It’s been a little over a month since I’ve written up some under-rostered pitchers and the search for useful pitching is never ending. With Ottoneu playoffs starting in head-to-head leagues next week and stretch run for points leagues upon us, here are five starters who are rostered in under 60% of all Ottoneu leagues who could be nice pickups for the final month of the season. I’ve also tried to guess at these pitches potential opponents through the end of the season, provided their teams stay on schedule and no injuries occur. With so few days left to affect your position in the standings, every start can make a difference.

Frankie Montas joined the Brewers at the trade deadline and has made five solid starts for his new team. Milwaukee has had him continue to reemphasize his four-seam fastball in his pitch mix; he’s throwing that pitch over 40% of the time in August, a higher rate in any single month since May 2017. Maybe it’s because he’s throwing his heater harder than he has all season long, getting back up to the velocity he was enjoying a couple of years ago before his shoulder issues. The fastball has returned a 30.2% whiff rate this month and that solid foundation has helped the effectiveness of his entire repertoire. If his velocity sticks into September, he could be a nice addition to your fantasy team, particularly in the matchups against the Rockies and Giants.

With the Orioles dealing with a number of injuries to their starting rotation, Dean Kremer has stepped up with a string of three straight solid starts. He’s been increasing the usage of his brand-new splitter each month of the season and he’s now incorporating it into his pitch mix around a quarter of the time. Opposing batters are whiffing 34.2% of the time they offer at that offspeed pitch and are producing a .249 expected wOBA off of it. The rest of his arsenal is too inconsistent to be of note, and his schedule isn’t that favorable outside a pair of home starts against the Rays and Giants.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, Matthew Boyd has made it back to the majors with the Guardians. He’s made three starts for Cleveland and has looked decent. As with any pitching rehabbing from a major surgery, there are bound to be hiccups along the way, but Boyd may still have the talent and coaching staff surrounding him to thrive. His fastball’s velocity is sitting right around where it was at his peak with the Tigers and it’s generating a whiff rate a hair under 30%. His secondary offerings aren’t getting the swings and misses yet, but when they click for him, he should enjoy some additional success. His starts against the Dodgers and Astros are pretty easy skips, but the other four games on his potential slate look like decent to good matchups.

You may not have noticed, but Osvaldo Bido has been on fire for the A’s during the second half of the season. Over his last three starts across 17 innings, he’s allowed just a single run. His four-seamer has been a fantastic weapon for him, generating both swings and misses and weak contact with plenty of ride at the top of the zone. His changeup and slider are both effective secondary offerings giving him a pretty deep repertoire. His batted ball profile leans pretty heavily towards fly balls and the one start he’s made on the road in a hitter friendly stadium ended up being a seven-run disaster in Anaheim. His xFIP as a starter is 4.20 which isn’t nearly as nice as his actual results. You can probably trust him in his cavernous home ballpark in Oakland, but he might be a risk to start on the road in places like Cincinnati.

It took a while for David Peterson to get his legs under him after starting the season on the Injured List as he rehabbed from his hip injury from last year. Since the beginning of July, spanning his last 10 starts, he’s posted a perfectly acceptable 3.82 FIP with a 4.17 xFIP. He’s been even better in August with those marks falling to 3.17 and 4.14, respectively. That his xFIP didn’t really budge despite seeing much improved actual results is a possible yellow flag. He’s also struggled with his command at times, a skill that was never his strong suit to begin with. He’s got a pretty generous schedule on the docket, however, and even if he regresses towards his xFIP, he should still be a useful starter down the stretch.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• The are a few teams who have scheduled doubleheaders next week — the Royals and Guardians and the Brewers and Reds. Kansas City has the most difficult schedule since they’ll be in the midst of a 12-day, 13-game stretch. Cleveland will likely need to call up two pitchers to cover for their doubleheader as they’re at the end of a long stretch of games without an off day.
• As far as easier matchups go, the Pirates have a pretty nice schedule against the Cubs and the Guardians. It’s also probable that Jared Jones will make his return from the IL next week and he’s lined up to get a pretty nice matchup against Chicago.
• A bunch of teams are facing a pair of tough opponents next week: the Braves, Dodgers, Orioles, and Phillies. Baltimore probably has the worst schedule as they travel to Los Angeles and Colorado with a beat up starting rotation — Corbin Burnes is the only pitcher I can recommend from their staff.

