Bryse Wilson vs ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 74 pitches.
I could make this lead about all the fantastic starters who did fantastic things (who would have thought?) but I think it’s more important to point to that one pitcher you never considered and tell you if you should start considering him. Tonight, that man was Bryse Wilson after he went 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 74 pitches against the Diamondbacks — in other words, he was phenomenal.
His four-seamer was legit, landing in the top third of the zone and earning nine whiffs, while his changeup found the edges and even curveballs went 4/8 whiffs. Keep in mind, he was only allowed to toss 74 pitches here and those 15 whiffs are a bit more impressive given the few opportunities. Given that the secondaries were good but not exceptional & I’m not sure his heater can miss this many bats with consistency, I wouldn’t be running to the waiver wire. H*ck, it’s the White Sox next and that’s a big ole NOPE. Just don’t ignore him for a possible stream in September.
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Blake Snell vs LAD (ND) – 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 122 pitches.
Yesssssss! 122 pitches?! 7.2 frames?! AND HE DELIVERED. It’s really nuts to me, it’s the vision we had when the Padres dealt for Snell in the first place and he’s doing it purely four-seamer/slider. In this one, he landed his slider constantly in the zone (finally!) and the Dodgers couldn’t do anything about it. Here’s to the new Snell and a possible September stretch worth spilling tons of ink on over the winter.
Walker Buehler @ SD (ND) – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 106 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I don’t see how Buehler isn’t the NL Cy Young. This is the career year we’ve always dreamed of.
Brandon Woodruff vs CIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 104 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Remember that little rough patch? Nah. Oh. Well, there was one and–K. But what I was going to say was–I SAID K. You need about eight more of those. Touché.
Bailey Ober @ BOS (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 81 pitches.
Wow, I’m impressed. The Red Sox are no joke yet Ober was able to get it done with his four-seamer and slider, the former getting most of the work done. The pitch is mimicking prime Jake Odorizzi (yes, my favorite comp for him) as it’s exclusively up in a broad stroke of red paint and I adore it. I guess he’s Bailey Oberizzi now. The pitch simply works. If he’s commanding like this, then the Tigers shouldn’t be a major problem, sadly I’m not sure he will. Your call, I slightly lean go for it.
Johnny Cueto @ NYM (ND) – 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 14% CSW, 71 pitches.
Yep, that’s a Toby. He should do more of the decently okay stuff against the Brewers next and you’re gonna like it, whether you want to or not. But seriously, 14% CSW? Really?!
Lucas Giolito @ TOR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 93 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. He’s down to a 3.68 ERA now and his changeup is earning double-digit whiffs like the good ole days. It’s what you want.
Jon Lester vs DET (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 88 pitches.
Oh, cool. I mean, it’s a 1.80 WHIP, but yeah, sure. That’s a thing that happened.
Robbie Ray vs CWS (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 14 Ks – 24 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 111 pitches.
Aces gonna earn a Gallows Pole and 14 strikeouts as Ray earned 17/45 whiffs on sliders. Whaaaaat. Yeah. Absolutely nuts. I don’t think we’ve seen a start from Ray this season where the slider has taken over for the fastball like this, and my heavens it was wonderful. What a stud.
Ryan Yarbrough @ PHI (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 55 pitches.
This literally did not help your team in any way. He pulled a full Wonka as he got NOTHING! GOOD DAY SIR! Not cool, Brah. Not cool.
Zach Davies vs COL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 72 pitches.
Six strikeouts are plenty more than I expected, but I wanted a full five frames here from davies. Still a decent start across the board, though, so yeah, props to ya Davies. I guess.
Luis Castillo @ MIL (L) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 101 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The changeup was filthy, he sat 97/98 mph, and the slider found strikes. It’s so wonderful having prime Castillo back.
Josiah Gray @ MIA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 91 pitches.
That WHIP isn’t what you wanted, but the ERA and strikeouts sure are. With each start, there’s a single pitch that earns double-digit whiffs and here, it was the curveball tallying 13 whiffs and 53% CSW, somehow raising his already stupid high 46% clip for the season. Sigh. What a dream he is. I wonder if he’ll somehow fall under the radar next season and you can roster him as your #5 or #6. That would be swell.
Tyler Gilbert @ PIT (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 80 pitches.
It ain’t gorgeous, but it’ll do. Streaming Record: 78-57. I’m not gonna lie, the feelings I get looking at this line are all kinds of uncomfortable. Look, if it’s horrific, sure I can handle that. At least I know what to make of it. I want to feel something when I see a pitching line and this? This makes me shiver with indifference. What am I supposed to say? He was okay and I’ve got nothing to say? Just rant about something, Nick. GOOD IDEA. On the real, he did a decent job hitting the edges with cutters and sinkers, but it’s the Padres next so what does it matter. What does any of this matter. Stop pointing at the fidget spinner. Spin it or do something else, your staring and philosophizing are distracting. Fine.
Tarik Skubal @ STL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 85 pitches.
A King Cole from Skubal?! HOT DANG, LOOK AT YOU! His four-seamer cruised at 42% CSW while the slider cam through as a legit #2 pitch. Just 2/19 whiffs there, but plenty of quality strikes as it allowed Skubal to do his thang with fastballs. Over time, he’ll get those sliders a bit further down with curveballs and changeups complementing the BSB approach. For now, let’s enjoy the great fastball and all its glory.
