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.
Sean Burke (CHW) vs STL (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 100 pitches.
After watching Sean Burke dominate in September last year, we were hoping we’d see a step forward in 2025. Sadly, it has been a reversion across the first three months, though Thursday’s 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 100 pitches (ND) against the Cardinals was a step forward, but not quite as encouraging as I hoped it would be.
Burke’s four-seamer command was better than usual…once the first inning came to a close. He got away with a pair of middle-middle heaters, including the final out that had Burke put his hands on his head, believing it left the yard. That fastball was 96/97 mph in the first, though it settled down to 93/94 mph by the end and still hasn’t held the same juice as last year.
The secondaries have flashes but haven’t taken a major step forward, either. The curveball was a huge winner here (46% CSW!), though heavily reliant on called strikes and we’re searching for a whiff pitch. The slider went just 2/15 whiffs with a low strike rate and hasn’t formed into a proper weapon yet.
As you go off to the waiver wire considering Burke, I suggest you hold back (whoa, Roundup deke!). Not only does Burke still have work to do, he’ll have to endure the Diamondbacks and Dodgers for his next two outings. Like laughing when your coach is addressing the team, now is not the time.
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Gavin Williams (CLE) @ SFG (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 104 pitches.
Hmmmmm. The velocity is still down at 95 mph and the extension is sitting at just 6.5 feet while the sweeper, sinker, and slider combined for 38% strikes across 42 thrown. Yuck. But the cutter and four-seamer cooked in the zone with roughly 67% strikes between them and zero hits allowed at 72% usage. Is he actually holding back on purpose to focus on command? Because it sure doesn’t look like the best command to me. This is so weird. Good luck making your decision against the Jays up next.
Ryan Bergert (SDP) @ LAD (ND) – 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 71 pitches.
Yes, Koufax gave some love to the Padres here with the slider going just 1/18 whiffs and Bergert failing to showcase the BSB we want to see. He’ll get the Nationals next and that’s riskier than you’d think as a RHP. I’m out, though out of all the names you’re unfamilar with, Bergert’s high-vert four-seamer + 87 mph slider down is one of the more appealing combos.
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) @ MIA (W) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 91 pitches.
Ahhhh, classic Sánchez. Sinkers returned 16/42 called strikes, changeups got all the whiffs, and he was absurdly efficient, even with his slider gliding over the plate, anxiety-free for 8/10 strikes against the RHB-heavy lineup. And get this! The fastball is at 95.8 mph, nearly at the 96 mph we saw prior to the forearm injury scare. Hot dang, WE’RE COOKIN’.
Logan Webb (SFG) vs CLE (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 97 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I wonder if he calls his wife Madame.
Edward Cabrera (MIA) vs PHI (ND) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 82 pitches.
He was up 1-2 ticks on the sinker and I’m incredibly thankful he turned to the pitch more than the four-seamer, the latter of which held a horrific strike rate once again. I’m pleasantly suprised that his curve went 6/18 whiffs and 67% strikes, though the slider was meh and the changeup is still lagging behind. This was mostly the sinker getting outs with some fun curves along the way. Not a true breakthrough start, sadly, as we want changeups and sliders cooking, too, but great job against the Phillies.
Jacob Lopez (ATH) vs HOU (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 9 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 95 pitches.
Duuuuuude. That’s one gorgeous Gold Star. A Gallows Pole from Lopez is incredible and after acting like his four-seamer and cutter were the gameplan, Lopez showed up with an absurd changeup that stayed away from the RHB-heavy lineup all game, leading to 11/31 whiffs and a 42% CSW. The slider even went backfoot and killed it with 30% CSW and five whiffs + the cutter went 10/12 strikes to cover for the low strike four-seamer, and hot dang, this extension boi is kinda fun with the Tigers + Rays + Giants up next. We’ve seen the Shag Rug already appear, though that changeup is looking fierce. If it sticks, this is real. Changeup-focused LHP with great extension and three other solid pitches in the mix is a legit approach.
Michael Wacha (KCR) @ TEX (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 97 pitches.
The changeup is legit (more at eleven) and Wacha worked the cutter, slider, and heaters well enough to get the outs he needed around it. And hey! Two strikeouts on the slider! That’s cool.
Spencer Strider (ATL) vs NYM (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 97 pitches.
I gotta hand it to Strider. His slider velocity isn’t back (still under 85 mph) and he’s at 96 mph on the dot (not 97 mph), but his command is fantastic. The slider in particular was down-and-gloveside to both LHB and RHB at will and the whiffs came in droves. We’re talking 14/40 (35% SwStr rate lol) and that’s the old Strider we know. Sure, the four-seamer is still a bit lower than usual and is getting hit here and there without whiffs (just four here), but if he’s able to keep that slider down consistently (he did against the Rockies, too!), then it doesn’t matter. You deserved that King Cole.
