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 Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Chase Dollander (COL) @ TEX (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 85 pitches.
When y’all see a highly touted prospect hurling 97+ mph and getting regular starts, I understand why you’re taking the chance. But when that pitcher is stuck on the Rockies and fails to showcase a consistent #2 pitch (let alone a quality stuff fastball, beyond just the velocity), you can understand why I’ve been out on Chase Dollander. However, tonight featured a start for the rookie in Arlington, Texas, and he took a no-hitter through five frames, ending the night with 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 85 pitches (L). He’s developing into a 12-teamer relevant pitcher! Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.
Chase’s 97 mph four-seamer is still lacking elite movement (huh, 12.7″ vert was roughly matching his season average despite pitching in Arlington and not in Coors) nor extension, but the one area it thrives is attack angle. With a 1.3 HAVAA, the pitch can make it even harder to time when located upstairs and I was enamored by Chase’s ability to get the ball up in this one, leading to a 33% CSW on the pitch (though just a 10% SwStr rate).
That heater needs help. It had some tonight with 17 curveballs at a 65% strike rate that returned many outs as it fell to the bottom of the zone. We’ve seen that pitch come and go throughout the year and I’m not in love with the hook as the primary secondary offering. We did see an 89 mph cutter (it’s a slider) that shows a whole lot of promise at times, but then gets tugged far outside gloveside at others, leading to just 5/12 strikes in total in this one. There’s still work to be done.
In short, I’m glad the fastball and curve combined for a strong outing on the road. Koufax helped a bit and you should be wary of a young arm who is supposed to be “electric” but had his best outing with just 8 whiffs and a 24% CSW. The expected variance due to Coors, their lack of player development, and the inherent Shag Rug are unwelcome weights on top of the already large stack of concerns, and I think it’s wise to avoid a tempting waiver wire pickup. But what if he gets a good matchup outside of Coors? He gets @ARI, NYY, @CHC up next. YOU SHOULD HAVE LED WITH THAT! Huh. Maybe I should have.
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Ben Lively (CLE) vs MIL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 45 pitches.
Lively left this one early with forearm inflammation. Bummer. Nah, he’s on Atlanta. I feel for Lively though.
Merrill Kelly (ARI) @ SFG (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 103 pitches.
Y’all should cheer for Merrill more often. This is what happens when he doesn’t get leg cramps and gets a feel for his changeup (9/29 whiffs!). He’s pitching in front of a great defense with a strong offense at his back and the dude knows how to throw strikes with a good chance to get outs. Don’t expect the strikeouts every outing, and the ratios may be a little blegh at times, but he’s a solid Toby for the year, if not a Holly. That’s value right now in this economy.
Grant Holmes (ATL) vs WSN (ND) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 79 pitches.
Let’s all thank Holmes’ slider for Dancing With The Disco and dragging his four-seamer and curveball through 6+ frames. Seriously, the four-seamer? 53% strikes and a whole bunch of hard contact. The curve? 15% CSW with just 5/13 strikes. Get. It. To. Geth. Er. You! Plus sign! Me! Equal sign! Us! No no no, don’t get that 2gether, get IT together. You know. Points at everything around THIS. The Real Estate Broker really could be so legit if that 83/84 mph curve could get a few more strikes. He can’t face the Nationals every start.
Tyler Mahle (TEX) vs COL (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 88 pitches.
Okay this was kinda dope. The four-seamer was its normal self, if not slightly worse, but the slider refused to make mistakes against RHB and lived down-and-away (even at a low strike rate, this is cool given how much I don’t want batters making contact with them over the plate) and his splitter was painted to LHB in the lower quadrant. Oh, and facing Rockie Road just makes all of this so much better. He’ll get the Astros and White Sox up next and I think that’s okay…? I don’t love that Astros start, but the White Sox? Pffft, sure.
Paul Skenes (PIT) @ NYM (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. A 1.50 WHIP? Not a single pitch above three whiffs?! See, this is why you’re #3 now. Get on Wheeler’s level.
Jackson Jobe (DET) vs BOS (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 100 pitches.
You can tell a pitcher is not in a consistent groove when he has five walks despite a high overall strike rate. He was much better spotting high four-seamers with low sinkers to RHB in this one. He also relied on sliders and changeups to LHB, the latter of which messed him up far more than anything else. There’s still a bit of feral command pitch-to-pitch than we’d like, but we’re starting to see it come together with a 97 mph heater that cruised through the Red Sox lineup. He’s starting to believe. Those walks though. Really could have done without those.
Colin Rea (CHC) vs MIA (W) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 98 pitches.
