Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Sunday 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.
Jose Cabrera (ARI) vs MIN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 62 pitches.
After the Diamondbacks lost their two best fantasy arms over the weekend in Soroka and Ryne, they quickly went to their reinforcements and called up Jose Cabrera for his MLB debut. As always, we followed the PILOT Rule, but daring managers were rewarded with a strong 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 62 pitches (ND) line, boasting an 18% SwStr rate in the process. How does he do it?
With sub 30% fastball usage, and I love when prospects recognize they don’t have an elite heater, and find an alternate path. Cabrera’s heaters are 92-95 mph without strong movement (16″ run on the 92/93 mph sinker, blegh movement on his 94/95 mph four-seamer), electing to get his strikes with cutters over the plate instead. Then it’s sweepers and curveballs with two strikes, with a few changeups helping to LHB. It’s all fine.
And maybe that’s enough for the Rays and Giants up next. Not the greatest arsenal and with a low pitch count, we may see him go fewer than five frames again if he can’t maintain the 68% strike rate. But that sweeper feel to RHB with four-seamers and sinkers finding the edges was a lovely sight, and as long as the fastball doesn’t find barrels to LHB, I think he can be a decent Toby. Not the worst play for your 15-teamers, and a streaming option in your 12-teamers…if you’re willing to believe in the small sample. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
Logan Gilbert (SEA) vs BOS (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 94 pitches.
Alright, ALRIGHT! Aces gonna ace. Welcome back, Gilbert. Took you returning 18+ whiffs in three of your last four, and eclipsing 14 whiffs in each of your last four games, which you had done just once across your first eleven games. It’s another Gallows Pole in your name, thanks to a flood of four-seamers over the plate with a little extra velo and vert, and if that pitch is cookin’, we’re feasting. (View Game Card)
Kai-Wei Teng (HOU) vs CLE (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 83 pitches.
This had major Blame it on the Guardians vibes and I’m not sure if Teng gets another outing. His sweeper and both heaters were down 1-2 ticks, and the changeup appeared for success against LHB more than usual. I don’t want to labor on this one – Teng had an extreme outing (47% four-seamers = six strong frames?!) and you really shouldn’t make this shift your opinion of him. (View Game Card)
Davis Martin (CHW) @ DET (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 77 pitches.
This is the perfect showcase of how a pitcher is not defined by one game. There were two in his last three. Well, RIGHT! He was terrible, then great, then terrible, then…good. I had mistakenly thought he was sliding down the peak after his first poor outing, and after devastation brought by the Yankees, Martin was able to avoid fastballs over the plate and return 4/13 whiffs on curveballs for a solid night. Treat him like a Toby and you’ll be fine (View Game Card)
Brandon Young (BAL) @ LAD (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 95 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a “Goal Star” with a performance like this against the Dodgers. His four-seamer continues to thrive upstairs to LHB, even without the greatest support from his curveball and splitter, while the rest…existed. Yeah, this was a game of “I hope my fastball is good enough,” and all four hits off fastballs returned just one bag. Phew. No, I’m not down for more, please stop coming around the table unless it’s with the check, thank you very much. (View Game Card)
Chase Burns (CIN) @ NYY (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
Aces gonna ace, even against the Yankees. His success hasn’t been as loud as Misiorowski’s or Schlitter’s, but hot DAWG, Burns has a 2.00 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 30% strikeout rate through fifteen games. Sure, it’s under six innings per start, but still, that’s gorgeous. And a 9-1 record! I hope y’all loved the discount you got in drafts after the whole injury scare. (View Game Card)
Ryan Gusto (MIA) vs SFG (ND) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 68 pitches.
He didn’t pass the test against the Phillies, and he almost made me look foolish for considering the exam in his application. I was saved by the anxious cane of the Marlins, yanking him out of the game with one on in the fifth at just 68 pitches. No, I don’t agree with the move, but I also wasn’t seeing the most dominant arm, either. Cool to see some whiffs on high-and-tight heaters to RHB, though. With the quick hook and questionable consistency on his stuff, I’d be careful trusting him against the Cardinals. There has to be a better arm with a longer leash out there. (View Game Card)
Andrew Alvarez (WSN) @ TBR (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 68 pitches.
Like the Marlins, the Nationals are preventing this arm from a fantasy-relevant ceiling, pulling Alvarez once again before he could complete five full. Sure, I’m not super into him given the suspect heaters, but I dig 50/50 fastball vs. breaker and both breakers are playing their parts well. I also believe Savant is having a bit of trouble identifying his full arsenal (a lot of those sinkers were four-seamers and Alvarez’s slider was a reverse slider at times…?), but that’s beside the point. What’s the point? There’s too little water in the bucket to lug it home, and as a Hydro Homie, I can’t live like that. (View Game Card)
Jared Jones (PIT) @ COL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 45 pitches.