Charlie Morton (BAL) @ TBR (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 84 pitches.
The Vargas Rule continues! The curveball was the stud pitch of old and despite the terrible shape, Morton’s four-seamer exceled due to the BSB setup with the hook and his ability to avoid the heart of the plate. The changeup to LHB helped as well to LHB, though the curve/heater pair blazed the trail. I guess we’re still on this train for the Rangers next, eh?
Ryne Nelson (ARI) @ TOR (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 83 pitches.
He muscled his way through this, ending a touch short with a Philly, and it was all thanks to the four-seamer which had…whoa. The highest iVB I’ve seen all year on a four-seamer. We’re talking 21.5″ of vert (+2.4″ from season average!), which is bonkers when you consider that Nelson has a slightly flat attack angle at 1.1 HAVAA. That’s BONKERS. Man, Nelson, can you please figure out a secondary pitch to throw for strikes underneath? Your curve and cutter failed to go 37% strikes, your slider was at 50% and you’re so dang close to greatness. I’m picking him up everywhere I can for his start against the White Sox. That four-seamer is too good and this could be huge. Giants + Royals + Padres come after and that could be four great starts in a row.
Erick Fedde (STL) @ CHW (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 84 pitches.
Hey Nick, that sure looks like a start from Spider-Man to me! Uh huh, where’s the Win? The Quality Start? The sub 1.20 WHIP? Uhhhh, it my other jacket. Sure it is Fedde. SURE IT IS.
Michael McGreevy (STL) @ CHW (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 76 pitches.
This was a spot start from McGreevy, who had absurd command for such a young arm. Sinkers on the black inside to RHB with sweepers away + four-seamers and cutters up to LHB for a Canibal McSanchez approach. If he had a locked rotation spot, I’d be interested with a good defense behind him, and even with reports that he’s likely to make another spot start next week, I’m sad to note it’ll be the Cubs. Womp womp. HOWEVER, if something happens to the Cardinals by the time his next start arrives, he’d get the Pirates and I’m in. He’s an absurdly efficient arm with some whiffability in high heaters to LHB and sweepers away to RHB.
Chase Dollander (COL) @ WSN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 81 pitches.
You don’t think of Dollander as a guy relying on Koufax to survive with his 98 mph heater, but when you locate fastballs and curveballs comfortably over the plate all game, you’re going to need some help. Get him out of Colorado. Please.
Paul Skenes (PIT) @ DET (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 9 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 105 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I’m still sour they didn’t have a gentleman’s agreement to have Skenes vs. Skubal, instead splitting them between both games of the doubleheader.
Tarik Skubal (DET) vs PIT (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 103 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. He sat down 1-2 ticks at 96.4 mph. How dare he. Don’t worry about that for a second.
Trevor Williams (WSN) vs COL (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.
#NeverTrevor, who gave you a horrible WHIP against Rockie Road, but somehow earned 11 whiffs on his 89 mph four-seamer as it landed middle-and-up in the zone. Sure, whatever.
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) vs BAL (L) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 92 pitches.
At least they pushed him to 92 pitches, right? His command to RHB was the biggest issue here, with the four-seamer and cutter nibbling a bit too often. Fantastic work to LHB, though, and I still love the guy. He’s a Holly with potential to be an ace if he were to figure out the breakers.
Colton Gordon (HOU) @ ATH (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 91 pitches.
It isn’t easy pitching in Sacré Verde and props to Gordon for getting it done. Was this anything special? Not at all. It actually looked like one of those weird JP Sears starts with a southpaw flinging a ton of sweepers and curveballs over the plate to RHB with fastballs scattered about. LHB got the sweeper away without much else and that’s fine with me. I don’t love this and would hold off against the Phillies. That sweeper can only get him so far.
Jacob Latz (TEX) @ WSN (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 82 pitches.
He was opened for by Shawn Armstrong and after I had some intrigue with Latz following his sole actual start this year, I expressed concern that his changeup command wouldn’t be there in the future. Well, it actually was here at 70% strikes and 5/20 whiffs, this was more of his four-seamer being awfully hittable to both sides of the plate and Koufax (mostly) did his thing. Still, not a single strikeout!? “HAISTBMBWT?! I still have some curiosity here with 18-19″ of vert + a deadly changeup underneath from the left side, though there’s plenty of polish left to wipe. Gotta apply that elbow grease!
