Spring Training has arrived and as I’ve been writing daily notes for myself to recap all spring training starting pitchers for the Plus Pitch Podcast, I realized I should publish them on the site for quick access.
I’ll be livestreaming every weekday morning 10am-12pm ET at Twitch.tv/pitcherlist, as I watch all of the starts with y’all and answer all your fantasy baseball questions.
Major SP News To Know
Kyle Harrison left his Wednesday start early with a blister, yet Brewers manager Pat Murphy downplayed the injury, believing Harrison will continue to throw on schedule and not hit the IL. I hope he’s right.
I’m surprised to report that Roki Sasaki is confirmed to be in the starting rotation for the Los Angeles Dodgers out of camp. In addition, River Ryan was sent to Triple-A, making Justin Wrobleski the likely option if Emmet Sheehan’s lower velocity results in an IL stint, or if the Dodgers elect to go with a six-man rotation.
The battle in St. Louis has come to an end with the Cardinals optioning Richard Fitts to the minors. Kyle Leahy is locked into the rotation.
The Blue Jays will be without José Berríos to start the year with a stress fracture in his right elbow. Eric Lauer will likely be used as the piggy-back to Trey Yesavage and/or Max Scherzer.
Max Meyer endured a hamstring bruise and will pitch on Wednesday to get back into rhythm. Meanwhile, the Marlins have made it clear that their #5 SP spot is between Janson Junk and Braxton Garrett. We expected Garrett to be far ahead, but there is a chance the Marlins want to give Garrett more time before returning.
Bryce Miller threw a 30-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday. He’ll very likely be on the IL to begin the year (Criswell? Hancock?), and this is a good sign for a mid-to-late April return.
Yankee manager Aaron Boone provided a surprising update on Carlos Rodón, stating that he expects Rodón back “before the end of April.” Let’s hope he’s right and Luis Gil would be the one to go if the Yankee rotation is a healthy quintet.
Joe Musgrove is expected to start the season on the IL. Not a huge surprise, though it’s hard to expect him to dominate when he does return.
The next step for Zack Wheeler is 35 pitches of live BP on Wednesday. After that, the hope is to get on the field for a spring training game, where we can actually get some data…that will likely be lower velocity than ramped up, of course. Still, it’ll be progress.
After all the hoopla about Chase Burns, Reds manager Terry Francona confirmed that Burns would be in the rotation to begin the season, along with Rhett Lowder and Brandon Williamson. It creates a six-man rotation, which may ultimately be a five-man with piggy-backing for Burns initially. Still, it’s fantastic news that he’s avoided injury and will not be in the minors to start the season.
Expected Rotations By Team
Tuesday’s Games
ATH vs. CWS
ATL vs. BOS
BAL vs. DET
LAA vs. CHC
CLE vs. CIN
SEA vs. COL
HOU vs. PIT
LAD vs. KCR
NYM vs. MIA
MIN vs. PHI
NYY vs. TBR
SDP vs. SEA
STL vs. WSH
VEN vs. USA
Luis Morales (ATH) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K. Morales’ inefficiency is his bane and you may be shocked to know this was across 92 pitches. His velocity dropped to a pedestrian 96 mph (not the 97/98 of the elites like last year) and I have zero interest here.
Luis Medina (ATH) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K. It’s nice to see him, and clearly he’s not a part of the rotation.
Reynaldo López (ATL) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 6 K. He’s at 92 mph, down from 95 mph. That’s all you need to know.
Chris Bassitt (BAL) – 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K. Velo is generally the same as last year and it’s just so dang boring. Maybe it’ll be fine, I guess. At least he’ll get a chance to provide decent volume with the Orioles.
Sonny Gray (BOS) – 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 K. Blegh. Velocity was 91 mph and he struggled mightily to find strikes on anything but sinkers. He was Gray today, and likely Sonny tomorrow.
Payton Tolle (BOS) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Oh Tolle. Your four-seamer is so good. The cutter has gained almost two inches of both drop and cut. There’s a new sinker to attack LHB at 17″ of ride. And you threw strikes with all three! Not along the edges and not that upstairs with the heater, but I’ll take this. If only we could believe you were in the rotation.
Shota Imanaga (CHC) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 8 K. He’s up at 92 mph and not the 90+ mph we saw in the second half last season + the splitter and four-seamer are locked in. I’m so down.
Anthony Kay (CWS) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K. He’s still at 95 mph. He still has a cutter at 89 mph that he gets inside to RHB. He still goes inside to LHB with the sinker. And the change…well that wasn’t good. 44% Strike rate ain’t it. At least the sweeper was far better this time at staying away from LHB for some whiffs. I’m still awfully curious.
Nick Lodolo (CIN) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K. Not the best fastball command nor feel for the secondaries, but it’s the spring and he can get away with that. I’m not as sold as others, but you shouldn’t be hurt rostering Lodolo this season.
Kolby Allard (CLE) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K. DRALLA?! Wow, it’s been a while. I’m not interested at all, but hey, cool to see you…?
Ryan Feltner (COL) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K. He’s a Colorado pitcher.
Chase Dollander (COL) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K. And so is Dollander. Still. Sadly.
Justin Verlander (DET) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K. This is Verlander from last year. That may be the first half version, it may be the second version. It’s the same thing.
Lance McCullers Jr. Jr. (HOU) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 K. He’s still pitching and guess what? It’s McCullers. All three of his main offerings held poor strike rates and he’s still the HIPSTER poster boy.
Aaron Sanchez (KCR) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K. It’s cool to see him here at 94 mph and seven feet of extension. There’s a good 88 mph cutter in here, too, but those fastballs are pretty deadzone and this won’t work.
