Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Tuesday 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.
Bryan Woo (SEA) @ NYY (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 77 pitches.
I was worried about Bryan Woo. He still had forearm pain in his first start back from the IL, then seemingly survived a single start without showcasing secondaries, and now faced the hot Yankees offense.
And he was brilliant. 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 77 pitches for a Win and a King Cole. Not a single pitch was under a 30% CSW, his sweeper and slider were effective, and he earned a whopping 10/41 whiffs on his four-seamer as he elevated the pitch with ease.
As long as those breakers can continue to thrive at a 65% strike rate, I like Woo’s odds of overwhelming batters with the flattest four-seamer in baseball. And here he is, stretched out to 80+ pitches and facing the Nationals and Angels across his next two starts. Get amped.
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Joe Ryan (MIN) @ WSN (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 95 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The four-seamer was filthy upstairs (sitting 94.5 mph!) and he leaned mostly on splitters as his #2 offering to get to the finish line. You love to see it.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs SDP (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 92 pitches.
This Vargas Rule plods along, including this fortunate game where he pummeled the zone with strikes and was gifted seven frames. I don’t buy it long term and he gets the Dodgers + Cubs next, making it a tough call for those following said Vargas Rule. Rules are made to be broken, right? Don’t tempt me, sleepubus. That’s not a thing and this has nothing to do with sleep. Is that a succubus but for sleep…? Then why am I writing such terrible sentences. Ohhhhh. Go to bed, Nick. DON’T TEMPT ME SLEEPUBUS.
Lance Lynn (STL) vs BAL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 82 pitches.
Whoa. A sole unearned run was the blemish here for Lynn, who could have gone seven if it were not for this game getting suspended to Wednesday. Four-seamers earned whiffs like the ole days and this Gold Star made us feel like a slightly younger adult again. Thanks for that, Lynn.
Garrett Crochet (CHW) @ TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 85 pitches.
Crochet featured a few more changeups this time around, but the main weapon was the four-seamer once again and he made it work. The real test is up next against the Orioles as a southpaw and I’d be cautious there in most cases. I don’t think he’s at the peak of his game currently to justify that risk.
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) @ LAD (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 94 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! I was completely out on this one, scared that Pfaadt’s heater would get pummeled as the sweeper would fail to do enough. The result? A low CSW and some good fortune in play, but a few low sinkers and sweepers helped earn more punchouts than I expected. I still have my reservations that the full arsenal doesn’t speak to sustainable success (Rangers are next and that’s a no from me), but I can still appreciate this great outing.
Joe Musgrove (SDP) @ CIN (L) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 66 pitches.
We knew there would be a limited pitch count given that he didn’t have a rehab stint during his trip to the IL, and this game was…fine. He should be around 75 pitches next time out and if he’s still feeling his curve and cutter there, I’ll be happy. Especially if the slider shows up too.
Ranger Suárez (PHI) vs TEX (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 108 pitches.
It’s utterly incredible. Nine whiffs, ten strikeouts. Domination of a legit offense. HE CAN’T BE STOPPED. And yet he should…? I dunno, just keep starting him until we talk further. I thought his last outing showcased moments of mortality, but hot dang does this throw that out the window. Just start him and hopefully I’m convinced it’s actually here to stay.
Charlie Morton (ATL) @ CHC (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 94 pitches.
Ah, so we’re just going to back-and-forth each start with our curveball, eh? Well, I can’t do it. My anxiety can only take so much and Morton isn’t required for me to Win my leagues. He’s a HIPSTER and don’t let yourself become trapped.
Kyle Bradish (BAL) @ STL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 74 pitches.
This game was suspended due to rain and I wish we had one more inning of Bradish as he made his slider and curve the focus of the show. That’s the good stuff and I just want MORE.
Logan Webb (SFG) @ PIT (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 103 pitches.
Webb took a game off with his changeup last time out, then returned with it looking like it’s normal self + 16/21 sweeper strikes. Atta boy, Aces Gonna Ace INTACT.
Cal Quantrill (COL) @ OAK (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 98 pitches.
