Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Wednesday 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.
Quinn Priester (MIL) @ SEA (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches.
I have to sit down and chat with y’all once again about Quinn Priester. He put on another show in Seattle on Wednesday for seven frames, returning 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches (W) and it wasn’t even a good day. Sure, the slider was very effective per usual, but I wasn’t impressed by the cutter as I was against the Dodgers (50% strikes ain’t it), while the sinker had a ton of Koufax love at just a 57% strike rate. It was a whole lot of blinking and wondering how he was suddenly in the seventh frame with just two runs to his name.
But yet, Priester has done that a lot. Save for one unfortunate game against the Marlins at the start of July and a day of getting Singled Out by the Twins, Priester has produced consistently since early May. This was his ninth game in eleven starts with 2 ER or fewer. That’s incredible. Priester held a 2.52 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across his last thirteen starts since May 7th before this outing and all I can say is “Go ahead and Vargas Rule it all you want.” It’s also nice to know he can have the kind of command he had against the Dodgers last week, too.
I’d be shocked if it were to last throughout the second half and I’d even be cautious next time out against the Cubs. In fact, it’s CHC, @ATL, PIT, @CHC up next, making just one outing that is a clear “start” in my book. And yet, I get it. You simply can’t stop starting a guy with this kind of run.
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Nick Lodolo (CIN) @ WSN (W) – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 105 pitches.
This was AWESOME. Despite missing off the corner with his changeup a bit, the slowball earned a handful of outs on the pitch and beautifully set up his four-seamer and sinker above it for consistent called strikes, while the curveball was effective over the plate. I still wish he had a better feel to get the pitch down-and-in in previous years, creating the textbook backfoot breaker for punchouts with two-strikes (it’s the biggest reason for his strikeout decline this year!), but I’ll take this. LHB were simple – curveballs away they could barely handle and fastballs inside to jam them. He’s in the best groove of his career. Enjoy that King Cole.
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs SDP (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 98 pitches.
NICK! You must be AMPED! I, um, can’t. WHAT. I’ve said it many times – Alcantara has to jam batters with heaters and overwhelm with changeups. This game was Dancing With The Disco via a 75% strike rate slider and 48% zone rate curveball for roughly half his pitches. The changeup was still very inconsistent at 52% strikes, while the heaters were thrown hard (98.7 mph average four-seamer velo), they aren’t commanded quite right. Simply put, Alcantara returned just two outs in play on changeups and fastballs to RHB in this one. That’s not it. I find it hard to buy into a sustainable Sandy that is ultra curve + slider focused (5/47 whiffs between them is not dominance). But fine, he goes to St. Louis next and that could very well work out for him.
Tanner Gordon (COL) vs STL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 96 pitches.
Despite two first names, Gordon came through in Coors for a Win. That’s a shocking outing and almost worthy of a prize of some kind. But no, you shouldn’t do this. Of course. His slider returned seven outs in play off just 28 thrown. A 25% OUT% is stupid high.
Justin Verlander (SFG) @ ATL (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 98 pitches.
YES. Verlander walked the bases loaded in the first and escaped, and walked Olson two more times across the game (yes, 0-0, 3 BBs against Matty lol) for that ghastly walk total, and with that out of the way, Verlander was what we wanted him to be. The slider and curve were great down-and-away to RHB with four-seamers at 95 mph upstairs (BSB!), while he attacked LHB effectively with changeups in the mix. It was obviously a little more wild than usual, but the velocity is there, the approach is there, and now he gets the Pirates twice in a row with the Win monkey off his back. SIGN. ME. UP.
Bailey Falter (PIT) vs DET (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 87 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! A Gold Star for Falter with eight strikeouts and a gorgeous set of ratios for a dub against the Tigers, as the Tampa Bay front office leans forward in their chair. Great to see Falter have some success with his slider away to LHB and the curveball generally down to RHB, but, as always, his four-seamer is the winner (and maybe got help from a sinker finding the zone a fair amount, too). Not actually the greatest commanded four-seamer we’ve seen and I wonder if he can nail it perfectly upstairs in the future. By the way, he’s at 93.3 mph with 7.3 feet extension and 18″ of vert with a 1.2 HAVAA on that four-seamer, making it a 114 Fan4+. That’s hot.
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) vs MIN (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 12 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 106 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. 19 whiffs for a Gallows Pole across seven gorgeous frames and of course, without a Win. True Glasnow style. I think he’s back, y’all.
Brandon Walter (HOU) @ ARI (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 82 pitches.
