Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup – Webb And Flow

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.  

Logan Webb (SF) vs SEA (ND) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 11 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 100 pitches.

I figured we should have a check-in on Logan Webb as I haven’t talked about him a whole lot this year after his slider failed to return to its former glory. He had one of those major strikeout games against the Mariners tonight –  6.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 11 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 100 pitches  – and you’re wondering if it means he’s turning the corner.

Probably not. Sure, the slider had itself a night, but not in the way you think. Its 48% CSW was fueled by 13/31 called strikes, not whiffs, as the changeup once again was the winner here. Still, if Webb has suddenly figured out how to go 31% sliders and turn into a 67% changeup/slider guy, that may spell some of this strikeout consistency.

But the wise ones among you may have already deduced Oh, it’s the Mariners, they strike out a ton and I’m inclined to side with you. He’s not destined for a near 30% strikeout rate second half.

 

Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:

 

Blake Snell (SD) vs LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 100 pitches.

Hi, thanks for picking up, my name is Snake Bell. Can you please direct me to the strike zone? Yes, I’ll hold. Seriously, look at this plot. He tossed 100 pitches and had a 30% zone rate. That’s absolutely bonkers. When you’re hot, you’re hot, I guess. Nothing quite like a 1.80 WHIP with a 0.00 ERA, am I right? It’s such a wild stretch where he’s so clearly not at his peak and yet it doesn’t quite matter, kinda like that random kid in class who doesn’t do a lick of work but still somehow gets an A. It’s so bizarre.

Michael Grove (LAD) vs PIT (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 79 pitches.

The slider is still ridiculous and hey! He got his four-seamers upstairs! How did they do? Ummmm, 15% CSW? Okay fine, he has just one good pitch, but maybe it’s two! His curve had a 36% CSW! And a 43% strike rate. OKAY FINE GROVE ISN’T GOOD.

Bryce Elder (ATL) @ CLE (W) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 92 pitches.

Despite a HAISTBMBWT?! Elder gave you a Win and a solid ERA. Be thankful for what he has somehow done over three months thus far. That’s a 2.45 ERA over 102.2 IP and I legit can’t believe it.

Tyler Wells (BAL) @ NYY (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.

Wells starts a game and you start him. It’s that easy y’all, don’t question this. But his command was far worse here. I SAID DON’T QUESTION IT.

Joe Ryan (MIN) vs KC (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 39% CSW, 94 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. That’s a Golden Goal for Ryan as he had a better slider in this one with 45% CSW across 20 thrown, and the four-seamer also did what it was supposed to do. The splitter went 50% strikes, but sat low for the most part, keeping batters honest enough on the four-seamer and voila, there’s your dominance. Works for me.

Bryan Woo (SEA) @ SF (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.

The four-seamer really is just that good. 10/49 whiffs here with a 45% CSW and not a whole lot else. Sure, some sinkers, a collection of cutters and sliders, and 4/5 strikes with changeups, but the four-seamer is the crux of it all, and with Woo pounding them upstairs with a near 20% SwStr rate, things are pretty dang wonderful.

Luke Weaver (CIN) @ WSH (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 15% CSW, 85 pitches.

This is a great outing from Weaver. But he held a 1.40 WHIP with just two strikeouts. I know. Oh. Yeah. WHY IS THERE A GIANT ANTHROPOMORPHIC PITCHER BURSTING THROUGH MY WALL.

Domingo Germán (NYY) vs BAL (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 86 pitches.

Ah, so Germán was able to take a loan on outs in his previous game and paid his debt against the Orioles. The curve is still great, the other stuff is not, and there’s really nothing new here.

Jake Irvin (WSH) vs CIN (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 89 pitches.

The velocity was only a tick up (not two), but he’s getting curveballs into the zone now (9/28 called strikes!) and that’s a good thing. I wish that heater was still 95 mph, though. I feel like this was the last hurrah, especially with the overall command being pretty dang mediocre. It was fun Irvin. Maybe. A little. An accidental spark from a falling piece of flint. It was never meant to start a fire.

