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
Atlanta can’t catch a break. Spencer Strider will start the year on the IL with an oblique strain. Those hoping Didier Fuentes would get the role will be sad to see Jose Suarez get the pearl instead, which makes sense as moving Fuentes to the pen was likely to limit his 2026 workload. That said, when Fuentes is a regular starter, I’d spec-add him. He may be a HIPSTER without a reliable slider, but that heater is so dang fun. As for Suarez, I wouldn’t chase that.
Despite his velocity concerns, Emmet Sheehan is still in the Dodgers’ rotation, with Justin Wrobleski likely piggy-backing with Roki Sasaki.
The Yankees are planning to go with a four-man rotation of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers to begin the season. It’ll shift to a regular five-man likely after the first turn, including Luis Gil.
Chase Dollander will be used out of the bullpen to begin the season, making Ryan Feltner the fifth starter.
Nick Lodolo was removed from his Sunday start with a blister. It’s unclear if he’ll need an IL stint to let it heal or if he’ll be ready for opening weekend.
Expected Rotations By Team
Sunday’s Games
ARI vs. SDP
ATH vs. COL
ATL vs. MIN
WSH vs. BAL
BOS vs. PIT
MIL vs. CHC
SEA vs. CWS
CIN vs. CLE
STL vs. HOU
LAD vs. LAA
NYM vs. MIA
PHI vs. NYY
SFG vs. SAC
TBR vs. TOR
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Guess we had Sunshine and Rainbows at the park yesterday. His velocity jumped up to 92 mph with a new cutter at 90 mph he’s feturing more often to RHB (15% here, 6% last year). It’s not the greatest pitch ever and he struggled to get the pitch inside to RHB, but I’m awfully curious if it can be a regular weapon. His biggest problem is LHB, not RHB, though, given his mediocre slider and poor four-seamer. A new cutter doesn’t fix that.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – 1.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Nothing new here from Ginn at 94 mph. He’s not there.
Reynaldo López (ATL) – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 1 K. So, uh, if I told you ReyLó sat 91.8 mph, we’d be setting up the alarm bells. What if I told you that was his max velo? He actually sat 89.2 mph with his lowest being the first pitch of the fifth inning at 85.4 mph, you know, roughly ten ticks lower than his 2024 average. He’s not okay. Yes, Atlanta needs ANOTHER new starter.
Kyle Bradish (BAL) – 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K. His velocity dropped on the cut-fastball in the fourth and fifth frame, though it also looks like he pulled punches with two clicks lower extension, too. All good here, y’all. That slider is still absurdly good and he’s favoring sinkers over four-seamers to RHB. Can you get the four-seamer inside to RHB though?
Sonny Gray (BOS) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 9 K. This was SONNY. He said he felt locked in and as good as ever, which goes to show how often pitchers can look terrible one game and be completely different in the next. Get used to it.
Cade Horton (CHC) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Love to see 35% whiffs on the sweeper, especially down-and-away to RHB. Looks like he moved away from trying to get the four-seamer inside to LHB despite its cut action, but he went high/low effectively, while keeping it away against RHB to match the inside sinker and whiffable sweeper. He’s in a good place.
Ben Brown (CHC) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K. He doesn’t have a cutter. He’s not meant to start y’all, please let that idea rest until he has something else.
Sean Burke (CWS) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K. Anything new? NOPE. In fact, he’s throwing two ticks slower…and worse extension. You know the drill, he’s saving bullets. Not silver bullets, though, and I’m not interested. For deep QS leagues, I’m okay with Burke as he’ll have a long leash and not the worst ratios, but it’s too low of a floor for me, even if he can hold a strikeout rate above 20%.
Nick Lodolo (CIN) – 0.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K. Lodolo left this game with a blister and we hold our breath, hoping he doesn’t miss time. It may mean Burnes gets a little more time in this six-man with weird piggy-backing going on prior to Lodolo’s injury.
Gavin Williams (CLE) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K. The cutter was there in previous starts annnnnnnd it’s gone. He was feeling four-seamer/sweeper/sinker here, fine, but do you really need to go 73% four-seamers to LHB and just two cutters? It’s a great mix-up with the heater. WHATEVER.
Michael Lorenzen (COL) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K. Yes, he exists and there’s a chance he’s worth a stream in Miami. JUST SAYING.
Cristian Javier (HOU) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K. He’s at 91 mph (two ticks down) with lower vert and terrible command. I’m so out on this.
George Klassen (LAA) – 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 4 K. KLAW-SEN (Ohhhhhhh THE CLAAAAAAAWWWW!) has Empty Velocity, but I do like his changeup going away to RHB and generally executing his four-seamer and slider plan to RHB. I don’t love the plan, but that slider is a disgusting 92 mph gyro slider (we see those normally at 87 mph, with peak ones at 89/90 mph. This is bonkers.). I have no idea why he throws that just 13% of the time and only 26% to RHB. It’s far and away his best offering.
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 11 K. Yeah, I think he’s okay. I should not that the slider and curve each returned just 56% strikes with fastballs at a mediocre 62% rate (not including two horrific misses on his sinker), but that curve was where he wanted it (down a ton) and a 36% CSW tells you how stupid hard he is to hit.