Ohhhh daaaaang! Walter had a tough matchup and crushed it against RHB by living around the edges to with his four-seamer, cutter, and changeup, allowing his sweeper to coast over the plate for 6/14 called strikes, while LHB had their regular struggles lefty-on-lefty with breakers and running sinkers. This is the man we want Walter to be and this is gorgeous before a trio of starts against the Nationals, Marlins, and Sawx away from Fenway. The man is Walter Bright.
Chris Paddack (MIN) @ LAD (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 78 pitches.
I brought Paddack far down The List in preparation for this outing and a Win was stripped away from him in the bottom of the ninth after Paddack cruised with heaters and changeups pestering LHB all game. There wasn’t that much different here vs. a typical Paddack start, though the heavier zone rate on his changeup down-and-away to LHB certainly helped his cause. I guess we’re rolling with him hosting the Red Sox up next.
Michael Soroka (WSN) vs CIN (L) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 88 pitches.
The Reds Carpet is just such a walk in the park. Into the park. Yes. That. And Soroka didn’t even have great command with an atrocious 24% NC Rate. Given his acclaim against RHB via the big hook and heaters, @HOU should be a start to circle, while vs. ATH and @SFG after should be embraced as well.
Patrick Corbin (TEX) vs ATH (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 69 pitches.
The Athletics really are weak away from Sacré Verde, eh? Props to Corbin for adjusting to sinkers and cutters when the slider wasn’t getting the job done and you may be shocked to see a strikeout via one of his six changeups + six on the sinker. Yes, none on cutters or sliders. Welp, he gets the Angels next and you absolutely can’t risk it.
Sean Manaea (NYM) vs LAA (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 82 pitches.
He struck out the side to kick off the game (followed by a Nimmo HR in the Mets’ first AB, marking the most ideal “First Four PA Outcomes For The Home Team” in baseball), and everything seems normal…except for his four-seamer velocity dipping down to 90.3 mph. Uhhhh. Not great. He sat 86-89 mph after the third inning and he may have been pushed too much too fast. We keep starting him unless there’s an update, though.
JP Sears (ATH) @ TEX (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 82 pitches.
Whoa whoa whoa. Sears can actually command his four-seamer now?! This was the dream heater experience, taking advantage of its flat 1.5 HAVAA and sitting in the upper half and jamming inside to RHB all game for a 31% CSW and 7/32 whiffs, which let the sweeper feast inside the zone for incessant strikes. We’re talking a 78% strike rate with a 52% CSW. Mmmmmm that’s the good stuff. The changeup didn’t get the return he hoped for, but even that was located just under the zone far better than we’ve seen. Wow. This was the single best start I’ve watched from Sears. Maybe it’s time to jump in against the Mariners. But Sacré Verde! Yeah, I wish it weren’t the case.
Brock Burke (LAA) @ NYM (ND) – 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 13 pitches.
I went to this game at Citi Field and all I thought was “Wow, there’s nothing like going to the park and watching a bullpen game.”
Seth Lugo (KCR) @ CHC (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 95 pitches.
Atta boy Lugo, way to come through even with a tough matchup. Keep starting the underappreciated Holly, y’all.
Slade Cecconi (CLE) vs BAL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 85 pitches.
Okay Slade Brigade, keep running with this Vargas Rule. I’ll point to a 55% strike four-seamer and two strikeouts as a sign of heavy caution.
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs HOU (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 89 pitches.
Pfaadt saw far more LHB than expected against the Astros and I’m shocked to tell you he allowed just one hit on 35 pitches to them, with four on 54 pitches to RHB. that sweeper wasn’t as effective as he wanted it to be, and I think he got away with a fair amount to LHB with his few changeups, cutters, and sweepers, but hey, he made it work in the end. It’s not the package that makes me push to keep him rostered with Detroit up next, but the Padres + Rockie Road make a much better argument. Up to you, don’t feel that you have to go with this.
Zach Eflin (BAL) @ CLE (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 84 pitches.
We got some great pitch separation from Eflin and you should feel fine with him moving forward…once he’s past the Jays and Cubs. We saw the whole arsenal to LHB and it’s classic Eflin.
Dylan Cease (SDP) @ MIA (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 95 pitches.
An oddly tame line from Cease. On a night without ultra dominance, let’s be thankful it was decent.
Chris Bassitt (TOR) vs NYY (W) – 7.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 94 pitches.
Pretty awesome to see Bassitt in the eighth under 100 pitches, thanks to his sinker looking like the classic poster child of efficiency. I think he got away with many sinkers down the pipe + a lack of dominance with his secondaries (mainly the curve and cutter), but he’s showcasing himself as a decent Win chance option with @BAL and KCR up next.
Luis Castillo (SEA) vs MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.