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) vs SDP (L) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna have a Careful, Icarus but still produce. Like all of the Christmas presents in Whoville, Yamamoto had an immaculate inning taken from him, with a down-the-pipe four-seamer called a ball on his final 0-2 pitch. Will somebody please think of the kids baseball nerds?! Yes, this was the equivalent of the Galarraga perfect game (Immaculate innings are so rare!) and I hope we ensure we don’t forget it. ANYWAY, the four-seamer is still only going upstairs as the rare strikeout attempt and I wish he embraced it more often. I will die on this hill and I hope you visit from time to time. Remember that roundup joke joke from 2018? The Hess truck is here? I laughed more than I should have. Make sure you leave Peonies. Everyone loves Peonies.
Carlos Rodón (NYY) vs LAA (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna survive. He didn’t have his changeup – 42% strike rate and just 2/12 whiffs – but the four-seamer and heater did their usual work to get him the PQS. We’ll take it.
Freddy Peralta (MIL) @ CHC (W) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 86 pitches.
Yep, that’s Peralta, alright. Sitting on his throne in the candy side of Cherry Bomb town. I hate those grenades. When will they stop coming over to our sweet streets?
Clay Holmes (NYM) @ ATL (L) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 6 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 104 pitches.
Awww, we saw some melting of The Adobe and hopefully he can mold his arsenal moving forward. This wasn’t pure chaos as the six walks would imply, though. Sure, he missed the zone plenty, but there were off the plate in the area he was targeting. Sweepers and slider just outside, changeups just off the corner, cutters too high, you know the deal. Don’t worry about this.
Keider Montero (DET) vs. PIT (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 77 pitches.
He followed Tyler Holton and did everything you could ask for against the Pirates, save for earning a dub. Stupid Skenes. I’m shocked Montero turned away from his slider for just six thrown in this one – that’s his best pitch – and favored a 45% strike curveball that went 2/20 whiffs. I don’t get it. Whatever, don’t chase this, of course.
Tyler Anderson (LAA) @ NYY (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 97 pitches.
The Yankees finally scored and it wasn’t at the fault of Anderson, who had his changeup working with above-average fastball and cutter command. I’m rolling him out there against the Red Sox away from Fenway next time. This works.
Chris Paddack (MIN) @ CIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 82 pitches.
Nooooo. How was I supposed to know that Paddack would sit 91.4 mph?! That’s supposed to be 94 mph with flirtation for 95 mph. Yeesh. It also came with 2″ less vert, too, and yet, he allowed three hits with a 71% strike rate. BUT WHAT DO YOU KNOW. The slider allowed a HR because OF COURSE IT DID. Sigh. This is terrifying after his glorious stretch came to an abrupt halt last week against the Astros without this velocity drop and now we have this. I need to know what his next start looks like now. If that comes with depressed velocity too, it’s a very easy drop. Right now? We don’t know the context for it. It seems like an injury but maybe there was more at play.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) vs MIL (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 68 pitches.
Blegh. I wonder if the rainout messed up his routine. He clearly didn’t have a good feel for the kick-change with just two thrown to LHB, favoring the four-seamer and curve instead, however the bigger issue was the creeping problem of his previous outings that finally caught up: His sweeper to RHB. It allowed a HR (same with the cutter) and it’s something I’m sure he’ll focus on for his next outing. Still let him fly against the Cardinals.
Mike Vasil (CHW) vs STL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 39% CSW, 72 pitches.
If only Mike would vacillate and not just be…this. But six strikeouts! Yeah, that’s fun, but do we really expect his four-seamer to return 6/16 whiffs consistently? But it was up a tick at 95 mph! And 13″ of vert! OKAY I GET IT.
Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs ARI (L) – 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 81 pitches.
Oh cool. So let me get this straight. After a pair of outings where you finally get your splitter back, you’ve consistently fallen on your face since, with just 53% strikes on the splitter here and terrible fastball command. But 8/32 whiffs on the splitter! 25% SwStr rate! See, that’s the thing. That’s great! We hadn’t seen that for ages. It’s so odd that the moment he gets the old skill back, he suddenly loses a different one. I’m not ready to count out Gausman entirely with the Guardians next – the splitter should eat them up – but hot dang, is he a HIPSTER.
Andrew Heaney (PIT) @ DET (L) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 85 pitches.
Heaney without command is like 50 Cent throwing a first pitch. This isn’t going to go well.
Nick Martinez (CIN) vs MIN (L) – 2.2 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 52 pitches.
It’s been a while since I could hold my head up high confidently start Martinez and seeing just seven changeups, including one of his three longballs of the day, is all you need to know. He’s also at 91/92 mph and you should stream instead with the Yankees + Fenway + Phillies ahead.
Game of the Day
Didier Fuentes vs. Miami Marlins – He’s a 20-year old pitching prospect for Atlanta who has a legit four-seamer he can elevate. I’m curious if there’s more than a curve to rely upon across the supporting cast. There’s also Blade Tidwell starting for the Mets today and I’m curious if he’s developed more in his slider and changeup to allow his four-seamer to flourish.
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)