Bailey Falter (KCR) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Five strikeouts?! And yet, just one whiff on a secondary pitch. But he’s up to 93/94 mph! Sure, but this isn’t sustainable until he finds a proper slider or splitter or cutter or changeup or curve.
Alek Manoah (LAA) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 5 K. Soooo, are we sure the Angels really want to go with Manoah in the rotation? He’s down to 90 mph. Please don’t chase this.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 5 K. The report is that the Dodgers expect him to be in their rotation. Why? I DON’T KNOW. The heater is at 98 mph with seven feet extension (that’s cool!) but it’s Empty Velocity with a 23% CSW. I think he’s finally found a good #2 pitch in an 87 mph gyro slider that gets a little extra cut, but he doesn’t get it away to RHB, and returned a sub 50% strike rate. He’s keeping his sinker inside to RHB, but too far with 2/8 strikes. He’s not there. At all.
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K. We didn’t see Sandy at full force here – 96 mph, not 98 mph – and I’m not going to read into that, given a lot of pitchers are easing up with just a week away from the start of the season. The new sweeper is really just a slightly expanded slider, to be honest, but it comes in slower in the 81-84 mph range, which may be what we want given the high-octane velocity. But just eight changeups…? I kinda wish we saw more of those.
Robby Snelling (MIA) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K. It was fun getting a look at Snelling, who has since been demoted to the minors. He’ll be a spec-add when he gets the call this season, which could be before June arrives.
Bailey Ober (MIN) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K. No, Ober is not above 90 mph. In fact, he’s just above 88 mph. That doesn’t seem good. NOPE. He’s also down ~3 clicks on his extension. That really doesn’t seem good. Please avoid the fella.
Sean Manaea (NYM) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K. What did I just say about Ober? The same goes for Manaea, who was 88.4 mph on his four-seamer, well over three ticks down from last year. Something is wrong.
Will Warren (NYY) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Warren got the four-seamer upstairs with ease, and his sweeper generally away to RHB. I love that, I also love a few sinkers trying to go inside to RHB. His extension was also down, but I’m not worried about it. He’s a sneaky play going late in 12-teamer drafts who I’d love to grab as my SP #7/8.
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K. Awwww, he’s back to favoring four-seamers over sinkers to RHB at the same rate as last season. However, he’s keeping that thing down AND he’s gained three extra inches of horizontal ride to a ridiculous 19/20″ on both his sinker and changeup. That’s dope. I’m finding myself a little more interested, still hoping that he leans more into down-and-away sinkers to RHB. Since when did you like that? Since Luzardo gets so much lateral movement on it and carries a super hittable four-seamer (i.e. ALWAYS).
Mitch Keller (PIT) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 6 K. His movement got even worse on his four-seamer, while the sinker exchanged ride for five more inches of drop, which is kinda cool…if he actually located it down. Please avoid.
Germán Márquez (SDP) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 9 K. He’s leaning into the curve, which is really an 86/87 mph gyro slider. It’s a scattershot of command, though, and this project needs a whole lot more polish.
Matt Waldron (SDP) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K. I gotta say, it’ll always be fun seeing 82 mph kunckleballs, even if they returned 46% strikes. Baseball needs a knuckleballer. Waldron is also sitting almost four ticks up from last year at 94 mph, which is cool, but it’s a deadzone heater. So not that cool.
Cooper Criswell (SEA) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Split-squad game here, with Criswell taking the pearl and displaying why he should start in Bryce’s spot instead of Hancock. I know he’s awfully boring, but he’s a better pitcher who can generate outs. Highly questionable for fantasy (especially when hosting the Yankees in the first week), but it’s the right choice in my view.
Luis Castillo (SEA) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Just 1/24 whiffs between his slider and changeup as he sits 94-95 mph. I just can’t, y’all.
Dustin May (STL) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K. The velocity is still up over 96 mph, but it’s not the 97/98 mph we saw a start or two ago. And yet, he’s embracing four different pitches against LHB, not including the sinker and sweeper that are saved for RHB. There’s enough legit stuff in his arm to make this work with a generally good approach. I’m calling him a sleeper, especially in deep leagues.
Ryan Pepiot (TBR) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 2 K. His velocity is down two ticks and while that is a little worrisome, he’s awfully locked into his roster spot and had the standard extension dip. The changeup was legit to LHB, the slider horrendous to RHB, and he still allowed just one run off a solo shot. That said, not a great look for someone I have ranked around SP #30.
Joe Boyle (TBR) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 6 K. The velocity is still dope, but the command is still terrible. I just can’t.
Nolan McLean (USA) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K. His sweeper was flat out bonkers. 87 mph on average with -19″ of sweep, while sitting 98 mph on the four-seamer. I’m buying in more and more, and I’ll attribute the lack of any cutter to the fact he faced few LHB. He really shouldn’t have thrown that high heater a second time to Abreu…
Eduardo Rodriguez (VEN) – 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K. He isn’t as bad as 2025 made you think! HE’S NOT THAT BAD! And it’s a good Arizona defense. There’s some legit Toby potential here, just saying. THAT SAID, his velocity was barely up in this championship game and his extension was massively down to just six feet (not the roughly average 6.5 feet as it was last year). I wonder what it’ll be in his final tune up before the start of the year.
Jake Irvin (WSH) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K. Not a CHANCE that I’m buying back into this. Nothing of note here, just a whole lot of movement loss on his fastballs.
Who To Monitor Today
SPs on the mound today #SpringSPnotesGet morning updates to EVERY SP via my daily SP Roundup article on the Pitcher List site.Gerrit Cole – WE'RE GONNA GET DATAJ.P. France – I thought the WBC was overKyle Leahy – He's the SP #5Martín Pérez – Could be SP #5 in Atlanta
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2026-03-18T17:23:45.555Z
