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 Twitch.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Ian Seymour (TBR) vs NYY (W) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 12 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 94 pitches.
Since getting fully stretched out as a starter, Ian Seymour has looked pretty awesome. Following a pair of excellent starts against the Royals in which he allowed just one run across 12.2 innings with 15 strikeouts, he took his game to another level on Tuesday.
In a real test of his mettle, Seymour took on the Bronx Bombers in the Trop and dominated via 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 12 Ks – 17 whiffs, 36% CSW, 94 pitches (W). The dozen strikeouts were a career-high as Seymour announced his presence as a SWATCH to give your attention.
When Seymour was first getting stretched out, it was unclear how committed the Rays were to having him stick in the rotation for the long run. That question never needed to be answered, as he gave the club no choice but to keep starting him. Since extending beyond 80 pitches for the first time, Seymour has a 2.74 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and a 36% strikeout rate in four starts.
We’ve seen him do this before, when he closed out 2025 in the Rays rotation, but he’s looking more electric this year. The biggest change has been the improvement of his sweeper. It was a pitch he threw just 5% of the time last year, but it’s been an integral part of his repertoire in 2026 as he’s thrown it 24% of the time and increased its usage to cover a third of his offerings on Tuesday.
The breaker pairs excellently with his signature four-seamer and changeup combo, not only giving him a legit weapon for LHB, but also providing another option when either of his one-two punch isn’t dominating. We’ve seen his changeup feel waver recently, failing to eclipse 55% strikes in his last three starts. Coincidentally, those have been his best starts of the year thanks to his sweeper stepping up with an 18% SwStr% and 35% CSW.
It’s a dastardly three-pitch mix that gives Seymour a chance against any lineup. The only knocks against him right now are the low strike rates on his changeup and his heaters sitting in the low-90s. The slowball has been a key component of his arsenal throughout his career, and it held a 65% strike rate in 43.1 innings before this stretch, so we should expect the feel to click back into place at any moment, making his ceiling even higher. As for the heaters, he offsets the low velo with elite 19″ of iVB (up an inch from last year), making it a pitch that excels when located upstairs
Having dominated in his litmus test start, we can trust Seymour moving forward. He should be rostered everywhere while his trio of pitches is cooking. He’s a must-start vs SEA next. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Matthew Boyd (CHC) @ BAL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
The Boyd Boyz are going to be happy about this one. He finally got his heaters upstairs and threw his breakers for strikes. I say finally like it’s been forever, but it feels like it given we had to wait forever for him to return from the IL. Four-seamers weren’t always upstairs, and there’s still polish left to find on his curve, but changeups stayed low, and sliders were beautiful vs LHB. He’s back to being a SWATCH, and we can start him comfortably @CIN next. (View Game Card)
Payton Tolle (BOS) @ CHW (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 91 pitches.
Don’t be surprised by Tolle’s success. He’s a Cherry Bomb after all. Yeah, he allowed six runs in his last start, but do you remember what he did the start prior? Threw a bunch of fastballs? Well…yeah, but he also tossed seven shutout frames. The southpaw will continue to throw his Ras Pack (maybe focusing too much on four-seamers) with starts that alternate between elation and frustration. The season-long line will be worth rostering, just set your expectations now so you don’t get disappointed if he flounders next time out. (View Game Card)
Joey Cantillo (CLE) @ MIN (L) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 94 pitches.
Cantillo is still throwing hard, still focusing on curveballs, and still finding more success than he’s had all year. The 1.80 WHIP here isn’t ideal but can be blamed on five of his six hits being seeing-eye singles, as well as the three walks that were a result of non-four-seamers returning sub-60% strikes. We’ll take the Dusty Donut as he gave us a pristine ERA (thanks to two unearned runs) and seven strikeouts. In five starts since becoming a new man, Cantillo has a 1.55 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 28% strikeout rate. The schedule remains easy moving forward, so keep starting him. (View Game Card)
Germán Márquez (SDP) vs ARI (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 82 pitches.
