Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Tuesday 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.
Brandon Sproat (MIL) @ CIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 80 pitches.
I’ve been vocal about the potential of Brandon Sproat since February and after enduring struggles through April and May, I put up my hands, wondering when it would eventually click.
It looked like it clicked in Cincinnati against the Reds: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 80 pitches (W).
This start had everything. Four-seamers and sweepers combined for a 32% SwStr as they went BSB to RHB, in concert with cutters and sinkers finding strikes in between. Curveballs stepping up to LHB for 67% strikes, a sprinkle of effective changeups around the zone, and four-seamers at 97/98 mph dominating the zone. This is it.
Just watch this game and you’ll see it. What I can’t see is what comes next. This was one start. After so many poor ones behind him, a 75% strike rate with this precision across the board is no guarantee. As a fantasy manager, it’s best to grab after a start like this when the schedule raises the floor if it doesn’t return and CIN, @ARI, @STL is a lovely trio. After all, the Reds displayed once again that they struggle against RHB four-seamers upstairs, and I’m excited for Monday. Why? Because this mis, this mister is on my list.(View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Robbie Ray (SFG) vs ATH (W) – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 102 pitches.
What a weird one. On one hand, you have Robbie’s slider going down-and-gloveside often, granting six outs via strikeouts and balls in play + the four-seamer stayed upstairs, but both combined for a 47% strike rate. However, the changeup and curveball stepped up for 27% usage and 77% strikes combined, filling in the cracks and propelling Ray through eight innings. It’s not ideal Ray, but that’s two productive outings and I think we test it against Atlanta up next. Good luck. (View Game Card)
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) @ STL (ND) – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 95 pitches.
I gotta say, ERod’s last ten starts are a 1.88 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 20% strikeout rate. That’s HOT. With the Rays, Brewers, and Friars up next, how could you not hold? (View Game Card)
Kyle Leahy (STL) vs ARI (ND) – 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 85 pitches.
We’ll take this all day and now it’s the Marlins. I guess that’s okay? I’m not too impressed by his sweeper and slider combining for 1/27 whiffs and a low 45% strike rate, but the changeup and curve helped out (like Ray!) and the fastballs were generally along the edges. Don’t get too enamored here. (View Game Card)
Ryan Johnson (LAA) vs BAL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
I’m sorry what?! That’s a Gold Star for Johnson far from the cliffs of Dover, Delaware. Uhhh, yeah. He hosted Baltimore. Right. I know that. ANYWAY, this was a day of Johnson incessantly landing his splitter down to LHB and sweepers befuddling RHB for a combined 10/41 whiffs, leading to this ridiculous performance. No, I do not buy this at all, and it was a wonderful Birthday Party we’ll forget about tomorrow. (View Game Card)
Nick Lodolo (CIN) vs MIL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 75 pitches.
Lodolo was cruising and putting the ridiculous Singled Out game last week behind him, but a 107 mph comebacker struck his left wrist and he was pulled. The hope is for him to make his next start in a repeat matchup against the Brewers and if he’s starting, we start him. He’s more this guy than last week’s iteration. (View Game Card)
Sonny Gray (BOS) @ COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 11 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 93 pitches.
In Coors?! That’s what’s up. Sonny is your classic arm dependent on his own ability moreso than the opponent’s quality, and it sure was Sonny in Colorado, with his sweeper demolishing both LHB and RHB for 13/27 whiffs. Yes, a near 50% SwStr rate. That’s so fun. (View Game Card)
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs TEX (W) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 109 pitches.
He’s still the QS hero of old, now hitting the mark in 13/17 starts this season, but outside of those leagues, he’s only recently been trustworthy, sporting a 4.01 ERA and 1.24 WHIP that act as a ball-and-chain, since they pull down those ratio stats further than most with a weight of 110 innings. Yikes. Well, hold on! The last five games have been far better, featuring five Wins in a 2.60 ERA, and 1.04 WHIP. Yes, the opponents haven’t been the toughest, but his changeup feel has improved, and he’s throwing strikes with ease. It may be difficult to start him in the painful road trip of Coors + Sacré Verde up next, but he is pitching better. (View Game Card)
Sean Burke (CHW) vs CLE (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
Sure, Blame it on the Guardians, but that’s a 3.23 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 28% strikeout rate across his last seven games, with at least six strikeouts in each of his last six, including starts against the Tigers, Phillies, Dodgers, and Yankees. With the Orioles, Guardians, and hosting the Athletics ahead, I’m down, especially as the four-seamer continues to perform well upstairs to LHB. (View Game Card)
George Kirby (SEA) @ PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 91 pitches.
