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.
Justin Verlander (HOU) vs BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 76 pitches.
We haven’t seen Justin Verlander for over two months and his return to the mound was a lovely showcase that there’s still more in the tank. The 41-year-old returned a King Cole via 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 76 pitches, settling down after a laborious first frame to put himself in position for a Win despite tossing under 80 pitches.
It was standard Verlander without the overpowering nature of the past. Sliders were on point, heaters did most of the heavy lifting, changeups were what they should be, and the curve was a zone offering that stole strikes. It was all there, with 18″ of iVB on his four-seamer (which falls to a still-great 17″ if you’re aware of Minute Maid’s park impact on iVB that adds an extra inch of vertical break, wild I know) at 94+ mph, and I don’t see why we shouldn’t anticipate a Holly the rest of the way. Remember, this is a 23% strikeout rate arm who should run into some longball trouble and keep his ERA around 3.50 or higher – still productive, just not elite.
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Nestor Cortes (NYY) vs CLE (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 104 pitches.
ATTA BOY NESTOR. He stepped up in this one, spotting his entire arsenal beautifully along the edges and showcasing the best feel for his cutter I’ve seen all year. Now it’s the Nationals and WE GOTTA KEEP IT ROLLING.
Michael Lorenzen (KCR) vs LAA (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 95 pitches.
I appreciate you Lorenzen. That’s for being the steady streamer we need you to be. The hero we need, not the one we deserve. Yeah, we deserve peak Spencer Turnbull, BUT WHATEVER. It’s a date in Cleveland next, which is an obvious pass.
Domingo Germán (PIT) @ TEX (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 75 pitches.
Domingo made his first start since his DV charges last fall and had the curveball that propelled his success at times in 2023. The changeup was fine, the four-seamer was erratic (hello four walks), but that curve can be effective and pull him to the finish line. Y’all know me (I don’t want anything to do with Germán), but if Domingo does find a spot in the rotation over Jake Woodford (we’re expecting Jared Jones next week), I can see how he could help. I encourage you just to avoid it.
Andrew Heaney (TEX) vs PIT (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 90 pitches.
Yesss, thanks for being the man you should be, Heaney. A Golden Goal field by legit sliders that confounded batters with his high heaters, and even a changeup for 54% CSW? That’s the good stuff. This certainly had infusions of Blame it on the Pirates, though you can blame the CrySox next time, too. Who cares, points are points.
Beau Brieske (DET) @ CHC (ND) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 32 pitches.
Brieske opened for Brant Hurter as expected and for those searching for value in max-start leagues, you got 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks and a Win. That sweet, lovely Win. Congrats, I hope it was worth it.
Mitchell Parker (WSN) vs COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 83 pitches.
Despite all the blegh, Parker did what he was supposed to with an opportunity against Rockie Road. We thank you for your service, Mr. Parker. Now please, sling away from our teams as you host the Yankees up next. I don’t want to be caught in that web.
Jack Flaherty (LAD) vs SEA (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 99 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. We take this all day, but it was a rare start of Flaherty’s slider not landing middle-down at will. I’m glad it didn’t matter much, but I wonder if it will in the future if the precision slips again.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) @ SDP (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 101 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star as I not only didn’t expect this to be helpful against a tough offense, but a Win and seven strikeouts?! I watched him again and I was more impressed than usual with SWR’s navigation of at-bats. He was able to move his heaters around well and pair them with sliders and changeups comfortably, while the curve was there as a mix-up pitch when needing something else (didn’t quite work against Xander, but it was a good effort). His four-seamer is now sitting 94 mph like it was in March (not 93!) with a decent amount of iVB that helped upstairs, too, and I can see this developing further over the off-season given the solid command foundation. I still question if there’s enough electricity to push him into proper Holly territory, and hopefully we get that whiffability (I’ll take this consistently!) more in the future. Hold for Atlanta next.
Cooper Criswell (BOS) @ HOU (ND) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 80 pitches.
He nearly went the full five frames to secure the Win in this great effort, coming up just short of being worthwhile for the pickup. Expect to see more of Criswell in the rotation for the Red Sox, but you’ll only see him when you’re perusing the waiver wire. Oh look honey, Criswell gets the Jays next. I hope that goes well for him.
Logan Webb (SFG) vs CHW (ND) – 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 93 pitches.
Thank you Webb, for doing exactly what you should do in double the number of frames that Crochet pitched. A perfect showcase of “Look what you could be having in your life.”
Max Fried (ATL) vs PHI (ND) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 91 pitches.
That’s more like it. It’s hard not to believe this is hinting toward one of Fried’s patented stretches after shaking off the rust. The command is there…except for the changeup. Oddly blegh still. Hmmmmm.
Ryan Pepiot (TBR) @ OAK (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
He was removed from the Trop and still had an iVB of 19″ on his heater. With those fastballs generally upstairs, the changeup thrived down low, and we got everything we wanted. You left out the 45% CSW slider. We didn’t even ask for that! What a lovely time to have Pepiot on your roster. He’s legit. Sidenote: We saw Drew Rasmussen appear for 28 pitches, which makes it awfully clear that he’s being used in relief indefinitely. A strange move by the Rays – why not stretch him out a bit for 2025? – but it is what it is. Maybe Drew will get stretched out more in September…?
Kyle Gibson (STL) vs MIL (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 84 pitches.
I feel like I’m staring at a VPQS wearing a Groucho Marx disguise. Welp, that’s the life of a Toby as Gibson wasn’t quite as polished as we’ve seen in the past. Blame the slew of pitches in the zone and few sweeper whiffs on this mediocrity. Or Kyle just being Kyle.
