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.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs BOS (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 90 pitches.
I’ve struggled to figure out Andrew Abbott this year and hand-waved many of his starts, but he’s unavoidable now after going 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 90 pitches against the Red Sox for a Win and Golden Goal. What is this.
Uhhhh, 14/51 four-seamer whiffs, including thrice fanning Devers, most of which came in the upper third and out of the zone. Thing is, I don’t love that heater and the other stuff? Pretty meh. Just 5/14 strikes on the curve, the sweeper went 1/10 whiffs, and his changeup was fine. Just fine.
Believing in Abbott is believing in his four-seamer acting like an elite pitch that can hold a 53% CSW often. Well that’s not going to happen. Exactly. It just doesn’t add up and when I say “Weird”, I’ve learned to stay away. That’s my own super subjective view (I could very well be missing a lot!), but that’s where I’m at with Abbott. Suitman whispers in my ear Wait, the Pirates are up next? Alright, fine, we can try one more start, right? See what happens.
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Jose Quintana (NYM) @ CHC (W) – 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 103 pitches.
Oh snap! Quintana is LOCKED IN. The pitch separation was as good as it was in 2023 and the curve + changeups were filthy down and in town. The four-seamer was used as a temptation pitch upstairs (few strikes, but served a purpose) and I’ve been waiting for this start all season. We saw a glimpse of it last time out and it’s lovely seeing him take another step forward to widen the jaws of the approach to go true BSB. So few pitches over the heart of the plate. I’m sad he gets the Astros next as I would prefer to see another start of the same execution before leaning into that one, but you have my eye now, Quintana.
Landon Knack (LAD) vs LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 73 pitches.
Ayyyy it worked! He threw enough strikes with his four-seamer, making up for inconsistent sliders and changeups, allowing the Angels to do the rest and get themselves out. I’d be careful trusting Knack more in the future, save for the best matchups. Too bad we didn’t get a Win, so it goes.
Patrick Sandoval (LAA) @ LAD (ND) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 34 pitches.
The Irish Panda left this one early with forearm tightness and I feel terrible for him. He really was looking a lot better this year. I hope he’s okay.
Carlos Carrasco (CLE) vs TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 79 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Carrasco, who now only gave us great ratios over six frames, but backed it up with a whopping seven strikeouts while sporting 1-2 ticks extra velocity (back to 93 mph!) and the best slider he’s had all year. I’m not sure what got him invigorated here and I wouldn’t expect the peak to last. Regardless, fun stuff, Carrasco.
Jack Flaherty (DET) vs CHW (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 98 pitches.
Remember the worry I had about Flaherty’s breakers not sitting low and under the zone? Yeah, forget about that. HE’S BACK BAYBEEEE. He has a date with the Phillies next and if that goes according to plan, he’ll have the AGA tag. WE BELIEVE.
Brady Singer (KCR) @ TEX (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 89 pitches.
You can’t be a Cherry Bomb without some sweet. As expected, Singer’s increased four-seamer usage against the Dodgers fell back down against the Rangers, turning him into the traditional sinker/slider approach that squirmed its way through five frames. In short, the Rangers didn’t take advantage of his sinkers enough while his slider held just a 50% strike rate and I’m really not sure how Singer made this work. Welp, we move on.
Chris Sale (ATL) @ NYY (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 95 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The BSB is alive and well, now two ticks up in velocity as Sale sat 96.4 mph. Yeah, it’s vintage Sale and I don’t think he’s getting enough love.
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) vs TBR (L) – 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 15% CSW, 40 pitches.
He opened for Luis Ortiz, who was shellacked for 6 ER and 10 Hits across 4.0 IP. Let’s move on.
George Kirby (SEA) @ MIA (ND) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 85 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. What happened to the high four-seamers out of the zone? I want more of that. And fix that slider, it needs to be better than 57% strike rate pitch. Nick, that line is great. He needs to be EXCELLENT. Okay, okay. Yeesh.
Erick Fedde (CHW) @ DET (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 92 pitches.
Atta boy Fedde. You didn’t get a Win because Flaherty is a thing (and you also didn’t have the best command I’ve seen from you), but you took advantage of a poor offense and located enough sinkers, cutters, and sweepers effectively to make it work. Sadly, the Dodgers are next and we can’t start you there.
Trevor Rogers (MIA) vs SEA (ND) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
Atta boy Rogers! You took down a terrible offense as you should have, and did so with the BSB, though the low pitches got a bit too much of the zone for my liking. I’m not sure you can get away with that consistently moving forward, especially against the Royals.
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) vs KCR (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
Not the greatest performance from Eovaldi + just 95 mph heaters, but it was enough and he mixed the cutter, four-seamer, and splitter well. And curveball. Sure, the 5/10 strike curve. I guess.
