2 Start Pitchers: Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups and Streamers for Week 23 (2025)

August 31, 2025

Pranav's 2 start pitchers streamers, fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups, sleepers, starts for Week 23 of 2025 (September 1 to September 7). His top SP matchups with two starts.

Hello, RotoBallers! Welcome back to another Two-Start Pitchers - Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Streamers and Starts article for Week 23 of 2025, from September 1 to September 7. As rosters expand and rotations prep for playoff runs, we get a fresh look at some two-start pitchers.

Every week of the 2025 fantasy baseball season, this fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups column will identify starting pitchers in line to make two starts in the upcoming week. It will look at fantasy baseball streamers ahead of the Sunday night waiver wire run for leagues with weekly transactions.

There are 29 pitchers currently scheduled for two starts in this period. We will examine the best options with roster rates under 50 percent. Pitchers with roster rates over 50 percent will also be listed. The other two-start pitchers are available, but they are not listed, as they should be avoided.

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Two-Start Pitchers - Over 50% Rostered

• Brayan Bello (vs. CLE, @ ARZ)
• Max Fried (@ HOU, vs. TOR)
• Drew Rasmussen (vs. SEA, vs. CLE)
• Noah Cameron (vs. LAA, vs. MIN)
• Bailey Ober (vs. CHW, @ KC)
• Yusei Kikuchi (@ HOU, vs. ATH)
• Luis Castillo (@ TB, @ ATL)
• MacKenzie Gore (vs. MIA, @ CHC)
• Hunter Greene (vs. TOR, vs. NYM)
• Jacob Misiorowski (vs. PHI, @ PIT)
• Sonny Gray (vs. ATH, vs. SF)
• Dylan Cease (vs. BAL, @ COL)

Best Available Two-Start Pitcher Streamers

Luis Morales (16% Rostered), Athletics

Scheduled Starts: @ STL, @ LAA

Athletics rookie Luis Morales has seriously impressed since making his MLB debut on August 1. Through 22 2/3 innings, the rookie holds a 1.19 ERA, 3.08 FIP, 0.97 WHIP, 25% strikeout rate, and 11.4% walk rate.

There are some concerning marks, as Morales has kept up this incredible statline because of a 92.2% left-on-base rate, 9.5% SwStr rate, and 25.7% CSW rate. However, Morales had decent swing-and-miss stuff in the minors, with a 10.9% SwStr rate and 29.3% CSW rate in 47 Triple-A innings.

While he isn't a sure thing, the 22-year-old's arsenal may be too good to pass up. His four-seamer is his most used pitch (54% usage), averaging 97.2 mph with roughly 16 inches of induced vertical break.

His sweeper (21% usage) hasn't been hit yet, with an insane 19.5 inches of induced horizontal break (behind only Will Warren among all starting pitchers in that category).

His tertiary pitches excel also, as his 89.6 mph changeup holds a 28.3% CSW rate and .215 xwOBA and his slider holds a 34.9% CSW rate with 10.4 inches of induced horizontal break.

His matchups look appealing this week. First, he'll face off against a St. Louis offense ranked 29th in scoring since the All-Star break. Then, he'll get an Angels offense ranked 25th in scoring since the All-Star break.

With two starts outside of hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park against struggling lineups, Morales is easily this week's best available two-start option.

Luis Morales, 98mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/NsxoAq97q6

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 28, 2025

Riskier Two-Start Pitcher Streamer Picks

Shane Baz (41% Rostered), Tampa Bay Rays

Scheduled Starts: vs. SEA, vs. CLE

A safe streaming pick last week, Shane Baz got pushed off his second start against an ice-cold Nationals offense. He gets back on the list, but this time he lands on the other side.

Baz went six innings in a quality start against Cleveland last week, but it barely made a dent in his statistical profile. Now through 26 starts, he holds a 5.19 ERA, 4.66 FIP, 1.35 WHIP, 24.3% strikeout rate, and 8.8% walk rate.

As mentioned last week, his 12.7% SwStr rate, 28.7% CSW rate, .301 BABIP, and 30.2% HR/FB ratio are all marks that describe Baz as a pitcher with a strong foundation and poor luck. However, his 1.63 HR/9 will be a liability regardless of luck. That's why his first start against Seattle might do him in.

Baz will have to host a Seattle offense ranked third in home runs this season in the homer-friendly George M. Steinbrenner Field (Seattle has also hit to a .764 OPS in road games). Going against Cal Raleigh and Eugenio Suarez two times each is reason enough to stay as far away from Baz as possible.