This is getting bonkers. That’s six of his last seven starts of dominance for The UnQuantrillfiable, here with a Gallows Pole if you can believe it. His sinker earned whiffs upstairs, the splitters down under the zone, and it’s hard not to Vargas Rule Cal. How is this working?! Pumping up the splitter usage by 20 points to 35% overall and turning it into a legit strike pitch that earns whiffs and limits ICR, that’s how. And as long as that splitter soars, so does Cal. Let’s hope it never stops.
Yusei Kikuchi (TOR) vs CHW (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 101 pitches.
He. Doesn’t. Stop. But it was a poor WHIP. I SAID. HE. DOESN’T. STOP. Like at a red light? In all seriousness, we saw a slight shift here, with his changeup taking over as the #3 pitch instead of his slider and I’m not sure that’s the best move. Then again, the slowball returned 67% strikes with a far better CSW than the slider and maybe he made a tweak with his changeup to turn it into a proper offering. I’m curious whether it returns against the Tigers next.
Zack Littell (TBR) vs BOS (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 77 pitches.
The strikeouts came back after two starts of mediocrity and can you guess which pitch returned more than two whiffs in his repertoire? That’s right, you guessed it: NONE. Gotta love the unsustainable nature of questionable called strike-threes and sliders just “hanging out” in the zone. Come on sliders, don’t you have somewhere else to be? Yeah, in Oakland later this week. Ugh, fine. I guess I’ll join you for it. Just let me choose the music, okay?
Cooper Criswell (BOS) @ TBR (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 79 pitches.
This was pretty much the same Criswell from last week and voila, it’s a new result. Baseball just does that sometimes and the spin of the wheel landed on a different number. I hope you enjoyed the gamble, take a moment and stare at that final line before you go. As you inhale the stuffy air around you (stupid Tropicana), ask yourself, is this the peak that is worth risking it all for? No DB, Cooper isn’t.
Clarke Schmidt (NYY) vs SEA (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 100 pitches.
No Win this time and a worse curve, but still a solid start from Schmidt. He’s loving that cutter now and we should feel solid about Schmidt against the Padres and Giants up next.
Griffin Canning (LAA) @ HOU (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 89 pitches.
Hey, you fought hard to make this just two runs. Now you’ll have to fight again when you face the Yankees. Good luuuucccckk.
Jon Gray (TEX) @ PHI (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 75 pitches.
Ehhhhh, at least it was 32% CSW with just 2 ER. THE VARGAS RULE LIVES ON.
Javier Assad (CHC) vs ATL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 102 pitches.
The regression hath begun. Or maybe it’s just Atlanta, but this was a ton of hittable sinkers + 3/12 slider strikes. Yikes. I understand if you want to hold one more for the Cardinals and see if this was just a blip – that makes sense! – but this is the kind of line we should expect from Assad against Atlanta, not that ridiculousness we saw last week.
Xzavion Curry (CLE) vs NYM (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 66 pitches.
Is this surviving? Looks more like a suspect ERA, terrible WHIP, and just two strikeouts. Narrator: He did not survive. Cool. You can continue forgetting about Xzavion again, sorry fella.
Martín Pérez (PIT) vs SFG (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 98 pitches.
You’re still here? It’s over. Go home.
Gavin Stone (LAD) vs ARI (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 93 pitches.
Blegh. That’s a “VPPQS”, which doesn’t exist as Stone’s changeup failed to earn a strikeout. I don’t see enough pizzazz in this repertoire to start him against decent teams, but the Mets? Sure, that’s a start for a Toby like Stone.
Aaron Brooks (OAK) vs COL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 85 pitches.
Hey, not bad at all. A PQS for a guy you barely knew is kinda great, and it could have been even better given that his 13 whiffs failed to return a comparable number of punchouts. Welp, it’s Houston next, so let’s move on.
Alec Marsh (KCR) vs DET (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 94 pitches.