After a week hiatus, welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• The Brewers, Cubs, and Giants all have a pair of easier matchups next week. I like all of the starters on San Francisco since they’ll be playing at home and they’ve got a pretty solid rotation right now. Milwaukee plays in two very pitcher friendly stadiums, but I just don’t trust Frankie Montas or Aaron Civale all that much, even in these favorable matchups.
• On the other end of the spectrum, the Red Sox run into the Astros and red hot Diamondbacks next week and I’d avoid everyone in that rotation save for maybe Tanner Houck’s two starts, and I’d be weary of even starting him despite how good he’s pitched this year.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• There are a few schedule quirks next week: the Mets and Cardinals have a makeup game on Monday which means New York flies from Los Angeles to St. Louis for a single game and then head to Denver and Seattle to complete the road trip. That’s a pretty heavy schedule which could lead to some really tired bodies by the end of it. The other quirk is a scheduled doubleheader between the Twins and Guardians on Friday.
• Folks, we did it. We have the highest possible matchup score when the White Sox visit Oakland — that’s the worst offense over the last 14 days and on the road playing in the stadium with the best combination of overall run scoring and home run suppressing park factors. JP Sears, Ross Stripling, and Joey Estes are lined up to start in that series and they’re all pitching well enough to count on.
• The Padres, Twins, and Yankees all have a pair of easier matchups on the schedule while the Blue Jays and Phillies have a couple of tough series and the Rockies are at home for a six-game homestand.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• The MLB trade deadline is next week and I’d expect to see plenty of pitchers moved ahead of the deadline. Make sure you’re double- and triple-checking the announced starters, especially on Monday and Tuesday, so that you’re not caught off guard by a surprise trade.
• There aren’t any teams that are facing a pair of tough matchups by the calculate matchup ratings above, but I’d avoid Toronto’s starters if I were you. They’re on the road against the Orioles and Yankees with a scheduled doubleheader in Baltimore on Monday. It’ll be a tough week for the O’s too; because of that doubleheader, they’re scheduled to play eight games in seven days including the start of a road trip next weekend in Cleveland.
• On the flip side, the Diamondbacks and Cardinals both have a pair of easier matchups on the docket next week. It’s a little easier to recommend Arizona’s starters since St. Louis’ have been so erratic this year, but they should all have some pretty rosy matchups to take advantage of.

The MLB trade deadline is just around the corner — don’t worry, the Ottoneu trade deadline isn’t until August 31 — and the search for useful pitching is never ending. Here are a handful of pitchers who are rostered in under 60% of all Ottoneu leagues who could be nice pickups if you’re looking for an option to fill in for an injured starter or looking for another bullpen piece.

I wrote up Yariel Rodríguez at the start of the month and all he’s done since is add a couple more solid starts; he had an abbreviated four inning start against the Diamondbacks on July 12 in which he struck out seven and then struck out another six in a start yesterday against the Rays. Everything I said about him a few weeks ago still applies — I like the improvements he’s made to his strikeout-minus-walk rate but there are some workload concerns still present.

Ryne Nelson has put together a nice little stretch of starts in July; he’s allowed 10 runs in 30.1 innings while running a pretty good 15.4% strikeout-minus-walk rate. None of the pitches in his repertoire really standout from a stuff or results perspective. The biggest difference this month has been a greater reliance on his fastball, increasing its usage up to 63.8%. He’s also raised his release point by a little more than two inches which could be helping him generate a little more carry on his backspinning heater. Batters have had an absolutely terrible time trying to square up his four-seamer; they’ve produced just a .185 wOBA and a .228 xwOBA off the pitch in July and that’s a huge reason why his overall results have seen an improvement. It’s probably worth monitoring his next couple of starts to see if the release point change is really the underlying factor behind his improvement.

You probably shouldn’t go out of your way to try and roster Patrick Corbin, but if you’re truly desperate, there might be some value to be wrung out of the last vestiges of his career. Over his last seven starts dating back to June 13, he’s allowed 17 runs in 39.1 innings while running a 3.19 FIP. It’s not all smoke and mirrors either; his xFIP is a solid 3.67 and his strikeout-minus-walk rate is better than it’s been in years. The cause behind his sudden late-career renaissance? A new cutter that he debuted this year that’s suddenly become a major piece of his repertoire. He’s throwing it more than a quarter of the time in July and it’s returned a 37.5% whiff rate and a .102 xwOBA allowed. More importantly, it’s allowed him to reduce the usage of his absolutely atrocious sinker. Seven starts is just a blip when compared to the years of below replacement level production, but it’s possible Corbin has finally figured out a way to be successful with his diminished stuff.

I also wrote up Dedniel Núñez about a month ago and he’s only solidified his place as a high-leverage option in the Mets bullpen. After a stint in the rotation followed by a demotion to Triple-A, José Buttó has joined Núñez in New York’s relief corps this month. They were desperate for any help they could get, so converting Buttó from a starter to more of a fireman role in their bullpen seemed like a good idea. With Núñez and Edwin Díaz covering the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, Buttó has been largely deployed as a bridge to get to those two relievers in the sixth and seventh innings. So far, it’s worked out. He’s allowed a single run this month and has collected a save and two holds while working multiple innings in five of his six appearances.

