Two-Start Pitcher Streamers: Fantasy Baseball SP Pickups and Starts (June 19 - June 25)

June 19, 2023

Starting pitcher two-start streamers for Week 13 (2023). Fantasy baseball SP waiver wire pickups for pitchers with two starts scheduled in the week ahead.

Welcome back to our Two-Start Pitcher Streamers article - Waiver Wire Streamers and Starts for Week 13, from June 19 to June 25. With plenty of teams with seven games on their schedule this week, we're looking at a bunch of two-start pitchers. There are a few risky starts this week, but there are also ample chances for you to get ahead with some of this week's two-start pitchers.

For those new to this recurring column, each week this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers expected to make two starts in the upcoming week. It can be considered as fantasy baseball streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire run for leagues with weekly transactions.

There are 33 pitchers currently scheduled to make two starts during this period. We will be looking at pitchers who are less than 50% owned in Yahoo! leagues. Listed will be those who are rostered over 50%, those who are best available under 50%, and risky options under 50%. There are a few other two-start pitchers available, but they should be avoided.

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Two-Start Pitchers - Over 50% Rostered

• Merrill Kelly (@ MIL, @ SF)
• Spencer Strider (@ PHI, @ CIN)
• Edward Cabrera (vs. TOR, vs. PIT)
• Eury Perez (vs. TOR, vs. PIT)
• Corbin Burnes (vs. ARZ, @ CLE)
• Max Scherzer (@ HOU, @ PHI)
• Michael Wacha (@ SF, vs. WAS)
• Alex Cobb (vs. SD, vs. ARZ)
• Hunter Brown (vs. NYM, @ LAD)
• Pablo Lopez (vs. BOS, @ DET)
• Bailey Ober (vs. BOS, @ DET)
• Gerrit Cole (vs. SEA, vs. TEX)
• George Kirby (@ NYY, @ BAL)
• Tyler Glasnow (vs. BAL, vs. KC)
• Andrew Heaney (@ CWS, @ NYY)
• Jose Berrios (@ MIA, vs. OAK)

Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers

MacKenzie Gore (48% Rostered), Washington Nationals

Scheduled Starts: vs. STL, @ SD

An up-and-down season boils down to a modest 3.95 SIERA and a solid 27.5% strikeout rate through 14 starts for Nationals pitcher MacKenzie Gore.

He'll face off against the Cardinals and Padres at home this week. He matched against San Diego a few weeks ago, allowing three runs in four-and-two-thirds innings in a May 23 start in Nationals Park. He should have better luck this time around in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park (95 park factor). He's also coming off one of his best starts yet, hurling five-and-two-thirds scoreless innings against the Houston Astros.

At 48% rostered, the odds are that Gore won't be available in your league. If he is, he's got the strikeout ceiling and longevity to make a difference in fantasy baseball this week.

Garrett Whitlock (33% Rostered), Boston Red Sox

Scheduled Starts: @ MIN, @ CWS

While a 4.38 ERA is scary, Whitlock has looked like an entirely different pitcher since his return from injury on May 27. Even after factoring in a subpar outing against the Rays on June 3, Whitlock has a 3.13 ERA and a 23.7% strikeout rate. He's notably regained movement on his changeup, going from around 30 inches of vertical drop to 39 inches of drop since returning from injury.

With matchups against two bottom-10 offenses in Minnesota and Chicago, expect a good week from Whitlock.

Aaron Civale (30% Rostered), Cleveland Guardians

Scheduled Starts: vs. OAK, vs. MIL

Aaron Civale took a 2.31 ERA into a start against the San Diego Padres last week and struggled, allowing two home runs before being pulled in the fourth inning.

While I considered him a risky two-start pitcher last week with starts scheduled against the Padres and Diamondbacks, he's a safer pick this week against two sub-.700 OPS offenses.

With a 4.69 SIERA and 87.2% left-on-base rate, Civale should eventually regress. But that shouldn't happen this week against two of the league's worst offenses.

