Well, here it is. The final Two-Start Dive Bar of 2022. I hope everyone enjoyed this column. I hope it helped you make some tough calls. I hope it sometimes made you chuckle. I hope it made you thirsty.
There aren’t too many double-dippers in this final full week of the season. The pickings are slim, so it’s good to take a look at where the chips have fallen for these guys.
For the last time this year, 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 10:30am 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Robbie Ray, SEA | TEX(TU) | OAK(SU) |
| Kevin Gausman, TOR | NYY(MO) | BOS(SU) |
| Zack Wheeler, PHI | @CHC(TU) | @WSH(SU) |
| Logan Webb, SF | COL(TU) | ARI(SU) |
| Triston McKenzie, CLE | TB(TU) | KC(SU) |
| Blake Snell, SD | LAD(TU) | CHW(SU) |
| Luis Severino, NYY | @TOR(MO) | BAL(SU) |
| Lance Lynn, CHW | @MIN(TU) | @SD(SU) |
Notes
- This list being headlined by Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman is perfectly appropriate. Like everyone who has appeared in the Top Shelf (with the exception of one Yusei Kikuchi that one time) it’s basically all dudes you wouldn’t not start anyway. Call this the Confirmation Bias level.
The Well
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Pablo Lopez, MIA | @NYM(TU) | @MIL(SU) |
| Bailey Ober, MIN | CHW(TU) | @DET(SU) |
| Roansy Contreras, PIT | CIN(MO) | @STL(SU) |
| Marcus Stroman, CHC | PHI(TU) | CIN(SU) |
| German Marquez, COL | @SF(TU) | @LAD(SU) |
| Tyler Anderson, LAD | @SD(TU) | COL(SU) |
Notes
- I remember taking a few fliers on Ober in larger drafts preseason this year. Don’t think those teams ended up doing all that well– this was a rough year for my projection systems, and therefore, for my teams– but it’s good to see the young man come into his own this year.
The Bar Mat
| Pitcher | First Start | Second Start |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Wacha, BOS | BAL(TU) | @TOR(SU) |
| Joey Wentz, DET | KC(TU) | MIN(SU) |
| Bryce Elder, ATL | @WSH(MO) | NYM(SU) |
| Zack Greinke, KC | @DET(TU) | @CLE(SU) |
| Corey Kluber, TB | @CLE(TU) | @HOU(SU) |
| Taylor Hearn, TEX | @SEA(TU) | @LAA(SU) |
| Kyle Bradish, BAL | @BOS(TU) | @NYY(SU) |
| Adrian Houser, MIL | STL(TU) | MIA(SU) |
| Connor Seabold, BOS | BAL(MO) | @TOR(SA) |
| James Kaprielian, OAK | @LAA(TU) | @SEA(SU) |
| Chase Anderson, CIN | @PIT(MO) | @CHC(SU) |
| Jordan Lyles, BAL | @BOS(MO) | @NYY(SA) |
| Cory Abbott, WSH | ATL(MO) | PHI(SU) |
Notes
- For the last time this year: don’t start these guys. Just don’t.
