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 Twitch.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Mike Burrows (HOU) vs LAA (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 94 pitches.
After months of excitement surrounding Mike Burrows heading to the Astros from the underwhelming Pirates environment, we saw Burrows in the spring feature a tweaked slider at 90 mph (not 87) with some extra lift and better feel, plus a heater with added vert and a change with more movement. At the end of drafts, I started circling him after initially writing him off. With his first start against the Angels on Friday night, surely this was going to be the coronation of the new heir in Houston, right?
Nope. Burrows allowed four runs across his first two frames and left in the sixth with a final line of 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 94 pitches (L) in his Houston debut. Everyone was wrong! Actually, I don’t believe that. The gains of the spring were still there (the extra changeup movement is likely data merged with a new splitter thrown four times, though), and the slider looked stellar as his most thrown pitch and 64% strikes. No, I’m blaming the 46% changeup strike rate + his fastballs getting punished more than he should allow them to. These are the adjustments that come with time when featuring a new approach, and I have faith in Burrows to form into a reliable arm for the Astros. Does that mean we’re holding right now? Yes, I am. He’ll host the Red Sox next, followed by a date in Coors, then @TEA, which isn’t ideal, but not enough for me to run for the hills. I see a reliable arm here that I’d love to have rostered for the full season. If you have multiple solid options on the wire, I’m cool moving on and grabbing value now, where you’ll likely have another great option in a few weeks. That’s your call.
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 73 pitches.
Not much of a surprise and while I want to celebrate, it’s Rockie Road. Sandy should dominate them, and to be honest, I’m a little upset he wasn’t allowed to go the distance with only 73 pitches to his name (which wouldn’t have been a CGSHO with an unearned run in the fourth), but we’ll take it. The new sweeper is nothing special in my book, which is all over the place. Sometimes it’s a “Hand of God” sweeper with a ton of lift (9-10″ vert!) and others are close to 0″ or even -3.5″. It tells me he doesn’t have the best feel for it yet, and that’s okay. As long as the changeup is cooking (it was with a 38% SwStr rate and nearly 70% strikes), then we’re golden.
Chris Sale (ATL) vs KCR (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 88 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. This looked like Sale + an extra tick of velocity at 96 mph, which he held all game. Atlanta really needs this.
Cam Schlittler (NYY) @ SFG (W) – 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 68 pitches.
Yep, he’s dope and makes us feel dope. I had him ranked highest of all the sophomore arms and this start reinforced that notion. The new cutter is nearly three ticks harder and features 11″ of cut vs. his four-seamer at just three ticks different velo, and it’s so dang hard to deal with. Throw in a sinker he’s embraced (45% usage to RHB vs. 8% last year!) that features 8″+ inches the other direction off said heater, and batters simply can’t figure out where it’s going at an elite velocity. Imagine what happens when Schlittler can nail down the 90 mph slider or 85 mph curveball, too. Yeesh. A start like this sure makes it feel like an AGA tag is on the horizon.
Michael King (SDP) vs DET (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 82 pitches.
He looked like King while earning his first King Cole of the year. His changeup wasn’t quite as consistent as he wanted (46% strikes), but he executed a ton of them when he needed to, with great sinkers, high surprise four-seamers for whiffs, and good enough sweepers. Man, I wish I had seen this once in the spring. That said, the walks could continue to be an issue if the changeup isn’t locked in and the breakers fail to eclipse 60% strikes. Oh, and huge thanks to Merrill for going over the wall to bring back McGonigle’s solo shot. Phew.
Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs ATH (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 83 pitches.
That’s a Gallows Pole for Gausman as his splitter feasted. This was Gausman at his finest with the low splitter and avoiding punishment on 81% four-seamer strikes. So far so good.
Framber Valdez (DET) @ SDP (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 83 pitches.
Yep, that’s a Valdez start. A Dusty Donut due to all the grounders, but six solid frames of five strikeouts and one run. The curveball was great, and you know the rule: If Framber hooks, he cooks.
George Kirby (SEA) vs CLE (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 90 pitches.
