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 9 am-11 am ET.
Cal Quantrill (CLE) vs ARI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches.
I didn’t quite believe it last year when Cal Quantrill held a 1.96 ERA across his final 14 starts, but I felt like I had no choice to accept him as a Toby after he held a 3.38 ERA and 1.19 WHIP across his first eleven games this year. It wasn’t for me with his 15% strikeout rate, but hey, I understood why managers kept starting the man.
Things have been a little different since the middle of June. Quantrill has held a 4.87 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP across his last eight games and tonight’s 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches feels like more of the same and it’s not like his stuff is all that different. It’s still sinker/cutter as he lives inside the zone, but regression is getting to him, and we’ve reached the point where we need to let go of Quantrill, even for those in Quality Start leagues. There are other arms to chase in your leagues, you don’t need to go through this anymore.
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Nathan Eovaldi (BOS) @ HOU (W) – 6.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 97 pitches.
Pfffffft what. I wasn’t kind to Eovaldi during The List today after three straight starts of sub 95 mph velocity and this start in particular looked like an absolute disaster. So, the velocity must have come back! What? No. He sat even lower at 94.1 mph and somehow that was okay. Nah, the saviors were the splitter and curve, returning 44% CSW between them. To Eovaldi’s credit, his command was great, featuring plenty of pitch separation across the full arsenal. It felt like a start where he had to do everything right in order to survive and I can’t say I buy into that moving forward. But it’s the Royals next! Well…ummmm…ugh. Maybe? I’m scrunching my nose right now, hopefully that helps you decide. It doesn’t. WELL FINE DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
Hunter Greene (CIN) @ MIA (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 84 pitches.
Ayyyy Greene took down the Marlins for the second start in a row, here dominating with his slider, boasting a 48% CSW with 10/29 whiffs. Yeeeesh. He’s still a Cherry Bomb – don’t forget it- which means there’s still risk against the Brewers next time out. Just 5/50 four-seamer whiffs, and 18% CSW on a 98/99 mph heater should help you grasp the risk.
Daniel Lynch (KC) @ CWS (W) – 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 87 pitches.
Ohhhh dang. Lynch returned from the IL and displaced Brad Keller, and what we got was a healthy 32% CSW on sliders and a 36% clip from his changeup. So their command was great? Naaaah, this wasn’t the Lynch I fell for before the blister injury, despite how luscious the line is. Not a whole lot of pitch separation, hung changeups, hittable fastballs, and volatile sliders. I’m not buying it.
Tarik Skubal (DET) @ MIN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 77 pitches.
On one hand, Skubal survived against the Twins and carried a 38% CSW between 37 sliders + changeups. On the other…he left this game early with left arm soreness. SERENITY NOW! Monitor the situation, of course.
Mike Clevinger (SD) vs COL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 97 pitches.
That’s a King Cole for Clevinger despite earning just four whiffs on non-fastballs. Ugh. This feels like a product of Rockie Road as I don’t like the idea of banking on the heaters to perform to the tune of a 39% CSW in the future at 93-94 mph. That’s not the Clev way. He gets the Dodgers next and I’d be cautious there.
Spenser Watkins (BAL) @ TEX (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 88 pitches.
Way to respond after I removed you from The List today. Thing is, I think you got pretty dang fortunate here instead of actually dominating…but then again the Pirates are on the horizon. SO FINE, you’re back on the menu. Consider Watkins for that start.
Andrew Heaney (LAD) @ SF (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 74 pitches.
I wish we got more than 74 pitches from Heaney and I’m a little conflicted. On one hand, his four-seamer was generally well spotted right at the top of the zone, though the slider wasn’t the down-and-armside feast we’ve seen in the past. However, it landed in the zone constantly and the tandem clearly worked. He gets the Padres next and will likely go over 80 pitches now (…right?), raising his ceiling to 5+ frames again. Finally.
Michael Kopech (CWS) vs KC (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 100 pitches.
