Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Wednesday 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.
Jack Flaherty (DET) vs BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches.
We haven’t had a whole lot to celebrate about Jack Flaherty’s 2026 campaign, but after eleven strikeouts in three games (outings where he consistently failed to last more than four frames), he exploded across five innings against the Red Sox: 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches (L). This must have felt amazing. And I hope he appreciates the moment because hot dang, this doesn’t look real.
Sorry y’all. We talk a lot about the HOTEL and I’ve always been a little bothered that it only refers to ratios. K-BB is true skill! I mean, yes, but you’ve seen me mention two-strike rate and Putaway Rate a whole lot this year as they are beautiful showcases of strikeout variability. When a pitcher suddenly gets far more PAs with two strikes, that’s a flag. Are they shockingly efficient in two-strike counts? That’s a flag. We saw it with Cavalli, returning 35%+ putaway rates for 10 strikeout games, only to fall to the norm of sub 20% in his last outing. Some arms are proven to return higher rates than others, of course (as is the same for the stats that make up HOTEL, too!), but Flaherty is a prime example of all of us knowing this sure ain’t gonna last.
You see, Flaherty has hovered around the average 58% two-strike rate, but ballooned to a 76% mark in this one. And instead of punching out 45% of those PAs per normal, that mark was a whopping 63% here. I don’t have a frame of reference. That’s absurdly high. It’s not sustainable at all. Got it. You know what’s also not sustainable? Having this level of success at 92.4 mph fastball velo. I’ve been searching all season for a good reason to consider Flaherty, but despite this effort, it’s just not it. What did he do differently? You mean outside of getting incredibly fortunate with the above metrics? Yeah, did he earn it? The only change was 10% more four-seamers. Wait, that’s his worst pitch. YUP. Oh no. Don’t follow this, however dramatic the flair can be. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Paul Skenes (PIT) @ ARI (W) – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 97 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. It’s lonely at the top. (View Game Card)
Bryan Woo (SEA) vs ATL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 98 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Atlanta is no pushover. I think he’s just fine, y’all. We can stop going into all-panic mode after outlier HR games, yeah? (View Game Card)
Shane McClanahan (TBR) vs TOR (W) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 69 pitches.
Mmmmmm, this was so good. Sure, his four-seamer is still under 96 mph (95.6 ain’t bad though), and his changeup was only a 54% strike rate, but the precision. Oh BOY the precision. He went BSB effectively with changeups armside for plenty of whiffs + the curveball was mixed in like a stud at 80% strikes. His few pitches to LHB were all on the upper or lower edge of the zone. It sure feels like the rust has come off. He’s starting to believe. Seriously, that curveball was HOT today. (View Game Card)
Sonny Gray (BOS) @ DET (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 70 pitches.
This was an obvious Still ILL and let’s all celebrate that he did well enough that we can slot him in against the Phillies without hesitation. Sonny days are ahead. (View Game Card)
Freddy Peralta (NYM) @ COL (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 91 pitches.
Coors ain’t easy and even with a HAISTBMBWT?!, I’ll take it. Look at the Mets, earning Wins these days. I guess all they needed was to get out of the April heat and play in 37-degree weather again, eh? Wait, seriously?! Yeah, that’s why he was down to 92 mph and fanned just one batter. Don’t overthink it. (View Game Card)
Brandon Sproat (MIL) @ STL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 76 pitches.
I’m obviously annoyed they pulled Sproat after four, but then again, he really wasn’t efficient. Like near F grade command (just look at this PitcherList Stats game card at the end of this blurb!). The true failure point was his 32% strike rate cutter, you know, the pitch he threw the most. He had a terrible feel for the changeup, curve, and sweeper, too, and fastballs were flipping and flopping all over. I’m out for now. This was really tough to watch and now he gets the Padres as I still wait for him to explode in an outing. But he has a 24% strikeout rate with a 3.38 ERA across his last five starts! And a near 12% walk rate while averaging fewer than five frames per game. As much as I like the stuff, he’s a HIPSTER. (View Game Card)
Cole Ragans (KCR) vs CLE (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 58 pitches.
