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.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Jake Bennett (BOS) @ COL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 72 pitches.
Since we first saw Jake Bennett on May 1st, I’ve been hoping he would develop into a true SWATCH. His 7+ feet of extension opens the door for 93+ mph heaters upstairs and his decent changeup to live down low, with a few questions to answer: Can he nail those locations + is there a breaker he can rely upon for called strikes to RHB and get whiffs to LHB? While we didn’t get all of it in Coors on Monday night, we got most of it and the result was beautiful: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 72 pitches.
Those heaters were incessantly at the top of the zone and well above, finding the zone just 32% of the time but still generating 65% strikes, while the changeup lived down-and-away, feasting on RHB to the tune of a 31% SwStr rate. That’s a SWATCH, alright. There wasn’t much of an attack to enjoy against LHB with two cutters and a sweeper returning two whiffs (all three landed out of the zone), and I wouldn’t expect the same results moving forward unless he commands them a bit better. At least his fastballs landed where they were supposed to, and I’m curious how they develop in the future.
To do this while in Coors is a marvelous feat, attracting the Gold Star to his chest, as many run to the wire. I’d walk given the Yankees are up next, and I personally want to see him execute the approach a second time before buying in fully, especially against a strong squad who will test Bennett’s LHB approach. If he pulls it off there, we’re in. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Kyle Bradish (BAL) @ LAA (W) – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 101 pitches.
You hear that sound? ShaaaShhhhSaaaShhhh. That’s the sound of managers rubbing their hands in excitement. Not only did the velocity hold for a second game (89 mph sliders, 85/86 mph curveballs is HOT), he did so while removing the four-seamer from the equation, relying on sinker/slider to RHB, and curveballs, sinkers, a few sliders, and rare, high, and unhittable four-seamers to LHB. This is the way. WE ARE SO BACK. (View Game Card)
Brady Singer (CIN) vs MIL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 39% CSW, 106 pitches.
After producing just one all-around good outing across his first twelve games, Singer has now done so in each of his last three games. This was textbook BSB to LHB with absurdly consistent sliders and sweepers down (brilliant, really), combining for a 39% CSW, leading him to the finish line. I think he’s in a good enough groove that I regret leaving him off The List and would consider starting him for the Pirates up next. (View Game Card)
Michael King (SDP) vs ATL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 93 pitches.
It’s about dang time, you know? King’s five strikeouts were more than both his last two starts combined and the first time he hit the mark since May 18th (yes, over a month ago), and you can thank a far better feel for his changeup. THAT SAID, I’m not sure this is the best version of King. His sweeper was a called strike offering, not a whiff boi, and his fastball command was not his best. Even the changeup I just praised for its 23% SwStr rate still recorded just 59% strikes, and now he gets the Dodgers twice. I think this is a Dennis, not a time to take off the TIARA, at least with that tough schedule at his door. Just give it a little more time, okay? (View Game Card)
Eric Lauer (LA) @ MIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 84 pitches.
Duuuuude. Six no-hit frames?! With just three whiffs?! Seriously?! To Lauer’s credit, he located that four-seamer upstairs incredibly well, while the Twins returned a ton of weak contact, but 16/16 outs in play is as kind of a Koufax gift as you’ll find. Please don’t let this get you excited for a date in Sacré Verde. Unless you’re in the stands, then get HYPED. (View Game Card)
Anthony Kay (CHW) vs CLE (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 101 pitches.
OKAY! No, he had eight Ks, not zero Ks. Yes, there was a bit of Blame it on the Guardians, but huge props to Anthony for nailing his sweeper feel (27% SwStr rate at 30% usage to both RHB/LHB!) while the four-seamer and cutter played their parts upstairs + the changeup was delicately spotted down-and-away to RHB. This was the most promising outing of the year for Kay and I’m all for giving it a go with the Royals, Guardians (again!), and hosting the Red Sox ahead in the battle of the pink laundry. You got this. (View Game Card)
Brandon Woodruff (MIL) @ CIN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 79 pitches.
Oh WOW. This was a Still ILL and I was concerned it would go poorly given all the back-and-forth about his injury + Great American Small Park. NOPE. I had to move him up twenty spots on The List before I published once I saw the box score, and looking at it deeply later, I wasn’t so impressed. The Reds are getting burned by high heaters a lot lately and we saw Woody feature his pair 80% of the time in this one, with a collection of changeups, and the rare cutter/curve that don’t matter. Wait, the cutter? Yeah, I wanted to see more of it, too. Does it matter? He’s starting for you indefinitely now, even if I think he’s not this good. (View Game Card)
Foster Griffin (WSN) vs PHI (W) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 105 pitches.
Did you realize Griffin now has a 3.15 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 24% strikeout rate? He’s been a strong Toby all year, but if he can keep returning double-digit whiffs, an updated tag to Holly may be in order. Regardless, don’t take him out of your lineup. (View Game Card)
Michael Wacha (KCR) @ TBR (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 99 pitches.
Phew. It’s good to see Wacha get back on the horse after four straight mid outings, though I wish I had better reports on his stuff. The changeup wasn’t down, and he simply filled the zone aplenty with five different pitches against a poor offense rather than executing at will. I’d be careful against the White Sox. (View Game Card)
Andre Pallante (STL) vs ARI (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 85 pitches.
Mmmmm he’s still got it. Four-seamers inside to LHB, sliders at 87/88 mph to RHB, and look at all those, uh, non-whiffs. YEAH THAT’S THE GOOD STUFF. No, it’s not. I appreciate you, Koufax. Don’t mention it. He’ll get the Marlins at home and that’s okay with me. (View Game Card)
Framber Valdez (DET) vs NYY (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 94 pitches.
