Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Friday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Erick Fedde (STL) @ WSN (W) – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 109 pitches.
Tobys are an interesting type of pitcher. They are generally more efficient than others, squeezing the most out of their stuff to focus on location and to find the sixth inning, while they are typically granted a longer leash. This skill helps us overlook their low strikeout rates and generally capped ceilings as those frames typically come with a handful of runs and a WHIP you constantly bargain with. It’s an inanimate object. YOU’RE AN-wait, why am I saying all this? Oh right, Erick Fedde is on a mission to be the Spider-Man and Friday’s CGSHO against the Nationals certainly benefited the cause: 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 109 pitches (W).
There isn’t much more to say than the Nationals aren’t very good and Fedde did well to steal fourteen called strikes on his sinker, while mixing in effective sweepers and cutters along the way. Wait, doesn’t he have a changeup, too? Sure, but that went 2/14 CSW with a 43% strike rate. It didn’t do a whole lot for him and Koufax helped plenty to diminish the rare hard contact the Nats were able to muster. Fedde isn’t a dramatically new arm – he is what he’s been all year – and his ability to get strikes without punishment was the ticket he rode. No, you don’t want to pick him up for the Phillies up next.
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) vs BOS (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 90 pitches.
Lorenzen’s changeup was insanse. 11/21 whiffs at 57% CSW is stupid good and he pressured the sox with four-seamers and sliders to find strikes to set it up. As is with a lot of arms tonight, this success isn’t expected to continue (17 whiffs?! Really?!). He’s matchup-focused, with the Astros not one to circle.
Hunter Dobbins (BOS) @ KCR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 81 pitches.
Dobbins! Back for revenge! His slider and sweeper worked wonders, while sitting 96 mph without waste pitches on the fastball cleaned up the rest. I’m not as thrilled with his splitter + curve complementary pitches to LHB and I wonder if that will be a hindrance in the future…which may not be for a bit with Buehler possibly coming back for his next start. Either way, it’s the Tigers next and that doesn’t seem like a great play. I don’t love the fact that many of these strikeouts were on low called strike fastballs to RHB – that isn’t very sustainable.
Bailey Falter (PIT) vs ATL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 89 pitches.
The slider was used effectively in this one to land down-and-away for 70% strikes, while the four-seamer stayed up and the sinker got inside to LHB. It’s not quite nough for me to buy this for consistent starts, but it does lay a foundation for one more thing, hopefully an improvement from the splitter to a proper changeup or refinement on the curve. Regardless, at he’s at 92/93 mph with 7.2 feet of extension and 18″+ of vert. You can see the potential if he can take one more step.
Hunter Brown (HOU) vs CIN (W) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 9 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 101 pitches.
Brown’s fastball is more like 96 mph than 97 mph these days, but it still cooks. This start could have been far better if he hadn’t missed the feel for his change and slider, while the sinker abandoned him for just 44% strikes. The Reds add so much green to pitching lines.
Gavin Williams (CLE) vs PHI (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 98 pitches.
Uhhhhh, this was something. No, the cutter isn’t doing much of anything (just four thrown). His control was terrible with 51% four-seamer strikes, 47% on the curve, and oddly the sweeper earning the best rate at 59%. The latter earned plenty of whiffs with precision to RHB and that’s great, but dang Williams, you’re still struggling to get comfortable and in a true groove.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) @ LAA (W) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 93 pitches.
He’s starting to believe. His feel has been there for a bit and I’m riding this against the Twins next. I love the splitter and sweeper command + delicate fastballs along the edges. Sugano is spotting as well as advertised back in the winter.
Chris Paddack (MIN) vs SFG (W) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 83 pitches.
Whoaaa, that’s a fun line. Paddack’s four-seamer finally sat 95 mph for a start and was brilliant upstairs to LHB, especially with his changeup landing below the zone for the premium BSB approach. Yeah, but his weakness has always been RHB. True and thankfully the Giants were incredibly passive against his middle-middle curve and slider with 7/12 called strikes on the hook & 56% CSW on the rare slider. Is that enough of a package to buy into Paddack? Not until I see the four-seamer location improve to RHB. You can take the chance against the Orioles since they will likely throw LHB against him, though this has Toby at best written all over it until the breakers and four-seamer consistency to RHB improve.
