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.
Ian Seymour (TBR) vs BOS (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 55 pitches.
I don’t think I’m alone in my shock that Ian Seymour was denied a proper start all season until last night’s 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 55 pitches (ND) against the Red Sox. While his short tenure as a starter last season was tumultuous, his ability to command his four-seamer and changeup turned him into a SWATCH, providing value despite minimal 91/92 mph velocity. With Steven Matz demoted to the pen, it appears Seymour is getting his audition as a starter, and it’s important to monitor.
The two-pitch combo of four-seamer and changeup is still very much alive, but now he’s come into his sweeper, featuring it against RHB 28% of the time after refusing to touch it last year, while his cutter has completely disappeared from the mix. I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of removing the pitch, but the sweeper was highly effective to both LHB and RHB, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he started tinkering with the cutter down the road if he gets the runway he deserves inside the rotation.
Seymour isn’t confirmed for another start at the moment, but without a follower in this one, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rays elected to lean on Seymour over Mason Englert for Sunday’s outing in Anaheim. Given his limited ceiling, it’s not worthwhile to be proactive and snatch him now in hopes for a 60-65 pitch outing without a ton of upside. However, keep Seymour on the menu, as long as Tampa Bay does, too. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Miles Mikolas (WSH) @ SFG (L) – 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 54 pitches.
Oh look at this guy, nearly earning a Win, but his bullpen ruined the chance the moment he left the game. That’s literally all I’ve got to share with you. He’s not worth our time. Is my poetry worth your time? Probably not. Do trees cry when they read the paper? … … … Definitely not worth our time. (View Game Card)
Logan Webb (SFG) vs WSN (ND) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 99 pitches.
I was tempted to lead with Webb and this King Cole to outline how the dude is back, but you can just look at the line and know he’s back. I don’t want to. Just look at it. Tell me what to think! Webb is a great Holly and it looks like a path to becoming AGA again. THANK YOU. Was that so hard? Yes, typing these words takes time, you know. (View Game Card)
Emerson Hancock (SEA) @ BAL (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 92 pitches.
He really is Warren. We’re up to 47% fastballs and a 7.6″ vert four-seamer (lol), but duuuuuude, that sinker! -0.8″ vert! That’s a real sinker, even with his absurdly low arm angle and you know me, I get kinda excited about those. A true groundballer who could soak up innings and flirt with some whiffability in a time of HRs. But not Soriano or Valdez? That’s different. Velocity is king there, while this has solid 95 mph zip and elite drop. It’s unique and fun, y’all. Let me have this. (View Game Card)
Walker Buehler (SDP) vs CIN (ND) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 86 pitches.
The velocity gains have disappeared and it’s still a whole lot of kitchen-sink action with six different pitches thrown to each LHB and RHB. It’s just so blegh. (View Game Card)
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) @ TOR (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 107 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I made him SP #3 yesterday and I’m glad there wasn’t a List curse involved, earning a Gallows Pole here. I gotta say, this stretch has been absolutely unreal, with the biggest shock not being the ER or the strikeouts, but the fact that he hasn’t returned more than six hits in any of his last eight games. He’s used to averaging close to a hit per inning, but we’ve seen a 5.6 hit/9 in this stretch and that is unreal. A little too unreal. Then again, he’s upped his SwStr rate to a stupid high 18% in his last seven and that’s obviously a major reason why. Absolutely awesome. (View Game Card)
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) vs HOU (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 92 pitches.
Wow, this stream actually worked?! But it was a Do Not Start! All three of his secondaries held at least a 15% SwStr rate (not bad!) but the strikes were still hard to come by. The slowball is turning into his favorite of the rew and I’m completely cool with that given its 13+ mph velo difference from the four-seamer, but you gotta get a better feel for it than 54% strikes and 4/25 whiffs for me to get amped in the slightest. (View Game Card)
Connelly Early (BOS) @ TBR (L) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
Blegh. This was a struggle. Sinkers, changeups, and sliders all failed to return regular strikes (the latter pair each held a 43% strike rate), while his big hook was spiked twice in the dirt and never seen again. I’m a bit shocked to see so many 3+ walk games thus far from Early (this was his fifth in thirteen starts), though I don’t want to overlook that even including this outing, he holds a 26% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate across his last six starts, including two against Hotlanata. We ride. (View Game Card)
Will Warren (NYY) @ CLE (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 91 pitches.