Ranger Suarez (24% Rostered), Philadelphia Phillies

Scheduled Starts: vs. ATL, vs. NYM

After a rough start to the season, Ranger Suarez has turned it around as of late. In his last four starts, the 27-year-old has a 1.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

Generally, you shouldn't trust any streamable starting pitcher against the Atlanta Braves, but Suarez may have a chance this week. In 2022, he faced the Atlanta Braves five times with a 3.21 ERA and a 20% strikeout rate. He was spectacular in his last three starts against the Braves, with a 0.53 ERA in three second-half starts.

While the Braves have turned it up a notch on offense (.804 OPS this season, .767 OPS after the 2022 All-Star break), Suarez has proven to be able in handling this star-studded Braves lineup.

His second start against the Alonso-less Mets should end up as a solid performance.

Johan Oviedo (19% Rostered), Pittsburgh Pirates

Scheduled Starts: vs. CHC, vs. MIA

With a 4.40 ERA, Oviedo will likely stay on waiver wires in most leagues this week. He'll take the rubber against the Cubs and the Marlins.

His most recent start against the Cubs was last week when he surrendered eight hits and four runs in four innings pitched. While that start looks terrible on paper, his 0.97 FIP, .615 BABIP, and eight strikeouts show that Oviedo had some seriously bad luck that day.

The Marlins have struggled mightily against right-handed pitchers like Oviedo, with a team .694 OPS in 1824 at-bats against RHP. While Oviedo hasn't been a reliable fantasy starter this season, he may be in for his best week yet.

Reese Olson (2% Rostered), Detroit Tigers

Scheduled Starts: vs. KC, vs. MIN

Reese Olson impressed in his first two games as a major leaguer, with a 2.70 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 23.7% strikeout rate, and 5.3% walk rate. His slider and changeup were particularly impressive, with a .147 wOBA on his slider and a 66.7% strikeout rate on his changeup. Both pitches have above-average movement, with nearly 40 inches of drop on his slider and 34 inches on his changeup.

But Olson ran into the freight train that is the Atlanta Braves offense. Olson was pulled in the fourth inning after giving up five hits and seven runs with two strikeouts.

While his last start was horrific, the .809 OPS Atlanta Braves have destroyed several starting pitchers this season. Reese Olson is a decent bet against two bottom-10 offenses in Minnesota and Kansas City. With last week's implosion, don't put the house on it.

Risky Two-Start Streamer Picks

Josiah Gray (40% Rostered), Washington Nationals

Scheduled Starts: vs. STL, @ SD

Josiah Gray's 3.19 ERA is impressive, but a 5.00 SIERA and a 19.5% strikeout rate should raise some red flags. Gray's 4.67 ERA through three June starts makes him a risky stream this week, especially against two offenses that are capable of doing damage.

Anthony DeSclafani (39% Rostered), San Francisco Giants

Scheduled Starts: vs. SD, vs. ARZ

While he started the season as one of the best pitchers in the league with a 2.13 ERA through six starts, Anthony DeSclafani has since imploded. Since May 8, the 33-year-old has a 6.31 ERA and 16.2% strikeout rate in eight starts. DeSclafani isn't in line to rebound this week with a start against a top-five Arizona offense.

Kutter Crawford (4% Rostered), Boston Red Sox

Scheduled Starts: @ MIN, @ CWS

While Kutter Crawford has great peripherals (99th percentile in chase rate, 91st percentile in average exit velocity, 88th percentile in walk rate, 81st percentile in xERA), it hasn't translated to great performances as a starter. In five games as a starting pitcher, Crawford has an appalling 7.11 ERA (he has a 1.66 ERA as a reliever this season). Despite easy matchups this week, you should avoid Kutter Crawford.

Osvaldo Bido (0% Rostered), Pittsburgh Pirates

Scheduled Starts: vs. CHC, vs. MIA

In an emergency start last week, 27-year-old Osvaldo Bido took the mound against the Cubs. He delivered four innings, allowing four hits, one run, and striking out six. That isn't bad! Very few were expecting a .297 wOBA and 31.6% strikeout rate from a guy with a career 4.70 ERA in Triple-A.

With Roansy Contreras in the bullpen for the foreseeable future, Bido should take a couple more starts. An Osvaldo Bido breakout is possible. With his minor-league history and 70% hard-hit rate in his first start, it isn't probable.

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