Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Friday 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.
Chris Bassitt (BAL) @ TOR (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 95 pitches.
Chris Bassitt was once one of the most underratedly reliable pitchers in baseball, but as age has caught up to him, he struggles to maintain even the title of Toby. His first year in Baltimore hasn’t gone swimingly, but he’s making a final push in an effort to potentially earn a contract for 2027.
In Toronto on Friday, Bassitt turned in an outing of 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 95 pitches (W). Nothing spectacular, but he got the win and produced a decent ERA. The real point of interest, though, is that he held the increased velocity he’s displayed recently.
At his peak, Bassitt sat north of 93 mph, but as he’s advanced through his career, he’s fallen below 92 mph. However, in three of his past four starts, he’s averaged 93-94 mph on his primary fastball while combining for a 3.12 ERA in that trio of starts. Once again, nothing spectacular, but it’s certainly worth considering as fantasy championships can hinge on decimal points of ERA or a singular win.
Heading to Queens before a rematch against his former club to close out the season, Bassitt is primed for a championship week-deciding performance. His increased velocity makes him a more reliable option, both in his ability to put batters away and induce weak contact. I’ll have him in the Questionable Start tier to close out the season. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Taj Bradley (MIN) vs CLE (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hit, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 94 pitches.
Luck swung the other way for Bradley. After commanding well with 60%+ strikes on each of his main trio of pitches (the loudest signal for his success this year) and allowing four runs across five frames, he turned in six innings of one-hit ball on Friday, with only his cutter eclipsing 60% strikes. It’s been a coin flip recently, with Bradley alternating 4+ runs or less than one run in each of his last six starts. Still, with easy matchups in Anaheim and San Francisco to close out the season, we’re starting him universally for the strikeout upside alone. (View Game Card)
Framber Valdez (DET) vs COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 90 pitches.
Valdez was served Rockie Road and devoured it. As he should! He’s still deploying surprise high four-seamers to make up for the inconsistency of his x-factor curveball, but I think we can look at the success here and say Blame it on the Rockies. Even with back-to-back scoreless outings, he hasn’t recaptured our faith. (View Game Card)
Dustin May (MIL) vs CIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 84 pitches.
We hadn’t gotten a good start from May in a month, but with his stuff still intact throughout the rough patch, we maintained our confidence in him. He rewarded trusting fantasy managers with the type of solid performance he popularized throughout the summer. Lots of well-placed sinkers and cutters intermingled with breakers that fell downstairs as intended. Let’s finish the season strong, Dustin! (View Game Card)
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) vs HOU (ND) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 92 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. The Ras Pack has served Rasmussen well this year, as he puts the finishing touches on an excellent campaign. (View Game Card)
Carlos Rodón (NYY) vs NYM (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 8 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 93 pitches.
We’re still waiting for Rodón to have that start where we see him command his entire arsenal effectively enough to think of him as an ace again, but we’ll take this all day. He induced at least three whiffs with four different offerings, and despite sliders returning just 50% strikes, they led his arsenal with six whiffs while everything else combined for 69% strikes. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in a start all year despite rarely having the command that allowed him to dominate in 2025, but he looked more locked in than ever at just the right time. (View Game Card)
Ethan Pecko (HOU) @ TBR (L) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 75 pitches.
After Miguel Ullola opened, Pecko came in and went full Canibal McSanchez with a few breakers mixed in. That approach has an oft-used term for a reason. Because it’s funny? Yes, but also because it works. He had batters in between all game, as they attempted to guess if the pitch would stay above the zone or fall into it. If he kept his pitches just a little lower (53% strikes on cutters and four-seamers), he would’ve looked even better. Good enough to stream against the Royals next? That’s borderline in standard leagues, but I’m not opposed to it in deeper leagues. (View Game Card)
Blake Snell (LAD) @ MIA (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 101 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. #HotSnellSummer continues with a Gallows Pole. I embark for Paris today, where I’ll be experiencing #HotSnailSummer (Yes, I’m re-using that joke. It’s simply too good). (View Game Card)
Parker Messick (CLE) @ MIN (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 95 pitches.
Definitely not the most convincing performance from Messick, as he had donut command with his four-seamer and failed to command his slider (38% strikes), but his ability to stick to the edges with changeups and get batters to chase his four-seamer allowed him to induce enough weak contact (64% to be exact) to skate freely into the sixth frame. Messick has done what he’s done this year because he’s mitigated damage when not at his best. (View Game Card)
Mason Adams (COL) @ DET (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 77 pitches.
Adams quietly has a 3.38 ERA through the first four starts of his career. He’s lucky that just one of them came in Coors, but it’s a lot for a Colorado arm to find consistent success on the road. Too bad there’s nothing to get excited about. It’s a low arm-angle that allows his mediocre four-seamer to play up, and his low-80s curve isn’t a dominant-enough signature breaker to carry the rest of his arsenal. His success is especially suspect when he throws sub-60% overall strikes. With Kyle Freeland due back from the IL next week, Adams either pitches in Coors against the Padres or is removed from the rotation. (View Game Card)
Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs TEX (ND) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 80 pitches.
