Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Monday 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.
Max Meyer (MIA) vs STL (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 91 pitches.
What are you doing with Max Meyer? Why, you’re letting it fly against the Giants for his next start after a brilliant 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 91 pitches (ND) outing against the Cardinals, ruined by a challenged walk that came around to score in the sixth to rid him of a Win. It’s no surprise that Meyer thrived in this one with his secondaries – sweepers, sliders and changeups all returned a 20%+ SwStr rate – but there was one element that made a big difference here.
His four-seamer gained 1.5″ of vert to 18″. That’s a big deal. He was able to return 73% strikes on the pitch without a hit allowed (just one in play, but five foul balls) as batters were thrown off just enough to prevent damage on the field. I’ve wanted to see Meyer with a fastball that could get strikes without punishment that sets up his stellar breaking balls, and I’ll be scrutinizing it against the Giants next time out. If we’re still in 18″ vert territory with great strike rates on the breakers, then we’re talking. If it’s more of the volatile strike rates and a mediocre 94 mph four-seamer, then it’s back to the HIPSTER tag for you. Don’t make me do that.
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Seth Lugo (KCR) vs BAL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
It don’t stop. Lugo’s holding a 1.15 ERA and 0.93 WHIP this season while averaging 6.1 IP per game. That’s pretty dang cool. LAA, @TEA, CLE are next, why stop now? Because he walked four. Sure, the sweeper and changeup tallied a poor strike rate across fourteen thrown between them (0/5 on changeups…), but his five main pitches? 62%+ strike rates. Don’t worry.
Jack Flaherty (DET) @ BOS (ND) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 6 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 73 pitches.
Hey Flaherty, just because Sonny was removed early doesn’t mean you also had to leave before finishing the fourth. I wanted to be a gentleman. That’s honorable, but what about all the managers who trusted you to sit 94 mph again and not the 91 mph we saw here? It was 48 degrees out. Okay, that’s a decent point. Explains the six walks a bit, too. And yet, we still don’t want to start him in HR-heavy Cincy next time.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) @ COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 97 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Wrobo Cop, cruising in Coors with his third win in four games and a…9.8% strikeout rate. It’s an awfully strange feeling of being the guy who’s “in” on Wrobleski during the preseason, then when it actually pans out and I look smart, I actually feel dumb because he’s pitching far worse than I expected and getting away with it. Better to be lucky than good. At least he’s locating the four-seamer upstairs well and the curve/change are finding the bottom of the zone, but he’s holding a 6% SwStr rate and y’all know this is set to regress massively. His stuff is not what I thought it would be. If you want to Vargas Rule, I get it, but hosting the Cubs feels like a trap play.
Colin Rea (CHC) vs PHI (W) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 92 pitches.
Oh, so we’re back Rea, is that it? We’re doing this whole thing again? Yup. And you’re totally aware that it’s the Dodgers next, right? …Yup. Why did you pause? I didn’t pause. YES YOU DID. Rea’s cutter, splitter, and curve did a great job to LHB, with sinkers + slider/sweepers doing their part to RHB. It works if he can keep up this command, and I’d consider grabbing him for ARI and the Reds Carpet after a date in Los Angeles.
Rhett Lowder (CIN) @ TBR (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 93 pitches.
This is fine. That’s all it’s supposed to be from Lowder and what Liberatore should be. Quiet cromulence. It’s DET + @PIT next, which is okay, I guess.
Kyle Bradish (BAL) @ KCR (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 10 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 104 pitches.
Oh jeez. Reddit was infuriated that I still believe in Bradish, and I don’t blame them if they believe what we’ve seen in April is who he is for the entire year – it’s a 11% walk rate, 11.5 H/9, and 1.80 WHIP thus far, after all. Personally, I don’t think his slider will carry the 49% strike rate we saw here, and that H/9 is absolutely hilarious with its unsustainability (especially if he’s returning as many whiffs as he does). Koufax will be more generous, Bradish will iron out the kinks, and hopefully find the stamina to allow him to keep his first-inning velocity throughout more of the start – he hit 97.6 mph in the first this time. I’ll put it this way, if you really want to jump ship, you certainly can. I see the Sawx + @NYY + @MIA up next. Start vs. Boston, bench vs. Yankees, and ABSOLUTELY start against Miami. I wonder how many of y’all feel like Bradish is not worth the gamble there. Save for an injury, of course, I’d be floored if Bradish is struggling massively after the first week of May.
Sonny Gray (BOS) vs DET (ND) – 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 40 pitches.
Gray was pulled early with a hamstring injury and has since hit the IL. Oh no. Yeaaaah. Not fun. It does make us wonder if Payton Tolle will step into the rotation in his stead – after all, he already had a weekend start skipped as a contingency plan for the Red Sox and that was before Sonny hit the IL. It sure seems likely and I’d spec add him now.
Dylan Cease (TOR) @ LAA (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 12 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 110 pitches.
Nick, don’t do it. But I have to. Nick, come on. He had a 1.40 WHIP. LET ME ENJOY THE GOLDEN GOAL. Just gotta make sure you know what you’re dealing with. 110 pitches in just five innings.
