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 Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Cooper Criswell (BOS) @ COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 105 pitches.
It’s about dang time the Red Sox let Cooper Criswell go deep into a ball game. The former reliever returned an impressive 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 105 pitches in a Win on Tuesday and I can see y’all looking at his future schedule and starting to consider your options. Just tell us Nick, can we start him against the Mariners or not? Sure, why not.
It wasn’t anything particularly new from Cooper – sinkers for called strikes + sweepers, cutters, and changeups down – and that has been good enough for five frames of production often in the past. The only curiosity is the leash for 100 pitches, outlining how the Red Sox are ready to let him act as a proper starter.
So why not give it a spin against the Mariners. Don’t expect the world, but hot dang is that a rough lineup these days. You should be fine.
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Zack Wheeler (PHI) @ MIN (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 107 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Stop asking me to replace Wheeler with Skubal or Glasnow or Skenes or Sale or your grandmother. IT’S WHEELER DANGIT. That’s my grandmother’s last name. HER TOO.
Randy Vásquez (SDP) @ WSN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 68 pitches.
No, I can’t say that I fully understand how Vásquez is doing this. Two whiffs and a HAISTBMBWT?! are not supposed to land six frames of 0 ER ball…Oh. 68 pitches. The Nationals went up to the plate hacking away and balls found gloves. Seriously, that’s it. H*ck, most of his pitches were right down the middle and this has all the makings of a trap for his next start. Pretty silly to place a trap in Baltimore. THAT’S HOW THEY GET YA.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) vs PHI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 88 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! I had little faith in SWR here and had low expectations for his heater at 93 mph, but here it is, boasting a 32% CSW with six whiffs and plenty of outs. Yes, it was the heater game and I’m giving him the shifty eyes as I’m not sure how he put in the favors to get Koufax on his side here. The BABIP shall be yours. I know, Koufax, I heard you earlier. No need to re-enact it now. Feel free to give it a spin against the Mets, personally, I think SWR is one of those guys I let someone else deal with. He could very well be a solid Toby and help out 12-teamers, but I just don’t quite believe the results thus far + the ceiling is too low.
Lance Lynn (STL) @ PIT (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.
That’s four productive outings across his last five…but that fifth came with 10 ER. Sooooo yeah, have fun with that. I don’t care if he’s throwing 1-2 ticks harder, you can’t trust him.
Colin Rea (MIL) @ CHC (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
Wait, seriously? Rea’s 33% CSW is the King Cole of the night?! Huh. I guess it is mostly fifth starters, but still. Wow. He did well mixing his five pitches with his sweeper stealing the show at 48% CSW. Rea is a Werewolf after all – these nights happen here and there. Not smart to bank on it, of course, especially with Atlanta next.
Shawn Armstrong (TBR) @ TOR (ND) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 34 pitches.
T-Lex came in for three shutout frames after and earned the vulture Win. SQUAWK. Yeah, random cat, just like that! Squawkity Squawk Squawk. How dare he swoop in and act like he’s super valuable in fantasy with randomness and less work. SQUAWK. You tell him!
Tyler Holton (DET) @ CLE (ND) – 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 31 pitches.
You know, one of the best parts of the All-Star Break is the lack of bullpen games until the back end of the rotation hits. Hello, friend. You’re not my friend, guy.
José Soriano (LAA) @ SEA (W) – 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 100 pitches.
I really should have trusted Soriano as the streaming pick. Nah, you should have trusted the Mariners offense. Truth. Your chances of success are stupid good streaming any starter capable of at least five frames against Seattle. Thanks for throwing all the sinker strikes without fear, Soriano.
Jon Gray (TEX) vs CHW (W) – 7.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 80 pitches.
I was skeptical the slider would show up (even against the White Sox) and it most certainly did via 42% CSW across a whopping 52% usage. He was incredibly locked into the pitch, rarely making a mistake with it and nailing the down-and-gloveside corner with ease. Atta boy, now take down the Jays, too. I’m encouraged a bit – we see Gray go on small runs when his slider is cookin‘ like this.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) vs MIL (L) – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 94 pitches.
Not a great K/BB, but Taillon produced against a strong Milwaukee crew by nailing the edges with fastballs, cutters, and sweepers. He’s in the best groove of his 2024 season, but I’d still avoid him in Cin City. Not enough of a ceiling as the strikeouts are likely to be low once again.
Logan Gilbert (SEA) vs LAA (L) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna ace for a diminished Gallows Pole. Cool to see the splitter and curve do some work, while the slider hung out down-and-in-town elegantly. The four-seamer could have been a little better and I wish we saw more cutters, but I’m just getting picky now. Thanks for the solid outing, Gilbert. We needed this one.
Osvaldo Bido (OAK) vs HOU (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 70 pitches.
Many arms could have left this roundup with the Gold Star, but Bido has to take the cake. It’s a Birthday Party in every sense and I’m still in shock. He didn’t even locate well. Some days, Koufax above wants you to Win.
Landon Knack (LAD) vs SFG (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 96 pitches.
