Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Sunday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
José Buttó (NYM) vs KCR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.
The Mets have been through the ringer this year and finally they have something to cheer about. José Buttó had himself a game against the hot hitting Royals, boasting a brilliant 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches for the books, going Bu-toe-to-toe with Cole Ragans and keeping the Mets in the game. That’s a pair of stellar games now and after I called him just a streamer last time out, it’s hard not to look at nine strikeouts and sixteen whiffs and think of something more, right?
Well…it’s the Dodgers next and that can’t be trusted. I do like Buttó’s pitch separation with a clear intent to locate high heaters and low changeups, merged with an ability to avoid the heart of the plate and limit damage in play. It does seem more like a good moment for Buttó, though if we trust him to be a command pitcher, he can be a solid arm in a rotation that needs help. If you want to take the deeeep stab at the Dodgers next time and take it from there, you’re more than welcome. I think it’s a bit of a stretch to expect anything more than a Toby moving forward.
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
José Berríos (TOR) vs COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 100 pitches.
ARE YOU NOT UNDULATING?! No, it’s just Rockie Road. Oh. That makes sense. The Padres are next up and that may be something a little different, but we’re still going for it. His curve is working so well.
Bailey Ober (MIN) @ DET (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 84 pitches.
Bailey: Redemption Island aired another episode today. Man, what a weird first game of the year, eh? Also super strange to see just 24 four-seamers from Ober in this one, and even moreso, a combined 54% sliders and cutters. I’m glad he’s learning to trust it, but aren’t you supposed to be a fastball/change guy? He faced more RHB than LHB. Yeah but STILL. Weird and I guess I’m okay with it?
Zac Gallen (ARI) vs STL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. He’s still a tick down from last year, though he’s spotting his heaters down with his curve underneath it like his best days. So far so good.
Cole Ragans (KCR) @ NYM (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 99 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. If you’re not going Pew Pew Pew with his sub 2.00 ERA and 30% strikeout rate so far, I don’t know why you drafted him.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) @ CHW (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 104 pitches.
Blame it on the White Sox. To be fair, Ashcraft didn’t throw as many poor sinkers here as he did in his last start. To be fairer, his cutter command was all over the place. To be drop-dead gorgeous, his slider didn’t allow a single hit on 23 thrown. So that’s pretty cool. Not the worst shot in the world chasing his next start against the Angels.
Shawn Armstrong (TBR) vs SFG (ND) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 50% CSW, 30 pitches.
Nah, that’s bait. Armstrong opened for Tyler Alexander, who cruised for a Win via 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Yup, we eat that. Like grab the incredisauce you have in your stash because it’s discontinued at Trader Joe’s and doll up this pitching line. You miss it, don’t you. YOU CAN’T DISCONTINUE GREATNESS. It’s high heaters with cutters, sweepers, and changeups all thigh-high and over the plate and I’m not seeing a guy you can trust against the Yankees. But hey, there are worse Win chances out there.
Cristian Javier (HOU) vs TEX (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 89 pitches.
Yesssss. He’s starting to believe. The four-seamer did what it should have been doing all year at 8/43 whiffs while his changeup went 67% strikes & the breakers (slider + curve) returned a 61% clip of their own. THAT’S THE MAN HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE. It wasn’t even the best command on his breaker and changeup, just good enough control as they comfortably fell into the zone. This is the Javier we want.
Mitch Keller (PIT) @ PHI (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 95 pitches.
Ugh, Nick. You said Keller wasn’t good and now he’s been great for two starts. No, I said Keller was a Cherry Bomb. You can’t pick and choose when it’ll work out for him – that’s why he’s a HIPSTER you hold onto throughout the year. I’m not seeing a shift in ability or approach to suggest he’s a reliable fantasy arm.
Luis Castillo (SEA) vs CHC (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 23 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 103 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Now that’s a whole lot more like it. Enjoy the Gallows Pole, but more importantly, enjoy the warmer weather. That slider was so dang fun to watch today. 48% CSW and 10/31 whiffs. Mmmmmmmm.
Javier Assad (CHC) @ SEA (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 87 pitches.
Look at Assad go, having yet another strong outing as he continues to put fantastic ratios. I still think he’s awfully Toby and don’t dig it a whole lot, but he does get the Marlins next. Might as well trust the command sticks, right? Vargas Rule time?
Brayan Bello (BOS) vs LAA (W) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 107 pitches.
Ayyyy, we got some strikeouts today! The changeup was filth + 16/39 foul balls led to just one in play, allowing for more deep counts to fan eight batters…at the cost of not going a full six frames. You can’t have it all. I’ll take the six frames with fewer strikeouts or five frames with more strikeouts. It’s all quality. That’s only with six inni–YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT.
