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.
Slade Cecconi (ARI) @ CIN (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 78 pitches.
There are times I write these focuses on a pitcher and I feel like I don’t need to say anything more than “you’re wondering if he’s actually good. He’s not good.” That man tonight is Slade Cecconi after a pair of six-inning starts combining for 3 ER, a disaster against the Yankees, then tonight’s 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 78 pitches in Cin City. So he’s not good? What did we just go over. WHY DOES NO ONE READ THE NOTES.
This was your standard Here’s my fastball, do something with this fastball outing and just looking at his 18% CSW or lack of whiffs should detail his lack of sustainability. His greatest appeal may be the team context – the team boasts one of the top defenses in the majors – which could be a catalyst for playing above his ability, but hot dang, he’s just a desperate streamer, y’all.
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Erick Fedde (CHW) vs CLE (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 88 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! We saw much better command here with Fedde locating around the edges with ease and even with the low CSW, I’m down for the Nationals next. After all, that’s where the Feddes live, right? The game is in Chicago. WELL I’M STILL DOING IT.
Pablo López (MIN) vs SEA (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna ace and earn a King Cole en route to a line he should have every game. THIS IS THE MAN HE SHOULD BE. Lots of secondaries with fewer four-seamers than usual + many induced exhales for managers everywhere.
Cal Quantrill (COL) vs SFG (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 92 pitches.
He’s struggled to jam RHB with sinkers this year, but it was classic UnQuantrillfiable in this one, earning outs all over the place and a Gold Star in the process. At least it makes him a streamer on a dire Sunday, as his sinkers get balls to find gloves on random days.
Tobias Myers (MIL) vs STL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 84 pitches.
He was a bit all over the place with the main damage coming from a few cutters over the plate and his overall inefficiency messing up this outing. The four-seamer still has elite attributes, though I’m a little surprised he only threw 28 of them. Throw your best pitch more often, Myers. It’s legit.
Michael Wacha (KCR) @ LAA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 103 pitches.
Soooooo, Wacha gave us a much better ERA, but a 1.33 WHIP with five walks doesn’t instill confidence in this Dusty Donut. At least he’s throwing a tick harder at 94+ mph and gets the Mariners next. I’m still a little iffy on the command and wouldn’t hurdle over others to grab him off the wire, but it can certainly work.
Ronel Blanco (HOU) @ NYY (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 107 pitches.
Whoa, he really leaned slider and change here, saving his heater for pitches just out of the zone up top. And huge props for it – yes, inefficient and created jams, but it worked in the end. A PITCHER’S GOTTA DO WHAT A PITCHER’S GOTTA DO. Expect the walks to come down as this was an exception in order to pitch around the Yankee offense effectively.
Ben Lively (CLE) @ CHW (L) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 98 pitches.
Lively turned to his sweeper a bit more here as the heaters weren’t coming through like we’d seen before. It’s a Philly and a near VVVPQS, which isn’t something to get excited about in the slightest. It’s the end of the line for Lively now, not just because of this mediocrity against the White Sox, but also for a date with the Rangers up next. We had some good times, you and I.
Hunter Greene (CIN) vs ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 84 pitches.
Ummm, Greene earned a Gallows Pole, but his fastball was just 95/96 mph with just a 44% strike rate and far less iVB. Yikes. Its plvLocation+ (yep, it’s a thing in the Pitcher List Labs!) was a horrific mark near 80, and I’m worried something is amiss. This was rough and I truly hope he doesn’t turn into a HIPSTER once again.
Marcus Stroman (NYY) vs HOU (L) – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 95 pitches.
Blegh. That’s three straight without a strong secondary pitch and it’s a bit frustrating. I think you stick with it against the Twins, but I feel y’all’s pain. We’ll get through this together.
Reid Detmers (LAA) vs KCR (ND) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
Is he even a Cherry Bomb if he’s a legit drop? He can’t locate his stuff well enough to get the most out of his four-seamer’s iVB or his slider’s whiff ability and even with the Cardinals up next, our anxiety is still hanging around like that one friend who always wants to start trouble. Let’s burn down this house. Dude, we’re supposed to go up the road and meet the duke, don’t mess up our DnD game. I try to burn down the house. Guards stop you. I throw a lit match at the house. It hits the door and falls to the ground. I ask the guards to burn down the house. You’ll need a persuasion check, BUT WE HAVE TO GO THE OTHER DIRECTION.
Sonny Gray (STL) @ MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.
Awwww, he was on the verge of AGA and this clunker set him back. Too many comfortable pitches in the heart of the zone, you know, it’s the yoush (I just realized how “usual” slangified is super hard to type. Is yuge better? NONE OF IT WORKS). Don’t hesitate to start him against the Angels next after this one.
Keaton Winn (SFG) @ COL (L) – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 51 pitches.
Womp womp. He didn’t locate terribly overall, but his mistakes were punished and that’s your ballgame with a HAISTBMBWT?! It’s a clear “one of those games” but watching him fail to have a legit pitch to turn to in his arsenal should not be ignored. This is the floor that his arsenal carries without something more electric in the mix. Sidenote: I always feel like Keaton should have been a hitter, not a pitcher. After all, Keaton was a Batman. I DO NOT ACCEPT THIS SIDENOTE.
Logan Gilbert (SEA) @ MIN (L) – 4.0 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 91 pitches.
Oh no. Right after earning the AGA tag, too. But a Gallows Pole! Because he threw so many sliders to make up for his horrific cutter and four-seamer. This was tough to watch and all we can do is hope for the best moving forward. Gilbert Got Fried.
Game of the Day
Bryan Woo vs. OAK – HE’S BACK Y’ALL. I’m so excited.
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)
I wish i would have listened on Detmers and sold high.
What if Hunter Greene is just throttling down? I’ve heard so many people talk about how he should do that and learn to control it instead of letting it rip at 100+. I imagine that’s not easy to do and maybe why he’s been so inconsistent?