Aaron Nola (PHI) @ ATL (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. That WHIP is annoying, but everyone gets Singled Out here and there.
Cole Irvin (BAL) @ NYM (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 83 pitches.
He did what he could and 2 ER over nearly five frames gave the Orioles a chance. He’s out of the rotation in favor of Povich moving forward and we move on. It’s the wrong (but is there a right?) Irvin!
Garrett Crochet (CHW) @ SFG (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 57 pitches.
So this is how it’s gonna be. Sigh. Alright y’all, I messed up. I should have been more aggressive at lowering Crochet in July and I have no choice but to suggest a drop now. I was adamant that the chance of going at least five frames was still there, but that’s two starts of sub-60 pitches and an early hook regardless. It really isn’t fair – his four-seamer is so dang good. H*ck, that pitch sat 98.2 mph in this one, maxing out at 99.9. You could get that last bit, could ya? Nope, we can’t. That’s the story of Crochet.
Tobias Myers (MIL) @ STL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 89 pitches.
Blegh. This Vargas Rule was highly inefficient, turning to a much heavier dosage of cutters and sliders than we normally see. The end result was more foul balls than usual (swings that normally turn into outs), and Myers was forced to grind to get twelve outs. We’re not jumping off this train (I dig that he has three main pitches + a changeup that could improve), especially with the Giants up next.
Sean Manaea (NYM) vs BAL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 90 pitches.
Manaea did Manaea things, flirting with perfection at one point, then ending the game with a Careful, Icarus as he was pulled in the eighth after allowing an infield single, leading to his third run. The no-hitter was broken in the sixth with a two-run blast that followed a HBP (goodbye perfection), with both his other hits as infield knocks. In short, it was one mistake, two whatevers, and a HBP for a guy I’ve been super tepid on. I need to accept that Manea’s sinker is messing batters up far more than I give him credit for, not to mention his ability to avoid the heart of the plate is highly effective. Alright, you win Sean, I’m happy for you. Go have a ball against the Diamondbacks.
Johnny Cueto (LAA) @ KCR (L) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 84 pitches.
Look, it’s not a start that helped unless you’re in a QS league (pretty much a VVPQS here) as he also served up a HAISTBMBWT?! However, seeing Cueto keep his team in the game for over six frames is awesome, not including the Kansas City crowd’s standing ovation after he was pulled, appreciative of his time with the squad during the 2015 World Series run. Appreciate these cool moments.
Roddery Muñoz (MIA) vs ARI (ND) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 73 pitches.
Yeaaaaah, he’s not it. He has his moments, but it’s too hard to discern when it’ll be, like that random friend who texts you the day of when they’re in town. What am I, a backup option? THAT’S NO FRIEND.
Mitch Spence (OAK) vs TBR (L) – 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 105 pitches.
Oh wow. Spencer was a decent play given the Rays, but I seen him as a 5+ IP guy with middling ratios and hopefully a strikeout per inning. This was a man possessed with spotting sliders, cutters, and even curveballs down-and-gloveside, while he did a great job of keeping his sinker armside to complement the breakers. I love this version of Spence and I don’t even think it was just a Blame it on the Rays. I should note, this was a Careful, Icarus, too, with his final two runs coming in the seventh off a walk + bomb, staining this glorious evening. He didn’t pitch to the tune of those ratios. As for holding Spence, he heads into Cin City next time out and I’d be hesitant there – this could just be a one night affair – but if you’re searching for a ceiling, Spence is a decent spec add.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) vs DET (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 96 pitches.
Blegh. Great control, but mediocre command of the zone. It’s the Pirates next and that’s fine for QS leagues, though awfully mid for your standard 12-teamer.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) vs CIN (ND) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 87 pitches.
He tried to go Dancing With The Disco and too many got hit. You can do better.
Tanner Gordon (COL) @ WSN (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 83 pitches.
COL story, bro. It wasn’t even the worst command, but you can’t go half-Neckbeard. You gotta lean into it and embrace with love.
Jordan Montgomery (ARI) @ MIA (ND) – 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 88 pitches.
And so The Bear returns to hibernation, removing himself from society to make way for the Pastrami on Ryne, the Full Nelson, Mr Ryne & Reason. Really? Arizona is going to remove Montgomery, a man they spent millions on? Uhhhh, how could they not? Regardless, you can’t roster JorMont and let’s move on.
Logan Gilbert (SEA) @ LAD (L) – 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna frustrate. Sure, the Dodgers n whatnot, but we need you to come through as our ace! Your slider can’t do it all alone and the four-seamer + cutter + curve have to step up. What about the splitter? Yeah! That too! Don’t think you’re getting out of this one! AHHHH!
Nick Martinez (CIN) @ TOR (ND) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 86 pitches.
Womp womp. I dig the higher changeup usage, but 22% with the strong command he had seems light, while the rest of the arsenal got pummeled, including three home runs on a pair of cutters and a sinker, all elevated. It’s Oakland next, but they are homer focused and heading to Cin City. After this barrage, I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that.
Joey Cantillo (CLE) @ NYY (L) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.
Well, yeah. The Yankees. And Cantillo. Yeah, and Cantillo. You don’t need me.
Matt Waldron (SDP) vs MIN (L) – 4.1 IP, 10 ER, 12 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 92 pitches.
Don’t. Trust. A. Knuckleballer. It’s such an old adage that it was our very first shirt created here at Pitcher List.
Game of the Day
Gavin Williams vs. Gerrit Cole – I’m a believer in Williams long-term with his elite velocity and extension, while I want Cole to get his AGA tag.
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 Ethan Kaplan (@DJFreddie10 on Twitter and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)