Well, GM to you too! Márquez was sitting a tick up with improved movement on his heater…and it didn’t matter as the pitch returned just 56% strikes. These five shutout frames were brought to you by a gyro curveball and fortunate batted ball luck, part of a balanced breakfast. I’m going to need to see a lot more to give him more than a Gold Star in the future. What would you give him? Legit consideration for a spot on my fantasy roster. (View Game Card)
Zack Wheeler (PHI) @ CIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 14 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 104 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Wheeler was out for revenge after being snubbed from the All-Star Game. He went out and absolutely dominated, earning the King Cole and tying his career high with 14 strikeouts despite pitching in Great American Smallpark. Wheeler has 9 wins, a 2.28 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 29% strikeout rate through 14 starts. You’ve got to be feeling pretty dope if you took the risk of drafting him in March. (View Game Card)
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) vs COL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 94 pitches.
I had been doubting Wrobleski’s upside because of the 15% strikeout rate he held through his first 14 outings, but after racking up 20 punchouts across his last two starts, I’m more convinced than ever. The 65% putaway rate in those outings is likely unsustainable, but it’s the showcasing of a previously unseen ceiling, and the changes to his arsenal that have me sold. The increased four-seamer velo to 95 mph is important, but I think the expansion of his arsenal beyond just four-seamer/slider has been equally as integral. He took care of Rockie Road mainly with his one-two punch, but he’ll need the rest of the arsenal to shine if he wants to find the same success @NYY next. (View Game Card)
Taj Bradley (MIN) vs CLE (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 25 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 101 pitches.
When Bradley’s hot, he’s HOT. His success is driven by control, and he’s definitely had it recently, with a 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 35% strikeout rate across his past four starts. This one was driven by absolutely bonkers dominance from cutters. We’re talking 17 whiffs and 64% CSW on the pitch alone, and it wasn’t even his primary offering. That’s like ridiculous, “he might be an alien” type numbers, and they propelled him to the Gallows Pole. Unfortunately, aliens are mortal too, and we’ve seen Bradley display a stark contrast when he hits his floor. As long as he’s finding enough strikes with four-seamers and cutters while getting batters to chase his splitter downstairs, he’s going to have success. That’s far from a guarantee, but we’ll keep riding this hot streak until it ends. (View Game Card)
Tarik Skubal (DET) vs ATH (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The changeup feel is all the way back, four-seamers landed upstairs, and sliders made up for the sinker’s lack of strikes. He’s proving he doesn’t need the 98 mph velo he had last year, but we wouldn’t be mad if he brought it back. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing like the McRib. We’ll only appreciate the velo if we get it occasionally. I can never tell if I actually like the McRib. I know I definitely like 98 mph fastballs. (View Game Card)
Robert Gasser (MIL) @ STL (W) – 7.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches.
Gasser showed the Brewers what they’re missing. He ended up being the odd man out and was forced to accept a demotion while Brandon Sproat and Shane Drohan remained in the rotation. With Brandon Woodruff on the IL and a doubleheader on the docket, Gasser got called back up as the 27th man and made the most of his opportunity. He went four-seamer heavy, which was…a choice. Sweepers were the star of the show as usual, while sinkers and cutters were strike machines. The arsenal still feels like it’s missing the changeup, as he doesn’t have a great putaway pitch to RHB. I don’t know when we’ll get the slowball back or when Gasser will get another shot in the rotation. (View Game Card)
Paul Skenes (PIT) vs ATL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 95 pitches.
Aces gonna continue to underwhelm. The velo is still down, and he’s not really trusting his secondaries much. I’m hoping the All-Star Break gets Skenes back on track, but regardless, I’m not worried in the least. I can’t diagnose an injury from here, but I think we have to be incredibly happy with what he’s done so far. Since his first start, it’s a 3.17 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and a 30% strikeout rate. Those are ace numbers. (View Game Card)
José Soriano (LAA) @ TEX (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 93 pitches.
I dubbed Soriano the right-handed Framber Valdez earlier this year, and recently it’s seemed more apt than ever, as his success has been driven by his curveball. It’s become his primary offering, allowing him to avoid throwing so many fastballs, which become even more hittable when he’s sitting a tick down like he was on Tuesday. I don’t think this is the start of another April-inspired hot streak, but it does inspire more confidence in him as a streamer @MIN next. (View Game Card)
Michael Lorenzen (COL) @ LAD (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 95 pitches.
Way to go Mikey! Only my dad’s allowed to call me that. Heard! (Those muscles are intimidating, especially after he just took down the Dodgers). Don’t let this start fool you. He still has a 6.65 ERA on the season. (View Game Card)
Max Meyer (MIA) vs SEA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 80 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Not the reassuring start we wanted to see from Meyer immediately following his coronation, but it didn’t hurt you at all. The lack of whiffs can be blamed on non-four-seamers returning just 46% strikes, putting him in tough counts all game. That’s now three of his last four starts with single-digit whiffs after doing so just twice in his first 15 outings of the year. Maybe he needs a rest as he approaches his career-high in innings pitched. (View Game Card)
Jacob deGrom (TEX) vs LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 80 pitches.