The Brewers had a game plan to attack his heater and they did just that. Three unearned runs were also included as Castillo was Singled Out and this may have exposed the book on Castillo for future games. The secondaries are not the weapons they used to be. I’d be cautious with Sacré Verde next time out.
Spencer Strider (ATL) vs SFG (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 104 pitches.
Blegh. The first frame was a journey and we had some Careful, Icarus here with four shutout frames getting wasted on two HRs in the fifth. This was a prime example of a start that showcases Strider’s major flaw – his four-seamer. It was a game without slider dominance (4/26 whiffs, 58% strikes), forcing 63% four-seamers, which were generally okay, but at 95/96 mph and missing two inches of vert, it didn’t miss bats and didn’t get chases. It’s a great schedule ahead, sure, but I’d still sell high if I could.
Max Fried (NYY) @ TOR (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna blegh. I think we really need to consider sitting arms in Toronto heavily. Not aces like Fried and this was not his best work without the efficiency he usually brings to the table and some suspect Yankee defense, but there’s something in the water there.
Taj Bradley (TBR) vs CHW (ND) – 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 55 pitches.
This start sent Bradley to Triple-A with Joe Boyle expected to take his spot moving forward. Or Bailey Falter. IT’S GONNA HAPPEN, I FEEL IT IN MY BONES. You can give Boyle a shot if you like, I worry he’s a PEAS and the early schedule of @NYY + LAD makes it an easy pass for now. But if he’s still there for @SEA and @SFG after, then we might be cooking.
Colin Rea (CHC) vs KCR (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 82 pitches.
Ah dangit. This looked like a solid stream on paper and Rea didn’t have his best, with a pair of two-run shots messing him up. So it goes, at least the future schedule is still great with @MIL, CIN, @STL, PIT. I’d hold.
Andre Pallante (STL) @ COL (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 97 pitches.
Yep. That’s about right.
Jonathan Cannon (CHW) @ TBR (ND) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.
Ah, sorry boys, no Overture tonight–wait. 18 whiffs?! Nine strikeouts?! How? HOW?! Sir, the Rays couldn’t hit his fastball in two-strike counts. But it’s sub 94 mph with poor extension, vert, and a steep attack angle. I don’t know what to tell you, sir. 10/32 whiffs and seven punchouts on the pitch. LEAVE ME. Stares at Cannon’s profile pic You sly rascal, I’ll figure you out some day, if it’s the last thing I do…
Lucas Giolito (BOS) @ PHI (ND) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 57 pitches.
He was bamboozled for three runs on two blasts in the first, with a third solo shot from Castellanos later in the game. That’s pretty much it, I was a bit scared of this start and the last one for Giolito, but things should be better moving forward @MIN, KCR, @SDP, MIA. I’m holding on. And the changeup? The slider? Well, the former was thrown just seven times for whatever reason (I don’t understand 17% usage to LHB AT ALL) and the slider was fantastic to RHB at 7/15 whiffs and 54% usage…save for a longball. This is all fine to stick with it.
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) vs BOS (ND) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 2 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.
He had the bases loaded with two outs in the fifth and threw a horrible 1-1 changeup over the plate that was served over the fence for a grand slam. I feel like that sums up Luzardo perfectly. That one pitch took this from a 5 IP, 2 ER, 1 Hit, 5 BBs, 7 Ks outing to the stain above. But the five walks! Yeah, that’s absolutely fair. It’s not like he was bliss before it, more that it’s such a thin line between a clear hold and a drop. I’m blaming the walks on his changeup having such an off day and his four-seamer failing to step up when it needed to. I’m lowering Luzardo again next week due to this absurd volatility, though his highs are much higher than your standard HIPSTER. This is the same Luzardo of old, isn’t it. Sure feels that way, doesn’t it? At least the sweeper is better than the old slider.
Troy Melton (DET) @ PIT (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 90 pitches.
You see the ratios and you’re upset I could ever put him inside the Top 65. But if you watched this, you’ll see it was a solo shot + grand slam in his first two innings, while the slider went 8/24 whiffs as Melton pumped a 97 mph four-seamer at 7.1 feet of extension and a 1.3 HAVAA, while generally keeping it upstairs with his sinker landing underneath. Oh snap. Yep. There’s legit promise here and this is why we don’t start pitchers in MLB debuts. If he’s sticking around, then it’s Arizona + Twins and I don’t love that, but I think he’ll be better than this. That fastball is a great foundation + he has a large and worthwhile supporting cast – there’s even a splitter saved for strikeouts, y’all. IT’S HOW IT SHOULD BE.
Game of the Day
Yu Darvish vs. Sonny Gray – It’s a fantastic matchup and I hope Darvish finds his feel.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photos by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire and Divazus Fabric Store | Featured image by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X) and adapted by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)