Will Warren (NYY) @ ATH (W) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 87 pitches.
Warren went Singer against RHB with sinker/sweeper, while the four-seamer earned some whiffs among sweepers for called strikes + changes and curves off the edge. Pretty solid from Warren, even if I question the heavy sweeper over the plate to LHB and the sinker failing to hit the inside edge to RHB. Get ready for @TEA next, that seems like a worthwhile play.
Tarik Skubal (DET) vs TEX (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 12 Ks – 32 Whiffs, 45% CSW, 96 pitches.
Aces gonna ace with a Golden Goal that included the highest whiff total of any pitcher this year. Takes me back to this shirt we made in honor of Patrick Sandoval’s equivalent performance years ago. This was a day of fastballs + changeup destruction and once again, he proves why he’s the SP #1.
Clay Holmes (NYM) vs CHC (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 93 pitches.
The Adobe’s secondaries couldn’t be touched. Weak contact or CSW across 33 thrown of sweepers, changeups, and sliders, though the latter pair were far more inconsistent than the sweeper. Despite being all kinds of frustrating to watch, I can’t ignore that Holmes continues to produce and this was against the Cubs. Long term is still a little concerning, but you’re not dropping Clay anywhere.
Jose Quintana (MIL) @ TBR (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 75 pitches.
Quintana is the most Glavine of any pitcher out there. Changeups and curves off the edge with 90mph sinkers on the edges and the very rare high four-seamer is super cool. I just wish I could bank on that command more often and I wouldn’t chance it against a LHB-heavy Cleveland offense.
Bryse Wilson (CHW) vs MIA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 83 pitches.
Wow, even Bryse was nice?! With one strikeout. Sure, a HAISTBMBWT?! but this was a night of so many blegh starters providing shocking value, even if it was the Marlins. Happy Birthday Party.
Patrick Corbin (TEX) @ DET (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 93 pitches.
Atta boy Corbin! Here’s that Gold Star given the tougher matchup than other shocking performances. The sinker/slider churned outs in play all game, even if they nibbled a bit to RHB. Yes, this was a Koufax game and the cutter wasn’t phenomenal as we’ve seen previously. I’m sorry to say this isn’t the time to restart the PC.
Zack Littell (TBR) vs MIL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
He went Dancing With The Disco and it worked, while the four-seamer skirted across the top of the zone effectively for called strikes. That’s fun n all, and yet we know he’s not a guy to chase.
Randy Vásquez (SDP) @ COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 95 pitches.
I have to hand it to Vásquez. He’s granting productive innings to the Padres when they need all the help to get through the season with Darvish, Musgrove, and Cease enduring health problems (hopefully Cease is completely fine!). Imagine if they didn’t sign Pivetta! Anyway, Vásuez is leaning into a cutter with his pair of heaters + the sweeper was landing away consistently, but none of it is exceptional. Just throw strikes and hope Koufax does the rest.
Nick Martinez (CIN) @ HOU (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 84 pitches.
A VVPQS isn’t what you want for Martinez, especially in a standard league. He’s a Toby and there’s not much else to say about it. You know who he is by now.
Jordan Hicks (SFG) @ MIN (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 79 pitches.
A PQS acting as a Bailey Special is fine, the 98/99 mph sinker is fun. The sweeper was feeling great as well and one day we’ll see that splitter find its groove again, too. I love that Hicks found his sinker again, but is it enough to trust against the Sneks? Probably not, right? Command is the real problem here and the lack of #3 pitch will keep the waters choppy.
Bryce Elder (ATL) @ PIT (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 99 pitches.