Josh Sborz returned from a shoulder injury at the beginning of the month and has slotted right back into the high-leverage mix for the Rangers. He’s collected a hold in three of his five outings and he lasted two innings in two of those appearances. He hasn’t allowed a walk since coming off the IL and has struck out seven.

Jacob Webb has slowly climbed the pecking order in the Orioles bullpen, helped by an injury to Danny Coulombe. He’s been a solid reliever all year long but he’s been particularly effective this month. With Baltimore in the middle of a tough fight for the AL East division lead, I’d expect the O’s to acquire some bullpen help ahead of the trade deadline. Webb has a high-leverage role carved out right now, but that could quickly change over the next few days depending on how they approach the deadline.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

Since the All-Star break extended the current weekly matchup to Sunday, July 21, I’m splitting this article into two sections, one covering this weekend and one covering next week. For those of you playing in head-to-head leagues and haven’t hit your games started cap, here’s the projected starters for this weekend:

• The Astros, A’s, Mets, Phillies, and Royals all look like they have pretty easy matchups this weekend. I’d avoid starters from the Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Red Sox, and Rockies. Also note that Milwaukee and Minnesota are off on Friday and play just twice this weekend.

Here are the projected starters for next week:

• Many teams have only announced a handful of starters as they reslot their rotations coming out of the break. There may be some more guess work for who pitches when until each team announces how they’re lining everything up after the weekend. To make matters more complicated, there are a ton of injured starters who will likely be activated sometime next week including Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Robbie, Ray, Jeffrey Springs, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Jordan Montgomery. And then there are the potential minor league call ups like Max Meyer, River Ryan, and Matt Manning. All that to say, make sure you’re paying attention to the announced starters for each matchup and plan ahead.
• The Cardinals and Mariners both have a pair of easier matchups next week. It’s easy to recommend every Seattle starter but St. Louis still has a few starters I’d be weary of starting even with such favorable matchups.
• The Yankees have two tough matchups lined up next week, though they’re wrapping up a four-game set against the Rays on Monday giving Carlos Rodón a bit of a respite from the difficult opponents until his second start next week.

The All-Star break is quickly approaching and the search for useful pitching is never ending. Here are a handful of pitchers who are rostered in under 60% of all Ottoneu leagues who could be nice pickups if you’re looking for an option to fill in for an injured starter or looking for another bullpen piece. I’ve also included two entirely speculative adds in case you really feel like rolling the dice.

If you throw out Andrew Heaney’s first five starts in April, he’s accumulated 321.9 points across 12 starts since the beginning of May at a 4.80 points/IP clip. His overall line is being dragged down pretty significantly by that poor first month and he’s been particularly effective recently. This is nothing new from Heaney; he’s been pretty streaky throughout his career, especially since a lot of his value is derived from keeping the ball inside the park. The most encouraging aspect of this hot streak is the 19.4% K-BB% he’s running across these last 12 outings. It doesn’t come close to his career year with the Dodgers back in 2022, but it’s on par with what he was posting with the Angels before that. He’s probably worth an add during this hot streak if he’s available in your league.

Yariel Rodríguez missed about a month of the season with a back injury but he’s looked particularly strong since returning a few weeks ago. The Blue Jays used him as an opener in front of a bulk reliever a couple of times but have handed him a full starter’s workload in his last two starts. He’s responded by allowing just a single run in 12.2 innings against the Astros and Mariners. Encouragingly, he’s only allowed four walks while striking out 12 during those two outings, alleviating some of the concerns about his ability to command his repertoire. He was also working as a reliever in Japan’s NBP before coming over to the States this year presenting some risk that his workload is being monitored or limited by the Blue Jays to keep him healthy.

The Pirates had been using Luis L. Ortiz as a long reliever or bulk reliever for most of the season but they’ve allowed him to make full starts in two of his last three outings and things have gone swimmingly. Against the Reds and Mets, he tossed 12 innings of one-run ball with 12 strikeouts and no walks. Not that long ago, he was a highly regarded prospect in Pittsburgh’s organization, peaking at number four on their 2023 prospect list. A pretty disappointing rookie campaign soured his outlook but he’s making good on those high expectations a year later. There are plenty of reasons why he’s taken such a big step forward this season: he’s throwing a much more spin efficient four-seam fastball that’s now generating plenty of whiffs; he’s throwing his cutter much more often at the expense of his changeup; but the biggest difference maker is an ability to command his entire repertoire. His strikeout-to-walk ratio has gone from 1.23 to 2.89 leading to better results across the board. The only limiting factor is his future role; the Pirates could continue to let him start for now but he could be pushed back to the bullpen once Jared Jones or Bailey Falter are activated off the IL.