Ragans was cruising, then left the game after three with triceps and elbow soreness. Excuse me. Super scary, I know. The good news? They said it was precautionary and that he could still make his next start. That doesn’t seem right. I’m just telling you what they’re saying. I’ll make a few phone calls and ensure he’s alright. (View Game Card)
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) @ NYY (W) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 101 pitches.
Eovaldi was dominant last time out against the Yankees, but I’m sure some of y’all still wanted to play it safe in the repeated matchup. Yeaaaaaaaah, he’s really good. Ignore the weird start to the year, this Golden Goal of a man is real. The splitter, curve, and cutter are cooking to the point that he tossed just 13/101 fastballs. Why break what isn’t fixed? That’s not right. You’re not right for benching him. FINE. (View Game Card)
Michael Soroka (ARI) vs PIT (L) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
Don’t you just love when a pitcher has a disaster and rebounds right away? He allowed a HR on his fourth pitch of the game. Yeah, that didn’t help. But look what happened after! It’s why we don’t react to the first few innings and wait it out before declaring success or failure. ANYWAY, the command returned with gorgeous pitch separation to both LHB and RHB, and I am so in. Well, outside of a start in Coors next week, but you get it. (View Game Card)
Adrian Houser (SFG) vs SDP (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 74 pitches.
Huh. This is a clear Birthday Party with Houser boasting a – checks notes – 11.4% strikeout rate this season. His 11.1 hit/9 nearly beats it and that is the most insulting pair of stats I’ve seen in a long time. (View Game Card)
Walbert Ureña (LAA) vs CHW (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.
I’m kinda shocked this actually worked out after the CrySox took down Soriano and have messed up Empty Velocity fastballs this year. So what did Ureña do? Why, he went 40% changeups, of course! 67% strikes and a near 20% SwStr rate is absolutely lovely, yet he still walked three and his fastball command is highly suspect, with nary a strong breaker in sight. It could work against a ton of LHB next time out (he located those changeups super well down-and-away to LHB here), but is it worth the risk? (View Game Card)
Colin Rea (CHC) vs CIN (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
Is it pretty? Nooope. Are you okay with it? Absolutely. Thanks for the lovely time, Rea. Now back to the wire with you as Atlanta looms on the horizon. (View Game Card)
Matt Waldron (SD) @ SFG (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 67 pitches.
Baseball needs a good knuckleballer. This is awesome. And yet, y’all know the drill. Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer. I can feel your temptation. But he only threw 25% knucklers! Oh, so you’re into his 92 mph fastball now? Well…To be totally fair, he gained two inches of vert on the pitch, creating unexpected rise at 15″ for his low arm angle. SEE! I BELIEVE. It’s a phrase for a reason. FINE. (View Game Card)
Joey Cantillo (CLE) @ KCR (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 70 pitches.
Hey, that’s a great start Cantil–whoa whoa whoa, production with just one strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?! That’s on the Royals for constantly making contact early in at-bats, or just letting Cantillo throw changeups out of the zone and glide to first. He’ll get the Angels and Reds Carpet next and that’s fine. (View Game Card)
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) @ HOU (ND) – 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 0 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 19 pitches.
He left the game with a back spasm during his second inning warmups. Yes, that is the best news we could get from our injury-prone ace. He should still make his next start from what we know right now. (View Game Card)
Martín Pérez (ATL) @ SEA (L) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 84 pitches.
The madman! It’s not the greatest outing, but he located beautifully. Inside fastballs to LHB and RHB, changeups down-and-away, it was grand. You want Jamie Moyer? He’s right in front of you. Son, let me tell you about getting DFA’d… (View Game Card)
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) @ PHI (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 75 pitches.
Is this Sunshine and Rainbows? I dunno, but at least he’s getting a little more heat behind the fastball and locating it incredibly well up-and-inside to RHB. I sure don’t like him, but it’s a step forward from what we’ve seen lately. (View Game Card)
Patrick Corbin (TOR) @ TBR (L) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 61 pitches.
