Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup – Mourning Drew

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.  

Andrew Heaney (TEX) vs DET (L) – 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 101 pitches.

Do I really need to make Andrew Heaney the lede to tell you that you were better off leaving him on the wire? A start against the Tigers seemed like a safe time to start Heaney and yet he threw 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 101 pitches, effectively throwing a pie in your face for ever having any trust in him. Was it cherry? It was infinite without a pattern. That’s the wrong pie. YOU’RE THE WRONG FELIX PIE.

What’s kinda interesting about Heaney is that he’s not completely lost. The four-seamer is still an effective offering, especially when he’s had legit command locating the pitch in the upper half of the zone constantly. In fact, it allowed just two of his six hits in the game. That’s right, he threw 70% fastballs and allowed the same number of hits on his 19% slider and 11% changeup, each. Well that’s a problem. 

If Heaney can actually execute the BSB and get his sliders and changeups in the bottom third of the box or underneath it, then he could give you one of those patented 10+ strikeout evenings with regularity. Until I see it, I heavily advise putting yourself in harm’s way.

 

Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:

 

Justin Verlander (NYM) vs MIL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 100 pitches.

We’ll take it, even if his slider had just a 10% whiff rate and the four-seamer + curve were a bit wild, leading to 100 pitches in just 15 outs. I don’t have the highest expectations for Verlander this year and yet, that’s completely fine given the dearth of studs this year.

Reid Detmers (LAA) vs CWS (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 105 pitches.

Well HELLO THERE The slider once again was the slower offering (2 mph down, more vertical drop) and it did great things at 33% CSW while we FINALLY saw the four-seamer return the whiffs I thought it would get with its improved locations and velocity. We’re talking 9/45 whiffs on four-seamers and I absolutely adore it. Now here’s the thing – the White Sox aren’t the strongest of offenses (save for Luis Robert Jr. hitting yet another HR on a pretty solid up-and-in heater) and now Detmers gets the Padres, which may be the proper test. We’re obviously starting him and hoping for the best. Hold me.

Spencer Strider (ATL) vs MIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 26 Whiffs, 42% CSW, 100 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. I’m glad we can all move on from the ridiculousness that was 13 ER in two starts that had y’all coming at with pitchforks for some reason. He should be #1 again. I agree whole-heartedly and I doubt that his weekend start against the Marlins will do anything but amplify his case even further.

Colin Rea (MIL) @ NYM (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 86 pitches.

Enjoy the Gold Star ya wannabe Toby. The fella threw strikes, the Mets took many of them, then hit them into gloves. How kind of the Mets, I only wish they would tell us beforehand next time. It makes the Pirates + Cubs a tempting pair of streams, though I’d be shocked if he came close to matching this ceiling. He tallied 15 ER in four of his previous five games and it’s not a great chance to take. Questionable start? Yeah, probably. Oh, Probably Start? No, I’m just confirming–Tier 3. He’s Tier 3. Got it.

Dylan Cease (CWS) @ LAA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 99 pitches.

Yeah, he’s back. That’s three starts now of slider dominance and I don’t think we need to see more. Sure, he’ll likely have a relapse of an outing here and there and I’m not giving him the AGA tag yet, but yeah, he’s back.

Cole Irvin (BAL) vs CIN (ND) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 45 pitches.

A two hour rain delay cut this one short for Irvin and I hate everything. He was looking great, but he’s still not stretched out and we’re still waiting for the right time to consider Irvin. One day…

Matthew Boyd (DET) @ TEX (ND) – 0.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 15 pitches.

Boyd left this one with elbow pain. Sigh. Poor guy.

Luis Castillo (SEA) vs WSH (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 103 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. That heater is still incredible and I’ll keep dreaming for his changeup to be the 20%+ SwStr rate of the past instead of the 2/21 whiffs it had here. He could have had it all…

Sonny Gray (MIN) @ ATL (L) – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 102 pitches.

This was a Careful, Icarus with a solo shot + another HR once Sonny was removed. Womp womp. I’ve been all kinds of concerned about Sonny across the last month and to see his curve go 46% CSW, his cutter return a 50% clip, and the slider lead the way at 27% usage makes me more encouraged than I thought I’d be after a start against Atlanta. This was solid and I’m all for starting him against Walltimore next.

Trevor Williams (WSH) @ SEA (ND) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 83 pitches.

Womp womp. He played his game as he usually does – changeups and sliders low with fastballs darting north and south – and in the end, it’s still just T-Ells.

Brandon Williamson (CIN) @ BAL (L) – 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 67 pitches.

More like Brandoff Williamsoff. I’m really proud of you, Nick. Don’t be. There was a rain delay that ended this one early, but honestly, the performance itself could have been the answer.

 

Game of the Day

 

Sandy Alcantara vs. Garrett Whitlock – I’m going to enjoy this so much. But Sandy hasn’t been good! Hasn’t is the key word there.

But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.

Have Questions? – Join my morning Twitch livestream! I answer all questions there for free: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday through Friday.

Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)