult to see much value in rolling him out there for a two-start week. Combine that with a brutal matchup against the Yankees to finish things out and I just can’t see this as a spot that I would like to roll the dice next week.
Ryan Gusto, Astros, RHP (vs. White Sox, vs. Twins)
This one I’m actually a bit torn on. Sure, on paper a matchup against the White Sox looks incredibly appealing. The problem is that Gusto struggled his last time out against the Pirates, so no matchup is safe for him. He has been brutal over his last five appearances, posting an 8.04 ERA, 2.30 WHIP and a 16/13 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings. There’s also the risk that the Astros simply send him back to Triple-A Sugar Land and give Brandon Walter a real shot in their starting rotation. If the matchup against the White Sox was the second start of the week, I wouldn’t even be considering it with how poorly he has pitched as of late. As it stands though, I do think he has some viability in 15 team leagues as he should provide solid strikeout totals with a shot at beating the White Sox.
Emerson Hancock, Mariners, RHP (@ Diamondbacks, vs. Guardians)
Despite the fact that he has pitched well in each of his last two starts, Hancock still sports a troublesome 5.19 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and a 38/17 K/BB ratio over 50 1/3 innings on the season. If the matchups were better or if he had a higher strikeout rate, I may have tried to give him a shot given how well he has pitched as of late, but having to battle the Diamondbacks in Arizona and then take on the Guardians doesn’t seem like a recipe for success. I’ll simply avoid this one.
National League
Strong Plays
Chris Sale, Braves, LHP (@ Brewers, vs. Rockies)
While he hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was during his Cy Young award-winning season in 2024, Sale has been very good through his first 13 starts on the year, posting a 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and a 96/23 K/BB ratio across 73 2/3 innings of work. The only place that he has hasn’t helped fantasy managers is in the win department, with just three victories to his name. There’s a good chance that changes this week, especially with a matchup against Chase Dollander and the Rockies on tap for the weekend. You should be starting Sale every week in 100% of leagues, so there’s no decision to be made here, just enjoy the extra production that comes from a two-start week plus a glorious date with the Rockies.
MacKenzie Gore, Nationals, LHP (@ Mets, vs. Marlins)
Add Gore to the list of very strong two-start options in the National League for the upcoming week while things look pretty bleak overall on the American League side. The 26-year-old southpaw has been outstanding through his first 13 starts on the season, registering a 2.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and a 108/22 K/BB ratio over 75 1/3 innings. The only thing he has been lacking is victories, with just three thus far, but if he keeps pitching like this those will come in due time. In fact, there’s a good chance that he tallies one on Sunday against the Marlins. Gore should be an automatic start every week in all leagues, so there’s no decision to be made here, just an added bonus in weekly leagues that he’ll toe the slab twice.
Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks, RHP (vs. Mariners, vs. Padres)
Kelly has quietly pitched incredibly well this season. He has registered a 6-2 record, 3.43 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 72/19 K/BB ratio across 76 innings through his first 13 starts, and those numbers are skewed by one disastrous outing in which he allowed nine runs over 3 2/3 innings against the Yankees in New York in early April. While the Mariners and Padres are both good teams, both have struggled against right-handed pitching this season, so there’s no reason to fear either matchup. He gets the benefit of making both starts at home and should be a relatively large favorite to earn a win against Emerson Hancock in that first outing. Start Kelly with complete confidence in all formats for the upcoming week.
Eury Pérez, Marlins, RHP (@ Pirates, @ Nationals)
It’s not often that you’ll see a pitcher listed as a strong recommendation in his first start back from Tommy John surgery, but Eury Pérez is no ordinary pitcher. We haven’t seen him pitch in the big leagues since the 2023 season where he posted a stellar 3.15 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 108/31 K/BB ratio over 91 1/3 innings. Fortunately, he gets a soft landing in his return, taking on the hapless Pirates’ offense in Pittsburgh before battling the Nationals in Washington. He also shouldn’t be facing workload concerns in his first start back as he had a lengthy rehab assignment and got up over 80 pitches his last time out. It’s likely that Pérez is already stashed in most leagues, but if he’s available in yours run to the waiver wire and grab him immediately. Not only should he be started for this strong two-step, he should remain a fixture in your fantasy squad’s rotation for as long as he remains healthy.