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 6 K. Hey Sandy, why are you throwing just 14 changeups? Because it was a 43% strike rate. Ahhhh, gott a fix that. It’s such an important part of this equation. Also, the cutter, sweeper, slider are all mashed together from 82-89 mph and it’s a bit strange. But whatever, you’ll get the changeup cooking again and become far more efficient that 86 pitches without ending the fifth.
Chad Patrick (MIL) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 4 K. It’s an interesting cutter at 89 mph with so much vert at times that can confound RHB seeing sinkers and four-seamers at the same eye level but coming toward them, while the 85 mph “curve” is really just a slightly sweep focused gyro slider that doesn’t excite me a ton. It’s just not enough oomph, you know? How good is that cutter really?
Taj Bradley (MIN) – 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K. Ah, yes. The command is still a massive shrug as we hope for the best. Carry on, I guess.
David Peterson (NYM) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Four-seamer was down under 91 mph, and I’m going to hope that was just him going easy. Not a bad opening schedule and let’s hope he can keep this 66% strike rate flowing.
Will Warren (NYY) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 6 K. He’ll head to San Francisco on Saturday instead of facing the Mariners in Seattle, which at first seems like a bummer, but then you realize you’re getting an earlier look at Warren and could theoretically drop him before the weekend ends. I don’t think you will, but something to note. Anyway, he’s still bothering me by rarely going inside with sinkers to RHB and using more four-seamers, BUT WHATEVER. Also, really strange to see a three click dip in extension paired with a tick increase in velocity. Does he have more in the tank with extension to push 95+ mph?
Aaron Nola (PHI) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K. This looks kinda normal, save for his heaters featuring poor command and sitting a bit lower with worse extension. I’m not worried, he’s fresh off the WBC and likely used this as a bridge tune-up.
Mitch Keller (PIT) – 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K. It’s Keller. Still nothing to get amped about, though I appreciate his approach of high heaters to LHB and inside sinkers to LHB. I sure hope that sticks.
Walker Buehler (SDP) – 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 3 K. He’s in the rotation! And it’s terrifying!
Matt Waldron (SDP) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K. 81 mph knuckleballs are cool, y’all. My leagues don’t have a COOL stat. I wish they did.
Tyler Mahle (SFG) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Oh, we’re going the wrong way to 90.5 mph. Expected as a final tune-up, but also not what we’re hoping to see. At least he pushed it to 92 mph around pitches 40-50.
Bryan Woo (SEA) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Terrible sinker command here, but the sweeper got some whiffs, and the changeup + slider were good against LHB. Not elite, but good. That’s all they need to be.
Cooper Criswell (SEA) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Fine, he’s not starting over Hancock. He really should, though.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Two ticks down and I’m a little more worried about that from McGreevy than I am others, given his lack of experience in the Cardinals’ rotation. Nevertheless, solid cutters, curves, changeups, sliders, and sweepers, oddly enough with his sinker looking the worst as he casually placed them over the heart of the plate to RHB. He’s another deep league sleeper in my book as a groundball focused QS arm around a 4.00 ERA, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Nick Martinez (TBR) – 3.2 IP, 11 ER, 12 H, 2 BB, 0 K. Oh jeez. Are the Rays sure they want to keep going with this over Ian Seymour? JUST A THOUGHT.
Ian Seymour (TBR) – 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K. SPEAKING OF WHICH. The change is still great, but the four-seamer is worse and he’s lost velo on the cutter for not much improvement on the cutter. However, he’s leaning more into the sinker to LHB and it’s got some fun movement at 17″ lateral ride. Something to look for when he likely starts in the minors in April.
Dylan Cease (TOR) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Whoa whoa whoa, I wasn’t excited to hear that Cease was throwing a sweeper, because why throw that over the ridiculous 89/90 mph slider? And here it is at 84 mph with -12″ sweeper AND -10″ drop. Wait wait, that’s an elite curve. IT SURE IS. Don’t confuse it with the more vertical, less sweep 81 mph curve. This thing is better and I sure hope he’s able to keep featuring it for 63% strikes (5/8 here). And sure, he’s throwing a new changeup to LHB, but it’s lofted over the plate and is clearly a four-seamer grip with its lack of distinctive movement. If he can locate it, it should be great when batters are expecting heat based on the 11mph difference, but the jury is out. And the sinker? Yeah, that’s cool, if he can actually locate it to RHB. That’ll help him fend off those pesky fastball hunters. All in all, there’s hope in this one, but the problem hasn’t been stuff, it’s been consistent command. I wouldn’t close the book and suggest Cease is fixed now.
Mitchell Parker (WSH) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K. Ayyyy, he’s throwing a ton more sliders! As he should! It’s his best pitch and 49% usage (to both RHB and LHB) is the correct move. That said, it’s an 83 mph slider without the greatest movement and I’m not ready to get back in on this until velocity and consistency appear. Hopefully he finds it in the minors.
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.Steven Matz – Is he being slept on?Jesús Luzardo – Sinkers > FF to RHB?Shane Baz – Good Cutter/Slider feel?Bailey Ober – We're not passing 90mph, are we
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2026-03-23T14:57:55.225Z