Ace gonna ace. He was not feeling his changeup, spiking it three times before giving up and turning to his curveball as a support offering for his fastball-slider combo. Good thing the hook was feeling rejuvenated after sitting on the sidelines all last month, showing up for 42% CSW. It’s cool to see that he has that in his back pocket. All I have in mine are a bunch of unused napkins. I stay strapped! (View Game Card)
J.T. Ginn (ATH) @ DET (L) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 61 pitches.
Okay, I know I said I can’t diagnose injuries from my computer, but Ginn’s got to be injured. We were worried when he was sitting around 92 in his previous starts. Well, he was down to 90.6 mph here. Oh no. Yeah, that’s super concerning. The A’s thought the same thing and removed him from the game after four frames, blaming the reduced velocity on an illness. Sounds like I was only partially right, but let’s hope the A’s were being honest and that Ginn is back to full strength this weekend @CHW. (View Game Card)
Spencer Miles (TOR) @ SFG (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 1 Whiff, 29% CSW, 55 pitches.
One strikeout? HAISTBMBWT?! Bro, he had just one whiff. We need a term for that. I’ll figure it out soon. As for Miles, I’m not convinced he will. There’s too much reliance on balls in play for a pitcher without the stuff to produce weak contact consistently. (View Game Card)
Tatsuya Imai (HOU) @ WSN (ND) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 84 pitches.
It’s either a double-digit strikeout masterpiece or a Wonka. Imai was a tick down, sliders were a little less reverse, and fastballs earned just 55% strikes. He needs to be perfect to be at the top of his game. I’ll keep begging him to incorporate a third offering. Like a famous person once said, “Nobody ever got anywhere without a heavy dose of begging.” Which famous person? You don’t want to know. And don’t look it up! (View Game Card)
Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) @ STL (W) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 103 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Who cares if he allowed a pair of homers? The guy averaged 101.9 mph on his four-seamer. That’s actually gonna make me sick because of how disgustingly bonkers it is. Please stay healthy, you’re so dope! (View Game Card)
Shane Baz (BAL) vs CHC (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 100 pitches.
Baz exhibited some of the best command I’ve seen from him all year, and it still produced a VPQS. Curveballs were dotted on the low-gloveside corner while his Ras Pack stayed in the upper third. He’ll continue to get the job done if he can keep pulling that off. Just don’t expect a digestible WHIP. (View Game Card)
Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs PHI (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 95 pitches.
There’s the ceiling Abbott’s been hiding from us. It was a PQS! It was also a season-high eight strikeouts as he kept finding himself in two-strike counts (78% 2Str%) and was able to put batters away with his four-seamer and sweeper. There wasn’t any extra precision, he just found the zone often and lived to tell the tale. Welp, let’s keep starting him and praying that his magic doesn’t run out. That’s a 2.86 ERA across his last 12 starts, and vs CHC next might be the last fun start before he heads to Coors. (View Game Card)
Bruce Zimmermann (STL) vs MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 72 pitches.
Zim invaded the Cardinals for a spot start during their doubleheader. Not a spot start. Right, he was the bulk reliever following Matt Svanson, who opened the game with a scoreless first. Zimmermann is a soft-tossing southpaw who leans heavily on sinkers, sliders, and splitters. He was designated for assignment before the club even started the second half of the doubleheader, so we can go ahead and forget about him now. (View Game Card)
Bryan Woo (SEA) @ MIA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 87 pitches.
Even in the friendly confines of LoanDepot Park, Woo can’t shake his home/road splits. He’s rocking a 2.10 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, and a 30% strikeout rate in eight starts at home, but has struggled to a 6.28 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and a 19% strikeout rate in 10 starts on the road. It’s hard to say that the pitcher-friendly nature of @TEA carries so much weight, especially when he struggled in Miami. He must have some really good home cooking, or maybe he just likes looking out into the crowd and seeing his family smiling back at him. I think it’s just poor HOTEL luck, but it’s a trend to consider if you’re trying to be safe with your starts at the end of a fantasy week. (View Game Card)
Hunter Dobbins (STL) vs MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 92 pitches.
