Welcome to week thirteen sports fans. Last week we saw Walker Buehler and Uncle Chuckles Morton come close to a No-Hitter. Also, the revelation came that Shohei Ohtani will be competing in the home run derby. That will be extremely entertaining to say the least. I’d also like to touch on deGrom. After being pulled from yet another start due to injury. All the tests have shown no damage to the god-like arm but I’m increasingly becoming concerned with it. It could very likely be dead arm but I suppose time will tell. Moving on, this may very well be the last week I pick a No-hitter of the week unless one happens. With that said, my pick is… Kyle Gibson. I’m sure it’s not a popular pick but screw it he’s having a career year.
Onto the news portion. Matthew Boyd felt pain in his triceps and is being evaluated, so it’s wait and see with him. Also, Brady Singer was lifted from his start after three innings due to shoulder tightness and is being evaluated. Another young pitcher Tucker Davidson of the Braves left his start with left forearm tightness and is shut down for 10 days and will be re-evaluated after that. On too the big names. Besides deGroms issues, Shane Bieber hit the IL with a shoulder strain and Tyler Glasnow partially tore his UCL and also has a flexor strain. You really hate to see that for Glasnow because he’s most likely going to miss the rest of the season. That’s the news, so let’s get to the two start pitchers!
MUST STARTS
1. Gerrit Cole NYY: (6/22 vs KC)(6/27 @ BOS)
2. Jacob deGrom NYM: (6/21 vs ATL)(6/26 vs PHI)
– It remains to be seen whether or not he’ll actually make both of the starts. Given the fact that he’s been pulled multiple starts in a row due to an arm injury. I think the Mets would be wise to give him some time off to see if cures the ailment.
3. Zack Wheeler PHI: (6/22 vs WAS)(6/26 @ NYM)
– Joe Girardi decided to move Eflin up to Sunday’s start, giving Wheeler the start on Tuesday. The Phillies do have Monday And Thursday off so it’s not 100% Wheeler will start Sunday, but this is the operating theory since the Phillies have been reluctant to use a 6 man rotation. Wheeler is in the midst of a career year. He’s always gone deep into games but now the strikeouts are coming which has elevated him into the ace tier of pitchers.
4. Max Scherzer WAS: (6/22 @ PHI)(6/27 @ MIA)
– He returns from a groin injury Tuesday to start against the Phillies. As long as he’s healthy we know we’re starting him.
5. Clayton Kershaw LAD: (6/22 @ SD)(6/27 vs CHC)
– He has three consecutive outings with 6 IP and 9 strikeouts. Both these offenses are cold so no worries here.
6. Julio Urias LAD: (6/21 @ SD)(6/26 vs CHC)
– I like both of these matchups for Urias. Both of these offenses are currently cold which should bode well for Urias and the Dodgers.
7. Trevor Rogers MIA: (6/22 vs TOR)(6/27 vs WAS)
– Rogers is the obvious favorite for NL Rookie of the Year Honors right now. With that said Sundays start will be a question mark against the Nationals seeing as how the Marlins have used a 6 man rotation recently even with days off. This could very well be a concerted effort to keep their trio of 25 and under starters fresh. 2 starts or not he’s in the lineup no matter what.
8. Aaron Civale CLE: (6/21 @ CHC)(6/27 @ MIN)
– Two away starts in the Mid West are not scaring me off of Civale. He’s been good all year with the exception of pitching against Baltimore. These are two good matchups for the young hurler to register some strikeouts.
9. Marcus Stroman NYM: (6/22 vs ATL)(6/27 vs PHI)
– Stroman’s been great so far this year. His K/9 in the month of June is well above his average, so he’s riding a bit of hot hand here. I’d have Stroman ranked higher normally but with two matchups against the Braves and Phillies I’m easing slightly off the gas pedal because both teams have seemed to figure things out offensively right now, so I’m tempering expectations.
10. Kyle Gibson TEX: (6/21 vs OAK)(6/26 vs KC)
– It’s hard to pinpoint what’s leading to Gibson’s success, but you can’t argue with the numbers. Maybe it’s the offseason addition of the cutter into his arsenal. Any way you slice it, opponents are not squaring him up evidenced by a .206 BAA this season which is over 60 points below his career average. Two decent matchups this week make it a cherry on top of an already successful season for Gibson.
11. Tyler Mahle CIN: (6/21 @ MIN)(6/27 vs ATL)
– Mahle had a season-high 12 K’s in his last start against the Brewers. He’s at 26 K’s in only 3 starts this month and I expect more of that against Minnesota. The Braves offense has been battling recently but Mahle has only had 2 really bad starts this year which is enough to let him round out the must-start category for me.