Zach Plesac vs TEX (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 97 pitches.
Did it work? Sure, I guess so. Are you happy? Not since the day on the beach. About the start, Frank. Oh, maybe. Yeah, that WHIP just isn’t what you wanted. I know, I wanted the–Are you still talking about the beach, Frank? …yes. Annnnyway, I’m glad Plesac found his slider again, but the changeup is still missing and he needs that one too. The Royals are next and maybe he can have both working in tandem. That would be nice. It’s a questionable outing there, too.
Taijuan Walker vs SF (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 74 pitches.
Atta boy Walker. The fastball was down to 94 mph instead of the blistering 95+ mph we saw last time (womp womp), but the Giants found gloves instead of grass and Taijuan survived. Now things get plenty easier as he faces Miami next and that’s simply lovely. You’ve earned it.
Jake Latz @ CLE (L) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 84 pitches.
I feel like Jake should start his own NYC Deli, then Steven will start his own, followed by CBS Announcer Jim, and then–Make it stop. Latz doesn’t bring much to the table, except fantastic side muscles and a decent changeup. He’s not a guy you should be chasing.
Mike Minor @ HOU (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 94 pitches.
A PQS against the Astros? Yeah that works for me. Once again, Houston welcomed plenty of heaters for called strikes, allowing Minor to test the waters with…questionable secondaries. There’s a chance he pulls it off against Cleveland next time, but as you can see, the ceiling is pretty dang low.
Edward Cabrera vs WSH (ND) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 78 pitches.
So there’s good news and bad news. The good news: I think his command was plenty better than I expected and Andy Patton did a phenomenal GIF Breakdown covering the whole start. The bad news: It was a Careful, Icarus as he had just 57 pitches through six, then allowed back-to-back HRs to score all three runs. The Nationals were able to make better contact than I expected across all three of his offerings, with the changeup flashing at times with solid movement, and the heater coming in at 97 mph. I was a little unimpressed with the breakers, though, as he tossed a curve around 83 mph and a harder slider at 87 mph. Neither looked like a legit whiff pitch (especially with Josiah Gray putting on a display at the same time) and I wonder if something will showcase itself inside the repertoire with more starts. For now, he gets the Mets and I’m fine with that. He was able to throw strikes and he tosses upper 90s. That’s good enough against the Mets.
Chris Ellis vs LAA (ND) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 42% CSW, 38 pitches.
Oh hey, it’s a new guy making his first career start. He throws hard – 94/95 mph but the slider is way too meh for us to truly care. It’s a good fastball, though, and if he can figure out a legit #2, there could be something there.
Nick Pivetta vs MIN (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 87 pitches.
Yikes. Without cheating, what are Pivetta’s ERA and WHIP on the season? If you guess 4.50 and 1.30, you pretty much nailed it. You’re only around because of his win potential + 26% strikeout rate, but let’s be honest, it’s not worth it. You know, I know, the dang mailman knows it (Hi Nick! NOT NOW PHIL), and it’s time you got out before the Rays. You can do better and he doesn’t deserve to be rostered in…54% of leagues?! Seriously?! Yeah, don’t do that.
Justin Steele vs COL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 73 pitches.
Yeah, y’all know there isn’t enough here for us to chase. It’s too bad, that name is S tier. It has B-level action movie written all over it. Justin STEELE is back and ready to blow past your bats and break into the zone. Get ready for STEELE IV: The Eater of Innings.
Shohei Ohtani @ BAL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 84 pitches.
Awwwww. Ohtani had a few too many mistakes here and it led to three longballs. Stupid homers, I thought they were only allowed to let one in. Nothing to worry about here, carry on.
Lance McCullers Jr. vs KC (ND) – 6.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 107 pitches.
At least you got some strikeouts on a day where McCullers didn’t have the best command of his sinker. He’ll be just fine against the Mariners next, so let’s not worry about this.
Zack Wheeler vs TB (L) – 8.0 IP, 5 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna…say what now? Earn 10 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP, but with five ER in eight frames? Why? WHY?! Suit man whispers in my ear THEY LET HIM PITCH IN THE NINTH?! Seriously, it was a two-ER effort through eight frames (two unearned), and in a 4-4 game in the ninth, they let Wheeler allow a single, then a double, then a three-run shot before they said “okay, fine, we’ll pull him.” Man, I guess the Phillies pen truly is that bad. Wheeler deserves so much better. Truly.
Austin Gomber @ CHC (L) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 86 pitches.
Hey, at least you got eight strikeouts? His slider and changeup performed well and the fastball was reduced to just 29% usage, but a tough fifth frame did him in. It stinks, but seeing the reduced fastballs makes me feel better about Texas next time out. Roll with him there.
Germán Márquez @ CHC (ND) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 49 pitches.
Wow, just look at the bottom five names of the Roundup today – nearly all of them were in the Auto-Start tier and I got multiple people yelling at me for sticking Gomber “too low”. Some days, that’s just baseball. Anywho, Márquez didn’t have the curve in the slightest and his slider wasn’t enough. You’d think this would be the start for the fella, but you never really learn to know Márquez. He does his thing and we just gotta hope it works for us. Definitely start him against the Rangers next.
Game of the Day
Max Scherzer vs Yu Darvish – I mean, how could it not be this one? Let’s hope Darvish can find his spring groove in his return as we adore Mad Max as this excellent rivalry continues.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)