It was 100% LHB, which meant the changeup had to show up. Oddly enough, I think Warren had legit feel for the pitch as it gravitated the down-and-away corner all game, but the results betrayed him- 0/18 whiffs and 56% strikes. His four-seamer didn’t miss bats, either, and it was a grind. For this to be a below-average outing but not a flat-out poor outing is something you shouldn’t take for granted. (View Game Card)
Spencer Arrighetti (HOU) @ LAA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 95 pitches.
He got out of the first on six pitches, then needed thirty-four to escape a three-run second that included one HBP, two walks, and three hits. He adjusted well by pulling back on the unreliable curve to focus on the sweeper and slider (savant, get it together, there are two different pitches!), which did a fantastic job taking down RHB. I’ll take this PQS with seven punchouts, with the hope that the Pasta Pirate will let his arsenal cook a little more. He has the weapons, just spice it up a little more than four-seamer + curve and it should go better than this in Kansas City on Sunday. (View Game Card)
Andrew Abbott (CIN) @ SDP (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 101 pitches.
A PQS with a 1.00 WHIP and six strikeouts is solid in my book. Abbott’s changeup lived away or under the zone to RHB, with heaters finding the top half often for a fantastic 76% strike rate, and the sweeper did what it needed to do against the rare left-handed opponent. Consider him a Toby against the Sneks, who you’d skip for the Yankees after. (View Game Card)
Gavin Williams (CLE) vs NYY (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.
Remember how all my love for Williams was rooted in his high strike rates? And how I expected him to throw more four-seamers instead of sinkers this time out? Yeah, none of that happened, with a 54% strike rate on his sinker, just 10% four-seamer usage (0% to RHB!), and sweepers returning strikes at a ghastly 47% clip. And yet, I have some good news. You just saved a bunch of mon–Gavin sat TWO TICKS UP. We’re talking 98/99 mph four-seamers, y’all. But it doesn’t matter how hard you throw ball four. I hate how that actually applies right now. Fine, more good news. His curveball was featured more than usual to LHB and was fantastic at a near 80% strike rate. This was a weird outing, and not one I’d hold against him. It does mean I can’t consider him an ace, though. Two chances against the Pinstripes (without Judge!) and he didn’t pull it off. (View Game Card)
Trey Gibson (BAL) vs SEA (L) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 68 pitches.
I added Gibson to the end of The List yesterday before this outing and, uh, not great. You got a pure Wonka without a single strikeout (HAISTBMBWT?!) and even his seven feet of extension fell down two clicks. He’s likely not starting again and you should move on from Gibson until he showcases the elite breakers that made scouts excited. (View Game Card)
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) vs MIL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 99 pitches.
No sunshine and rainbows in Vegas. Can’t say I’d have started him in Sacré Verde, either. Or anywhere else. (View Game Card)
Patrick Corbin (TOR) vs PHI (L) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 79 pitches.
You know, he didn’t pitch as poorly as this looks. Sure, the fastballs returned far too few strikes and that was his bane at the end of the day, but he nibbled and didn’t give in over the plate, while the cutter, slider, and changeup were awfully good. Shockingly close to a fantastic outing here, except for the whole 43% strike rate across 35 fastballs, thing. He’ll get the Yankees next, so let’s just ignore this for now. I should also note that Simeon Woods Richardson made his debut for the Jays in the fifth frame, returning a sparkling line of 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 48 pitches (ND). And guess what? He was at 94 mph with plenty more cut and fantastic sliders down and arm-side to RHB. Whoa, is he suddenly good again? Nah, this was a small sample of sub-50 pitches, likely creating the velocity boost + the adrenaline for pitching for his new (and original but never debuted) squad. I wouldn’t be shocked if he moved into a starter role in the near future to replace Corbin or whenever another injury pops up. And even then, I’m very much not interested. (View Game Card)
Kyle Harrison (MIL) @ ATH (ND) – 2.1 IP, 8 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 71 pitches.
Sooooo Vegas, baby. That place is the dumbest of dumb. Because of the absurdity of its dimensions and elevated height that creates HRs when they should be can of corn outs, right? No, because of the TERRIBLE CAMERA ANGLE. Nick. Okay, and the stupidity of the park. It didn’t help Harrison that his curveball and changeup feel were off, but that could be blamed on the elevation messing up their movement, which could also explain why so many of his heaters landed down low. It’s so obviously horrible pitching there, just ignore this start entirely and carry on. What about his AGA label? No aces can be found here. IN VEGAS?! (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Zack Wheeler vs. Dylan Cease – WHAT YEAR IS IT?!
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)
