Welcome to Week 2 of our Top 50 Starting Pitchers of the Week series for 2023. Each week, we’ll review the upcoming slate and rank the starters based on their ability, matchups, and the number of starts they have scheduled. After an elongated Week 1, we get down to a regular seven-day schedule in Week 2. Today’s rankings are for the week of Monday, April 10, through Sunday, April 16.
Top 50 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Week 2
As always, we begin our planning with the Expert Consensus Rankings and adjust them based on the Pitcher Planner, which you should double-check before setting your lineup as rotations change. There are a ton of top-of-the-rotation starters with two starts scheduled this week, so head-to-head formats will be in for a wild ride. Here are some of the most intriguing matchups for Week 2:
Most Enticing Two-Start Starters
Luis Castillo (SP – SEA) hasn’t allowed a run in two starts this season and gets the Cubs on the road and the Rockies at home next week. Giddy-up! Julio Urias (SP – LAD) is also off to a great start and will face the Giants in San Francisco and the Cubs at home. Conversely, Zac Gallen (SP – ARI) struggled against two excellent offenses in L.A. and San Diego but has a chance to get right at home vs. the Brewers and on the road in Miami. His teammate, Merrill Kelly (SP – ARI), has the same matchups if you are in a deeper league or looking for a streamer.
Scariest Two-Start Starters
Several of our two-start starters have one good and one lousy matchup next week. Max Scherzer (SP – NYM), who got torched in his last outing, has to face the Padres at home but then travels to face the A’s in Oakland, which is about as good as it gets. Logan Webb (SP – SF), who tends to struggle with walks, has to face the uber-patient Dodgers at home but then will be rewarded with the Tigers in Detroit. If you feel lucky, you can take a chance on Andrew Heaney (SP – TEX), who begins the week with the Royals in Arlington but then must travel south to take on the Astros. Despite his second matchup coming at home vs. the Pirates, it’s probably best to avoid Miles Mikolas (SP – STL) as he begins the week at Coors Field.
Best Matchups for Pitchers with One Start
Many high-end hurlers have excellent matchups this week, including Shohei Ohtani (SP,DH – LAA), Jacob deGrom (SP – TEX), Cristian Javier (SP,RP – HOU), Kevin Gausman (SP – TOR), and Zack Wheeler (SP – PHI). Wheeler struggled on his first turn and is facing the Reds today, but you’re starting him against the Marlins even if he struggles. Further down the rankings, Charlie Morton (SP – ATL) gets the Royals in K.C., Chris Bassitt (SP – TOR) hosts the Tigers, Kodai Senga (SP – NYM) will try to strike out a bunch of A’s in Oakland, and Nathan Eovaldi (SP – TEX) faces off against Kansas City at home.
Worst Matchups for Pitchers with One Start
It’s a nervous time if you have Hunter Greene (SP – CIN) on your team as he faces the Braves in Atlanta in Week 2. Yu Darvish (SP – SD) and Blake Snell (SP – SD) will take on the Mets at Citi Field, which isn’t ideal. A few starters who didn’t crack the Top 50 due to their schedules include Brady Singer (SP – KC) vs. Atlanta, Jordan Montgomery (SP – STL) at Colorado, Drew Rasmussen (SP – TB) at Toronto, and Alex Cobb (SP – SF) vs. the Dodgers.
| Rank | Player | Matchup(s) |
| 1 | Gerrit Cole (SP – NYY) | @CLE, MIN (two starts) |
| 2 | Aaron Nola (SP – PHI) | MIA, @CIN (two starts) |
| 3 | Corbin Burnes (SP – MIL) | @ARI, @SD (two starts) |
| 4 | Sandy Alcantara (SP – MIA) | @PHI, ARI (two starts) |
| 5 | Dylan Cease (SP – CWS) | @MIN, BAL (two starts) |
| 6 | Max Scherzer | SD, @OAK (two starts) |
| 7 | Shane McClanahan (SP – TB) | BOS, @TOR (two starts) |
| 8 | Luis Castillo | @CHC, COL (two starts) |
| 9 | Julio Urias | @SF, CHC (two starts) |
| 10 | Shohei Ohtani | WSH |
| 11 | Zac Gallen | MIL, @MIA (two starts) |
| 12 | Alek Manoah (SP – TOR) | DET, TB (two starts) |
| 13 | Framber Valdez (SP – HOU) | @PIT, TEX (two starts) |
| 14 | Jacob deGrom | KC |
| 15 | Spencer Strider (SP,RP – ATL) | CIN |
| 16 | Logan Webb | LAD, @DET (two starts) |
| 17 | Cristian Javier | @PIT |
| 18 | Brandon Woodruff (SP – MIL) | @ARI |
| 19 | Kevin Gausman | DET |
| 20 | Zack Wheeler | MIA |
| 21 | Shane Bieber (SP – CLE) | NYY |
| 22 | Pablo Lopez (SP – MIN) | CWS, @NYY (two starts) |
| 23 | Yu Darvish | @NYM |
| 24 | George Kirby (SP – SEA) | COL |
| 25 | Logan Gilbert (SP – SEA) | @CHC |
| 26 | Clayton Kershaw (SP – LAD) | @SF |
| 27 | Nestor Cortes Jr. (SP – NYY) | MIN |
| 28 | Blake Snell | @NYM |
| 29 | Hunter Greene | @ATL |
| 30 | Lance Lynn (SP – CWS) | @MIN |
| 31 | Nick Lodolo (SP – CIN) | PHI |
| 32 | Charlie Morton | @KC |
| 33 | Grayson Rodriguez (SP – BAL) | OAK, @CWS (two starts) |
| 34 | Freddy Peralta (SP – MIL) | @SD |
| 35 | Lucas Giolito (SP – CWS) | @MIN |
| 36 | Joe Ryan (SP – MIN) | @NYY |
| 37 | Dustin May (SP – LAD) | @SF |
| 38 | Jeffrey Springs (SP,RP – TB) | BOS |
| 39 | Chris Bassitt | DET |
| 40 | Chris Sale (SP – BOS) | @TB |
| 41 | Andrew Heaney | KC, @HOU (two starts) |
| 42 | Merrill Kelly | MIL, @MIL (two starts) |
| 43 | Jesus Luzardo (SP – MIA) | @PHI |
| 44 | Miles Mikolas | @COL, PIT (two starts) |
| 45 | Luis Garcia (SP – HOU) | TEX |
| 46 | Kodai Senga | @OAK |
| 47 | Nathan Eovaldi | KC |
| 48 | Roansy Contreras (SP – PIT) | HOU, @STL (two starts) |
| 49 | Sonny Gray (SP – MIN) | CWS |
| 50 | Kenta Maeda (SP – MIN) | CWS, @NYY (two starts) |
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