Braxton Garrett (MIA) vs STL (ND) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.

That’s a Philly and one of the more mediocre outings we’ve seen from Garrett during his hot stretch. The new cutter is to blame as it returned just 20% CSW and didn’t jam right-handers as well as we normally see. Meanwhile, the sinker leaked out a bit and got hit more than expected. It wasn’t his best, but we still start him against the Phils next.

Austin Cox (KC) @ MIN (ND) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 81 pitches.

You know, it was 7/46 four-seamer whiffs at a 41% CSW…nah. Still kinda cool though. The perfect arm for a team to trade for and turn him into a stud overnight with a new secondary pitch (curveball went 14% CSW and cutter 8%…yuck) while emphasizing the high heater.

Drew Smyly (CHC) @ MIL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 73 pitches.

Smyly’s curve just hasn’t been the pitch we saw late last season and in April and May. We wait for its resurrection and until then, we prepare the world as such an event would be BONKERS.

Miles Mikolas (STL) @ MIA (ND) – 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 96 pitches.

Even against Miami, Mikolas isn’t worth your time. Those two high strikeout games back-to-back really messed some of y’all up, didn’t it?

Gavin Williams (CLE) vs ATL (L) – 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.

Guys, Atlanta is hot like no other. You cannot judge starters against them right now. Start Gavin against the Royals and forget this ever happened. But his fastball was down a tick! I don’t care, he tossed good sliders and curves and the four-seamer command wasn’t so bad. He lived around the zone and that’s all we can really ask of him in his third career start.

Jaime Barría (LAA) @ SD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 87 pitches.

So Barría decided to throw a much harder slider here, turning his 85.4 mph breaker into an 87.8 mph offering, looking more like a cutter with less vertical and horizontal break, and it kinda worked for 7/49 whiffs and 33% CSW across over half of his pitches. The problem is, he hung a trio of them, while the four-seamer ain’t that great, and even on an 0-2 pitch up-and-in to Xander Bogaerts, it was walloped for a longball. The stuff just isn’t good enough to trust.

Mitch Keller (PIT) @ LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 101 pitches.

Ummmmm, Mitch sat 1-3 ticks down on everything. We’re talking about 2.5 ticks on cutters and sliders, while both fastballs were 1.5 ticks down. Is that bad? YES THAT’S BAD. He still had some solid command, but this has to add a little wrinkle to the whole “what Keller is doing is awfully weird” feeling I’ve had all season. Once again, I have no idea what to make of it (41% CSW sinkers despite the velocity drop) and I guess we still start him against Arizona…? Right?

Julio Teheran (MIL) vs CHC (ND) – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 93 pitches.

The seven strikeouts are a nice little final surprise from Teheran as he’s so obviously done with his Vargas Rule. Please don’t.

Martín Pérez (TEX) vs HOU (ND) – 1.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 14% CSW, 57 pitches.

I didn’t judge Pérez on The List today for this start. Why? Because we don’t start a Toby against the Astros. This isn’t his role.

Cristian Javier (HOU) @ TEX (ND) – 4.1 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 88 pitches.

Yeah. I don’t like judging pitchers harshly when they face elite offenses, but this deserves scrutinization. His movement down The List today included this nightmare as the fastball once again lost vertical movement and failed to miss bats (just 4/53 whiffs). With a worse fastball and a slider that still struggles to find strikes (50% strike rate), Jaiver is in a real bad place at the moment and I’m not sure I know when he’ll climb out of it. He doesn’t have the elongated track record of some of the other arms who entered the season inside the Top 30 SP and I feel like you have to hold. I totally understand if you can’t, though. Come on Nick, it can’t be that bad. Then hold onto him if you like. I’m giving you a shrug through the monitor right now – I have no idea what’s on the next page.

 

Game of the Day

 

JP Sears vs. Tarik Skubal – Sure Sears, whatever, but Skubal! He’s back! That’s so cool!

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.

Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)