Freddy Peralta, Padres, RHP (vs. Braves, vs. Cardinals)
Peralta has pitched very well through his first 13 starts on the season, compiling a 2.92 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and a 75/29 K/BB ratio over 71 innings while snagging five victories. He’s an every week start in all formats regardless of matchup, so you’re definitely going to want to have him in there for his upcoming two-start week. The Cardinals and Braves both rank in the upper half of the league against right-handed pitching, but that’s no reason to shy away from Peralta for the upcoming week. He should grab double digit strikeouts with the solid ratios that you have come to expect from him with a decent shot at landing a victory as well. It should be all systems go here.
Matthew Boyd, Cubs, LHP (@ Phillies, vs. Pirates)
The 34-year-old southpaw has been a wonderful surprise for the Cubs this season. The results have been terrific – a 5-3 record, 3.01 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and a 70/16 K/BB ratio over 68 2/3 innings – but he has also shown durability and remained healthy through his first 12 starts. The first matchup is a tough one, having to battle the Phillies on the road, but the reward is getting to take on the woeful Pirates at home with a strong chance at earning a victory. I’d be rolling Boyd out in all leagues for this two-start week.
Griffin Canning, Mets, RHP (vs. Nationals, vs. Rays)
Canning has been a terrific addition to the Mets’ rotation this season, going 6-2 with a 2.90 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 57/26 K/BB ratio over 59 innings through his first 12 starts. Aside from the elevated WHIP, that’s elite production from a player who was scooped up in the later rounds of fantasy drafts. He bounced back from a couple of rough outings to fire six shutout innings in a victory over the Dodgers in Los Angeles. He gets a much nicer assignment this week, getting to battle the Nationals and Rays at home. It’s probably due to scars that he has inflicted in the past, but I’m still not trusting Canning as an every week starter in single start weeks, it depends on the matchup, but for this strong two-step I’m using him in all formats wherever I possibly can.
Nick Pivetta, Padres, RHP (vs. Dodgers, @ Diamondbacks)
Pivetta has been a tremendous addition to the Padres’ rotation through his first 12 starts on the season, going 6-2 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and a 76/19 K/BB ratio over 68 1/3 innings. He has had just two rough outings all season, one at Coors Field where he gave up six runs in four innings and another against the Giants his last time out where he surrendered five runs in six frames. He has earned enough trust that fantasy managers should roll with him on most weeks regardless of matchups, but I’ll admit that the two opponents may make it tough on him this week. There’s greater ratio risk than you would normally expect from Pivetta, but I don’t think I’m able to get away from him for a two-start week, even with the difficult matchups.
Decent Plays
Colin Rea, Cubs, RHP (@ Phillies, vs. Pirates)
The overall line for Colin Rea looks decent enough this season, posting a 3.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 43/17 K/BB ratio over 57 2/3 innings. He was terrific in Thursday’s victory over the Nationals, firing 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball in a bulk relief role after Drew Pomeranz had worked the first. If that’s going to be a theme going forward, it definitely increases Rea’s win equity, as making it through five innings isn’t always his strong suit. If he can survive the start against the Phillies he gets rewarded with a dream matchup at home against the Pirates to finish the week. That’s more than enough for me to trot him out there in both 12 and 15 team leagues.
Mike Burrows, Pirates, RHP (vs. Marlins, @ Cubs)
Burrows had been profiled in this space last week as he was lined up to start twice, but the Pirates kept Paul Skenes on regular rest and pushed Burrows’ second start back a day. With a seven-game week on tap, that’s not going to happen this week. While he has struggled overall since joining the Pirates’ rotation, he’s coming off of his best start – striking out six batters over 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a victory over Astros. He draws a dream matchup to start the week getting to battle the hapless Marlins before finishing with a tough assignment against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Is the reward from that first start enough to roll him for both? That’s the million dollar question. Personally, I’d probably bet on the talent and roll the dice unless I was in a position where I needed to prioritize ratios above everything else.
Mitch Keller, Pirates, RHP (vs. Marlins, @ Cubs)
Keller has performed about as expected this season, posting a 4.13 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 61/20 K/BB ratio over 76 1/3 innings. The problem for fantasy purposes is that he has won just one ballgame. That’s not likely to change much with the Pirates’ offense backing him though he does draw a terrific matchup against the Marlins to open the week. While strikeouts aren’t his game, he should approach double digits in that department over his two starts making him a worthwhile streaming option wherever he may be available. If you have Keller rostered and aren’t starting him for a two-start week that includes the Marlins, there’s no reason to keep him around.