Ayyyy it worked! Not the prettiest with a scattershot of four-seamers and cutters to LHB, but who cares. Blame it on the Marlins and pocket that dub. We’ve got one more stop on this train against the White Sox then we’re likely jumping off. CHOO CHOO. Isn’t he retired? Nah, he writes Hitter List. Ahhhh.
Michael Wacha (KCR) @ HOU (W) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 88 pitches.
You know, I appreciate you Wacha and gosh darn it, more people should. You didn’t even get to put your changeup on display with their RHB-focused lineup and yet, you still found a way with quality cutters, sliders, four-seamers, and sinkers. Sure, a sprinkle of Koufax to make it through the end, but a Win is a Win and Randy would be proud. And Mason? Sure, him too. Sweet, I’ll tell Saunders now. No wait, not HIM.
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) vs STL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 98 pitches.
He’s at 95/96 mph (still a tick up from last year) and the changeup returned to form with 38% CSW and 8/34 whiffs. WE’RE SO BACK. Well, kinda. He featured a lot of pitches over the plate with the slowball getting pummeled at times + the sinker returned just a 55% strike rate and minute 19% CSW. We’re so pretty close to being back…? Yeah, that sounds right.
Justin Verlander (SFG) vs ARI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 79 pitches.
Hey, I’ll take that against the Sneks, even with the 1.67 WHIP. He got his slider down, the four-seamer lived upstairs, and…the velocity was back to 93 mph and change. Ugh. Verlander, please, give me one start where you have 95 mph, your fastball is upstairs, and the slider is down earning whiffs. JUST ONE. He’ll host the Athletics, then get the Nationals + Marlins, so we’re holding on tight and hoping he gets there soon. JUST ONE, JIMMY V.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) @ SDP (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 98 pitches.
Sure, it’s one run from a VPQS, but that’s not so bad from a struggling Kikuchi. Then again, the pitches themselves certainly struggled. A 19% CSW slider with a very hittable heater isn’t the Kikuchi you want to rely upon.
David Peterson (NYM) vs PIT (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 100 pitches.
A Golden Goal from Peterson is phenomenal and I’m shocked to tell you that his curve was featured twice as often as the slider and returned 2.5x more whiffs. The WHIP is still inflated and I’ll always yell at Peterson for that, but he’s a clear hold in 12-teamers.
Michael King (SDP) vs LAA (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 91 pitches.
Aces gonna serve up a Philly. His sweeper was disgusting at times in this one. I’m so glad to see him continue to soar as the proper “volume ratio guy with a 27% strikeout rate”. Hey, that’s Wheeler! Well, just with a lower innings per start, but yes, it is. Funny you say that…
Matthew Liberatore (STL) @ PHI (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 80 pitches.
Meh. The velocity was good, but his command to RHB was an atrocity. Middle-middle pitches galore with very few offerings landing inside. This wasn’t the Liberatore we fell for with blissful sliders and cutters + four-seamers getting all up in the face of RHB. Whatever, it’s the Phils and we continue with the Royals next.
Clarke Schmidt (NYY) @ SEA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 92 pitches.
A PQS with six strikeouts is fine, even @TEA. I’m still a little perturbed by Schmidt’s locations across the zone and I’m not completely comfortable with NYM & @TEX up next, but I guess we’re going for it. Let’s hope the Wins follow.
Jake Irvin (WSN) @ ATL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 83 pitches.
A VPQS with a HAISTBMBWT?! and no Win is like trying to win all the bad terms in one night. His curve is not on point and the fastballs are getting chucked over the plate in hopes for outs to appear. Let’s not…?
Cal Quantrill (MIA) @ CHC (L) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 83 pitches.
Sometimes, he actually is Quantrillfiable.
Freddy Peralta (MIL) @ CLE (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 95 pitches.
Blegh. This was LHB-city and Professor Chaos had a bit of his way here. Some pretty moments, too many pitches down the pipe, and there’s your ball game. This is the life of a Cherry Bomb.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) vs NYY (ND) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 88 pitches.
Yep, that sounds about right. There was a moment that I thought “huh, this could kinda work” until it absolutely didn’t. That’s baseball, Suzyn. Those whiffs were pretty though!
Ryan Gusto (HOU) vs KCR (L) – 2.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 68 pitches.
So this could have worked if the four-seamer was able to earn strikes upstairs. Sadly, he kept missing a little too far and nothing else was there to pick up the slack. Welp, see ya later.
Tanner Houck (BOS) @ DET (L) – 2.1 IP, 11 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 69 pitches.
I put Houck at #99 on The List but I really should have just taken him off and put Sears on there. You can’t imagine the Red Sox leave Houck in for another start after this, right?
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