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.
Brayan Bello (BOS) @ BAL (L) – 3.1 IP, 8 ER, 13 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 85 pitches.
This won’t take long. Brayan Bello is having a rough start to the 2026 season and there’s no reason he should drag you down with him. If you happened to be struck by his 3.1 IP, 8 ER, 13 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 85 pitches (L) disaster in Baltimore yesterday, I feel for you. Truly, I do. It’s rough and you thought you were getting a relatively safe innings-eater in your deeper formats.
And here’s the thing, you still might. Yes, Bello is not pitching well. He’s leaving too many cutters and sinkers over the plate, his signature changeup is terrible (36% strikes and 0% CSW?!), and he puts away batters the same way I putaway my Ben & Jerry’s carton. With difficulty. We’ve seen far different iterations of Bello in our time, though, not necessarily ace-like versions, but stable ones, where the sinker is armside, the changeup gets chases, and the four-seamer/cutter/sweeper do enough to keep him steady. That upside is still present, even if the floor where Koufax let’s him return just seven outs on 20 balls in play. Seven!
As fantasy managers, it’s important for us to understand that “moving on” from a pitcher doesn’t mean that’s who he is forever. It means “He’s not in a place right now where I trust him.” Y’all know how quickly that can change on a dime, and monitor him when he’s on your wire. The QS darling of old could return soon.
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Paul Skenes (PIT) @ MIL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 93 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Including his opening day disaster, Skenes has a 0.72 WHIP on the year. Best pitcher in baseball.
Michael Lorenzen (COL) @ NYM (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 90 pitches.
Meet the Mets, meet the Mets, come on down and…you know what, I’m not going to sing the version of this song my Dad would chant in the early 90s with Dallas Green stooped over in the dugout. This is about Lorenzen! Right, right, he’s a major league pitcher for a reason. He’s able to throw strikes and decent enough ones where the blessings of Koufax and the curse of Grimace combine for a lovely line away from the cold grasp of Coors.
Luis Severino (ATH) @ TEX (W) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 98 pitches.
Atta boy Sevy! I wouldn’t call this the best commanded game I’ve seen from him, but I sure love the slider sticking low often and the cutter chilling inside to LHB with ease. I wish he didn’t have Sacré Verde as his home park. It makes hosting the Royals a tougher call than I want it to be.
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) vs CHC (ND) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 101 pitches.
Ohhhh BABY that’s one beautiful line from Sheehan after giving us such a tussel in the early season. Seeing the Gallows Pole, you’d think this was Emmet rearing back for 96+ mph heaters…but we got 94.3 mph on average and hit 96 mph just once, exactly on the dot. It was an effective pitch, no less, but not that pitch and it does feel a bit odd seeing Sheehan still struggle to find his old velocity. However, the real story of this was the slider that obliterated the cubs despite a bit extra lift at an average velocity. Sheehan was able to keep it consistently down-and-gloveside for 11/43 whiffs and a 40% CSW, and that’s your ball game. If he can execute that consistently, then 94 mph of a flat four-seamer with its absurd 19″ vert at his low arm angle is scary good at the high locations he nails down. Now imagine at 96 mph consistently… I’m more encouraged by Sheehan after this one and will be raising him back up The List on Monday.
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) vs MIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 98 pitches.
Dope Rasmussen is a pretty thing. We saw a massive uptick of changeups at 23% usage to lHB (not just hard stuff!) and he was rewarded with a fantastic 28% SwStr rate and a pair of strikeouts. He’s got that hardened Dad energy.
Erick Fedde (CHI-A) vs WSN (L) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches.
Four walks and one strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?! It was a revenge game, so I’ll give him a Birthday Party in celebration.
Will Warren (NYY) @ HOU (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 95 pitches.
Here I am, shouting for more secondaries, while Warren allows four of his seven hits off sweepers, and just 1/37 off four-seamers. What does this dude know about anything? It’s not the most impressive version we’ve seen of Warren, but I love the high strike rates that force batters to deal with him. We keep rolling until there’s a good reason not to.