Quinn Priester, Padres, RHP (vs. Braves, vs. Cardinals)
Some fantasy managers may have given up on Priester after he was blasted for seven runs over 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs on May 2. That would have been a mistake, because since that day he has registered a scintillating 2.51 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and a 19/10 K/BB ratio over 32 1/3 innings. He has also been working in a bulk relief role much more often lately, which gives him a greater likelihood of earning a victory. We don’t like the matchups all that much, but with as well as Priester has been throwing the ball as of late he’s very unlikely to hurt your ratios while providing a decent shot at a win and a handful of strikeouts. I’d roll him out there in all 15 team leagues without hesitation and would probably deploy him in 12 team formats as well.
At Your Own Risk
Wade Miley, Reds, LHP (@ Guardians, @ Tigers)
With Hunter Greene (groin) landing on the injured list, Miley will have an opportunity to step into the Reds’ rotation this week. He made seven starts in the minor leagues before being called up, registering a cringe-inducing 8.84 ERA, 1.86 WHIP and a 15/4 K/BB ratio over 19 1/3 innings. Inconsistency should be expected as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery, but with matchups against the Guardians and Tigers on tap, there’s really no reason to roll this dice here this week. He could somehow last five innings with a lead in one of those starts and earn a win, but the likelihood of him crushing your ratios feels significantly higher.
Chase Dollander, Rockies, RHP (vs. Giants, @ Braves)
We’re going to continue the theme of keeping all Rockies’ two-starts down in the bottom section, as it hasn’t really failed us yet. Dollander has shown some promise this season, but he has also compiled a troublesome 6.26 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and a 39/21 K/BB ratio over 41 2/3 innings of work through his first nine starts. He gets one decent matchup against the Giants, but he has to face them at Coors Field, then finishes his week with a tough one against the Braves in Atlanta. If the only thing that you care about is strikeouts and you can handle the ratio damage, be my guest. I just can’t in good conscience recommend doing so.
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers, LHP (@ Padres, vs. Giants)
Kershaw had been lined up to make two starts this past week, but the Dodgers decided to slide Justin Wrobleski into their rotation on Friday to give the rest of their starters an extra day of rest. There’s no guarantee that the same thing won’t happen again this week, so be prepared for the possibility of just getting the one start against the Padres in San Diego. That being said, Kershaw hasn’t really shown much through his first four starts to make you think that he should even be worthy of consideration – posting a 5.17 ERA, 1.66 WHIP and an 8/9 K/BB ratio over 15 2/3 innings. He’s not working deep into games and he isn’t striking anyone out. I get that he pitches for the Dodgers, but if you take the name and the Hall of Fame resume out of the equation and just look at the on-field performance this season, no one would be rostering Kershaw at the moment. I’m staying away from this one.
Andre Pallante, Cardinals, RHP (vs. Blue Jays, @ Brewers)
Pallante seems to be holding onto his spot in the Cardinals’ rotation by a thread after getting lit up for seven runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings against the Royals on Thursday. He hasn’t provided good ratios and he doesn’t strike many batters out, which makes him a poor streaming option in most circumstances. The only potential saving grace here is that the Blue Jays and Brewers have both struggled against right-handed pitching, so the likelihood of a blowup isn’t as high as it would normally be. That being said, the Royals also struggle against right-handers and just took him to task his last time out. As much as I try, I just can’t get behind this one.
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
Colton Gordon, Astros, LHP (vs. White Sox - Wednesday 6/11)
While Colton Gordon has struggled through his first four starts with the Astros this season, a matchup against the White Sox feels like the perfect elixir to get his season back on track. As long as he's able to get through five innings, he should have a decent shot at earning a victory in this spot while delivering a handful of strikeouts, which makes him a nice streaming option in deeper leagues. Gordon is currently rostered in only two percent of all Yahoo leagues.
National League
Bryce Elder, Braves, RHP (vs. Rockies - Friday 6/13)
We're going to stick with attacking our favorite punching bags in the Rockies and we'll do so with a quality right-handed arm. Elder gets the added benefits of pitching at home and going up against Carson Palmquist which should increase his already high likelihood of earning a victory in this spot. It's a bit surprising to see that he's rostered in just seven percent of all Yahoo leagues given the strong matchup that he has on tap.
Last Week's Review
Ryan Gusto, Astros, RHP (vs. Pirates - Wednesday 6/4)
It was a rough one for Gusto against the Pirates this week, giving up three runs on eight hits while failing to get out of the fifth inning. We pride ourselves on getting much greater returns from our streaming recommendations and will strive to do better going forward. Apologies.
Cal Quantrill, Marlins, RHP (vs. Rockies - Wednesday 6/4)
Quantrill pitched decently in a losing effort against the Rockies, giving up two runs on five hits over five innings while striking out a pair. While it wasn't terrible, we were hunting for a victory here and didn't get it, so this was a disappointing result.
