Welcome to– what is this, the 17th week in the MLB season? Something like that. Welcome to the end of July! That’s for sure. Just over two months left in the season, best ball tournaments have moved past their initial round, or are about to; if you use a playoff structure in your H2H league, that should be approaching. But as I’ve said before, this column is really about helping the folks in weekly-change roto leagues. And there is still a ton of baseball to play.
This week’s Point of Reference is the Rays’ Tyler Glasnow, who in his one start against Miami this week would slot in just between Jose Berrios and Kenta Maeda, value-wise, in their combined starts. I’d put him at the bottom of the Top Shelf this week.
So, why don’t you and I dive right in?
Pitchers’ projected starts for the next week are sourced from Rudy Gamble’s Streamonator as of the update at 11:45am Eastern.
The bold pitchers below are the most extreme version of each section. The best of the Top Shelf, the safest of the Well, the worst of the Bar Mat.
The Top Shelf
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Yu Darvish, SD | PIT(MO) | TEX(SU) |
| Justin Verlander, NYM | @NYY(TU) | WSH(SU) |
| Nathan Eovaldi, TEX | @HOU(MO) | @SD(SU) |
| Tarik Skubal, DET | SF(MO) | @MIA(SA) |
| Aaron Civale, CLE | KC(TU) | @CHW(SU) |
| Eduardo Rodriguez, DET | LAA(TU) | @MIA(SU) |
| Luis Castillo, SEA | @MIN (MO) | @ARI(SU) |
| Jose Berrios, TOR | @LAD(MO) | LAA(SU) |
| Tyler Glasnow, TB | MIA(WE) | Point of Reference |
Notes
- Yu Darvish benefits from the pair of home starts this week, even if the game against Texas will be a tough one.
- Jose Berrios has a tough tour of Southern California this week. The Angels and Dodgers are both 2nd in their respective leagues in team OPS this season. It’s why he’s here, bottom of the Top Shelf (borderline the Well) and not higher up the list. Still a must-start.
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Kenta Maeda, MIN | SEA(MO) | @KC(SU) |
| Logan Allen, CLE | KC(MO) | @CHW(SA) |
| Patrick Corbin, WSH | COL(MO) | @NYM(SA) |
| Dean Kremer, BAL | @PHI (MO) | NYY(SU) |
| Steven Matz, STL | @ARI(TU) | CHC(SU) |
| Brayan Bello, BOS | ATL(TU) | @SF(SU) |
| Colin Rea, MIL | CIN(MO) | @ATL(SU) |
Notes
- I generally like Dean Kremer this season. He’s been a refreshing surprise. But that’s a tough pair of starts that have to give owners pause. Still, basically recommending a start this week. With caveats.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Ross Stripling, SF | @DET(MO) | BOS(SU) |
| Rich Hill, PIT | @SD(MO) | PHI(SU) |
| Michael Grove, LAD | TOR(MO) | CIN(SU) |
| Trevor Williams, WSH | COL(TU) | @NYM(SU) |
| Austin Gomber, COL | @WSH(MO) | OAK(SU) |
| Touki Toussaint, CHW | CHC(TU) | CLE(SU) |
| Kyle Hendricks, CHC | @CHW(TU) | @STL(SU) |
| Cristopher Sanchez, PHI | BAL(MO) | @PIT(SU) |
| Graham Ashcraft, CIN | @MIL(MO) | @LAD(SU) |
| Ryan Yarbrough, KC | @CLE(MO) | MIN(SU) |
| Kyle Nelson, ARI | STL(MO) | SEA(SU) |
| Zack Thompson, STL | @ARI(MO) | CHC(SA) |
Notes
- Don’t start these guys.
