Lots of very familiar names in the Top Shelf this week, and at least one very unfamiliar name. Mason Miller, of my beloved-slash-abhorred Oakland A’s, gets a start in the Coliseum and one at Kauffman Stadium this week. Miller shows a solid K/BB and with the park/team factors at play this week, he’s Top Shelf: a must-start in all formats.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the field. 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 11:30am 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Max Scherzer, NYM | @DET(TU) | COL(SU) |
| Spencer Strider, ATL | @NYM(MO) | BAL(FR) |
| Mason Miller, OAK | SEA(TU) | @KC(SU) |
| Zac Gallen, ARI | @TEX(TU) | WSH(SU) |
| Blake Snell, SD | CIN(MO) | LAD(SU) |
| Tylor Megill, NYM | ATL(MO) | COL(SA) |
| Sandy Alcantara, MIA | ATL(TU) | @CHC(SU) |
| Joe Ryan, MIN | @CHW(TU) | @CLE(SU) |
| Charlie Morton, ATL | @NYM(MO) | BAL(SA) |
| Logan Gilbert, SEA | @OAK(TU) | HOU(SU) |
| Michael Kopech, CHW | MIN(TU) | @CIN(SU) |
| Luis Garcia, HOU | SF(MO) | @SEA(SU) |
| Steven Matz, STL | LAA(TU) | DET(SU) |
Notes
- Not a lot of surprises among the top group here, besides the aforementioned Miller. Anyone who wouldn’t run Gallen, Scherzer, or Strider out in a two-start week is, to put it mildly, wrong.
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Drew Smyly, CHC | @WSH(MO) | MIA(SA) |
| MacKenzie Gore, WSH | CHC(MO) | @ARI(SU) |
| Tanner Houck, BOS | TOR(TU) | @PHI (SU) |
| Domingo German, NYY | CLE(MO) | @TB(SU) |
| Jose Berrios, TOR | @BOS(MO) | @PIT(SA) |
| Yusei Kikuchi, TOR | @BOS(TU) | @PIT(SU) |
| Tyler Wells, BAL | @KC(TU) | @ATL(SU) |
Notes
- The lack of any bolded names here should simply underscore the gap that exists between Matz and Smyly this week.
- None of these fellas are a sure thing, but they’re still safer plays than the next cohort.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Roansy Contreras, PIT | @TB(TU) | TOR(SU) |
| Hayden Wesneski, CHC | @WSH(TU) | MIA(SU) |
| Luke Weaver, CIN | @SD(MO) | CHW(SU) |
| Taijuan Walker, PHI | @LAD(MO) | BOS(SU) |
| Cal Quantrill, CLE | @NYY(MO) | MIN(SU) |
| Corey Kluber, BOS | TOR(MO) | @PHI (SA) |
| Bryce Elder, ATL | @MIA(TU) | BAL(SU) |
| Michael Lorenzen, DET | NYM(TU) | @STL(SU) |
| Josh Fleming, TB | PIT(TU) | NYY(SU) |
| Ryan Yarbrough, KC | BAL(TU) | OAK(SU) |
| Ryan Feltner, COL | MIL(TU) | @NYM(SU) |
| Eric Lauer, MIL | @COL(TU) | @SF(SU) |
| John Brebbia, SF | @HOU(MO) | MIL(SU) |
Notes
- You know the drill. These are the players to avoid playing. The bold ones, in particular, project for negative dollar value on the Streamonator this week.
