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.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Andrew Alvarez (WSN) @ PHI (ND) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 81 pitches.
If you’re any sort of a pitching nerd like me, you’ve been wondering when we’d see our first Andrew Alvarez game with at least six frames. After all, he’s only completed five once (5.2 frames on July 7th) and the Nationals had demoted him just a week ago before they moved Foster Griffin at the deadline, prompting a return to the majors without another game under his belt. What we got against the Phillies on Monday was the best outing of Alvarez’s 2026 and you’re wondering if it means something more: 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 81 pitches (ND).
What I’ve seen thus far from Andy is a pair of strong breaking balls – sliders that tear apart LHB, and a solid 82 mph curveball for RHB – with a pair of 92 mph fastballs that leave a whole lot to be desired. We saw exactly the same in this one, and we can thank Koufax that his poor fastballs returned 7/9 outs in play. Not the greatest luck we’ve seen, but generating many outs on 47% fastballs is a trade we’ll make every time.
I should also note – Alvarez had tossed six shutout frames before returning for the seventh, where he induced a fluout to the mighty James Wood, then hit a RHB on a literal back-foot slider. It was an 0-2 breaker and Alvarez, who had only thrown sliders to LHB prior to this pitch, elected to try something different in the seventh for another look. Whoops. He walked the next batter, got the hook, and both runners came around to score. Careful, Icarus.
Alvarez has been a wizard at preventing the longball is his 64 IP thus far, boasting a fantastic 0.28 HR/9 that has helped him keep a sub-4.00 ERA despite a 1.45 WHIP. Throw all of those numbers away. Here’s what really matters. The Nationals have made it clear that Alvarez is their Griffin replacement. This 6.1 IP effort looks like the Nationals are taking off the kid gloves, but it nearly matches his average pitches-per-game total of 82 across his last six outings (excluding the two-frame effort beginning in the seventh against the Yankees on July 12th before the ASB). I’m not convinced we’ll see another six-inning performance next time out, and this doesn’t appear to be a new package for us to unbox. He’ll be hosting the Reds and heading to Citi Field for his next two outings and while his 23% strikeout rate for the season is enticing (rooted in his affinity for spin), I cannot endorse this for your 12-teamers. Those in 15-teamers, it’s up to you. It’s possible he cruises with the two-breaker approach, but the longball is sure to catch up to him and with his shaky fastballs, it’s either more damage or more free passes when he can’t get everything done with sliders or curveballs. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs SDP (W) – 6.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Atta boy Pfaadt! Annnnd I’m moving on. Wait, WHAT?! He has a 1.55 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with a 6-0 record across his last seven games! He also gets the Dodgers and Atlanta in his next two starts. Oh, and a 13% strikeout rate in that stretch. What I saw here was an effective changeup to RHB and four-seamers that went 8-for-8 on outs in play. Everything else – sweeper failing to lure swings off the plate, poor cutters, and blegh sinkers/curveballs – is not appealing at all. If you want to Vargas Rule, you do you. (View Game Card)
Logan Webb (SFG) @ TEX (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 96 pitches.
It was a night without a good changeup, but Webb got all the outs and called strikes with sinkers and cutters, merged with a few fancy sweepers to get it done. Phew. I appreciate you, Webb. Thanks for adjusting and finding a way to earn a highly attainable King Cole. (View Game Card)
Cal Quantrill (TEX) vs SFG (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 87 pitches.
This is something. Go ahead, enjoy the Gold Star, you rascal. He’s pulling off the Canibal McSanchez with high cutters returning 27% called strikes, while the Giants played themselves on inside sinkers for many outs. Yes, what I’m saying is Blame it on the Giants. At least he’s throwing enough strikes to put himself in a position to be lucky. It’s him or JorMont or Bradford in the rotation moving forward and whoever returns from the IL first is sure to have The UnQuantrillfiable as their long-relief option. We may not see another Quantrill start. (View Game Card)
Shane Bieber (TOR) @ HOU (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 87 pitches.
Ayyyyy, after failing to escape the first with six walks last week, Bieber looked a whole lot like 2025 Bieber and nearly made it through six. He got Singled Out a bit here and let’s move past that to outline his diminished reliance on changeups in favor of his breakers from last season. Sure, he needs to get them down a whole lot more than we saw in this one, but he did well against LHB and their movement and velocity are back to normal. I’m cool starting him @PHI and hosting Boston up next. (View Game Card)
Ian Seymour (TBR) @ COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Coors Schmoors, am I right? A Gallows Pole with nine strikeouts is lovely from Seymour. What isn’t is a full tick drop to 90/91 mph on his heater, but as long as his changeup is still as deceptive as ever, it doesn’t really matter. With McShane dealing with a back injury, Seymour’s rotation spot is intact even with Peralta’s introduction to the rotation, and don’t think about what happens in a week or two when McClanahan is healthy. That’s tomorrow’s problem and it may be fixed before we get there. (View Game Card)
Bubba Chandler (PIT) @ MIL (W) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 96 pitches.
Huh. Bubba is still tinkering away and his slider has turned even more into a cutter, now sitting 93+ mph at 6″ of vert. I’ll take that all day. It’s becoming a legit strike pitch now and could be more if he figures out how to get it down-and-away to RHB. Meanwhile, the four-seamer is still a work in progress. Just 54% strikes, but when he was able to get it in its ideal location – in the upper third of the zone – it returned whiffs. We’re so close yet so far. Who knows what tomorrow brings. (View Game Card)
Michael McGreevy (STL) @ NYY (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 91 pitches.