Dobbins was recalled to make a spot start in the second half of the Cardinals’ doubleheader yesterday. He must’ve been craving chocolate because he gave us a Wonka, as he sat over a tick down on everything and failed to eclipse 60% overall strikes. He’s back to the minors as the 27th man, so we don’t have to worry about him on our fantasy teams anymore. (View Game Card)
Zac Gallen (ARI) @ SDP (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
It’s been hard watching Gallen recently, but if you turned this game on after the first frame, you saw him toss five scoreless frames. He located four-seamers downstairs like we’ve been requesting for weeks. It elevated his secondaries, but not to the point where he was dominant or anything. There’s potential that he’s figuring out a more suitable approach, but we won’t get a true assessment until after he faces @LAD next. (View Game Card)
Noah Schultz (CHW) vs BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 92 pitches.
There was a chance this worked as a streaming option, but the Red Sox really are lefty killers. Even with Schultz leaning on a cutter that he threw a tick harder with more vert and less cut, he wasn’t able to keep batters off the rest of his offerings. I envision Schultz getting back on track in the second half, throwing sweepers for strikes and finally discovering the feel for his changeup, giving his Ras Pack the proper offspeed support it deserves. It’ll be obvious when that premonition comes true, because he’ll dominate. (View Game Card)
Kodai Senga (NYM) vs KCR (L) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 61 pitches.
Not only does Senga not have a long leash, but he’s been super inefficient due to an inability to command anything. Four-seamers and forkballs accounted for 80% of his pitches, but they returned just 49% strikes as heaters were all over and forkballs lived in the dirt. Not even cutters at 80% strikes could salvage this one. Let’s stay far away from Senga until he gives us a reason to get close. Like when he offered me a piece of candy before this outing? I mean, it depends on the candy, but generally, we’re avoiding anyone offering us things for free. Nothing comes free. Nothing. Not even good, especially not good. (View Game Card)
Andrew Alvarez (WSN) vs HOU (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 97 pitches.
Alvarez completed the fifth and worked into the sixth for the first time all year. I don’t know why the Nationals chose his worst start to let him go deep, but I’m excited about the potential for him to surpass 90 pitches moving forward. His heaters are still bad, but his breakers are dope and I think they have potential to propel him to 5+ frames of decency with strikeout potential in the future. (View Game Card)
Seth Lugo (KCR) @ NYM (ND) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 94 pitches.
This kitchen sink needs to be refurbished. Lugo has struggled to a 6.98 ERA in six starts since the start of June, and there isn’t much to hang your hat on to suggest he might turn things around. He’s a 15-team Toby and it’s getting to the point where even that’s a stretch. I don’t want to start him @BAL next. (View Game Card)
Will Warren (NYY) @ TBR (L) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 75 pitches.
It seems as if Warren is experiencing the same mid-season regression that made him waiver-wire fodder around this time last year. His secondaries keep failing to step up to support his heaters. 61% strikes (dragged down by 29% curveball strikes) will work, but 21% CSW on secondaries isn’t going to cut it. He needs assistance in the whiff department. Unfortunately, all of our attendants are busy at the moment. Is what his secondaries would say if they worked for the company you’ve been trying to call to set up that appointment for ages. Just let me make an appointment online! (View Game Card)
Hurston Waldrep (ATL) @ PIT (L) – 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 5 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 84 pitches.
The Pirates are awesome against RHP, but Waldrep did himself no favors. 54% strikes overall is ugly, especially when it comes with reduced velo across the board. I think we can just say this was Waldrep at his worst facing a tough offense, but then again, we didn’t have much faith in him before this. Take note of this floor next time you think about desperately streaming him. (View Game Card)
Trevor McDonald (SFG) vs TOR (L) – 2.1 IP, 8 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 58 pitches.
Looking at this line makes me feel like I ate too much McDonald’s. Trevor is still failing to find the zone with his elite slider, forcing him to live in it with his mediocre sinker. The heater got tattooed for nine hits, while his breaker was belted for a homer when he finally came into the zone. The Giants might want to give him a break after this, but I wouldn’t completely write off the possibility of success with Rockie Road up next. With Adrian Houser cleaning up McDonald’s mess with 5.2 hitless frames, maybe he gets that start against the Rockies this weekend instead. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Dylan Cease vs. Logan Webb – Two aces with very different paths to dominance.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)
