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.
Cade Povich (BAL) vs LAA (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.
We’ve barely seen Cade Povich since last season, and it took three months for us to get another glimpse in 2026, where he produced one of his best career lines via 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches (W) against the Angels. Sure, Blame it on the Angels, but there may be more to this.
My hope for Povich has been a Fried-lite, where he can feature a wide range of weapons against both sides of the plate. Welp, I’m going to change that as he’s leaned heavily into the SWATCH lifestyle of four-seamer/change to RHB + sinkers and sliders to LHB, while the curveball appeared roughly 20% of the time to steal strikes and putaway a fair number of hitters. If this is what we get all the time, this can play. Wait, I thought Povich didn’t have a changeup we could trust? I thought so too.
Povich’s 29% usage to RHB dwarfs his 13% clip across his first four outings, and I’m glad to see the shift. It wasn’t a destroyer of worlds, nor was it always down, but it was generally in the area it needed to be, generated a few outs, and, arguably more importantly, it set up his four-seamer effectively. You the “tight” part of SWATCH is more like a guideline than a rule.
I’m surprised he wasn’t more effective with his slider to LHB, though. It’s uncommon for a southpaw to return 73% strikes without a single whiff on eleven sliders, and it’s a decent enough breaker with solid precision down-and-away that I expect more from it in the future. Now just get that sinker a bit more inside, alright?
I wonder how much the Orioles will lean on him in the second half. I prefer Povich over Bassitt whenever the veteran is ready to return, and I hope Baltimore do, too. Povich needs these second half reps to blossom next year, and I’m inclined to believe his next start in Arlington won’t be his last. That’s a decent stream and a solid one for a 15-teamer on Sunday, but I wouldn’t call Povich the next Bennett or Lambert. The intent is there, but the stuff is still lacking more than his SWATCH peers. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Tuesday:
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) vs WSN (W) – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 98 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The sweeper’s 45% CSW is a lovely sight, and I’m surprised to see the sinker appear 24% of the time to RHB. It worked for three outs and 35% CSW, so expect that to continue. Cool stuff on a day where he didn’t want to trust his changeup. (View Game Card)
Troy Melton (DET) @ SEA (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 97 pitches.
Another strong outing for Melton, who now boasts a 1.58 ERA and 0.91 WHIP across 12 starts, averaging exactly six innings per game. His four-seamer gained some vert, adn the splitter found some whiffs, but yes, we’re still wondering when we can expect Melton to push seven strikeouts consistently, even if he’s getting more whiffs. Dang putaway rate. Just 29% overall here is the problem, and if he’s to truly soar, it’ll be on the back of a breaking ball taking him there. One day. (View Game Card)
MacKenzie Gore (TEX) vs SFG (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 99 pitches.
A Gallows Pole from Gore the start after returning nine strikeouts is kinda hilarious. Why? Because he returned ten whiffs in that one. Wait, the math ain’t mathing. Yeah, nine strikeouts on ten whiffs vs. four strikeouts on fifteen whiffs. HOW?! Put. Away. Rate. It’s the strikeout luck factor y’all! It was frustrating watching him struggle to execute in two-strike counts, but at least the changeup is finding whiffs…when he’s not letting it fly up-and-armside or spiking it in the dirt. And hey! A cutter inside to a RHB for a foul ball! BRING IT BACK. Anyway, he’s still a strange one to me, a proper HIPSTER who gives us something different each start. I guess that’s fine for the Angels up next. (View Game Card)
Ryan Weathers (NYY) vs STL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 88 pitches.
That’s four of his last five with 1 ER or fewer. The prophets of K-BB% are vindicated. His changeup has been a struggle lately and this was no different at a 42% strike rate, but the slider, sweeper, and – get this – sinker handled it. Wait, not four-seamer? Nope. He’s shelving that fella, reducing it to just seven thrown total, allowing the sinker to become the primary heater for both sides of the plate. I’m glad it worked here, and I wonder if it’ll continue. (View Game Card)
Grant Holmes (ATL) vs MIA (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 72 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! REB is whipping out sinkers galore after throwing it roughly 10% this season (29% usage here!), pulling back on the four-seamer and slider, the latter coming as a major shock given its necessity for success in the past. Am I ready to believe that Holmes can return a 6/13 whiffs on curveballs to LHB moving forward? Absolutely not. He also went six frames on just 72 pitches. People. Please. This isn’t real. Let him celebrate his Birthday Party in peace. (View Game Card)
Randy Vásquez (SDP) @ ARI (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 80 pitches.
