Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner: August 31–September 6

Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

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 for Ottoneu points leagues. 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.

Projected Starters: August 31–September 6
Team Series 1 Matchup Series 2 Matchup Start Maybe Risky Sit
ARI PHI (111) @HOU (125) Brandon Pfaadt (x2), Eduardo Rodriguez Merrill Kelly 켈리 Jose Cabrera, Kohl Drake
ATH @TEX (118) @SEA (162) Gage Jump (x2), J.T. Ginn (x2), Jacob Lopez Jack Perkins, Jeffrey Springs
ATL @WSN (105) @PHI (38) Chris Sale Bryce Elder (vSFG), Martín Pérez, Tyler Mahle AJ Smith-Shawver, Grant Holmes
BAL @COL (39) BOS (65) Shane Baz Kyle Bradish (x2), Trevor Rogers (x2) Brandon Young, Chris Bassitt
BOS SEA (108) @BAL (105) Payton Tolle (x2), Sonny Gray (x2), Ranger Suarez Jake Bennett Patrick Sandoval
CHC MIL (99) @MIA (118) Clay Holmes (x2), Kevin Gausman Matthew Boyd (x2), David Peterson, Shota Imanaga
CHW @HOU (125) MIN (84) Sean Burke (x2) Luis Castillo Davis Martin (?), José Urquidy, Anthony Kay
CIN SDP (38) MIL (49) Chase Burns Andrew Abbott Brady Singer (x2), Nick Lodolo, Rhett Lowder
CLE TOR (138) DET (133) Gavin Williams (x2), Parker Messick Joey Cantillo, Tanner Bibee, Foster Griffin Slade Cecconi (?)
COL BAL (48) STL (41) Tanner Gordon (x2), Gabriel Hughes, Tomoyuki Sugano, Ryan Feltner, Mason Adams
DET @MIN (102) @CLE (138) Troy Melton (x2), Framber Valdez Jackson Jobe (x2), Keider Montero Drew Anderson 앤더슨
HOU CHW (70) ARI (105) Peter Lambert (x2), Hunter Brown Hayden Wesneski, Cristian Javier Mike Burrows (?)
KCR MIA (100) TOR (123) Noah Cameron, Seth Lugo Randy Dobnak (x2), Michael Wacha Daniel Lynch IV
LAA NYY (118) @PIT (99) Reid Detmers Walbert Ureña, Grayson Rodriguez George Klassen (x2) Ryan Johnson
LAD STL (65) WSN (100) Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell Tyler Glasnow (F) Shohei Ohtani (?) Eric Lauer 라우어
MIA @KCR (52) CHC (54) Eury Pérez Sandy Alcantara Tyler Phillips (x2), Ryan Gusto (x2), Janson Junk
MIL @CHC (71) @CIN (107) Kyle Harrison (x2), Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson Robert Gasser, Shane Drohan, Dustin May
MIN DET (116) @CHW (47) Taj Bradley (vDET) Bradley (@CHW) Connor Prielipp, Dean Kremer, Bailey Ober Zebby Matthews
NYM @TBR (140) SFG (116) Christian Scott, Nolan McLean Robert Stock (x2), Sean Manaea, Zac Thornton
NYY @LAA (139) @SDP (129) Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler Carlos Rodón, Max Fried (?) Elmer Rodríguez, Will Warren
PHI @ARI (86) ATL (132) Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler Aaron Nola (x2), Andrew Painter
PIT SFG (101) LAA (97) Paul Skenes (x2), Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft Jared Jones Carmen Mlodzinski
SDP @CIN (107) NYY (147) Michael King, Casey Mize, Walker Buehler, Robbie Ray Randy Vásquez, Joe Musgrove (?)
SEA @BOS (57) ATH (137) Logan Gilbert (x2), Emerson Hancock George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Kade Anderson Bryce Miller
SFG @PIT (99) @NYM (128) Logan Webb (x2) Blade Tidwell Landen Roupp (x2) Matt Wilkinson, Anthony Molina (F)
STL @LAD (107) @COL (39) Quinn Mathews, Andre Pallante (?), Kyle Leahy Michael McGreevy (x2), Matthew Liberatore
TBR NYM (122) @TEX (118) Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen Ian Seymour (x2) Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax (?)
TEX ATH (114) TBR (125) Jacob deGrom (x2) MacKenzie Gore (x2), Cody Bradford Cal Quantrill Kumar Rocker
TOR @CLE (138) @KCR (52) Dylan Cease José Soriano Spencer Arrighetti (x2), Jameson Taillon, Max Scherzer
WSN ATL (146) @LAD (107) Cade Cavalli Jackson Kent, Andrew Alvarez Will Dion (F), Jake Irvin





Jake Mailhot is a contributor to FanGraphs. A long-suffering Mariners fan, he also writes about them for Lookout Landing. Follow him on BlueSky @jakemailhot.

7 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
AnonMember since 2020
4 days ago

Bryce Miller at home against the Athletics is a “moveable object against a resistable force” situation. Miller has been brutal but the Athletics are just so decimated by injuries. Depending on which projection you use, they don’t have a single player that projects as average ROS (ZiPS has McNeil at 100 wRC+ the rest of the way, the others have everyone under 100). Given the game is in Seattle, I’m probably leaning toward a start there. . . . but man has Miller been brutal. . .on the fence

AnonMember since 2020
3 days ago
Reply to  Jake Mailhot

Welp, Dan Wilson made the decision for us. . . .

DavidMember since 2018
3 days ago

Jake, As I set my weekly lineup, your column is often the first thing I check. I rarely quibble with how you rate each starter, but I do wonder why you label your second highest category as “Maybe”. My sense is that you’d have to be in an incredibly shallow league to have much leeway in not starting most of these guys — for me they are probables, not maybes. Anyhow, thanks for your advice. Dave

Matthew ChomanMember since 2025
1 day ago

SF/Atl on 8/31 isn’t listed