IT’S BACK. IT’S FINALLY BACK. We waited so dang long for Valdez’s hook to return to form, and boy, did it. 63% strikes and 40% CSW with 5/30 whiffs & five strikeouts. Sweet salvation. Now do it again. K thx. (View Game Card)
Alan Rangel (PHI) @ WSN (L) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 72 pitches.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a true screwball. Rangel throws so over the top, that his “curveball” goes more armside than his four-seamer in the low 70s and those of y’all who think this makes it a legit pitch, I beg you to reconsider. Rangel struggles to land the big 20″ drop breaker in the zone, usually floating well above it, and was never swung at, for good reason. I love his 12-mph difference between four-seamer and changeup, but I’m concerned about 92-mph four-seamers and generally mid-command. He’ll get the Mets next and that could be a good stream and the start of a decent play for a moment. He needs to get a little better with his 84 mph slider to RHB and keep his changeup down a lot more often. (View Game Card)
Grant Holmes (ATL) @ SDP (L) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.
Yeaaaaah. This REB is as effective as he was at the end of 2009. (View Game Card)
Hunter Brown (HOU) @ TOR (ND) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 85 pitches.
Jeeeeez, what happened to you? All three frames took at least twenty pitches, with thirty-four in the third that included two walks on fifteen pitches, followed by hitting a LHB batter on a 1-2 high-and-tight sinker at 1-2 that loaded the bases. Yeeeesh. And it wasn’t as if he couldn’t find strikes – a 64% clip is great – it’s the 11% putaway rate that did him in, getting to a two-strike count on 88% of the batters he faced, yet he ended the day with just four strikeouts. That’s unsustainable and it was just one of those days. Don’t fret, be happy it wasn’t an injury and just a stupid, laborious day. (View Game Card)
Zebby Matthews (MIN) vs LAD (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 108 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! Against the Dodgers! This had potential disaster written all over it and props to Zebby for coming through. I’m still terrified to throw him constantly and feel the ceiling does not outweigh the floor, but consider him a 15-team HIPSTER moving forward. (View Game Card)
Tyler Phillips (MIA) vs TEX (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 89 pitches.
After the Phillies start, I made it clear I was avoiding this one and waiting until he demanded our attention. This start…was not that. He was ultra reliant on the splitter to get his outs, while the sweeper and curve mixed in decently well + the sinker and four-seamer were…around. I’m not seeing a strong enough package to lean in heavily, though the sweeper and curveball, both at 83/84 mph, can both be dope at times. I’m still worried that the splitter and heaters are required to lay the foundation and it’s too meh for me. (View Game Card)
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) vs KCR (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Nice, easy, dope. Weird to see him feature three clicks down in extension, but everything was normal. (View Game Card)
Ryan Feltner (COL) vs BOS (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 93 pitches.
Oh hey! A decent outing! That’s nice for Feltner. Welp, see ya later. (View Game Card)
Dylan Cease (TOR) vs HOU (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 110 pitches.
Yep, that’s Cease. The WHIP is the only suspect part, per usual, and everything else is normal. Let’s move on. (View Game Card)
Kumar Rocker (TEX) @ MIA (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 46% CSW, 76 pitches.
Hi, I’m Nick. The guy who removed Rocker from The List before this start, stating, “He doesn’t have enough upside.” That’s a Golden Goal for Rocker on the back of Dancing With The Disco better than Travolta at 51% slider usage with a 51% CSW and 17/39 whiffs. WHAT. Yeah, it was pretty ridiculous. Like cannibals, the Marlins kept fishing (I think that’s just normal for fish, Nick), and Rocker kept dealing. This was a clear extreme of an outing and not one I’d use as a baseline moving forward, but if you want to take a shot against the Jays, sure, you do you. I won’t. (View Game Card)
Gavin Williams (CLE) @ CHW (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 95 pitches.
Yeah, we dig this. Well, not the whole “sinkers are still my bae” thing, nor the “27% strikes on his curveball” thing, but he adapted to feature legit sweepers inside to LHB, and the sinker, despite its mediocrity, was good enough against RHB, two hits off the pitch included. Oh, he’s also sitting 98 mph with 7.4 feet extension on his four-seamer. But sure, Gavin, keep throwing more than double the number of sinkers. YOU COULD BE THE DOPEST. (View Game Card)
Merrill Kelly (ARI) @ STL (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 96 pitches.
Kelly moved away from the changeup to go more cutter and change, and it was decent enough for a VVPQS. That’s a Wonka where I’m from. Well, he’s a Toby where I’m from. That checks out. (View Game Card)
Sam Aldegheri (LAA) vs BAL (L) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 91 pitches.
No, Sam, you are, I will not in a league during a blitzkrieg, not on a team across the seams, not off a wire no matter how dire. I will not, Sam you are, I will not. (View Game Card)
Gerrit Cole (NYY) @ DET (L) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 89 pitches.
Oh no. The worst ERA of the day?! SERIOUSLY?! It’s the same situation as it has been outside of his ten-strikeout game – Cole’s stuff is there, the command isn’t. At least the four-seamer was decent enough to prevent further damage, but the slider, change, and curve were far from what they should be, from changeups floating up and armside to sliders failing to go down and gloveside. You’re frustrated, I know, me too. It can take time, but he’ll get there. Just ride it out. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Parker Messick vs. Sean Burke – Will Messick keep up the velo? Is Burke actually having a breakout season?
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)