Yessss. There’s a lovely cheap Win for Knack as I’m thrilled the Dodgers let him complete the fifth and toss 96 pearls. Landon was chucking 19-20″ iVB four-seamers here and that should turn a few heads as it earned 34% CSW in the process. Lots of BSB energy with curves and sliders underneath, while the changeup was a bit all over the place (and some breakers, too). I was thinking the Dodgers would demote Knack before River (and after Wrobleski), but after this? I have to believe Knack sticks…unless a trade is on its way that sees one of them depart. Or maybe it’s a six-man rotation. Okay, that too. I’m not thrilled about a matchup with the Padres given the wonky secondary feel, but you can certainly do worse.
Luis Gil (NYY) vs NYM (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 91 pitches.
Ohhhhhh. The four-seamer was great at 97/98 at the very top of the zone, the slider earned all the strikes over the plate, and the changeup…well the change went 35% strikes, but the slider and heater! As long as two of the three are cooking, life is good. A legit test is next against the Phillies and I hope he’s ready for it.
Jose Quintana (NYM) @ NYY (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 94 pitches.
Hmmmm. The curve was legit at 43% CSW, the change was a bit too far out of the zone, the four-seamer was scattered out of the zone and the sinker returned a 50% strike rate. He’s close, but not it. He worked around the batters and allowed just one run against a tough lineup – an away sinker to Gleyber was the sole run! Fair, but it isn’t enough to take on Atlanta next. Let’s return for the Angels after that.
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) @ KCR (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 67 pitches.
It was a Still ILL for a guy we weren’t jazzed about before the injury and this doesn’t change much of anything. He’s not fully stretched out and even against the Nationals next, The Bear is likely to stay in hibernation on my waiver wires.
Paul Skenes (PIT) vs STL (L) – 8.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 104 pitches.
Aces gonna dominate and take the loss because baseball is dumb. WHAT. Sorry Koufax, I didn’t mean it. Seriously, should Skenes be SP #1 heading into 2025?
DJ Herz (WSN) vs SDP (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 79 pitches.
Pretty pedestrian for a normally extreme arm. Well, the skills were extreme – poor command across the board – but the results? They had good posture and led the presentation. I can’t believe everyone gets the same grade in a group project. I know, it’s ridiculous. Why don’t they simply have each member of the group submit a breakdown of what work they did on the project? Teaches morality, too, after all. You really don’t even need to hold them to it.
Xzavion Curry (CLE) vs DET (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 62 pitches.
A diminished pitch count + mediocre offerings + opposite a string of Detroit relievers = a forgettable night in Cleveland. I don’t know what you’re talking about. Exactly.
Garrett Crochet (CHW) @ TEX (L) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 74 pitches.
The White Sox are being careful with Crochet as the trade deadline nears, which isn’t too fun for our fantasy squads, of course. This should all pass in a week, and I wouldn’t be shocked if this was his last game pitched for the White Sox – why start him on Sunday if he’s on the trade block?
Kyle Tyler (MIA) vs BAL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 94 pitches.
This was a sandwich you saw when you elected to skip your lunch. Why did Mom even think I would like rye bread?!
José Berríos (TOR) vs TBR (L) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 6 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 97 pitches.
Stop. Rostering. Berríos. This Double Bubble lost its flavor a month ago.
Jordan Hicks (SFG) @ LAD (L) – 3.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
At least he found some strikeouts…? No, he didn’t have splitter or sweeper strikes, thanks for asking. He’s sitting just 94 mph and while this was a start few leaned on, it’s possible you’re favoring a start against Rockie Road next. I don’t love rostering Hicks, but it’s possible that one works out. Not a ringing endorsement. Sure isn’t.
Alec Marsh (KCR) vs ARI (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.
Don’t bog yourself down with Marsh. You deserve better.
Jake Bloss (HOU) @ OAK (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 77 pitches.
Welp, looks like this was a Bloss cause. The slider and sweeper aren’t bad at all, but he needs to throw harder than 92/93 mph and not hurl the ball down the pipe if he expects this to go well. I’d be shocked if the Astros didn’t get help at the deadline for their rotation, which will likely oust Bloss as soon as the next start. Or Verlander. Okay, yes. Him too.
Ty Blach (COL) vs BOS (L) – 2.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 59 pitches.
Blach. We really didn’t expect any different here.
Albert Suárez (BAL) @ MIA (L) – 2.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 60 pitches.
Sooooooo. Whoops. Suárez looked like a strong Win chance here with a history of strikeouts and instead the Marlins bamboozled the fella. With the trade deadline on the horizon, we may not get a whole more of Suárez (maybe Chayce McDermott forces him out, too?) and I think that’s alright with us.
Game of the Day
Robbie Ray vs. Tyler Glasnow – They are both returning from the IL, but one matters a little more than the other. Yeah, the one who I’m actually starting in my leagues.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
Have Questions? – Join my morning Playback.tv livestream! I answer all questions there for free: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday through Friday.
Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)