In Jones’ final game of his schedule gauntlet (well, CIN, @PHI, ATL is up next…), he was pitching well until taking a comebacker right into his pitching elbow. DUDE. I. Know. There’s not word yet on its impact, though tests were negative for an injury. Phew. I’m letting it ride if he’s going on Saturday. (View Game Card)
Logan Webb (SFG) @ MIA (L) – 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 103 pitches.
He’s awfully close to the AGA label with ATL and @COL on the docket and five starts of excellence since his return from the IL. You got this, Webb. BE the Madame. (View Game Card)
Slade Cecconi (CLE) @ HOU (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 79 pitches.
Jeeeeez, this was one ER away from a “WONKA” in standard leagues, returning just one strikeout (HAISTBMBWT?!) as he…wait what. He stopped throwing the 89 mph cutter?! WHY?! You prefer Dancing With The Disco on sliders with sinkers over the plate to RHB?! This makes no sense. I’ll bring it up in the next meeting. Good! Do that! This wasn’t a strong outing against a RHB-heavy team and with his problems against LHB, I’m out against SEA and CHW up next. (View Game Card)
Robert Gasser (MIL) @ ATL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 97 pitches.
Ayyyy, look at this! Six frames and 97 pitches?! Ahhhh, the Brewers had a field day and scored eight in the second, allowing his manager to live without fear of third time through the lineup penalties. Gasser did the right thing in the process, too – he threw strikes. That’s all you’re expected to do in a blowout, and 70% strikes across the arsenal is a lovely sight. The sweeper filled up the zone to RHB, four-seamers stayed upstairs for a 16% SwStr rate, and I’m cool starting him whenever he gets his next start if it’s not the worst matchup. Oh, right. When is his next start? Is it this weekend against the Cubs? But that’s Woodruff’s spot. Are the Brewers really going to favor Sproat and Drohan over Gasser? I just can’t believe that, considering how this outing is better than ANY of those other two all year. If he gets the Cubs in Milwaukee, it’s a Questionable Start, though I’d like him to repeat this one more time first before actually trusting him. I wish he had a legit changeup… (View Game Card)
Zack Wheeler (PHI) vs NYM (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 104 pitches.
Aces gonna be a Philly and serve us a Philly. Something happened in the sixth inning and I hope he’s alright – Wheeler walked three of his first four batters, accounting for all three walks on the night. Suitman whispers into my ear. Ah, right. Two of them were full-counts with multiple foul balls. It’s not like he was so chaotic. Still a bit out of place, you know? And if only they could have turned that double-play before the Careful, Icarus run scored. So it goes. (View Game Card)
Mike Paredes (MIN) @ ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 75 pitches.
Oh hey, five frames! The first one of the season for Paredes, with his 75 pitches blowing away the sub-60 marks of his last three games (65 in his first outing). And what do you get? Why a 3.60 ERA with a 1.80 WHIP and a HAISTBMBWT?!.Yay! (View Game Card)
Keider Montero (DET) vs CHW (ND) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 76 pitches.
Montero is known as a WHIP darling and like a terrible radio station, he made sure the hits did not keep coming. That’s nice, and with Verlander set back (again), Montero is likely back in the rotation until Jack Flaherty is ready to return. Give it a shot in 15-teamers against the Astros on Friday. (View Game Card)
Payton Tolle (BOS) @ SEA (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 79 pitches.
Blegh. A near VPQS with just two strikeouts is a Wonka in standard leagues, and I’m blaming Tolle’s refusal to throw more than two pitches outside his Ras Pack. His edition doesn’t have the same whiffability as others due to the cutter’s lower velocity (especially when the sinker isn’t well commanded for 0% CSW and 47% strikes), and I wonder if I should even call it a cutter when it has the look of a worse gyro slider at 88 mph and eight mph slower than the heater (as opposed to the 3-4 mph difference of others). Anyway, he’s going to get the Yankees over the weekend and while I’m likely starting him, you have a good picture now of who Tolle really is: A premium Cherry Bomb. (View Game Card)
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) vs SDP (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 94 pitches.
I’m just glad the knee is okay. A King Cole among an inning of getting Singled Out for all three runs is so good to see after getting scratched on Saturday, and that splitter was deadly at 31% SwStr at the very bottom of the zone, paired with his 83% strike curve. We’re all good here. (View Game Card)
Nick Martinez (TBR) vs WSN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 88 pitches.