Corbin Burnes (BAL) vs MIL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
Aces gonna mid. When aces don’t have their best stuff, the elites still find a way to be decent. It’s not all about the highs, the lows are what set them apart.
Jack Flaherty (DET) vs MIN (ND) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 100 pitches.
Out of a small blip, Flaherty cruised against the Twins, collecting a King Cole and 40%+ CSW on both curves and sliders. His fastball wasn’t all that different from his last time out, but that’s just how baseball works. Some days they pummel all the chances they get, sometimes those heaters find the strikes you want. Baseball flows in many ways. That’s what gramps used to say. You’re fine running it back in Minnesota.
Colin Rea (MIL) @ BAL (ND) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 87 pitches.
That’s a Philly against the Orioles for Rea and you should be thrilled at this line given the circumstances. At least we know he has 85-90 pitches in him with potentially a strikeout per inning, right?
Trevor Williams (WSN) @ OAK (ND) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 78 pitches.
#NeverTrevor.
Yu Darvish (SDP) @ LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 92 pitches.
Not his best, but it really isn’t fair starting against the Dodgers twice in your first five games. Suitman whispers in my ear He gets Toronto up next?! Well actually that may be just fine. Yeah, we’re going for it there.
James Paxton (LAD) vs SDP (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 8 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 95 pitches.
Eight. Walks. Paxton massively struggled with his secondaries while his four-seamer nibbled far too much. Maybe we’re getting near the end of the line for Paxton, but if he’s not placed on the IL, then we’re letting him fly against the Mets. What a weird one.
Tyler Anderson (LAA) @ BOS (L) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 93 pitches.
I know Anderson has had a much better start to the season than we expected, but this seems right pitching in Fenway. Pick yer spots and make it simple.
Logan Allen (CLE) vs NYY (ND) – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 92 pitches.
The major damage came from a three-run shot from Judge, and he pitched generally fine outside of that. Don’t have another thought about it and start him against the Athletics next weekend.
Kyle Freeland (COL) @ TOR (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 95 pitches.
COL story, bro.
Zack Wheeler (PHI) vs PIT (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 10 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna give us good news and bad news. I want the bad. Okay points up. Okay, the good? Points up again. That’s it? Okay fine, on top of ten punchouts, Wheeler sat 1.5 ticks up on his heater, back to the 95/96 mph we know and love. Phew. He allowed a few doinks on heaters + a cutter, then a grand slam on a hung curveball at the top of the sixth. Oh, so he was dope until he wasn’t. Yup. So we good? So good.
Alex Wood (OAK) vs WSN (ND) – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 100 pitches.
Welp, not even against the Nats. WELL OKAY THEN.
Nestor Cortes (NYY) @ CLE (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches.
No, I don’t think Nestor should be allowed to throw that weird “fake pitch”, but it was awesome to see. A pair of longballs were the culprit here as he otherwise pitched well. I don’t see a Top 30 SP like he was in the past, but a Toby or Holly seems like a proper assessment. At least he’s still earning some four-seamer whiffs, going more on the high end tonight with 8/45.
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) @ HOU (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.
Womp womp. The splitter was solid but didn’t earn enough strikes, forcing more out his heater, curve, and cutter, which didn’t end well. Whatareyagonnado. Well, maybe not start him against Atlanta, for starters. Your call there.
Jesús Luzardo (MIA) vs ATL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 94 pitches.
As we feared, Luzardo wasn’t able to navigate the lineup, even on a night with 16 whiffs. Whatareyagonnado. I feel a little better against the Cubs, at least.
Michael Soroka (CHW) vs CIN (L) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 6 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches.
Blegh. I had such high hopes for you, Soroka. I still have nightmares of that Achilles injury and wonder what kind of pitcher you’d become without it.
Miles Mikolas (STL) @ ARI (L) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 75 pitches.
Are you regularly starting Mikolas? Why?
Charlie Morton (ATL) @ MIA (ND) – 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 79 pitches.
So, um, Morton. You got any more of those Wins for sale? Oh, no. Sorry, I guess Chris wasn’t able to get one yesterday. No, I want you to get your max amount. But I have one, just like Max. CHARLIE. PLEASE. You’re on fantasy squads because of your Win potential. It’s a hot topic right now. Spencer’s? But he’s hurt. Okay I’m done. I’M DONE.
Blake Snell (SFG) @ TBR (L) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 78 pitches.
Ahhhh, it’s early Snell. And here I thought that his first outing indicated that we weren’t going be met with the evil twin this year. Come on Ekalb, you’re not welcome here no more. It took about a month or so to get on track last season and that’s the deal you made. Good luck, I hope this is just a fluke and we’re all good next time out.
Game of the Day
Seth Lugo vs. Nick Nastrini – Lugo should have a ball while I’m excited to get a proper look at Nastrini, even if it’s just a spot start.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)