George Kirby (SEA) @ STL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 81 pitches.
Huh. Kirby had few two-strike counts and an even lower putaway rate (9%?!), BUT he returned five whiffs on sliders down-and-away off the plate to RHB. It’s about dang time. He’ll have that game where it all comes together soon. One day. At the very least, his ratios are glistening as we twiddle our thumbs waiting for a strikeout rate above 20% to return.
Freddy Peralta (NYM) vs COL (L) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 95 pitches.
Hey Peralta, you’re not having a bad season, but the Mets need you to be a little more than a near 4.00 ERA, 1.20 WHIP guy. They truly need you. And let’s be real, this was Rockie Road. I don’t like nuts. Seriously?!
Framber Valdez (DET) @ CIN (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 89 pitches.
This wasn’t just a 50% curveball strike rate. It was a sub 60% strike day on everything, even the one slider that did a cannonball into the dirt. Ya missed the life preserver, ya dingus. It’s the Valdez experience as the WHIP has risen to 1.28. But don’t fret! There is surely a month this year where he tugs the rope with such force that you will completely forget this momentary grime smattering his season.
Miles Mikolas (WSH) @ CHW (L) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 51 pitches.
Sure, that happened.
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) @ SFG (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 108 pitches.
He got singled out in the fifth for all three runs, leading to a VVPQS that is…meh. I really hate seeing Sandy feature a low 59% strike rate on his changeup, which led to seven hits on his sinker and four-seamer, though I do like seeing the cutter return 45% CSW and the slider earn outs and a 62% strike rate across 24 thrown between them. Can I just call him a Cherry Bomb now? It’s rare to see him have it all cooking in a start.
Noah Cameron (KCR) vs LAA (W) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 88 pitches.
He threw six shutout frames and even got the first out of the seventh, but the Royals elected to leave him in after allowing a double, and a walk, and a singles, AND ANOTHER SINGLE. I truly don’t understand. What I do understand is Cameron’s far better command in this start, avoiding the heart of the plate to RHB and going BSB like what we saw last year, refusing to give in with his fastball and letting the cutter, curve, slider, and (too often bounced) changeup do the work. I’m encouraged here, just not enough to start in Sacré Verde. Wait until the Guardians after.
Grant Holmes (ATL) vs PHI (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 89 pitches.
A VVPQS isn’t terrible for REB dealing with the Phillies, especially with a dub to go with it. He’s trying to work the cutter in with the “curve” that is just a slightly slow slider with a touch more drop, and they worked just fine yesterday, but the real story was working around the ten baserunners for just three runs. I’m not digging this enough to go after him.
Brandon Young (BAL) vs BOS (W) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 93 pitches.
He was given a comfortable lead and nearly went six full with just two runs on the docket. His slider + sinker to RHB was fantastic, with a fun upstairs four-seamer for a strikeout, too. LHB were a bit trickier to deal with and I dislike the four-seamer/splitty combo, even if the splitter returned an excellent 68% strike rate. He’s going to get more starts in Kremer’s place, and with the Astros up next, he could be a decent stream – few LHB to expose his weak link. Nothing to get hyped about, though.
Andre Pallante (STL) vs SEA (L) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 90 pitches.
Whoa, a King Cole for Pallante?! The Mariners had no interest in attacking Andre’s fastballs, allowing 33% and 42% CSW rates on his four-seamer and sinker, respectively, then swinging away at his slider for a 44% SwStr rate. Not a great gameplan, fellas. Then again, they did score three (including a Naylor solo shot in the sixth), and Pallante’s 12% walk rate is awfully high, but still. I’m not going to believe in a high two-strike rate nor an unsustainable 33% putaway rate from Pallante.
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs PIT (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 71 pitches.
Blegh. A few too many heaters over the plate for hits and the changeup + cutter returned 0/14 whiffs. This is still the same fella in the end, though, and we keep on keepin’ on.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) @ LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 85 pitches.
