Hello and welcome to the ninth installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.
I’ll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.
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Thinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.
This is a living document, so we’ll update the options below as the weekend moves along.
Before we get into it, we’ll start with a couple of notes on situations that may be unresolved or teams that may not have a two-start pitcher lined up for the upcoming week:
The way things line up as of now for the Red Sox, with a doubleheader on Friday and six games next week, it doesn’t appear as though any of their starters are going to pitch twice. Garrett Crochet will take the ball on Monday against the Brewers in Milwaukee, and they could opt to use him on regular rest on Sunday against the Braves in Atlanta, but they would need to push someone else back to make them happen. It’s a non-decision though for fantasy managers as Crochet should be active each week regardless of matchup.
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The Astros have been dealing with a plethora of injuries to their starting rotation, with Hayden Wesneski (elbow) and Ronel Blanco (elbow) the latest victims to go down. It’s not yet clear who will fill those spots in the rotation or when they will pitch. The expectation is that Colton Gordon will start on Sunday against the Mariners. That would leave either AJ Blubaugh or Brandon Walter to start on Tuesday, which would give him a two-start week of vs. Athletics, vs. Rays. We’ll keep an eye on the situation throughout the weekend, as either one could have some mixed league viability.
Without further ado, let’s dig into the options for the week of May 26.
Going Twice…
Note: Probable pitchers as of Friday, May 16, and are subject to change.
American League
Strong Plays
Joe Ryan (@ Rays, @ Mariners)
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Aside from one disastrous start against the Braves in mid-April, Ryan has been outstanding this season. He sports a stellar 2.68 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and a 67/8 K/BB ratio over 57 innings on the season. Both matchups are on the road this week, but neither one inspires any sort of fear. Like most upper-echelon starting pitchers, Ryan should be a staple in fantasy lineups every week and this juicy two-start week…