The first four innings were fantastic, and even came with a massive velo boost of 93/94 mph as opposed to the 91/92 we’ve seen thus far. He showed off a new cutter to LHB that kinda acts like Imai’s reverse slider, and this was looking fun. Then that cutter burned him in the fifth, as he hung it up-and-away to Wells, who blasted it for a three-run shot, ending his day. Sure, 91 pitches with one out in the fifth isn’t the McGreevy we know (terrible fastball strike rates under 60%), but there’s more velocity and I dig the cutter when it’s not on a silver platter for a struggling hitter. I’d circle him as a stream on Sunday against Rockie Road. (View Game Card)
Cristian Javier (HOU) vs TOR (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 85 pitches.
There’s promise in this PQS, even with just two strikeouts. Javier is sitting 93+ with legit 18″ of vert on his four-seamer, he’s utilizing a cutter 15% of the time at 89 mph, AND, all four of his pitches returned a 60%+ strike rate, with an 68% overall clip. That’s. HOT. Now if only he could get more whiffs in two-strike outs and not hold an overall 15% Putaway rate when a guy like Javier should be around three times that mark. It’s just his second game stretched out and I’m kinda down to give it a shot with his good schedule ahead of @SDP, SEA, and ATH up next. (View Game Card)
Aaron Nola (PHI) vs WSN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 97 pitches.
A PQS is a welcome sight for those with Nola on their squads. For those in standard 12-teamers, it’s poor ratios and five strikeouts without a Win. He was so close to nailing his changeup down-and-away, and he kept testing that pitch for 26% usage (more than the dope curve!) despite 1/25 whiffs and 44% strikes. Hey man, chill, let’s try something else. NO. IT WILL WORK, I PROMISE. (View Game Card)
Michael King (SDP) @ ARI (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 104 pitches.
Oh hey, it’s another frustrating one from King. You can see how it all should work as you watch him pitch, with plenty doing exactly what they should. Then he loses batters, can’t find this pitch or that pitch, and, wow four walks and 104 pitches already? I guess so. Huh. He’s a HIPSTER in my book and despite a start in Houston + hosting Cleveland on the docket, I’d still be tempted to swap with something else on the wire. (View Game Card)
Matthew Boyd (CHC) vs LAD (W) – 6.2 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 92 pitches.
Womp womp. The Dodgers are not fun. Two HRs off four-seamers to RHB did all the damage, while he was Singled Out aplenty against everyone else. He mostly did his schtick effectively, too, with high heaters, good enough breakers, and changeups generally down, though the slowball wasn’t quite on point and was utilized far less than I expected to RHB. I understand wanting to be careful against the Nationals on Tuesday, and I’m cool with him after that. (View Game Card)
Cam Schlittler (NYY) vs STL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 83 pitches.
Aces gonna blegh. He didn’t have it from the very first batter, walking Wetherholt on four pitches. Yes, he fanned Walked, but then Burleson was able to lean into one for an early bamboozlin’, another walk, and he just didn’t look comfortable. Just a One Night Bland. Whatareyagonnado. (View Game Card)
Brandon Sproat (MIL) vs PIT (L) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 64 pitches.
Once again, Sproat’s position is precarious inside the rotation, and this is wild to me. He had a string of short and poor outings, then had a PQS by blasting four-seamers into the zone incessantly. So obviously, he shelved the pitch, featuring it 16% of the time and instead tossing 48% sinkers. I legit don’t know why. Because they were RHB. Nope. Sinker usage was up +25% points to both LHB and RHB and it returned 58% strikes, a strikeout, and one out in play. ONE. I give him props for tinkering. I don’t give y’all props for thinking he’s a good play moving forward – I wouldn’t be shocked if Gasser or Drohan steal his spot with May in town and Harrison returning from the IL. Even with Minnesota next? Yes, not to mention @LAD and ATL follow. Next year is the year, y’all. (View Game Card)
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) @ CHC (L) – 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 91 pitches.
After allowing eight HRs in his entire 2026 season of 106.2 IP and seventeen games, Wrobo Cop has now allowed 8 HRs in his last two combined. That’s 4 HR per outing and I’m blown away. These HRs were not good pitches, save for a two-strike high heater to Suzuki, and the real issue is the lack of secondary support. This used to be four-seamer/slider city, but the slider fell to 15% usage with a paltry 43% strike rate, and the changeup tried to step up at 14% usage where it returned… a 38% strike rate. Sigh. It meant Wrobleski had to throw 55%+ four-seamers + sinkers at an ultra-high 80% strike rate, which meant Cubs hitters could sit fastball or have a ball. Don’t you mean—ohhhhh. Sheehan has already been optioned, which means Wrobleski isn’t going anywhere (and he shouldn’t), and the questions I’m asking are simple. Do I think Wrobleski will continue to allow 4 HRs a game? Do I think Wrobleski’s slider (and all secondaries, for that matter) will continue to fail him? To me, it’s an obvious Pfffft, of course not to both, which means we hold for @ARI. (View Game Card)
Michael Lorenzen (COL) vs TBR (L) – 3.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 75 pitches.
This is the line of a pitcher who simply cannot fool a single batter. I feel for him at this point, I really do. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Blade Tidwell vs. MacKenzie Gore – I know there are far more exciting games (Skubal’s debut, Jones vs Henderson, etc.), but I’m most curious about Tidwell and if he can be the fantasy-relevant pitcher he should be.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo courtesy of Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@abeardoesart on Bluesky and X)