It was the Dodgers. This is not the time to start Taillon. On the positive side, he featured his changeup more than usual to LHB and had plenty of success with it. The rest…? Not so much.
Andrew Painter (PHI) @ ATL (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 96 pitches.
Painter looks like a very clear drop, doesn’t he? The quality Atlanta squad got to him in a pair of innings, though that includes three in the sixth (Careful, Icarus) and if he were pulled at five innings, you’d be ecstatic to start Painer against the Giants and Rockie Road for two of his next three starts. Can’t say I love hosting the Athletics for the fella, and he really needs to figure out how to putaway batters (HAISTBMBWT?!), but if you consider him a Toby, then he’s not a bad play. No need to hold tight, of course.
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) vs NYY (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 92 pitches.
I wonder if Lambert pushes McCullers out of the rotation in due time.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) @ KCR (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 90 pitches.
I don’t think Kikuchi can be a legit starter until he has his legit slider back. Just six thrown ain’t it.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs DET (ND) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 89 pitches.
Sigh. One day, Abbott will take off the TIARA. You don’t have to patiently wear your formal attire for the moment to appear at any moment, just put it in a glass case you’re ready to break at a moment’s notice.
Taj Bradley (MIN) @ TBR (L) – 6.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 93 pitches.
He flew back early to get a good night’s rest for this one and I can summarize it in a few ways. First, just 21% of the batters he faced saw a two-strike count, with the typical average around 55-60%. To put that in perspective, the best strikeout rate he could achieve with that mark is 21%, and that’s if he punches out every batter who saw a two-strike count. Second, I could point to a 39% strike rate on cutters or 31% strike rate on splitters. Oh no. There’s more. 0/40 whiffs on four-seamers. OH NO. That one makes a little sense with the prior context – if he’s not earning strikes on secondaries, batters will be locked in on the heater. He made their job easier with so many down the pipe, too. I’ll stop. This was standard volatile Bradley and it goes without saying that the hot streak to start the season, where I was told he fixed his command, is not real life. Maybe it’s just one really bad game? Sure, though it’s not like his recent outings were stellar command, you know. I’d get off this train.
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) vs ATH (L) – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 86 pitches.
Four HRs. FOUR. This wasn’t even in Sacré Verde. All came against LHB on three different pitches and Eovaldi’s marks for the year leave a lot to be desired. I’m still in, as wild as that may be. The stuff is still good (a tick up from last year, extra drop on the curve and cutter) and I don’t believe he’s such a worse pitcher to become a detriment to your ratios. That said, it sure is tough to see 2x starts against the Yankees up next. Good luck.
Gavin Williams (CLE) @ TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches.
Bleeeegh. This was “Donut Command” to RHB, while four breakers allowed hits to LHB as they fell inside the nitro zone down and middle-in. I could just tell you he had a 52% strike rate on his four-seamer and you’d nod your head in solemn understanding. He’s a Cherry Bomb – you knew this – and with TBR + @KCR up, we’re not holding him back. Let’s hope he returns to the guy we saw last time out.
Max Scherzer (TOR) vs CLE (L) – 2.1 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 82 pitches.
Oh jeez. Let’s just, uh, stop? A long 8-pitch at-bat for a solo shot to start the game with four more runs and another HR later in the frame, then another HR in the third and it’s…time. You’re supposed to be mad, not us.
Adrian Houser (SFG) vs MIA (L) – 4.0 IP, 8 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 77 pitches.
Well dang. That’s disappointing, even if I didn’t have Houser as a probable start. He got Singled Out with a bamboozlin’ in the first, and there’s no reason to go for Houser with the poor schedule ahead, especially given the 80% hard contact that outlines a poor outing even with better luck.
Game of the Day
Zack Wheeler vs. Bryce Elder – Wheeler is here. Wild, isn’t it? Oh, and Elder could keep this up. Maybe.
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)