The Diamondbacks are fighting for their lives to stay in the hunt for the final NL playoff spot, so when Kelly’s command started to waver with a walk, HBP, and a double, the club was quick to give him the hook. It worked out, as the bullpen escaped the jam and didn’t concede a run the rest of the game. Kelly has been hit or miss all year, regardless of opponent, so if you’re desperate to flip a coin for a quality start, you do you as he hosts the Yankees. (View Game Card)
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) @ WSN (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 88 pitches.
The increased velocity was still present, but Kikuchi didn’t command well and paid the price with a high pitch count and an early hook. This is why, despite arsenal improvements and recent success, he remains a HIPSTER. (View Game Card)
Aaron Nola (PHI) @ ATL (ND) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 101 pitches.
The Vargas Rule continues! Nola has reeled off a stretch of nine starts in which he’s allowed more than two runs just once (three runs on August 3rd), recording a 2.38 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and a 25% strikeout rate in the process. His command has looked better than ever, as LHB got jammed with a trio of fastball variants, were dealt low curveballs, and failed to handle pristinely located changeups low and armside, while RHB got sinkers hitting the edges and signature curveballs low and away. Let’s keep rolling with him while he’s feeling it, but be wary that if you’re trying to be conservative, Nola could revert to a pumpkin at any moment. (View Game Card)
Cade Cavalli (WSN) vs LAA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 96 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. What an incredible season Cavalli has had. The increased velo, improved curveball, and cutter incorporation have made such a huge difference. Now, what to do about ranking him for 2027? (View Game Card)
Ryan Gusto (MIA) vs LAD (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 89 pitches.
I mean, that’s pretty darn impressive for Gusto hosting the Dodgers. He completed six frames for just the second time this year, deploying his kitchen sink to great effect, as it kept the opposition guessing all game. We’re gonna have to start calling him Auguste if he keeps cooking like Gusteau. I wouldn’t do a taste test in Arizona next. (View Game Card)
Shota Imanaga (CHC) vs PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 100 pitches.
Recognizing the decline of his four-seamer and its proneness to homers, Imanaga has thrown his splitter 45% of the time in back-to-back starts – something he hadn’t done since his first two starts of May. He didn’t walk away unscathed, as his fastball got taken deep for a solo shot in the sixth, but he was otherwise reliable enough to get a quality start. A strikeout explosion isn’t out of the question in his final two starts, but Imanaga has pitched a lot more like a Toby without his best heater, so he’s more of a wins-and-ratios play down the stretch. (View Game Card)
Seth Lugo (KCR) @ BOS (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 95 pitches.
Strikeouts have been difficult to come by for Lugo, but he fanned seven for the first time since July 1st, and for just the second time since April 20th. You’d think he had his best stuff to fan so many batters while earning the King Cole, but he was down 1-2 ticks across the board and induced just eight whiffs. This was all thanks to a passive Sawx lineup that allowed him to return a 27% called strike rate across his entire arsenal. Expect his next opponent to be much more aggressive to avoid the fate of the Sawx. (View Game Card)
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) vs SEA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 K – 6 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 94 pitches.
I know pitching in Sacré Verde is tough, and he returned a 3.60 ERA here, but it’s hard to see the sunshine and rainbows with just one strikeout. HAISTBMBWT?! Springs’ heater needs to be at peak form, and his changeup needs to be the signature pitch its been throughout his career for him to get us excited. Four-seamers were down a tick, and changeups sailed armside too often, while sliders failed to handle LHB. They all combined for just 19% CSW. It’s interesting to see him incorporating his cutter more, but not interesting enough for us to consider him, even when he leaves Sacré Verde for The Trop. (View Game Card)
Matthew Liberatore (STL) vs CHW (ND) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 72 pitches.
That’s not great, folks. Liberatore is in a bad spot, with a limited workload and reduced velocity. For a pitcher who already struggles with efficiency and producing fantasy-worthy starts, that’s basically a death sentence. (View Game Card)
Chris Sale (ATL) vs PHI (ND) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 94 pitches.
Aces gonna allow a bases-clearing double in the third, but otherwise go unscathed through seven frames. He was a tick down on his heater. Hopefully that’s just him saving bullets for the postseason. (View Game Card)
Sonny Gray (BOS) vs KCR (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 90 pitches.
This was mostly Gray, as Sonny turned in a PQS despite having great feel for his sweeper, which earned 73% strikes and induced six whiffs. The Royals were aggressive, chasing 37% of pitches out of the zone, but were also able to make contact on non-sweepers that stayed a little too close to the zone. It’s a tough game, knowing how far you can get batters to chase while also sticking close enough to the zone to avoid walking the yard. Gray normally toes that line beautifully, so we keep starting him. (View Game Card)
Anthony Kay (CHW) @ STL (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BB, 2 Ks – 1 Whiff, 21% CSW, 67 pitches.