After a failed experiment as a starter, A.J. Puk is back in the Marlins bullpen and posting fantastic results as one of their top setup men ahead of Tanner Scott. Since returning from a shoulder injury in mid-May, he’s posted a 2.63 ERA and a 2.92 FIP across 24 innings. Over the last two weeks, he’s really stepped into a high leverage role, collecting four holds and nine strikeouts across 6.2 innings. I’ve also listed Andrew Nardi above since he’s been a solid setup man in Miami’s bullpen for nearly the entire year. It’s no secret that the Marlins will be looking to sell at the trade deadline which could open up even more high leverage opportunities for Puk or Nardi if Scott is traded away. And it’s even possible one of Puk or Nardi are moved to a contender as well.

I recommended Porter Hodge about a month ago in this column and all he’s done since then is post a 1.59 ERA and a 2.99 FIP across 11.1 innings. He’s finally seeing some high leverage opportunities in a Cubs bullpen that’s been an absolute mess this year. Héctor Neris is currently the ninth inning guy, but every role behind him is pretty much up for grabs. If you wanted to really speculate, Chicago just called up Hunter Bigge a few days ago. He’s posted outstanding strikeout rates at every minor league stop, and if things go well upon his debut, he could quickly force his way into the high leverage conversation too.

If you really wanted to go out on a limb and speculate, Kris Bubic could be your guy. He recently returned from his Tommy John rehab but the Royals have decided to move him to the bullpen because their starting rotation is currently filled with solid options. A year ago, he looked like he was in the middle of an exciting breakout and the velocity jump that helped fuel that success looks like it has stuck around after his injury. The Royals bullpen hasn’t been great with their current closer, James McArthur, looking pretty shaky at times. It’s possible Kansas City will want to try and keep Bubic stretched out in case they need him for the rotation, but they could also push him into higher leverage opportunities as a fireman to alleviate some of the pressure on their relievers.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• A few teams have pretty wonky schedules next week as the season heads into the All-Star break. The Mets wrap up a four-game, wrap around series against the Pirates before hosting a couple of pretty easy matchups in the Nationals and Rockies at home. While I won’t recommend every starter in their rotation, you can feel pretty good about starting Christian Scott for both of his games as well as Luis Severino and Sean Manaea.
• The Nationals also have a four-game, wrap around series against the Cardinals that wraps up on Monday. That gives Mitchell Parker a more palatable start before his tougher matchup against the Brewers later in the week.
• Not only does St. Louis have that weird Monday game, they have a two-game series against the Royals, an off day on Thursday, and then a four-game set against the Cubs that includes a scheduled double-header on Saturday. The off day means they can keep their entire staff on schedule without having to callup a spot starter for the twin bill over the weekend. And like the Mets, all three of their opponents next week look pretty weak; it’s an easy call to start most of their starters next week.
• The Cubs don’t have the same luxury the off day affords the Cardinals so keep an eye on who their announced starters are for that weekend series.

Welcome back to the Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner. Based on the Roster Resource Probables Grid, I’ve organized every starter slated to start next week into four categories: start, maybe, risky, and sit. The first and last category are pretty self-explanatory. Starters who fall into the “maybe” category are guys you could start if you need to keep up with the innings pitched pace in points leagues or need to hit your games started cap in head-to-head leagues; they’re good bets to turn in a decent start, but you shouldn’t automatically insert them into your lineup. If you’ve fallen behind on the innings pitched pace or you’re really starving for starts in a head-to-head matchup, you could turn to a “risky” starter or two.

I’ve also calculated a “Matchup Score” for each series using a straight combination of opponent’s home/away wOBA, opponent wOBA over the last 14 days, and the park factor for the ballpark the teams are playing in. It’s indexed so that 100 is average and anything above that is a favorable matchup and anything below is unfavorable. That matchup rating informs some of the sit/start recommendations I’m making, though the quality of the pitcher definitely takes precedence.

A few general schedule notes:

• The Orioles have a pretty nice West Coast road trip next week against the punchless Mariners and A’s. Dean Kremer is on the verge of returning from the IL, so pay attention to his status and the member of the rotation he bumps out.
• The Angels also have a pair of easier matchups against the A’s and Cubs, but their starting rotation is such a mess, I can’t really recommend starting anyone from their staff except for Tyler Anderson. Davis Daniel did have a brilliant debut yesterday, so if you want to take a flier on the unheralded prospect, he’s got a pretty cushy matchup for his second start of his career.
• The Brewers have the unenviable task of traveling to Colorado for four games and then heading to Los Angeles to face the high-powered Dodgers offense. Freddy Peralta avoids a start in Coors so he might be the only viable starter from their rotation, but you could risk a start from Tobias Myers against the Rockies if you’re feeling really lucky.
• Along with their tough series against the Brewers, the Dodgers will also host the Diamondbacks who are hitting particularly well right now. You’ll probably want to wait to see if Bobby Miller can put together a strong start before inserting him back into your lineups — his start against the White Sox this week was pretty ugly.