QUESTIONABLES
12. Ian Anderson ATL: (6/21 @ NYM)(6/26 @ CIN)
– Anderson has either been good or he’s let up 4 runs. 4 runs isn’t terrible but that’s the trend as he has 5 starts where he’s allowed exactly 4 runs. 3 of these occasions have been in the last 4 starts. One of them was against the Mets, who are now hot on offense for the first time this season. The Reds also have the capability of putting up crooked numbers on any given day. I like Anderson a lot and I’m starting him but temper expectations.
13. Charlie Morton ATL: (6/22 @ NYM)(6/26 @ CIN)
– He’s coming off his best start of the season in which he took a No-Hitter into the 7th inning. The same applies to Uncle Chucky as it does Ian Anderson. I’m Starting him but again… tempering expectation.
14. Anthony DeSclafani SF: (6/22 @ LAA)(6/27 vs OAK)
– Another pitcher enjoying a career year in nearly every statistical category, DeSclafani runs into a hot Angels team and a hot Oakland team. Both offenses are scoring a bunch of runs right now. I’m starting him but be don’t be surprised if one of these matchups doesn’t go according to plan.
15. Blake Snell SD: (6/21 vs LAD)(6/27 vs ARI)
– He got tagged for 7 ER’s for the second time in his last 4 starts. This time it came against the Rockies who seem to be a different team while playing at home. His first matchup is against the Dodgers, it seems scary on the face given his struggles all year but a deeper dive shows us that this could be a good week for Snell. In 2 starts this year against the Dodgers his line is 10.1 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, and 14 K’s. Not too shabby for a guy sporting a 5.72 ERA this year. His second start is at home against Arizona and they are god awful on the road. Combine these two things and I’m starting Snell.
16. Frankie Montas OAK: (6/21 @ TEX)(6/26 @ SF)
– Montas has had his 2 best starts of the season in his last 2 trips to the hill. The line goes as follows 13.1 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, and 16 K’s. Montas is hot right now and takes on the hapless Rangers in his first contest. The Giants could light him up but Montas is rolling right now and I’m rolling with him.
17. Tarik Skubal DET:(6/22 vs STL)(6/27 vs HOU)
– Don’t look now but after a slow start to the season, Skubal is showing what made him such a highly-touted prospect coming up. Since May 7th he has 63 K’s in 44 Innings. It seems he’s turned a corner. I do like Skubal quite a bit but not this week. The Cardinals aren’t good offensively overall but they have crushed left-handed pitching this year. Meanwhile, the Astros crush all pitching. I’m sadly leaving Skubal on the bench this week.
18. Brady Singer KC: (6/22 @ NYY)(6/27 @ TEX)
– He’s Tentatively slated to start Tuesday at New York, but he exited his last start with shoulder tightness. And while I like the matchup against Texas, the shoulder injury is a concern and I’m leaving him on the pine this week.
19. Ross Stripling TOR: (6/22 @ MIA)(6/27 vs BAL)
– He tied his season-high in strikeouts his last time out against the Yankees with 9. It was also his second QS of the season. I’m starting Stripling due to too the juicy matchups this week.
20. Jake Odorizzi HOU: (6/21 @ BAL)(6/27 @ DET)
– He’s not been good this season but its still early for him after beginning the year on the IL. If there was ever a week to give it a run on Odorizzi it’s this week due to matchups.
21. Johan Oviedo STL: (6/22 @ DET)(6/27 vs PIT)
-He had his longest and best start of the season in his last start versus Miami. If ever a week to take a flier on a guy it’s this week with Oviedo as he has strong matchups and is coming off his strongest start of the year.
POINTS LEAGUES PLAYS
20. Ryan Yarbrough TB: (6/22 vs BOS)(6/27 vs LAA)
NO THANKS
Cole Irvin OAK: (6/22 @ TEX)(6/27 @ SF), Jordan Lyles TEX: (6/22 vs OAK)(6/27 vs KC), Merrill Kelly ARI: (6/21 vs MIL)(6/26 vs SD), Eduardo Rodriguez BOS: (6/22 @ TB)(6/27 vs NYY), Tyler Anderson PIT: (6/22 vs CHW)(6/27 @ STL), J.A. Happ MIN: (6/21 vs CIN)(6/27 vs CLE), Keegan Akin BAL: (6/21 vs HOU)(6/26 @ TOR), Jorge Lopez BAL: (6/22 vs HOU)(6/27 @ TOR)
