Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. I’ll be spending today with my kids, and with my own dad, as we venture out to the Coliseum to see the A’s play the Phillies. Most years when we go to this particular game— my dad gets a deeply-discounted luxury suite because he auto-renews his season tickets every year— it’s a fun, happy occasion, with a lot of extended family, and nice, upgraded experience for everyone, especially the kiddos.
Obviously, this year, with all that hangs over this franchise and this town, things are a little different. Still going to see some aunts, uncles, and cousins I don’t always get to spend time with; still going to spend Father’s Day with both my dad and my kids; still going to enjoy the luxury suite out in the outfield obelisk that is Mt. Davis; but it’s just different.
It’s a special kind of sports fan cognitive dissonance to love a team, and to hate the people who own and operate it. But that’s where we Oakland A’s fans find ourselves.
Anyway, on to the pitchers for this week. The Point of Reference this week is Shane McClanahan, worth in one start almost exactly what Bailey Ober will be worth in two. So definitely take advantage of those Top Shelf pitchers this week, if you have them.
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 1:15pm 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer Strider, ATL | @PHI (TU) | @CIN(SU) |
| Tyler Glasnow, TB | BAL(TU) | KC(SU) |
| Gerrit Cole, NYY | SEA(TU) | TEX(SU) |
| Pablo Lopez, MIN | BOS(MO) | @DET(SA) |
| Max Scherzer, NYM | @HOU(MO) | @PHI (SU) |
| Jose Berrios, TOR | @MIA(MO) | OAK(SA) |
| Corbin Burnes, MIL | ARI(MO) | @CLE(SU) |
| Aaron Civale, CLE | OAK(TU) | MIL(SU) |
| Alex Cobb, SF | SD(MO) | ARI(SA) |
| George Kirby, SEA | @NYY(TU) | @BAL(SU) |
| James Paxton, BOS | @MIN (MO) | @CHW(SA) |
Notes
- Sure, Spencer Strider is coming off two rough starts, in which he gave up five and eight earned runs… but he’s still an elite pitcher, and the Braves are still 12-2 when he starts. Gotta run him out in the double-dip week.
- This is a really great crop of choices this week. Aren’t you glad I’m here to tell you to start Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer when they get two starts in a week?
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Shane McClanahan, TB | KC(TH) | Point of Reference |
| Bailey Ober, MIN | BOS(TU) | @DET(SU) |
| Yusei Kikuchi, TOR | @MIA(TU) | OAK(SU) |
| Andrew Heaney, TEX | @CHW(MO) | @NYY(SU) |
| Merrill Kelly, ARI | @MIL(MO) | @SF(SA) |
| Edward Cabrera, MIA | TOR(MO) | PIT(SA) |
| Hunter Brown, HOU | NYM(MO) | @LAD(SU) |
| Eury Perez, MIA | TOR(TU) | PIT(SU) |
| Michael Wacha, SD | @SF(MO) | WSH(SA) |
| Anthony DeSclafani, SF | SD(TU) | ARI(SU) |
| MacKenzie Gore, WSH | STL(TU) | @SD(SU) |
| Reese Olson, DET | KC(MO) | MIN(SU) |
| Daniel Lynch, KC | @DET(TU) | @TB(SU) |
Notes
- Nothing super surprising in the Well this week, in my opinion. You can probably start these guys, but they all have question marks and leave doubts. Caveat emptor.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Johan Oviedo, PIT | CHC(TU) | @MIA(SU) |
| Jordan Lyles, KC | @DET(MO) | @TB(SA) |
| Ranger Suarez, PHI | ATL(TU) | NYM(SU) |
| Josiah Gray, WSH | STL(MO) | @SD(SA) |
| Ryne Nelson, ARI | @MIL(TU) | @SF(SU) |
| Nick Martinez, SD | @SF(TU) | WSH(SU) |
| Jesse Scholtens, CHW | TEX(MO) | BOS(SU) |
| Osvaldo Bido, PIT | CHC(MO) | @MIA(SA) |
| Brandon Williamson, CIN | COL(MO) | ATL(SU) |
| Luis Medina, OAK | @CLE(TU) | @TOR(SU) |
| Austin Gomber, COL | @CIN(MO) | LAA(SU) |
Notes
- Hey look, a Bar Mat with Colorado and Oakland pitchers in the bottom half! How surprising!