In the awesome analytics lab here at Pitcher List, run by Kyle Bland, we created a new internal tool to showcase how much a pitcher’s pitches are missing bats. Kirby’s sweeper looks like this. Why is this happening for a pitch with so much movement for a sweeper at 86 mph? If you’ve read these roundups, you already know. 1) He doesn’t throw sinkers inside = batters are always looking away. 2) He doesn’t get it far enough off the edge to miss. And yet, despite all of this doom and gloom about the sweeper, Kirby had success Dancing With The Disco, featuring the sweeper 46% of the time and didn’t allow a hit. That’s right, five fastballs, two curveballs, and a changeup made up all eight hits, while the sweeper earned 67% strikes off foul balls, a 36% CSW, and 4/4 outs in play. I’ll take it. (View Game Card)
Luinder Avila (KCR) @ TBR (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.
The streaming pick of the day was…a bit lucky. He went Dancing With The Disco to LHB with 32% curveballs as he missed poorly with sinkers and four-seamers, while the changeup and slider were all over the place. I’d be careful giving this another go on Sunday against the White Sox. (View Game Card)
Cal Quantrill (TEX) @ MIA (ND) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 34 pitches.
This turned into a bullpen game for the Rangers with Jack Leiter heading to the IL with an ankle injury. Let’s move on.
Kendry Rojas (MIN) vs LAD (ND) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 50 pitches.
With Joe Ryan scratched due to illness, Rojas opened and Autin Voth followed with 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 96 pitches (L). Nothing to see here, y’all. Voth ain’t it. (View Game Card)
Parker Messick (CLE) @ CHW (L) – 7.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 95 pitches.
ATTA BOY. Parker’s velocity boost from last start partially stuck around (up over a tick to 95 mph, not the 96 mph from last time) and it dominated in and out of the zone for 10/30 whiffs + the changeup feasted underneath as well. This is the dude I’ve been waiting for, and I’m so glad the sinker-first approach to RHB has disappeared. GET AMPED. (View Game Card)
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) @ MIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
He’s still up at 95 mph and I love seeing 30% non four-seamer and slider, pulling back mostly on the slide piece to make room. I do wonder if he lowered his arm angle here after seeing over two inches of extra armside run on everything, while he added more vert on his four-seamer, and threw a pair of nasty sweepers in there as well (classified as sliders incorrectly). He’s getting Sacré Verde up next and I think I’m rolling with him and his 2.71 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and, uh 15% strikeout rate. At least it’s around 18% in the last six weeks…? (View Game Card)
Shane McClanahan (TBR) vs KCR (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 75 pitches.
It wasn’t the most polished version of McShane, but I’ll take the 96 mph heater with strikes on his changeup and slider. Now locate those better and we’re Gabbana. Like Savannah? Yes. The Savanah Gabbanas. (View Game Card)
Edward Cabrera (CHC) @ NYM (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 99 pitches.
ECab gave you a decent performance, then endured a hamstring injury on his final play of the fifth. Oh, what fun. He’s destined for the IL and you should get off this train if you don’t have the space. (View Game Card)
Peter Lambert (HOU) @ TOR (ND) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
Dang, just one more Out and he would have been eligible for a Win, which the team lost in later frames BUT STILL. He did a good job of separating four-seamers and changeups to LHB, but the slider and cutter weren’t doing a whole lot + the sinker failed to tease RHBs consistently inside. Not his best, and still a Toby. (View Game Card)
Zack Littell (WSH) vs PHI (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 59 pitches.
Littell ain’t it, y’all. Please stop giving this a try, even the Nationals don’t want to give it a proper try. (View Game Card)
Aaron Civale (ATH) @ SFG (L) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 84 pitches.
That’s a 4.50 ERA and 1.50 WHIP, y’all. Civale has gone six innings just once all season, and cataloged more than 5.0 frames just three times. Yikes. (View Game Card)
Mitch Keller (PIT) vs SEA (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 92 pitches.
