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 Twitch weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Osvaldo Bido (PIT) vs CHC (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 96 pitches.
There are times I feel obligated to lead with a pitcher you likely know very little about after they have an eyebrow-raising start. This is one of those times as Osvaldo Bido made his second start for the Pirates and came through with 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 96 pitches. Keep in mind, those three runs came in a second frame filled with rain and you can’t judge Bido a whole lot for it.
So who is this kid? He tosses 92-95 mph heaters with solid lateral movement and pairs it with a decent (at times) changeup and a sharp breaking ball. I wouldn’t call him a command specialist as he often opened up too much to allow everything fly armside frequently (especially the changeup where he got on the side of the ball too often), but when it all came together, he surprised batters with difficult-to-hit heaters and a vicious slider.
It’s not something to chase with any regularity, but those in 15-teamers could be in luck with @MIA over the weekend and MIL next week. It’s not a dart throw I’d be jumping to grab in 12-teamers, but there are worse options on the wire in the short term. Is the fastball that middling? Yeah, it kinda is. Here’s to jamming batters and hoping for the best.
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Drew Smyly (CHC) @ PIT (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches.
Atta boy Smyly, even if the curve was hung plenty and you issued five walks to the Pirates. Were they your close friends or something?
Bryan Hoeing (MIA) vs TOR (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 54 pitches.
The Marlins are suddenly an SP short after having a cornucopia and it means Hoeing had a small opportunity to lead the crew. Fun.
Max Scherzer (NYM) @ HOU (W) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 91 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Start. Your. STUDS. Super good to see a 23% SwStr rate on the slider once again.
Merrill Kelly (ARI) @ MIL (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 88 pitches.
Kelly’s changeup is one of PLV’s favorite in the game, which is helping him steal strikeouts with low fastballs, then surprise them up in the zone for whiffs. Pair that with Arizona’s defense and you have yourself a breakout 2023 campaign for Kelly. Keep riding it and hold on tight.
Ryan Walker (SF) vs SD (ND) – 1.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 0 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 28 pitches.
Oh sweet, another bullpen game – said no one ever.
Michael Wacha (SD) @ SF (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 93 pitches.
I’ve been giving Wacha a whole lot praise and I stand here shocked as I see Wacha return solid ratios and zero strikeouts. HAISTBMBWT?! You know, when the good times are rolling, ain’t nothin’ gonna stop you. Enjoy the Nationals up next.
Andrew Heaney (TEX) @ CWS (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 90 pitches.
Oh sweet he survived. This plot is waaaaay better than what we’ve seen lately, which furthers my theory that the White Sox are the “training grounds” for every MLB starter. Just come on by and work on whatever you need to get done. I sincerely hope Heaney can live all around the edges and execute the muttonchops in future starts – executing this will work.
James Paxton (BOS) @ MIN (W) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 91 pitches.
I appreciate you a whole lot, Paxton. You allowed a three-run shot in the fifth and while that could have been it for the night, you gave us four more outs to make the whole start worthwhile. It really was a meatball fastball, though. Yeah yeah, and I also wish the curve and cutter were better, but that’s a co-share of the Gallows Pole and we’ll take a PQS with a Win, fantastic WHIP, and seven strikeouts all day.
Reese Olson (DET) vs KC (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 100 pitches.
That’s a glorious stream from Olson with a King Cole on the night. Both the slider and changeup came through with 13 whiffs between them, landing on opposite corners of the zone, while the four-seamer delivered plenty of called strikes. I wonder if we can roll the dice a second time against the Twins…
Jordan Lyles (KC) @ DET (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 92 pitches.
Fast and I joked on OTC that Lyles, despite being up 4-1 while entering the seventh, would still fail to earn his first Win of the season. I just tried to reverse-jinx it! I SWEAR! Poor guy, it’s been a rough year for him. If you happened to stream him, honestly, be happy you got a PQS from the fella.
Brandon Williamson (CIN) vs COL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 86 pitches.
Does this count as “working”? It’s not a good ERA and a 1.20 WHIP without a Win feels…lackluster. At least he was sitting a tick higher in this one?
Tanner Banks (CWS) vs TEX (L) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 63 pitches.
Remember when I put Jesse Scholtens as the starter for this game? The rook tossed nine pitches and called it a day. Banks got the actual start and it’s as mediocre as the lack-of-swish his name suggest. Do you really have to use the glass every time?
Pablo López (MIN) vs BOS (L) – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 104 pitches.
Look at Paxton and PabLó go, squaring off and each earning a share of the Gallows Pole. Sadly, Pablo couldn’t replicate Paxton’s ratios as the curveball allowed a trio of hits on its own, despite none of those hits coming on curves inside the strikezone. Weird. He also walked in a run in this one on just four pitches and it makes it awfully frustrating when I see him return nine strikeouts alongside it. I just want you to be amazing all the time. He labored out there to get every out he could and I’m willing to look past the ratios. Baseball is a weird sport and his skill set speaks to better results than what we’ve gotten. Baseball will find you when you open the door to poor luck. It’s wicked that way.
Austin Gomber (COL) @ CIN (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 88 pitches.
Never Gomber, y’all. Never.
José Berríos (TOR) @ MIA (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 100 pitches.
Womp womp. This was just the second start since April 8th when Berríos allowed more than 3 ER. Everything got tagged here from the curve to the sinker, change, and four-seamer, and I’m a little shaken by it. Whatever, take an aspirin, head to sleep, and enjoy the Athletics over the weekend. Yeah, I think I’ll do that.
Jack Flaherty (STL) @ WSH (W) – 6.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 99 pitches.
This was pretty painful to watch as I updated The List today. Flaherty couldn’t execute his slider (1/18 CSW) while the curve went just 3/22 whiffs and the Nats tore him apart. The ceiling still lives as a fun goal to hit, but I do recognize I may have been slightly too optimistic of his ceiling becoming a reality. Flaherty clearly isn’t the guy he used to be.
Hunter Brown (HOU) vs NYM (L) – 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
Ouch. The Mets tagged his heater for a pair of homeruns, and an odd introduction of a splitter didn’t help the cause a whole lot. I’m not overly concerned, though I wish he didn’t have to endure @LAD + @TEX in his next two starts. That’s not a fun time and yet…I’m starting him. At least for the Dodgers.
Josiah Gray (WSH) vs STL (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 102 pitches.
For anyone out there still holding onto Josiah, please let this be the start that you actually did something about it. He should not be rostered in your 15-teamers or even NL-Onlys at this point. He doesn’t have an approach that works.
Corbin Burnes (MIL) vs ARI (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 86 pitches.
What on Earth was that first inning? The Diamondbacks had runners on first-and-third after the first two pitches of the game and nothing went Burnes’ way. Huge props to him for firing four more innings after a six spot in the first, and I still don’t feel like Burnes is actually that bad. His cutter and sinker command are pretty great and sure, the curve and slider could be better, but these starts all feel so undeserved. He’s so much better than this. I guess I’m buying low everywhere I can?
Game of the Day
Clayton Kershaw vs. Reid Detmers – That just seems like a fun duel of two southpaws with very similar repertoires. Master vs. apprentice.
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)