Wait, they let him go six frames and 80 pitches? And he cruised?! That’s a Gold Star for you. We saw a 92 mph cutter in this one – that’s up 1/2 ticks – and a whole lot of the Sneks knocked them into gloves, with a handful of whiffs, too. Fun fact: six of his pitches earned at least two outs in play across this outing. Whoa, no wonder my bread is so dry. Yep. You shouldn’t trust the good graces of Koufax to last unless you want to be shouting HAISTBMBWT?! for the next two months. (View Game Card)
Trey Yesavage (TOR) @ HOU (ND) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 27 pitches.
Yesavage was pulled early in this one and quickly placed on the IL for knee discomfort. Blegh. At least that figures out their rotation questions with Taillon, Scherzer, and Soriano filling in for Yesavage, Gausman, and Miles. You forgot about Miles, didn’t you? (View Game Card)
Ryan Gusto (MIA) @ ATL (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 83 pitches.
Ayyy a successful one from Gusto! He went ham on the four-seamer, which seems to be a new grip with added cut, added velocity, and a large 3″ drop in vert. It clearly worked with 76% strikes and 7/8 outs in play, and maybe it’s more than just a grip with all of his pitches gaining drop, mostly 1-2″ across the board. His cutter is now sitting 90 mph, too, and that paired with the cut-fastball at 95 mph was deadly to LHB with 4/13 whiffs. That’s kinda hot. I wonder if he’s a sneaky stream against the Angels…nah. This is going to fall back down to Earth, right? But this was Hotlanta, too! Hmmmm. (View Game Card)
Javier Assad (CHC) vs LAD (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 88 pitches.
This may be one of the last starts from Assad as the Cubs welcome their new arms to the rotation, and of course he came through against the Dodgers in a statement outing. Why do you want to get rid of me and my 3.58 ERA, 1.15 WHIP?! He plays right into the Cubs’ defense with his last sub-7% walk rate and he’ll always be a bit of a mystery to me. Maybe it really is just that good of a defense. ANYWAY, that’s kinda Assad the point as he’ll get the Nationals on Tuesday and I still can’t trust it. He’s constantly setting you up for a Grave Mistake. (View Game Card)
Randy Dobnak (KCR) vs MIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Huh, so he was able to do it again vs. the Twins, even if it was a HAISTBMBWT?!. Just hyucking those sinkers over the plate for a 0% whiff rate and 6 foul balls + 7 outs on 8 balls in play. 90 pitches to his name through five is a little shocking given the lack of whiffs, but that’s due to Dobnak’s lack of strikes via the sweeper and change, because, remember, it’s Dobnak. I cannot endorse starting him against the Cubs, of course. (View Game Card)
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) @ BAL (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 98 pitches.
Duuuuude! GrayRod now has two straight starts of 2 ER and six strikeouts and 12+ whiffs and now this is getting interesting. Maybe it was just a revenge game against the Orioles (What, you still want Ward over DIS?!), but he sat 97 mph at 7.1 feet of extension upstairs with heaters, and held an 18% SwStr rate and 71% strike rate across 50% secondaries. That’s changeups, sliders, and four curveballs getting involved, and I’ve been suggesting that GrayRod could be something if he gets more out of his secondaries. Well, there it is. Are they really this good, though? The slider is 85 mph with a little extra sweep, the curve isn’t so big at 80/81, and the changeup, well the changeup is the gem of the lot, but he needs to get it lower to RHB. Meanwhile, the four-seamer isn’t missing a whole lot of bats with somewhat deadzone movement. I’m inclined to pass on this even in Miami on Sunday. I so what to be wrong. (View Game Card)
Hunter Dobbins (STL) @ NYY (L) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 92 pitches.
