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
The Angels made their IL moves of Alek Manoah and Grayson Rodriguez to the IL. No surprise here.
The Red Sox have made our day. Connelly Early will be in the Boston rotation over Johan Oviedo, though he may be a little limited in his first outing or two. GRAB. HIM. NOW.
Meanwhile, the Rays have sucked all joy out of the morning after announcing that Ryan Pepiot will start the season on the IL with hip inflammation. Woe is me. You’d think Ian Seymour is the obvious choice to grab the open spot, but Joe Boyle is getting the pearl instead. No, I do not recommend chasing Boyle’s HIPSTER nature. In addition, Nick Martinez has slight hamstring tightness and has been pushed back to the fourth spot in the rotation to give him more time to rest.
The Astros have optioned Spencer Arrighetti to Triple-A. We’ve been in the dark about their plans with Ryan Weiss, Lance McCullers Jr. Jr. and The Pasta Pirate, and consider Arrighetti an arm to monitor for a potential add once he returns.
Zack Wheeler sat 94 mph in his first rehab game. We’ll take that all day – it’ll likely climb up to 95/96 mph – and let’s be thrilled he’s not 91/92 mph. He’s worth your attention.
The Blake Snell timeline keeps getting worse. Initially “not sure about Opening Day’, is now “Hoping to be back before the end of May.”
Those hoping for Brandon Woodruff to skip an IL stint are in luck: He’ll make his season debut on Tuesday, March 31st. I’m highly skeptical it’ll be worth your time given his massive velocity drop in his last outing.
Expected Rotations By Team
Tuesday’s Games
CLE vs. ARI
TBR vs. ATL
BOS vs. MIN
NYY vs. CHC
CIN vs. MIL
DET vs. COL
SUG vs. HOU
KCR vs. TEX
LAA vs. LAD
MTY vs. SFG
Michael Soroka (ARI) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 H, 2 BB, 5 K. Oh jeez. Not fun to see Soroka, a fringe 15-team streamer against the Tigers next week, getting bamboozled in the first inning, returning a pair of two-run shots across the day. I like that he’s trying the cutter (just get that a little higher to LHB so it doesn’t go yard), and I’m sure he’ll be a streamer this year, just not early, especially with Kelly replacing him shortly.
Grant Holmes (ATL) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K. Oh hey, it’s the same REB, not the one he tried to sell us over the winter. I guess there’s a new sinker he’s trying against RHB and failed to get inside, but the slider and cutter are all over the place. And the curveball. And the four-seamer. And the changeup. IT WAS ALL CHAOTIC. There’s a small chance he can be okay against the Royals this weekend, though I wouldn’t go for it.
Ranger Suárez (BOS) – 4.1 IP, 8 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Oh jeez. He’s a man who needs to get into rhythm, and when he does, he’s gold. This was not that. He was generally in the right spots, but the mistakes he made over the plate – mostly the sinker and cutter – were laced. I don’t think he’s as far off from his norm as the line would tell you.
Edward Cabrera (CHC) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Ugh. The sinker and four-seamer both landed under 60% strikes (sinkers were worse, if you can believe it), and the secondaries were not pristine at all. The changeup was! That’s a primary for Cabrera, and really, I don’t see why it can’t be used even more, but I understand. Can’t just throw that or else its effect goes down. I wouldn’t worry a ton, but then again, we haven’t seen Cabrera locked in for a full season yet.
Chase Burns (CIN) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K. Now that Lodolo is on the IL, Burns is going to be plopped into the rotation as if nothing happened. And look at this, 68 pitches (so good for 75-80 in his first game, nice!), with high heaters to RHB, and sliders getting inside to LHB. Pretty funny to see just three changeups and one curve despite the whole “I’m really working on those pitches this spring.” Don’t trust those quotes, y’all.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K. He’ll be getting a solid matchup against the Pirates and I totally get taking a shot there. He doesn’t have exciting stuff – it’s a 93 mph sinker with good ride and a changeup that falls underneath to LHB + a slider with good but not elite movement – but it’s good enough with generally solid control that he could make it work. There’s also a four-seamer he saves to go upstairs for whiffs and I’m already convincing myself of this stream. Huh.
Parker Messick (CLE) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K. Phew. The four-seamer and changeup command were much better in tandem here, especially the changeup. I’m digging him a lot and wish he didn’t have the Dodgers to kick off the season. He still may make it work, especially with sinkers getting inside to LHB…
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K. Okay, Sugano. Good luck with your routine rotation spot.
Justin Verlander (DET) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 4 K. He had poor command of his four-seamer and got burned. He was also down in extension and velocity, treating this like the tune-up it was. I wasn’t super in on Verlander before, but this shouldn’t change whatever thoughts you had.
Casey Mize (DET) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 K. I don’t see a version of Mize that would get me back on the boat. Is it bad I want to call him the Assumption Knight? He’d be Sir Mize then. I’m so sorry.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K. He’s still all over the place and hoping to gra strikes with his variety of secondaries, but the changeup was getting whiffs and look at that! Seven strikeouts! Four looking on sweepers. Yeah, that was weird. I wouldn’t chance this. The risk outweighs the reward.
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) – 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K. He’ll be heading to the minors to stretch out, and will likely get a shot in the rotation before too long. He tossed just 49 pitches here and didn’t have the stuff McNasty we’ve seen in the past from him, but he’s still at 7.3 feet of extension and I’ll always love that. Keep an eye on his Triple-A performances.