Ehhhh alright. It’s a Bailey Special for Martinez, who continues to avoid the desolation we normally see once a Vargas Rule fades out. Now with the Sneks and Royals ahead, I guess that’s fine. There was a whole lot of donut command in this one that he got away with, but he could still be a decent Toby. (View Game Card)
Elmer Rodríguez (NYY) vs CIN (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 80 pitches.
I had no expectations for this one and I implore you to only apply Elmer once he can stick in the rotation for a while, proving he can create the adhesion fantasy managers need. At least he was up to 96 mph this time, but he still hasn’t gone five full frames in any of his four starts. Yeesh. (View Game Card)
Michael Lorenzen (COL) vs PIT (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 90 pitches.
Well, yeah. Which one of you was just dying to hear what I’d write about Lorenzen? REALLY?! (View Game Card)
Jack Perkins (ATH) vs LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 78 pitches.
So close. Perkins kinda dominated outside of a three-run blast in the second (and even then, all three hits were not on mistakes but good hitting/luck), tossing a 28% SwStr sweeper over 40% of the time that the Angels didn’t know what to do with. Now he gets out of Sacré Verde for a repeat matchup and I’m kinda down, and possibly for a start at home hosting the Marlins after. Then again, the fastball fell just under 95 mph (was 96/97) and it could be a trap play. I’d say go for it if you’re chasing punchouts. (View Game Card)
Lucas Giolito (SD) @ TEX (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 66 pitches.
I truly don’t know why we’d expect anything different. (View Game Card)
David Peterson (NYM) @ PHI (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 79 pitches.
SAME. Just don’t start Gio and Pete. (View Game Card)
Reid Detmers (LAA) @ ATH (ND) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
Brace yourself. We have five horrific outings to close this article out, and it starts with Detmers, who I’ve been worried about due to his declining slider command…except it was great. We finally saw backfoot sliders to RHB again, with five executed for five whiffs, and his four-seamer command was solid upstairs to RHB. The actual problem was his inability to get comfortable in Sacré Verde until the second frame. After a leadoff single, Detmers walked the next three batters for his first of four runs allowed in the first inning – a proper bamboozlin’. He’ll get to host them in Los Angeles next time out, though, and with the slider feel back, I feel better about him now than I did entering this one. (View Game Card)
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) vs BAL (L) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 82 pitches.
Yeah, the velocity was down, whatever, this was about the slider going 42% strikes across 30% usage. There’s yer problem. It allowed both Ward and Cowser to sit fastball and launch them for solo shots, and it was an overall uncomfortable day at the park. The good news? It’s the Padres twice and I expect Sheehan to have better support for his fastball in the future. (View Game Card)
Dustin May (STL) @ KCR (ND) – 2.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 44 pitches.
We were hyping him up so much, something had to break, right? Yeah, he went to Dallas. No, that’s Dusty. Huh? Weren’t you calling May a Maverick? I’m gonna cut you off there. Him vs. Kolek was a game of “Anything you can do…” where both pitchers failed to see the third inning and allowed 4 ER in the second. With May, it was two HRs in the latter frame, with 1-2 ticks down on everything and a terrible feel for his fastballs. For one game? It was just a bad day. If he struggles against the Marlins at home up next, then we can talk. Be wise and do nothing. (View Game Card)
Bryce Elder (ATL) vs MIL (L) – 6.0 IP, 8 ER, 12 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 95 pitches.
After all the hoopla and success, we’re now at a 3.71 ERA and 1.21 WHIP with a sub 20% strikeout rate for Elder. Just a reminder, after his May 22nd start, Elder held a 1.97 ERA and 0.99 WHIP. When he was able to go up-and-in to LHB, he had success, but the slider, four-seamer, cutter, and change all found their way over the plate at some point and got hit when they did. It at least outlines that Elder is still capable of performing well if he can command effectively, but the margin for error is awfully low with his arsenal. Even in Oracle Park up next, I think it’s time to move on. (View Game Card)
Stephen Kolek (KCR) vs STL (L) – 1.2 IP, 9 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 12% CSW, 49 pitches.
OH JEEZ. This one is sure to sting after we were all getting super confident in this kitchen-sink Toby. It was bamboozlin’ for the ages with two HRs in the first and a third in the second, including a HBP and a walk in the first to add on to the struggles. Like May and Sheehan, it was a bad day. I don’t believe he’s toast now and while you might want to play it safe against the White Sox, I’d be holding for the Rays and Mets after, and likely throw him out there next time out anyway. This happens, y’all. It doesn’t prove that failure will repeat itself right away. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Hunter Brown vs. Dylan Cease – Well if that ain’t a whole bucket o’ fun.
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/X)
