With fewer cancellations likely ahead for the Major League Baseball season, it will create a better opportunity to be assured of two-start pitchers.
It’s been a difficult task so far this season making sure a pitcher scheduled for two starts is actually on the field that often in one week. With winter hopefully behind us for the rest of the season, here’s the best two-start pitchers for week 4 in the fantasy baseball season.
Kevin Gausman, SP, Baltimore Orioles
Gausman is starting to resemble the player we anticipated last season.
After a solid season two years ago, he faltered last season, producing an ERA of 4.68, more than a run more than the previous season.
And even though he struggled through his first start this season, he’s put in three good starts in a row, and now gets an opportunity at two starts this week.
He gets decent matchups, too, with home tilts against Cleveland, with the second-worst team batting average in Major League Baseball, and Detroit, which doesn’t have much talent on the offensive side of the ball.
At his best, Gausman can be a nice strikeout pitcher. He may not factor in the decision, thanks to a terrible Baltimore offense, but he has good enough stuff that he will limit the opposition’s earned runs and can register a good amount of strikeouts.
Mike Leake, SP, Seattle Mariners
Leake isn’t going to offer much fantasy value beyond this week, but I love the matchups for his two starts.
He squares off against the Chicago White Sox before ending the week against Cleveland. The Indians, as mentioned before, have a bottom-five team batting average. The White Sox, meanwhile, are stumbling, batting just .216 in the last seven days.
Leake hasn’t been bad this season, totaling at least five innings in all of his starts so far this season, and giving up three or fewer earned runs in three of his four starts.
He even got into the strikeout game in his last outing, tallying seven strikeouts and issuing just one walk.
He’s not a consistent fantasy option, but his matchups this week line up well for the opportunity at two quality starts.