He’s really doing an excellent job given the expectations. Which included my biscuit having some lovely melted butter on it. That’s on you, fella. Fair. Maybe he can do it a second time against the Rays and continue to live around the edges with a slight Neckbeard approach? (View Game Card)
Miles Mikolas (WSN) vs MIN (W) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 74 pitches.
Yes. I know what you’re thinking and yes, it is Mikolas’ last Win of the year. Wait… (View Game Card)
Zack Wheeler (PHI) vs ATH (ND) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
He’s still a tick down on the heater and he struggled to put away LHB despite a solid cutter and 2/11 splitter whiffs (uhhh 36% strikes). I still love his extension and fantastic sinker + heater, even at 95 mph. He’s slowly climbing and I’ll hold onto the hope he can flirt with last year’s 96 mph velocity. Pretty unlikely, I know. Just let me have this. (View Game Card)
Brandon Young (BAL) @ MIA (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 93 pitches.
We’ll absolutely take a PQS from Young after the horror of his last outing. Great job, fella. Good luck with the Yankees next. Oh. (View Game Card)
Brady Singer (CIN) @ CHC (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches.
This was prime Singer, but the Cubs were efficient with their baserunners, and despite 13/47 whiffs on his slider, it wasn’t enough. At least he raised his strikeout rate! To what, 22%? Uhhh. What. It’s 14.6%. EXCUSE ME?! This outing matched the strikeout total of his last three starts combined. It’s been rough. (View Game Card)
Andre Pallante (STL) vs MIL (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 104 pitches.
Those two starts of 14 strikeouts were fun, eh? No one went to my Birthday Party. Well I had fun. (View Game Card)
Eury Pérez (MIA) vs BAL (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 93 pitches.
Oh, so it’s not about being on the road. It’s just, you know, your overall ability to locate. His stuff is unreal, but what good is a gorgeous fountain pen if the world is covered in foil? Not your best. Yeah, like Pérez’s outing. Touché. (View Game Card)
Bailey Ober (MIN) @ WSN (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 82 pitches.
I really wish we had the perfect shocked but not shocked meme in the baseball world. The four-seamer didn’t even sit upstairs this time. (View Game Card)
Will Warren (NYY) vs TEX (L) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 90 pitches.
Two HRs were the real daggers here, including a terrible sweeper into Carter’s nitro zone for a three-run blast, and Seager doing Seager things, swatting a great up-and-in heater in a 3-0 count over the wall. When Warren did get to two strikes, he efficiently put them away, but his sinker/sweeper precision wasn’t there and the Rangers pounced. So it goes. He’s still legit and we keep holding against Baltimore. (View Game Card)
Lance McCullers Jr. (HOU) vs LAD (L) – 2.2 IP, 6 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 70 pitches.
If you’re just realizing this was a poor idea, I don’t know what to tell you. (View Game Card)
Michael Lorenzen (COL) vs NYM (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 11 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 87 pitches.
Ah yes, Coors. The wonderful place where pitchers go to…retire. Sorry, Lorenzen, you’re pretty dope, for the record. (View Game Card)
Noah Schultz (CHW) @ LAA (L) – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 79 pitches.
Awwww, why do these kids insist on installing a Shag Rug? His cutter was far worse (38% strikes?!) and his four-seamer + sinker attack let him down massively. At least the sweeper is waking up to a 25% SwStr rate and 70% strike rate. I don’t have an issue if you want to drop Schultz after such a horrific outing, though this start doesn’t fully negate his effectiveness thus far. He’ll get the Royals, @TEA and @SFG up next, and I think that’s worth your time. If you’re debating between Schultz and Robby Snelling, go Snelling. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Griffin Jax (and friends) vs. Jake Bennett – Jax is stretching out to become a starter, Bennett is trying to become a SWATCH and it’s a fun duel of potential.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
Have Questions? – Join my morning Twitch.tv livestream! I answer all questions there for free: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday through Friday.
Photos by Steven King/Icon Sportswire and Liam McGarry/Unsplash | Featured image by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)
