2017 MLB Two-Start Pitchers: Week 9

Another week with a fine selection of top-notch starting pitchers in the top tier, and another 15 in the middle tier. The bottom tier predictably has a slew of residents again this upcoming week, and that does not include Jesse Hahn, who is on the 10-day DL or Daniel Wright of the Angels who was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake City, meaning both lose their two-start attractiveness (although both were destined to end up in the bottom tier).

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:

These 12 SPs are those that you can insert into your rotation and forget about them in Week 9. Severino has two road starts, but actually has had better results this season pitching away from Yankee Stadium, and the two matchups against division foes therefore does not seem so daunting. Teheran is another pitcher who benefits from pitching away from his home park in both his Week 9 starts. 

Price is due to rejoin the Boston rotation in Week 9. He was shaky in his two minor league rehab starts, so there is some question about his efficacy in these two upcoming starts. The pedigree is certainly there with Price, and thus he tops the middle tier. He also has two road games to open his 2017 season, although heading to face the White Sox in the first appearance looks like a good way to kick things off before traveling to Baltimore at the end of the week.

Gray has been racking up the Ks of late, with 22 over his last three outings as opposed to just five walks over the same period. He faces a couple of tough opponents in Week 9, with a trip to Cleveland lined up for his first start, and then facing the Nationals at home. Not exactly the greatest pair of matchups, but with his control and dominance, he becomes a potentially valuable SP this upcoming scoring period.

Over Maeda's last four games, he has a pair of quality starts (QS) and has a 25:6 K/BB ratio. Of course, three of those starts we prior to his trip to the DL, but he came back strong against the Cardinals. He is slowly pushing his ERA down to a useful number (it currently sits at 5.08) and his WHIP is an acceptable 1.24 on the season. The real concern with him in Week 9 is that he has to pitch in St. Louis and Milwaukee and he has had more trouble on the road than at home this year.

Montgomery has been inconsistent in his rookie season, tossing a gem then getting lit up, although overall his results have made him a worthwhile rotation piece. He has given up a dinger in each of his last three outings, but he also has a good 8.41 K/9 rate over his eight starts in 2017. He does need to improve his control to be a more useful fantasy option, as he is walking 3.52 hitters per nine innings pitched.

Roark is another two-start SP that pitches both his games on the road. The venues are favorable (San Francisco, then Oakland) so that plays in his favor. With his superb 2.05 GB/FB ratio and his ability to keep the ball within the confines of the ballpark (0.9 HR/9), and the favorable locations for his two appearances, he is useful even with his elevated 4.32 ERA (his FIP looks better, sitting at 4.01) and 1.32 WHIP.

Morton is coming off a nice seven inning no-decision against the Tigers, but yielded four earned runs in each of his prior starts, not lasting through the sixth inning in either start. He has two road starts, and he has struggled away from home this season. He does offer excellent strikeout numbers this season (10.14 K/9) and is generating a ton of ground balls (2.34 GB/FB ratio over 57.2 innings), although his control is suspect, leading to his ugly 1.37 WHIP over 10 starts.

Ramirez has been effective in his two starts since returning to the Tampa Bay rotation, although a .223 BABIP and 3.76 FIP hint that his 3.00 ERA and 0.89 WHIP are due for a negative regression to an extent, but probably not so great as to make him a bottom tier SP anytime soon. He takes the mound in Arlington and then Seattle this week coming up, but the sample size is too small at this point to make any predictions about how that effects his usefulness in Week 9.

Quintana had a rough outing in Arizona, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits over just 4.1 innings. That makes two of his last four starts where he has not pitched past the fifth inning. He takes on Boston, in David Price's first start this season, at home, then heads to Detroit for a second trip to the mound at the end of the week. He is a good strikeout producer (8,76 K/9 over 61.2 innings) but his control is an issue, with a 3.50 BB/9 over his 10 starts this season.

Norris gets to face off against a couple of division foes, and he has a nice matchup against the struggling Royals to open Week 9, although the home game against the White Sox is not terrible opportunity to continue the good work he began with a 6.1 innings no-decision against the Astros. If he can harness his control, he becomes a much better fantasy SP, but a 4.20 K/9 is inflating both his peripheral stats (4.38 ERA and 1.62 WHIP over 49.1 innings pitched in 9 starts this season).

Davies is trending in the correct path, pushing his ERA down to 5.33 ERA (a far sight better than his 12.46 ERA to open the season). He has a good matchup against the host Mets, but a tougher second start against the Dodgers at home to close out Week 9. His command and long-ball allowing tendencies have hurt him (3.61 BB/9 and 1.7 HR/9 over his 10 starts in 2017), making him a risky two-start option this scoring period.

Miranda has settled into the Mariner rotation, after some initial struggles. He is coming off a nice three game stretch where he whiffed 21 hitters over just 17 innings, although he also handed out eight free passes over those contests. He has also been victimized by the home run, with a 1.7 HR/9 that may hurt him when he toes the rubber at Coors Field in his first start. The second start at home against the Rays is a better opportunity to use him in Week 9.

Perez has two home starts this upcoming scoring period, and he has been better when pitching at Arlington than when on the road so far this season. His control has been awful this season, with a 3.61 BB/9 over his 57.1 innings pitched, and his 6.28 K/9 in those 10 starts is similarly poor. If you like the two home starts, then go ahead and plug him in, but be prepared for his 1.53 WHIP to raise its ugly head and make him just a desperation starter.

Chatwood and Anderson each have a home start against Seattle, then head to San Diego for a couple of better matchups at the end of the week. Chatwood has been the better option on the road this season, but Anderson is the guy you want if you are looking for Ks. The best suggestion is to sit both in their first starts, and then use them when they visit the Padres.

Garza had been working on a four game QS stretch, before the Jays roughed him up in his latest start for six earned runs on seven hits (including three homers) over 5.1 innings. Since his ERA over the past two seasons was north of 5.00 (5.13 over 250.1 innings), and he is a poor strikeout option (6.94 K/9 in 2017), his return to form was not unexpected. The road start against the Mets looks like his best appearance in Week 9, as pitching at the hitter-friendly Miller Park against the Dodgers is less attractive for fantasy purposes.

Not much here to recommend in Week 9, based on recent performance for all these starting pitchers. Based on matchup, the best options are Bauer and Delgado, but neither is trustworthy option considering how they have been pitching over their last few appearances. Bauer at a minimum provides strikeouts, if you are looking for those.

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