A PQS is fine for Keller. It’s what you’re hoping for and he’s now a straight 50/50 shot at a QS across sixteen games. (View Game Card)
Carlos Rodón (NYY) @ DET (W) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 87 pitches.
The 1.28 WHIP is upsetting, I get it. His 13% walk rate is sure to fall in time and he nearly gave you a strong six frames, but two hits in the sixth took him out of the game, with his third run scoring while in the showers. The way I see it, Rodón still has a 27% strikeout rate and 3.70 ERA despite failing to be his best self (only two of his four-seamer, slider, and change are around each game, here the slider failed him at a 52% strike rate), making him a great “buy low” if his manager is getting frustrated. (View Game Card)
Sean Sullivan (COL) vs BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 94 pitches.
Well, yeah. I wonder if his middle name is Oliver. (View Game Card)
Casey Mize (DET) vs NYY (L) – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 97 pitches.
We planned on sitting this one out and he nearly made us all look foolish until he allowed three in the sixth with a two-run shot and a single that scored after he was pulled. Careful, Icarus. The slider is still sliding into the zone for strikes, though he didn’t throw a single one to RHB, which is awfully strange and will likely get tweaked in the future. The 94/95 mph heater is up a tick from pre-injury and the splitter’s 70% strike rate is awfully encouraging, making me inclined to play him for the Astros up next. Despite 7 ER in two games, Mize still has a 2.95 ERA and 1.07 WHIP on the year with a 25% strikeout rate. Wait, seriously?! Bonkers, right? It was a 2.27 ERA and 0.97 WHIP before his latest IL stint. (View Game Card)
JR Ritchie (ATL) @ SDP (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 98 pitches.
Seven strikeouts is a surprise, and I applaud Ritchie for generally executing the BSB to LHB with high four-seamers and low changeups. It’s not enough for me to go after him for the Cardinals and Mets, though. (View Game Card)
Shane Bieber (TOR) vs HOU (ND) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 75 pitches.
He’s back! And he’s currently a tick down with a worse changeup and cutter and missing his breaking ball feel. Yay…? No, not yay. Nay, yay. NAY. He did not look good at all, which could be the whole Still ILL rule, but more likely is a product of not feeling comfortable since last season. It could take some time for him to be healthy again. (View Game Card)
Griffin Canning (SD) vs ATL (L) – 0.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 40 pitches.
Oh jeez. He was opened for and couldn’t escape the second inning (his first). It was like playing Battleship in front of a mirror – the hits kept coming. You’ve been avoiding him. Keep doing that. (View Game Card)
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) @ WSN (ND) – 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 13 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 104 pitches.
Thirteen strikeouts with a Golden Goal, yet those ratios will make people think Luzardo is bad. Nah, the dude was just unlucky, getting Singled Out massively in the fourth. That’s truly all there is to it. Keep starting him and buy low if someone believes the 4.39 ERA and 1.31 WHIP are here to stay – even including this start, those marks are a 3.23 ERA and 1.26 WHIP after his first four starts of the season. (View Game Card)
Shane Baz (BAL) @ LAA (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches.
This was a bamboozlin’ in the first with a two-run shot off a questionable 3-1 cutter, plus a bit of getting Singled Out in the fifth as the Angels started recognizing the curveball down in the zone. He’s the same guy he’s been all year, save for actually going BSB with his four-seamer and curveball/cutter to RHB for once. Weird how it works like that. I still have him questionable against the White Sox and Cubs. (View Game Card)
Kodai Senga (NYM) vs CHC (L) – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 98 pitches.
He came out, guns ablazin’ with 97+ mph in the first, then fell off dramatically in the second in a horrific frame of a single, a HBP, two walks that scored a run, a sac fly, and a three-run shot. His Ghost Fork didn’t help, the poor cutter over the heart of the plate in a 1-2 count that became a two-run blast in the fourth definitely didn’t help, and if you’re holding out hope, you shouldn’t. The Mets aren’t even hopeful, moving him to the bullpen after this one. Womp womp. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Jacob deGrom vs. Eury Pérez – There are a ton of great matchups today and I’m favoring Eury’s return to the bump. Please be good…please be good…
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