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) @ CLE (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 96 pitches.
It wasn’t pretty and my fears were confirmed (the curve that was so great to LHB last time out went 1/24 whiffs with 46% strikes here), but you’re happy the Pasta Pirate gave you a Win and a 3.60 ERA. And the WHIP? Let’s not. YOU JUST DID WITH CEASE. I’m telling you to drop him! Oh. Yeah, it’s the Yankees + Fenway + Dodgers next. Nooooooope.
Bryce Elder (ATL) @ WSN (W) – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 98 pitches.
Phew. We’ll take this upgraded PQS all day, especially with such a brilliant WHIP. The four-seamer and cutter were a grind against LHB, but the slider stepped up in a massive way as it landed low with ease. It’s great to see it, and no, I don’t want to hold Elder for the Phillies and Coors. Unless you want to Vargas Rule this. You do you.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) @ SEA (ND) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 92 pitches.
Two HRs were the difference here, and he settled in after allowing the second to lead off…the second. I love to see Ginn at 94/95 mph (not 92/93 as we’ve seen in the past), but the slider and changeup feel leave me a bit unsatisfied. He’s not totally polished in the way I’ve seen before, and yet, it’s @TEX, CLE, BAL up next. That’s kinda cool. Not a terrible streaming option.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) vs ATH (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 85 pitches.
Monday was a day of starts getting ruined in the sixth as the cackles of Geoff reigned on our favorite arms with a Careful, Icarus, including Hancock, who allowed back-to-back longballs to start the sixth inning that ended his day. The only damage was done via the solo shots (another in the fourth) and all against his four-seamer, which we’ve been calling stellar given its fantastic vert relative to one of the lowest RHP arm-angles around. However, I was surprised to see Hancock refuse to throw a single cutter in this one, instead leaning on 31% sweepers to RHB for 46% strikes. There’s yer problem. Well, not really as the sinker did absurd work over the plate, but it did limit his strikeouts, and the slowball needed something else to help against LHB. This is all to say that I’m not concerned, especially with the great schedule ahead. We hold and we hold tight.
Jake Irvin (WSN) vs ATL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 68 pitches.
There’s rarely a time to start Irvin and this wasn’t one of them, though he almost made it worthwhile with 2 ER through five. That dang sixth frame with an error and Acuña HBP (second one of the game from Irvin, I hope he’s alright) to kick off the frame = two more runs and pain to any who gave this a whirl. At the very least, that’s a nice WHIP, right? HBP should be included in WHIP. I couldn’t agree more. Anyway, is this enough to stream him against the CrySox? Ehhhh, in your NL-Only, sure. 12-teamers? I just can’t do it.
Reid Detmers (LAA) vs TOR (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.
He had it. A PQS with a 1.00 WHIP and five strikeouts. Not the prettiest, but decent enough and we move on. But no. He had to go back out there with 85 pitches and walk the first batter before getting the hook. He came around to score, didn’t he. YUP. Careful, Icarus. I’m happy to report that the changeup is still present, though it was floated over the plate a bit too much, resulting in a pair of hits that included a Vladdy Jr. PLAKATA to dead center. I’m not just an old man shouting a cloud when I see changeups over the plate in other starts, you know. Anyway, we’re still okay with Detmers, even if the heater isn’t missing bats and returning a 55% strike rate. I’m holding for the Royals and Mets.
Michael McGreevy (STL) @ MIA (L) – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 80 pitches.
Womp womp. He’s living at 91 mph and could have made this work if he didn’t have such poor feel for anything outside of his heaters, and it caught up to him the longer he went, including a Careful, Icarus as he couldn’t escape a tough sixth frame. I’m not into this.
Jose Quintana (COL) vs LAD (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 90 pitches.
Uh, yeah. We know. We knew this weeks ago.
Jesse Scholtens (TBR) vs CIN (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 95 pitches.
I was hoping the Rays would use him as a follower again (whoops) and it’s disheartening to see a pitcher trip on the velvet as they stroll down the Reds Carpet. The main issue was Schlotens’ inability to land his slider and sweeper for strikes to RHB (43% on the slider at 27% usage is rough), though there is some silver lining of 14 whiffs and a 31% CSW. He’ll get the Twins and Giants (both at home), making him a 15-team option if desperately needed. I imagine some of you don’t have a choice after locking in a weekly lineup for a two-step, and hopefully that calmed your anxiety a touch.
Aaron Nola (PHI) @ CHC (L) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 88 pitches.
Blegh. I demoted Nola again yesterday and I think I have to again as he’s simply not doing enough. Even year Nola, Scheven Schmear Schmola. He’ll get Atlanta next, and if you’re holding the fella, it’s possible he finds the fastball feel once again and strings together a lovely run, but it’s too risky at this point to hold.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) vs HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 94 pitches.
I get the sense I won’t be getting any more weekly meeting fliers from the Slade Brigade. There’s nothing here to chase.
Game of the Day
Jesús Luzardo vs. Shota Imanaga – Two southpaws who should dominate. And yes, we want Luzardo to get back on the right track.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)