Seth Lugo (KCR) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K. I was hoping to see some increased velo from Lugo this spring after last year’s back injuries and I’m not seeing it. I’m hesitant to go after Lugo right now.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Ayyy, he’s at 96/97 mph on his heater! Sadly, without as much sink as before (not 3″ drop but 6″+ drop), with a four-seamer he’s trying to elevate to RHB and a changeup that was deadly to LHB. He has a pretty hot slider at 88 mph, too, with strong depth and a sweeper mixed in at 84 mph and 10″ of sweep. He’s suddenly looking like a legit arm…but it was under 50 pitches, and it’s the Angels, and we haven’t seen him look like this for any extended time. And it’s the Cubs first. You can’t.
Ryan Johnson (LAA) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K. He tossed 65 pitches and displayed a 90 mph cutter with about 9″ vert and it’s fine. We’re seeing less velocity at 93 mph on his sinker, which may be due to the longer outing, or maybe it’s a tune-up with 2-3 clicks less extension, too. Either way, I’m not going after him either, as the mix isn’t all too enticing + everything I said about Kochanowicz’s situation.
Shohei Ohtani (LAD) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 11 K. Shohei is dope, more at eleven. Like his strikeout total! Yep, 11 strikeouts in 12 outs. He also came out in the fifth, allowed three straight hits, and was pulled, where, of course, all three came round to score. Stretched out to 86 pitches, I’m not sure why we believe he’ll be limited his first time through.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Oh look at this, perfection across the final four frames of the game from Wrobleski. I wish it were more than 49 pitches, and we’ll see him likely follow Sheehan or Sasaki in the first week of the season before inevitably taking over somewhere. His 95 mph heater + legit 91 mph cutter + legit two-plane 86 mph slider are awesome and should make for a solid arm when the time arrives.
Brandon Sproat (MIL) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 5 K. He pushed his four-seamer to 98.5 mph in this one (sat 96.7 mph last year) to go upstairs in two strikes (earned one here!), features a sweeper and curve at 2-3 ticks harder that should miss bats, a sinker to ride in on RHB, a new 94/95 mph cutter that is the perfect complement to the sinker, and a changeup he likes to LHB at 91/92 mph and 3″ vert (one was -2″ that was gorgeous to a RHB). Yes, I wish the sweeper and cutter were spotted better (he’s not peak yet, and I don’t want my hype for him to be mistranslated as “SPROAT IS TOP 30 ALREADY”), and I’d imagine he gets them over time. I’m in love with this fella for being the cost of free in so many leagues and he’ll start opening weekend…maybe on a slightly depressed pitch count with just 62 pitches here. Still, 75 pitches should make for five frames and I see a strong back-end starter here, if not more. Let it ride.
Kyle Harrison (MIL) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K. This is so good to see. He left his previous start with a blister caused by his new changeup and I was worried we wouldn’t see him at all, and if we did, that the changeup would be shelved. Welp, not the case. He threw 12 of them here…but they were poor. Phenomenal drop, but no feel for it against RHB (25% strikes = 3/12. Yikes.). Savant doesn’t classify it correctly, but he’s clearly throwing a sinker now to LHB wth -18″ of ride at roughly 27% usage (not 2% from last year), sitting inside with ease, and he induced an out on the pitch at roughly 60% strikes. Yes, that’s dope.
Mick Abel (MIN) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K. This was not the command I want to see from Abel, with changeups going gloveside to LHB and sliders not falling right to RHB, but he’s still killing it with heaters and he likely was going a little softer with a drop in extension. I’m so down to start him against the Royals.
Gerrit Cole (NYY) – 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K. He came out for the second frame and dropped to 94/95 mph (maxed at 98 mph in the first), but I think that was by design. Get hyped, y’all. He’ll be back and act like COLE.
Ryan Weathers (NYY) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K. We saw Weathers at 98.5 mph with a slight drop in extension and he maxed out at…101 MPH?! WHAT. His sinker is looking awesome to LHB, with 47% usage at 18″ of ride and a 100% strike rate on nine thrown (just one four-seamer in contrast). Changeup was looking awesome to RHB, too. Yeah, you want him. Enjoy the start in Seattle.
Landen Roupp (SFG) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 6 K. Ugh. The changeup is not getting spotted like we want to RHB, though he did return 5/15 whiffs on it (when he executed, it worked!), while his time against RHB was either “way out or well in”. You know, classic donut command. The stuff is still great, though, with the new cutter getting a ton of attention to LHB (29% usage vs. 7% usage to LHB in 2025) and I love that. He gets the Padres first and maybe that’s alright. Pay attention to him – if he gets locked in with his command, he’s well worth your time.
Blade Tidwell (SFG) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K. He showed up and while I feel weird about the “Hand of God” sweeper that has 9/10″ of vert, the 87/88 mph slider is still lovely and that 96/97 mph four-seamer is sitting upstairs at 18″+ vert. He’ll likely be worth the spec-add when he appears in the rotation this year.
Miguel Ullola (SUG) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 K. Oh hey, old friend. I need more than 93 mph velocity, and I also need better command. Maybe one day.
Justus Sheffield (MTY) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 1 K. Ha! Good to see you, too. He’s at 90/91 mph and throwing inside sinkers at 14″ of ride to RHB with a high vert 86/87 mph slider and -3″ drop sweeper at 82 mph. So…Not good. Okay. Just wanted to have some fun for a moment.
Gary Gill Hill (TBR) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 2 K. A former prospect of intrigue, he’s now at 93/94 mph and not at all worth our attention. Sorry that I just gave it to him.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 6 K. Oh how I wish I could tell you that I was in on Leiter. Sadly, the command is still not what we want. I watch him and he simply cannot execute what he wants to do with any reliability. Sigh. He’s a HIPSTER.
Who To Monitor Today
IT’S TIME FOR BASEBALL. We have the Yankees vs. Giants in Oracle Park to kick off the season. Daily routine begins tomorrow. GET HYPED.