Well, we can’t call him Anthony 0-Kay, but we can call him Anthony One-Whiff. Not only did he struggle to miss bats, but he also didn’t command his arsenal well, leading to a sub-60% overall strike rate. He’s failed to complete five frames in each of his last four starts and is completely out of rhythm. Leave him on the wire and pray you don’t need to desperately stream him against Rockie Road on the final day of the season. (View Game Card)
George Kirby (SEA) @ ATH (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 101 pitches.
Sacré Verde waits for no one. Kirby got bamboozled for a pair of runs in the first and served up a Sacramento special with a two-run shot coming in the third. He commanded better against RHB than I’ve seen all year, jamming them with sinkers and getting them chasing away with sweepers. Unfortunately, that took away from his previous ability to pull off the Canibal McSanchez + BSB against LHB, leading to sub-50% overall strikes against them and two-thirds of the hits he allowed. He’s allowed four or more runs in five of his last six starts, so even heading to Anaheim next, it may not be worth your time. (View Game Card)
MacKenzie Gore (TEX) @ ARI (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 76 pitches.
Gore was cruising until the fifth, when it all fell apart. Three doubles and a walk knocked him out of the game, and his final inherited runner came around to score after he was pulled. If he was able to pull off the BSB consistently, Gore would be dope, but as we’ve come to know, he doesn’t carry the same command start-to-start. There’s strikeout upside in his final starts of the season, but are your ratios worth risking for it? (View Game Card)
Robbie Ray (SDP) @ SFG (W) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 94 pitches.
In his first start against his former club, Ray was betrayed by his old teammate, Rafael Devers, who took him deep for a grand slam in the fifth. It was a curveball well below the zone that Devers went fishing for that he still found a way to get good wood on, but we can’t blame it all on a pitcher getting beat on a good pitch when he put himself in a bad situation by loading the bases. His command was terrible once again, with 55% overall strikes, as he continues to struggle to find the zone. With Coors and Dodger Stadium on deck, I’d be dropping Ray everywhere. (View Game Card)
Nolan McLean (NYM) @ NYY (L) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BB, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 101 pitches.
Every once in a while, McLean will have an outing like this. It’s a product of him being more of a thrower than a pitcher. He’s got great stuff, but doesn’t often locate it pristinely, so more seasoned lineups can handle his stuff. It doesn’t help that Koufax did him no favors with a .500 BABIP, and one of the homers he served up came with two runners on. He missed four bats apiece with his sinker, four-seamer, and changeup and threw plenty of strikes, so we’ll have to write this one off as a One Night Bland. (View Game Card)
Max Scherzer (TOR) vs BAL (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BB, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 83 pitches.
Scherzer is gutting his way through the final starts of his career in an effort to climb one spot higher on the all-time strikeouts leaderboard. He surpassed Gaylord Perry a couple of weeks back, and now he’s got his sights set on Justin Verlander. With 3540 Ks, he’s 14 strikeouts shy of Verlander’s total of 3554. It may not be pretty, but the Blue Jays should give him three shots to get there. He’ll need to be better than he was on Friday, when he sat 1-2 ticks down across the board, if he wants to surpass his former rotation mate. (View Game Card)
Khristian Curtis (PIT) @ CHC (L) – 3.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 62 pitches.
Curtis followed Wilber Dotel, but the Pirates probably wished they had just let Dotel pitch a full start. This is the concern with Curtis. He’s got great stuff, but sometimes he just can’t find the zone. Batters recognized that early on, waited for him to challenge them, and punished them when he did. With so much great starting pitching talent in Pittsburgh, Curtis is ultimately destined for a relief role that might suit his skill set better anyway. (View Game Card)
Anthony Molina (SFG) vs SDP (L) – 3.0 IP, 7 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches.
I had been liking what Molina was bringing to the table, but what is this?! Foie gras! For your trip to France! I’d rather try escargots or steak tartare before I eat the fleshy liver of a tortured duck. Molina didn’t have any semblance of a plan of attack and just threw up over the zone like I would if I were subjected to eating foie gras. He was unfortunate to return a ridiculous .643 BABIP, and I have faith that his stuff will return better results in the future, but this start doesn’t give me the confidence to start him @STL next. (View Game Card)
Andrew Abbott (CIN) @ MIL (L) – 2.0 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 1 Whiff, 26% CSW, 43 pitches.
Abbott has fallen apart pretty dramatically in the second half of the season. A lot of his success relies on above-average command and deception, and he definitely hasn’t displayed that recently. He hit a low point on Friday, failing to strike out a single batter while getting shellacked. HAISTBMBWT?! That’s a 7.96 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, and a 15% strikeout rate since the beginning of August. With the Dodgers on the docket, we’re avoiding him at all costs. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Michael King vs. Cesar Perdomo – I want to see King continue his quietly great season and for Perdomo to establish himself as a SWATCH.
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)
