Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Thursday 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.
Corbin Burnes (ARI) vs TBR (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 89 pitches.
It’s nice to have a productive game from Corbin Burnes. Seeing 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 89 pitches (ND) against the Rays is production we all can get behind with some clear positivity…and some lingering concerns.
On one hand, the cutter had a little less rise (11″, not 13″ vert) and was spotted beautifully down-and-gloveside on repeat for a whole lot of outs and CSW. If that location sticks, I’m game, even without the shape the cutter used to have.
The secondaries are still lagging behind, though. Both the curve and changeup were unreliable and the slider went 0/9 whiffs, even if it was placed in the right quadrant against RHB. Burnes has added 1.5 ticks to the slide piece at the cost of six inches of drop and three inches of lateral movement and I’m not sure that’s a compromise I’d want to make with the pitch. That should be the big whiff offering of old, not a bridge slider.
So we continue to hold and hope. It doesn’t seem right for Burnes to continuously flounder with his changeup and curve, while the new slider should help but not in the way Burnes needs. Here’s to that cutter staying low and letting all of my worries melt away, like their lead against the Rays in this one (Sorry Sneks fans).
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Shane Smith (CHW) @ MIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 82 pitches.
It’s pretty fun to watch Shane for about three innings. Then I get into hyper-nervous mode and celebrate the fact that his depressed velocity didn’t hold back a great performance. I guess we’re just rolling with this and hope he gets enough stamina before the good fortune runs out in the fourth and fifth frames. Milwaukee is next and that’s fine.
Cade Povich (BAL) @ WSN (W) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 87 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Povich after we didn’t expect a full recovery right away against the Nationals. We can thank the Nats for allowing Povich to sneak in 10/25 called strikes on the four-seamer, while Povich’s mix of changeups, sweepers, sinkers, and curves did enough to confound against RHB. To lefties? Oh you got a whole bunch of sweepers at 54% usage and the pitch steered the ship. I loved watching the surprise sinkers up-and-in as well. This was Mikolas miles better than his last outing, and while I’m not ready to believe in the LHB command and “kitchen sink” effectiveness against RHB, I can see it being the standard for the rest of the year.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) vs COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches.
I feel like Boromir when I say that Rockie Road is a gift. Lorenzen did a good job of going BSB against LHB with four-seamers up and curves + changeups down (36% strikes on the latter, though. Yikes), and the sweeper worked going Dancing With The Disco to RHB, so we’re all happy here, unless you needed better than a 1.50 WHIP. Whoops. Now back to the wire you go.
MacKenzie Gore (WSN) vs BAL (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 99 pitches.
The new slider is still filthy, the curve is earning strikes, and the four-seamer is…kinda getting tagged, but this was lovely from Gore. Now he gets the Phillies for the first time since his absurdity on opening day and I guess we’re going for it. May Koufax be with you.
Bryan Woo (SEA) @ BOS (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 91 pitches.
Woo girls, where we at?! The four-seamer was insanely consistent upstairs to LHB while his attack to RHB was…kinda terrible. Four-seamers missing too far up, sinkers down the pipe, and sweepers + sliders as wild as a goose chase. I wonder if they ever found that goose…I appreciate Woo for making it work even in Fenway, but hot dang, figure that out.
Chris Paddack (MIN) vs CHW (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 99 pitches.
Not as much of a revenge game as you’d want with that 1.80 WHIP, but Paddack did the right thing – he axed the slider and favored changeups and curveballs instead, even against RHB. It’s a better choice and yet, the slider piece still got plastered for a HR on one of the few he threw. You thought you’d give it a shot in the first pitch of an inning for some free real estate, didn’t ya Paddack? DIDN’T YA?! The lesson is learned and yet, I still don’t think the package does enough. But it was 19-20″ of vert on the four-seamer! At 93 mph with an 18% CSW. It’s clearly not enough.
Jacob deGrom (TEX) @ ATH (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 83 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The curse of the Mets hath carried over into Texas as Langford lost a ball in the lights to make this worse for deGrom, but a King Cole with an absurd slider sounds about right. The four-seamer command is the one area where deGrom is struggling more than usual, but with such a stupid good slider, he’ll continue to be a fantastic fantasy arm. Maybe not Top 5 SP, but still a clear ace.
Tobias Myers (MIL) @ SFG (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 82 pitches.
He’s back! And I did not expect to see 42% sliders against RHB, but here we are. He also went 44% cutters to LHB and saved the changeup with so much potential to use just six times…and it wasn’t too effective. At least the 19″ of vert is still there on the heater and with this one out of the way, I’m so excited for the White Sox up next. Easy streamin’. But the four walks! Yeah, that cutter was soooo bad against LHB. We’re talking 3/12 strikes for a 25% clip bad. That’ll change.
Tyler Anderson (LAA) vs PIT (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 89 pitches.
A PQS with a 1.00 WHIP is great! And fourteen whiffs! That must mean…one strikeout. Wait, one strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?! That’s one terrible putaway rate, Anderson. Get it together before heading into @TEA next week, alright?
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) @ LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 77 pitches.
Way to survive, Mlodzinski. Still don’t want to go near you. That’s it? Yeah…? Sorry, I don’t have much else for the clown car. Excuse me? You know, a car full of men. Oh no.
J.T. Ginn (ATH) vs TEX (ND) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 71 pitches.
I had some excitement about Ginn and I’m glad he spotted the slider a bit better against RHB this time around. The sinker still has its extra drop, but he needs to be a little better at spotting it if this is going to work. Sigh. Show me a game with that legit sinker and your old dominant slider and then we’ll talk.
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) @ ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 82 pitches.
Rasmussen’s cutter and sinker were hit far harder than usual and the Sneks got to him in a few innings. He’s still dope and makes us feel dope. Whatareyagonnado.
Garrett Crochet (BOS) vs SEA (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 5 BBs, 9 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 110 pitches.
Huh. A Gallows Pole but a whole lot of walks for this Dusty Donut. Cutters and sinkers landed further armside than ideal and it messed him up. So much so that we saw 17 changeups + sweepers combined…which didn’t help too much. Get out of here, secondaries, YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE ME LIKE THIS. He labored and gave it his best shot today. It happens, of course, and we move on.
Landen Roupp (SFG) vs MIL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 78 pitches.
Jeeeeeez, this was a rough day. Roupp’s curve was still effective but not as consistent with just a 55% strike rate, while the sinker was spotted pretty well for the most part, but didn’t get the calls on the edges and that’s your ballgame. I wish we saw more changeups and cutters against LHB as this was the perfect scenario to whip them out, and hopefully the tune changes next time out. No, what he’s done is not a fluke. I just stepped back into this blurb just to tell those who are considering dropping Roupp with the Padres next: Don’t do it.
Cole Ragans (KCR) vs COL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 62 pitches.
Against Rockie Road, the easiest of the easiest, Ragans…left the game early with a groin injury. Pew pew pew. I hope he’s alright and back on the bump soon, but these generally turn into IL stints. I hate everything.
Chase Dollander (COL) @ KCR (L) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 92 pitches.
I imagine some took the chance on Chase on the road and in a pitcher’s park. Maybe you’ll think twice in the future about rostering Dollander. I’ll think twice and think the same thing twice. Which is…HE THROWS 98 MPH. You can only do so much, y’all.
Germán Márquez (COL) @ KCR (L) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 78 pitches.
There is no good GM associated with the Rockies. Not even Grandus Mufrik? I know how much it pains you to hear this, but no. Not even Grandos. IT’S GRANDUS.
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Game of the Day
Paul Skenes vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto – There’s also Baz vs. King and I love it all. BASEBALL.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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