I’m not sure how Dobbins suddenly added movement on everything, including 2+ inches of horizontal and drop on his curveball, slider, and sweeper – it suggests a lower arm angle, but I’m not seeing that anything actually different thus far. What matters more is his absurd precision on everything. cut-four-seamers landed inside to LHB with splitters and breakers landing backdoor constantly, while the slider and sweeper nailed the outside corner to RHB. This is bonkers. Forget everything you knew about Dobbins – he’s now a cut-fastball guy with command on the edges, which turns him into a…low strikeout arm who can potentially go seven frames in St. Louis. I sure hope he can get more whiffs out of those breakers and splitter in the future. They should given the movement and precision, but man, can he actually do this again? This was leaps and bounds better than any Dobbins start I’ve seen. Seriously, the four-seamer is a whole new animal as a negative horizontal cut-fastball at 94/95 mph. I love that inside to LHB. (View Game Card)
Hayden Wesneski (HOU) vs TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 78 pitches.
His ability to split the zone to RHB with high four-seamers, inside sinkers, away cutters, and low-outside-corner sweepers is so fun. That command has me intrigued, even if he’s a little lost to LHB at the moment. Consider him a streaming option in Oracle Park now that he’ll be around 85+ pitches. This is truly a textbook RHB approach that should return more than four punchouts. (View Game Card)
Logan Henderson (MIL) vs PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 83 pitches.
I know it feels like you’ve waited ages for his AGA tag, but I have to be patient given it’s only his second start of the season at six frames, and just his fourth above five frames. And look, he’ll get the Dodgers + Atlanta by August 23rd. Let’s label that as Coronation Day assuming all goes well. In the meantime, enjoy the King Cole and 32% strikeout rate. Yeesh. I also love that there was one slider hanging out far away from everything else, an 0-0 called strike in the first. Nope, not good enough, not throwing that again all day. Okay Logan, do your thing. (View Game Card)
Sean Manaea (NYM) @ CLE (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 100 pitches.
Wow, a 2.00 WHIP but 2 ER, eh? You know, that’s two baserunners per inning and a whole lot of jams to escape, but look at you, Manaea, standing up and proclaiming how good you are at that sliding car puzzle game. I get out of jams all the time! What’s more important is the 92/93 mph four-seamer appearing and dominating for 24% SwStr, which is imperative for this to work given his sweeper’s inconsistency (47% CSW, 47% strikes, one swing total lol) and the sinker’s affinity to sit middle-middle to LHB. He’ll get a tougher challenge against the Pirates on Sunday and it could work. It’s four games in five of 2 ER or fewer with 6+ IP, and that includes the Dodgers and Atlanta. (View Game Card)
Tarik Skubal (LAD) @ CHC (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 85 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I thought he was going to get more Wins on the Dodgers…? (View Game Card)
Blade Tidwell (SFG) @ TEX (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 100 pitches.
I was excited to get a look at Tidwell and this was…underwhelming. He’s sitting 93-95 mph on his heaters that returned 0/43 whiffs (yikes), and that’s already sending up red flags. The sweeper and slider came through over the plate and out of it, but I’m not so enthused by them that I’d look past the suspect fastball foundation. He’s still a wait-and-see. (View Game Card)
Patrick Sandoval (BOS) vs CHW (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 89 pitches.
We’ve seen The Irish Panda five times now, and he’s allowed 5 ER combined in four of those games. JUST SAYING. What are you saying? I dunno, that he hasn’t been nearly as bad as I thought he would be? Then again, his biggest problem has always been his WHIP, which took a beating once again, no thanks to his changeup failing to eclipse a 50% strike rate despite being favored more than anything else. You’re better off ignoring this. (View Game Card)
Joey Cantillo (CLE) vs NYM (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 81 pitches.
After allowing more than six hits just once before July 12th, Cantillo has done so in three of the four starts since. Is that good. NO IT’S NOT GOOD. I don’t see a single pitch to blame for it, though, and I’d call it a Koufax annoyance more than anything. What I don’t like is seeing him down to 92 mph (not 93+ mph) and a changeup that could not land down and away for the life of it. At least that curveball is still ole reliable. (View Game Card)
Brady Singer (CIN) vs ATH (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 101 pitches.
A PQS is fine in traditional Singer fashion. I feel like I’ve seen the same Singer start dozens of times across his career at this point. Not good enough for standard formats, but I get it for those in need of QS often. (View Game Card)
J.T. Ginn (ATH) @ CIN (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.
It was a Still ILL for Ginn but that didn’t stop him from giving you a Bailey Special in a slightly-worse-than-usual-but-still-bad park. He gave LHB absolutely nothing to hit, while RHB saw sinkers dart all across the zone for a ton of weak contact. Now he heads to Boston and a healthy Ginn at 93+ mph (not 90-92!) is good to see. In fact, this 93.3 mph was the hardest average sinker velocity since June 4th in Wrigley. This could work in Fenway. (View Game Card)
Emerson Hancock (SEA) vs DET (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 94 pitches.