Ehhhh, I guess we’ll take the PQS + Marsh was able to locate his four-seamer upstairs once again, returning seven whiffs despite its mediocre shape. It gets tougher now facing the Twins, but I totally understand if you want to go for that one, too. Not the worst gamble to see if this Vargas Rule lasts.
Robert Gasser (MIL) @ MIA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 80 pitches.
I’m sorry, WHAT. Six frames without a strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?! And getting Singled Out? With a 48% CSW sweeper? AGAINST THE MARLINS?! What is this game. Welp, I guess we give him a rest for a start in Fenway and hope we see enough to jump back in against the CrySox after.
Cristian Javier (HOU) vs LAA (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 71 pitches.
Soooo, you’re down 1-2 ticks, couldn’t throw your slider or four-seamer for a strike, and gave us a HAISTBMBWT?! Yeaaaaah, this is bad. You were so good last start, why did you have to relapse on us like that. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING. I’m worried he’s been this terrible twice in three games + that whole velocity drop thing is spooky. Suitman whispers in my ear Ohhhh, so he was removed from this game due to injury, but didn’t disclose what it was and said they aren’t worried about his health. Riiiiiiight.
Trevor Rogers (MIA) vs MIL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Annnnnd the last start looks awfully like a Dennis now. Cool cool cool. Just another day in the neighborhood of sadness.
Adrian Houser (NYM) @ CLE (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches.
The good news: He’s back from the bullpen and throwing three ticks harder. The bad news: He’s still Houser. Womp womp.
Casey Mize (DET) @ KCR (L) – 1.2 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 52 pitches.
Oh. Okay, drop Mize y’all. Sure, the heater velocity was back up, but I’m done waiting for this to ultimately click. It’s Toronto + Fenway up next and once we see the signs of this clicking for Mize, I’ll be sure to let y’all know. Good luck Mize, we’re all counting on you.
Patrick Corbin (WSN) vs MIN (L) – 6.0 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 106 pitches.
Hey Corbin. I know this is digital space and doesn’t actually have any physicality, but I can’t help but notice that you have a groove in the screen way down here. It’s like you’ve made a home for yourself. It’s the only place I’m comfortable these days. SO THAT’S WHY YOU WON’T TAKE A CHANCE WITH THE CUTTER.
Game of the Day
Tarik Skubal vs. Cole Ragans – WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY THIS IS.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Nick, Ranger Suarez is baffling me with his dominance. Sure, in 2021 he had a great season with a 1.36 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. But, that was with 27 of his 39 appearances coming out of the pen. His best year as purely a starter was in 2022 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. As of today, he has a 1.36 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 66 IPs on the season. It appears you also believe this is an aberration and he will come back down to earth soon. Is it possible he has figured out something (sequencing, diligent scouting, something else?)? Or, is this due to a SSS? The Phillies as a team has had one of the top pitching staffs in MLB thus far. Is their staff really that good? Thanks.
@Nick Pollack, I’m never going to forgive you for hating on Ranger Suarez, lol. I tortured myself for days on whether to pick him up, but I bought into what you were saying and left him on the waiver wire. So far it’s looking like he’s going to be a top contender for the Cy Young and I’m still amazed that you don’t have him higher than 35 on your list. He’s the #2 overall SP in my standard 5×5 league. He has 10 starts including the following: 5 starts where he’s gone 7 innings or more (including 1 complete game); 8 quality starts; 5 starts with 8ks or more; 9 wins; 1.36 ERA; .079 WHIP; 9.27 K/9. What more do you need to see at this point?
P.S. I posted this on your top 100 SP rankings from 5/20, but figured I’d re-post it here as this is the more current article.
Javier Assad: “The regression hath begun.”
Lmao. If this is the bad for Assad everyone should keep him and never let go. A game where the wind was absolutely howling out to left at Wrigley and both pitchers were shying away from contact, yet he keeps from blowing up with just 2 ER while facing a potent offense that he literally faced the week before and… that’s regression?
Again, he’s not a sub-2.00 ERA guy by any means but he’s a solid pickup especially for QS because his floor has been so persistently high. It’s nearly a full season at this point. Panic drop if you want, your leaguemates will thank you.