Ryne Nelson (38% Rostered), Arizona Diamondbacks

Scheduled Starts: vs. TEX, vs. BOS

Ryne Nelson has had a fantastic run since rejoining Arizona's rotation in early June. In the 15 starts since then, he holds a 3.58 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 1.10 WHIP, 21.7% strikeout rate, and 6.3% walk rate.

Nelson has pushed to full throttle in his fastball, with a 62% usage rate on a pitch averaging 95.6 mph with 19.2 inches of induced vertical break. While he may blow enough of those by a Rangers offense ranked 19th in scoring this season, you can't expect the same against a Boston offense ranked fourth in scoring this season.

Charlie Morton (34% Rostered), Detroit Tigers

Scheduled Starts: vs. NYM, vs. CHW

Charlie Morton has had a few great starts for the Detroit Tigers since arriving at the trade deadline after a terrible run in Baltimore. In five starts with Detroit, Morton holds a 4.61 ERA, 3.82 FIP, 1.21 WHIP, 30.5% strikeout rate, and 8.5% walk rate.

However, the Mets rank third in scoring since the All-Star break, and the Chicago White Sox, improbably, rank eighth in scoring since the All-Star break. The hot hand will only take you so far.

Colin Rea (25% Rostered), Chicago Cubs

Scheduled Starts: vs. ATL, vs. WAS

Colin Rea pitched some valuable innings for Chicago early in the season, and he's stuck in their rotation as a reliable back-end option. In the 23 starts since he joined the rotation in April, Rea holds a 4.41 ERA, 4.77 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 17.3% strikeout rate, and 7.4% walk rate.

A reliable back-end option for a major-league team is not exactly a reliable option for any fantasy manager. The Nationals rank last in scoring since the All-Star break, but the Braves have surged to fifth in scoring in that same period. His start against Atlanta is enough to ignore him this week.

Parker Messick (19% Rostered), Cleveland Guardians

Scheduled Starts: @ BOS, @ TB

Parker Messick has opened his MLB career with two incredible starts. Through 13 2/3 innings against the Rays and Diamondbacks, he has allowed one earned run, 11 hits, one walk, and 12 strikeouts.

A 12.7% SwStr rate and 35.4% CSW rate in those two starts somewhat align with the 13.2% SwStr and 28.1% CSW rate he put up in 20 Triple-A starts. His .297 BABIP also lessens concern that these past two starts were entirely a fluke.

You can gamble on an encore against a struggling Tampa Bay offense (even in George M. Steinbrenner Field), but betting on the same against the Red Sox in Fenway is a bad idea.

Parker Messick, K'ing the Side in the 5th. pic.twitter.com/hkjyBuT8hX

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 27, 2025

Taijuan Walker (12% Rostered), Philadelphia Phillies

Scheduled Starts: @ MIL, @ MIA

After a short demotion to the bullpen, Taijuan Walker rejoined Philadelphia's rotation in early July. He's pitched well in the nine starts since, with a 3.61 ERA, 4.94 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, 13.8% strikeout rate, and 5.1% walk rate.

A savvy streamer might have been able to sneak a few wins out of Walker in these past few weeks, but he's not a preferred option going forward. That is especially true this week, as you don't want to play around against a Milwaukee offense leading the NL in scoring this season.

Slade Cecconi (12% Rostered), Cleveland Guardians

Scheduled Starts: @ BOS, @ TB

A stretch of good pitching had many excited about Slade Cecconi's future, but it's mostly dissipated as of late. Through 18 starts, Cecconi now maintains a 4.41 ERA, 4.90 FIP, 1.26 WHIP, 19.3% strikeout rate, and 6% walk rate.

It won't cut it in Fenway Park against a Boston offense tied for fourth in scoring this season.

Patrick Corbin (11% Rostered), Texas Rangers

Scheduled Starts: @ ARZ, vs. HOU

Spurts of great pitching have not done enough for Patrick Corbin this season, as he goes into this week with a 4.33 ERA, 4.27 FIP, 1.36 WHIP, 19.6% strikeout rate, and 7.7% walk rate through 25 starts.

For what it is worth, Corbin is coming off his best start of the season, with eight shutout innings (three hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts) against the Los Angeles Angels. However, Corbin has routinely imploded after starts like that this season; we can expect the same this week as he'll take the mound against an Arizona offense tied for fourth in scoring this season.

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