I’m absolutely loving the approach to LHB – BSB with high four-seamers and low sliders + curveballs – and with few RHB, he made it simple with high four-seamers and low(er) sinkers, with just one slider as a called strike to lead off the fifth. I’m still going to bang the table for inside sinkers to RHB and I get the sense we won’t see that when he doesn’t get served so many LHB. Here’s to hoping and in the meantime, I’ll continue celebrating his attack to LHB.
Robbie Ray (SFG) vs NYY (L) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 89 pitches.
We had your standard Ray Careful, Icarus with five shutout frames followed by a double and Arson Judge’s two-run shot to kick off the sixth. I’m glad to report he executed the BSB beautifully to RHB with 36% sliders, with the heavy majority located down. I actually prefer this slower version at 85 mph with much better movement, too. So far so good.
Luis Severino (ATH) @ TOR (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 84 pitches.
Huh. I was wrong about Severino’s velocity falling back down to last year’s levels post-WBC, as he sat over a tick up on everything, now featuring a cutter flirting with 95 mph and a 97/98 mph four-seamer. His control of the former wasn’t ideal, nor was it on the 50% strike sweeper, but the four-seamer was excellent. It lived upstairs and featured 17″ of vert, acting like the prime heater he featured in pinstripes. Oh jeez, am I in on Sevy now? I can’t with that home park, but he does head to Atlanta next. But that’s Atlanta and this wasn’t the greatest result. Very fair. Alright, still meh on this. For now. Hopefully, the velo bump sticks.
Kyle Freeland (COL) @ MIA (L) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 81 pitches.
So close. His pitch count was pushed up in the second as he was Singled Out and you look at this outing, getting nothing out of it. Womp womp. Alright PL Bot, you and your Sevy pick win this one.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) @ HOU (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 86 pitches.
The slider is everything with Kikuchi and to his credit, it went 41% CSW and just under 80% strikes at 34% usage, but the rest was rough. His change and four-seamer combined for 46% usage and a sub 50% strike rate, which ruined everything. There is a new pitch in the mix, though – a 91 mph cutter that acts as a bridge pitch between the 95 mph four-seamer and 85 mph slider, and I’m a fan of it…when he commands it properly. I’m considering Kikuchi as a streamer moving forward due to the new pitch, but not someone I trust to hold in 12-teamers.
Gavin Williams (CLE) @ SEA (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Hits, 6 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 89 pitches.
Blegh. In his post-game interview, Williams credited his walks to inconsistent mechanics, where he tried to make the right adjustments in-game, but failed to lock in. Makes all the sense, the question is, how is that any different than normal? At the very least, extension is at seven feet, the curve is down, the four-seamer + cutter is alive and well to LHB, and it’s a good sinker/sweeper mix with his signature four-seamer to RHB. The approach is there and that makes me more encouraged than last season. If he actually does make those correct tweaks, this could be it.
Ryne Nelson (ARI) @ LAD (ND) – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 83 pitches.
It’s the Dodgers, and they were able to obliterate a pair of his four-seamers for all four runs in the third. Otherwise, Nelson featured an elite heater with a harder 88 mph slider that he kept down, returning 61% strikes. Sure, the extension was a few clicks down to 6.7 (not 6.9/7.0), but for a start we were iffy on in the first place, this is encouraging. Hopefully the fastball/slider combo is the game plan, allowing him to get into a great rhythm with the pair for the season.
Cole Ragans (KCR) @ ATL (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonn—Wat. He allowed a trio of longballs that returned all four runs, and all three were on mistakes. A hung changeup to Albies, a four-seamer down-and-in to Baldwin in an at-bat where Ragans refused to try a slider, and a terrible slider in Harris II’s nitro zone down-and-in. Ugh. His fastball was also sub-95 mph, and the whole thing was not the guy we saw in the fall. First start and all, he’ll adjust, but yeah. Pepé Le Pew.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) vs ARI (ND) – 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 83 pitches.
Annnnd the velocity drop is still a thing. If you didn’t follow during the spring, Sheehan was consistently hitting 95+ mph in the first frame or two, only to drop off massively by his final frame, and here was no different. 95/96 mph in the first, and suddenly sitting 92/93 mph by the fourth, throwing 91.2 mph on his final four-seamer. Yikes. I get the sense he can’t be trusted for more than four frames at this point. That’s not a great feeling.
Game of the Day
Jacob deGrom vs. Aaron Nola – Baseball is so back.
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 Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