He sat 96 mph on the heater and held a 67% strike rate on his slider. Phew. It’s much better, though the heater was erratic and failed to miss bats like we know it can. Still, it’s a major step in the right direction after he’s terrified me over the past month, and if I could do The List again, I’d nudge him up a tier or so.
Max Scherzer (NYM) @ WSH (W) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 105 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I wonder if Scherzer knows it’s the final night he’s the #1 starter in New York. The pressure is getting to him, clearly. I kid, maybe he soars above deGrom still, who knows. I’m kinda looking forward to seeing if they bring the best out of each other.
Jesús Luzardo (MIA) vs CIN (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 81 pitches.
HE’S BACK! And it came with…a 95/96 mph four-seamer. Awwww dangit. At least it was ~60% secondary pitches, with the changeup looking better than ever at 55% CSW. I just wish he had that 97 mph velocity like April. Maybe it’ll come with more starts – he did hit 97 mph earlier, but we’re talking about sitting. I hope he’s just easing himself back in and can return later in August. At the very least, the pitch mix seems to have stuck and that’ll make him at least a serviceable starter – I believe the velocity is needed for those ridiculous double-digit strikeout games to reappear.
Aaron Sanchez (MIN) vs DET (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 81 pitches.
I’m sorry, WHAT?! Are we sure this is the same Aaron Sanchez?! That’s a Gallows Pole as his curveball went 9/28 whiffs and his four-seamer sat two ticks harder for five whiffs of its own. I’m in absolute shock…but yeah, this was absolutely Blame it on the Tigers. I watched this and while that curve looked pretty dang lovely for a bit, he’s not some unreal pitcher now. Sure, he had decent fastballs and changeups too, but toss him against a decent lineup and this is far more rugged. I’m not sure if the Twins will even elect to start him again, so let’s just celebrate this wonderful gift we had in the middle of the summer. What a wild thing.
Domingo Germán (NYY) vs SEA (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Ayyy it…was a Dusty Donut as he earned just one strikeout (HAISTBMBWT?!) and was possibly tipping pitches from the windup, but at least he got the dub in the end as his time in the Yankee rotation comes to a close with Frankie Montas arriving with the club, likely starting against the Cardinals on Thursday. Leave Domingo on the wire.
Luis Garcia (HOU) vs BOS (L) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 99 pitches.
This wasn’t an easy outing for Garcia and I’m glad he pulled it off. Velocity is coming down, though, and I can’t get the idea out of my head that we’re going to see fatigue hit across the final two months. I hope I’m wrong and I’m starting him against the Guardians next time, obviously.
Antonio Senzatela (COL) @ SD (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 102 pitches.
Honestly, a PQS from Senz-A is a blessing. Be happy with the good that comes your way.
Jon Gray (TEX) vs BAL (L) – 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 48 pitches.
Gray left this start with side discomfort because WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS. I’m incredibly sad about this as JG was pitching as well as anyone in baseball over the last six weeks. Sigh. I really hope he’s okay to start again soon. And he just sat 98 mph in his last start…
Patrick Corbin (WSH) vs NYM (L) – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
The broadcast wasn’t kind to Corbin, though they weren’t wrong. I don’t think I’ve felt so bad for such a rich guy before.
Zach Davies (ARI) @ CLE (ND) – 2.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 56 pitches.
Davies has returned from the IL and it ain’t pretty. If you’re chasing Davies, you’re chasing his vintage changeup, which fell down plenty, but returned 2/18 whiffs. No thanks, we’re very much out indefinitely.
Marco Gonzales (SEA) @ NYY (L) – 5.1 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 110 pitches.
Well, it’s Gonzo against the #1 offense out there. I know, he’s survived teams like the Astros n whatnot, but you don’t need to live life that dangerously, right? It’s like “staying” with a 5 in blackjack. Sure, you can, but there’s no need to.
Logan Webb (SF) vs LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 83 pitches.
The man got Singled Out against the Dodgers as he kept everything down per usual and got battered by it. Whatareyagonnado. Shrug this off, y’all, even if he was a tick down across the board.
Game of the Day
Jacob deGrom vs. Washington Nationals – We’ve waited too long for deGOAT to return.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)