A PQS with eight strikeouts?! Hot dang, look at you! The sinker and slider combo of called strikes & whiffs are the Singer special and he nailed those breakers for a 35% CSW across forty-six thrown. Makes you wonder if he can pull it off again when he gets the Nats up next. Just a thought.
Kevin Gausman (TOR) @ SEA (W) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 99 pitches.
Sooooo the splitter is still getting some whiffs (7/40 = 18% SwStr), but the real problem here was his four-seamer location to RHB out and over the plate. Usually he gets those inside more to set up the splitter. It’s up to you to decide if this HIPSTER is worth your time. Seriously, he looks good, looks bad, looks meh, looks like his old self, looks worse, looks AREN’T EVERYTHING. Wait, they kinda are here. I’m gonna stop talking and say you’re likely a happier manager not anxiously relying on Gausman for each start.
Osvaldo Bido (ATH) vs NYY (L) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches.
Bido didn’t succeed against the Yankees (more at eleven), but sixteen whiffs is pretty rad. Not just from the slider, but four on the four-seamer and changeup each! And I’m not going to believe in the high overall 67% strike rate. He’s not a command arm and I suggest not getting sucked in.
Kyle Hendricks (LAA) vs BAL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 99 pitches.
Despite all the hittable sinkers over the plate at an 80% strike rate, the changeup was the pitch that burned Hendricks the most. Or maybe the 5/15 strike curve. Either way, Hendricks still finds a way to keep his team in the game with 85.7 mph sinkers with 5.6 feet of extension and that’s all kinds of cool.
Aaron Nola (PHI) @ CLE (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 87 pitches.
Some of his four-seamer and curves got tagged when thrown over the plate and his heater was down a tick. Is that enough to be worried? Nah. I still think he’s a Holly and we move on.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) vs SDP (L) – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 90 pitches.
Senz-A does what Senz-A does, far away from our fantasy teams.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) vs STL (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 96 pitches.
Blegh. He’s shockingly close to being something solid and yet, I haven’t seen a game to say “Oh dang, this could stick.” Here, the four-seamer didn’t quite earn enough strikes, while the slider has been shelved for whatever reason – just 13% usage to LHB without a single one to RHB. I’ll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs until it clicks.
Max Meyer (MIA) @ CHW (L) – 6.1 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
So many arms took advantage of their great matchups and Meyer…was through six frames. Just three baserunners and 2 ER through six frames until chaos came in the seventh for three runs and it could have been five – he left the game with the bases juiced and just one came through. The velocity is back down to just 94 mph on the heater, the vert is completely gone (even worse now at just 14″!) and despite the slider still working well, he’s supposed to have more than the slider. What is it with pitchers having their best start of their career before heading into a massive spiral after? Meyer gets the Rays next and his arsenal quality of the last three games has not inspired a ton of confidence. Yes, pitchers are finicky and that start could be great. I think I’d rather settle for a good matchup Toby for now and stop chasing this. Seems like a HIPSTER to me.
Luis Castillo (SEA) vs TOR (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 94 pitches.
Uhhhh Castillo was sitting 93.5 mph on both fastballs and earned 2/30 whiffs on his slider and changeup. I don’t think you’ll get larger warning signs than this and now he gets the Yankees. Hooo boy.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) @ NYM (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 100 pitches.
The sweeper was still solid to RHB, but mistake changeups, curves, and four-seamers got in the way. This wasn’t the command to LHB we wanted to see, but who cares? The Marlins are next.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) @ ARI (ND) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 61 pitches.
I really don’t think you should be rostering Sasaki. There are no changes to latch onto. The slider is still terrible and his heater was 95 mph with 0/22 whiffs. He should be sent to Triple-A.
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs LAD (ND) – 2.2 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 76 pitches.
Against the Dodgers? Yeah, we didn’t expect this to go well. I have no problems starting him against the Giants next, this disaster doesn’t matter.
Game of the Day
Cade Horton vs. New York Mets – We don’t start pitchers in MLB debuts and I don’t have large expectations for success here. Still, he’s worth the spec add given his great schedule ahead.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