Joey Estes (OAK) vs MIN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 79 pitches.
A HAISTBMBWT?! isn’t great, but you’re obviously happy with the rest. You’re making a Grave Mistake rolling with Estes.
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) @ PHI (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 83 pitches.
The thing about The Bear is that if the sinkers find gloves, he wins. That’s it? That’s it. This wasn’t the Neckbeard approach in full with more hittable sinkers than usual and just 10/21 strikes on the curve + a 13% usage changeup. Thank Koufax for the lovely BABIP.
Jake Bloss (HOU) vs BAL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 79 pitches.
I dig this guy. Bloss hurled 94 mph heaters (95/96 in the first, but we know how it is with MLB debuts) with elite extension and iVB, while locating it generally upstairs. It makes for a solid foundation to pair with 85-90 mph sliders (looked more like a cutter to me, but that may have been the camera angle), then a mid-to-high 70s curve. This works if the command gets a bit better than what we saw in a debut, which happens all the time. I’d take a chance on him in a 15-teamer, even with the oddly magical Mets crew ahead. He looks more polished than Arrighetti.
Ryan Pepiot (TBR) @ PIT (ND) – 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 74 pitches.
Blegh. The changeup was strong, but the rest was all over the place. You’re so money and you just gotta focus on location a touch more, you can do it. I’m still buying into Pepiot’s summer breakout.
Kutter Crawford (BOS) @ CIN (L) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 83 pitches.
Three solo home runs (two from Candy!), which seems obvious given Cin City n all, but this wasn’t the best-commanded outing we’ve seen from Kutter, and yet those longballs were the only damage done (ignore the two unearned runs in the seventh). All is well here.
Chris Paddack (MIN) @ OAK (ND) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 82 pitches.
We’re not at 95 mph. We’re not even at 93 mph. We’re at 91.4 mph. At least he spotted it decently well and had his changeup working below it? But 5/15 curveball strikes. LOOK, I’M TRYING. Try something else, y’all.
DJ Herz (WSN) @ COL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 76 pitches.
Annnd the changeup was worse. Strikes, yes, but not located down enough to make for tough at-bats consistently. The four-seamer still performed well, but it can’t do it on its own. Cherry Bomb? Yep. Cherry Bomb.
Dylan Cease (SDP) vs MIL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 106 pitches.
A rough fifth frame with a pair of infield singles, then two more single baggers effectively knocked Cease out of the game, which is all kinds of frustrating given how easily he cruised through the first four innings. That’s the most literal Singled Out I’ve seen in a while, as none of those hits came on pitches in the zone. NONE. Baseball can be so dumb.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) vs ARI (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 77 pitches.
Stop. Starting. Walker.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) @ CLE (L) – 1.1 IP, 4 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 52 pitches.
Hey y’all. Stop trying to make Yariel a thing. Fine, I like Francis instead. Him too. COME ON.
Colin Rea (MIL) @ SDP (ND) – 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 0 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 69 pitches.
It wasn’t meant to last. I’m in absolute shock Rea tossed nearly 70 pitches without a single whiff. Not one. That’s what you’re dealing with if you play with Rea.
Grayson Rodriguez (BAL) @ HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 94 pitches.
Things didn’t go his way. 52% CSW curveballs is fantastic and the four-seamer is still spotted well, while the slider and change were actually spotted low. This was a three-run shot + a dumb sixth inning to allow most of those runs. Don’t overthink this.
Carlos Rodón (NYY) vs ATL (L) – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 11 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 93 pitches.
Yikes. Rodón didn’t have his four-seamer (95 mph and poor command despite the 37% CSW), forcing him to turn to more secondaries than usual and it didn’t fare well. So it goes, we’re still gonna start him against the Jays next time.
Dakota Hudson (COL) vs WSN (L) – 3.0 IP, 8 ER, 11 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 66 pitches.
COL story, bro. Always a deep league dart throw and this is the price you’re paying if you risk it too often.
Shota Imanaga (CHC) vs NYM (L) – 3.0 IP, 10 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 74 pitches.
WHAT. His four-seamer was worse overall by velo and iVB, but he didn’t deserve this. The man was DEMOLISHED by the spirit of Grimace and all we can do is sit and wonder if Imanaga’s HR problem is actually a problem or if this was a poor pitch and just some good hitting by the Mets. My gut says he’s going the trajectory of 2023 Joe Ryan and we should buckle up a bit for more HR problems throughout the summer. That’s not to say he’s not an AGA, just maybe not Top Tier ace.
Game of the Day
Corbin Burnes vs. Ronel Blanco – Burnes gets another tough matchup, can he go two-for-two? And can Blanco stiffle the hot Orioles?
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)