Well, here it is.
The long marathon of the 2023 MLB season is coming to a close. This is the final week of regular season games, and the final week of (I’m assuming) your roto leagues.
I don’t generally keep stats on this kind of thing, but this may be the only week all season long when the Top Shelf is the largest bucket of pitchers in the Dive Bar. Plenty of great choices for your final week, so especially if you’re just a few counting stats away from another point in the standings, pay attention!
All right, for the last time in 2023, 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 8:50am 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 High Point of Reference is the best 1-start pitcher of the week. The Low Point of Reference is the 1-start pitcher at or nearest to the 72nd-ranked SP of the week.
The Top Shelf
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Gausman, TOR | NYY(TU) | TB(SU) |
| Corbin Burnes, MIL | STL(WE) | CHC(SU) |
| Aaron Nola, PHI | PIT(TU) | @NYM(SU) |
| George Kirby, SEA | HOU(TU) | TEX(SU) |
| Luis Castillo, SEA | HOU(MO) | TEX(SA) |
| Justin Verlander, HOU | @SEA(MO) | @ARI(SU) |
| Blake Snell, SD | @SF(MO) | @CHW(SU) |
| Kyle Bradish, BAL | WSH(TU) | BOS(SU) |
| Logan Webb, SF | SD(MO) | LAD(SU) |
| Jon Gray, TEX | @LAA(TU) | @SEA(SU) |
| Spencer Strider, ATL | WSH(SA) | High Point of Reference |
| Kenta Maeda, MIN | OAK(TU) | @COL(SU) |
| Hunter Greene, CIN | @CLE(TU) | @STL(SU) |
Notes
- Corbin Burnes or Kevin Gausman are your best bet if you’re trying for one or two final Wins.
- Burnes, Gausman, Aaron Nola, and Blake Snell are your best bets to tally up some more Ks.
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Reese Olson, DET | KC(TU) | CLE(SU) |
| Braxton Garrett, MIA | @NYM(TU) | @PIT(SU) |
| Patrick Sandoval, LAA | TEX(MO) | OAK(SU) |
| Mitch Keller, PIT | @PHI (TU) | MIA(SU) |
| Joey Lucchesi, NYM | MIA(TU) | PHI(SU) |
| Clarke Schmidt, NYY | ARI(MO) | @KC(SA) |
| Michael King, NYY | @TOR(TU) | @KC(SU) |
| Merrill Kelly, ARI | @NYY(MO) | HOU(SA) |
| Justin Steele, CHC | @ATL(TU) | @MIL(SU) |
| Bobby Miller, LAD | @COL(TU) | @SF(SU) |
Notes
- Patrick Sandoval stands out here as the best shot at a Win this week.
- Mitch Keller, Sandoval, and Merrill Kelly are your best bets if you need Ks.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Tanner Houck, BOS | TB(TU) | @BAL(SU) |
| Darius Vines, ATL | CHC(TU) | WSH(SU) |
| Seth Lugo, SD | @SF(TU) | Low Point of Reference |
| Cody Bradford, TEX | @LAA(MO) | @SEA(SA) |
| Zack Thompson, STL | @MIL(TU) | CIN(SU) |
| Jose Urena, CHW | ARI(TH) | SD(SU) |
| James McArthur, KC | @DET(TU) | NYY(SU) |
| Zach Davies, ARI | @CHW(TU) | HOU(SU) |
| Chase Anderson, COL | LAD(TU) | MIN(SU) |
Notes
- Fitting that a Colorado Rockies pitcher occupies the basement one last time this year.
- If you have to start any of these dogs, don’t count on any new Wins, but Tanner Houck and maybe Zack Thompson (ugh) could be good for Ks. Just watch those rate stats!