A VVPQS doesn’t shock me from Hancock, who has lost a ton of spin on his four-seamer across the year, which explains the massive drop in vert (thanks Jake Roy!). Still don’t understand why he’s losing spin, but I digress. We saw him lean on the curve last time, here it was the cutter, and I’m shocked to see the four-seamer returned 18% SwStr like those early starts. It was the down-and-away pitches to LHB that properly tagged him here, which has me shooting a death glare to Koufax, who just lost some of his potato chips to the floor when he finally caught my eye. Yeah, that’s right, quiver when you let something like this happen to a pitcher who deserved better! I guess we keep rolling with it, eh? (View Game Card)
Jared Jones (PIT) @ MIL (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 83 pitches.
Blegh. His four-seamer is not getting the job done at all. The pitch was rarely spotted upstairs and went just 1/34 whiffs at the end of the day, and I hate it. Just two games in twelve now above 12 whiffs in a single start, and his 15 whiffs peak was his first start back. I know I’m overreacting to recency – he’s been productive across his last five games – but I just saw a PEAS on the bump and it makes me all kinds of frustrated. That shouldn’t be the life you live, Jones. (View Game Card)
Zack Littell (WSN) @ PHI (L) – 6.2 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 93 pitches.
Oh hey, it’s a Wonka from Littell after a quick opening hook of Carson Palmquist just one out into the first. Welp, see ya later. (View Game Card)
Joe Ryan (MIN) @ KCR (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 99 pitches.
Uhhhhh he’s at 92 mph. He didn’t average 93+ on his four-seamer across any inning. I’m scared and need to slowly sidle up next to him to remove his AGA tag without him noticing. So sorry Joe. We just don’t trust that you’re healthy. (View Game Card)
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs SDP (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 11 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 102 pitches.
Wait, this was supposed to be the easy one before you face the Dodgers and Atlanta. Ohhhhh, he was Singled Out without a HR and still locating super well to RHB. Alright, it’s about time he had some regression there, you know? I think you can still give it a whirl against the Dodgers, but maybe the confidence is off now, and, well, the Dodgers. Up to you. (View Game Card)
Gabriel Hughes (COL) vs TBR (ND) – 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 77 pitches.
Womp womp. But hey, seven strikeouts! Five on a 78/79 mph curveball that shouldn’t be nearly this good! He’s getting -3″ of cut on his 91 mph four-seamer, which sounds awesome, but then you realize Dobbins is doing the same thing with more vert and at 95 mph and a better arsenal and locating it properly to LHB. Wouldn’t it be hilarious if Dobbins was the best Hunter for the final two months? Naaah. Hey, this is my blurb, not Dobbins’. Sorry, Gabriel, I appreciate you. Wish you could leave Coors, and try to get that cut-fastball inside to LHB in the future, alright? Got it. Thanks. Sure thing, so Hunter is doing thi—NICK. Okay okay. (View Game Card)
Freddy Peralta (TBR) @ COL (ND) – 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 71 pitches.
It was Coors and his first start with a new team. You should never judge a pitcher on a new team after their first start – they’re just trying to survive and find a routine in the first game. Throw in Coors and there’s zero reason to believe this one was going to be vastly different. Yeah, but it’s the first half of the “Green Mile”. Daaaang, Sacré Verde next and then two against the tough Orioles offense. Welp, good luck. I hope Tampa Bay has it all figured out for ya. Personally, I’m not giving this a try. Those matchups are too tough and I just don’t see how they’ll fix him, personally. He’s already throwing more changeups. That’s true, it is 10% points more already, but it sure didn’t do him any good, now did it? …No. (View Game Card)
Davis Martin (CHW) @ BOS (L) – 5.0 IP, 9 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 91 pitches.
Yeaaaaaah. Martin was a Vargas Rule and hit his first wall on May 22nd with 4 ER in 5.2 IP. Including that start, he’s had a 6.27 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 16% strikeout rate in 13 starts. Trust the Vargas process. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Paul Skenes vs. Kyle Harrison – We want Skenes to be Skenes, and we hope Harrison picks up where he left off in his Still ILL.
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 Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
