Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup: Applying For A Brant

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 Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.

Beau Brieske (DET) vs BAL (ND) – 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 16 pitches.

Has there been a sneakier pickup than Brant Hurter this summer? He’s entered the Tigers “rotation” as a follower save for one start and returned a 2.56 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, 25% strikeout rate, and FIVE WINS across eight games, and even flirted with “perfection” (sorry for all the quotation marks, but they are valid) against the mighty Orioles on Friday night in relief of Beau Brieske’s clean 1.1 frames via 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 41% CSW, 71 pitches. Sadly, the no-hitter was broken up in the ninth, but hot dang, Hurter sure is giving y’all some value.

I’ve been very meh about Hurter and followers in general due to their depressed volume, leading to lower strikeout totals and expressions of any beneficial ratios they return. However, Hurter has gone at least five in all but one of his games as a proper follower/start (first game was a mini-debut), and I’m pretty impressed with some of his results.

We’re talking a 15% ICR against LHB with his sinker, which is absolutely bonkers. He pairs it with a sweeper (no surprise), but also utilizes the breaker well against RHB, with the sinker still inducing a solid 37% ICR, while the changeup appears and either misses well outside the zone, or nibbles well along the edge. It’s a Neckbeard approach to RHB, a “try to hit this” sinker to LHB with a 100th percentile zone rate, and it all just…works. For now.

I see him as a Baha Man who could turn into a decent Toby next year, but shouldn’t be expected to return close to this next year – I just don’t think the sinker will continue to perform at such a ridiculously good level. For now? Absolutely start him against the Royals and Rays. Let it ride into the sunset.

Side ramble: I really hate how the follower has inherently removed the chance of a single pitcher returning a no-hitter or perfect game. Every single start a pitcher has made in their life comes with a Today is the day dream tucked away in the back of their mind and it extends to the crowd hoping to watch history. But a combined perfect game/no-hitter is great too! It’s not the same. I’m sorry, it’s just not. If Hurter came through with this one, he wouldn’t be heralded with the others, and we’ve even debate if it should be included as the 25th perfect game in history. I hate that.

 

Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:

 

Jose Quintana (NYM) @ PHI (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 94 pitches.

So he did it after all. I slotted him at the bottom of the streaming rankings thinking this was too risky and to be fair, this wasn’t Quintana’s best skills on display, but it worked. Yay! I guess we’re okay with the Nationals next, but that’s still Questionable to me without the change and curve landing properly a lot in this one + his sinker getting a whole lot of the plate constantly and getting away with it (Thanks Koufax!).

Edward Cabrera (MIA) @ WSN (L) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 100 pitches.

The Cherry Bomb had up to 99 mph on his heater and merged it with some of the filthiest changeups of the year, diving under the zone at 94 mph. I’m not kidding, watch them here. He’s so dang good when he’s on and I’ll continue to hold out hope he can perform like this consistently in 2025. We even saw 8/12 slider strikes, which could be the bridge strike pitch he needs. Wouldn’t that be awesome…

Dylan Cease (SDP) @ SFG (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 97 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. THERE WE GO. The four-seamer was much better against LHB, while the slider actually found the edges when needed, too. And of course, he just bullied RHB per usual. No, the cutter ain’t here yet. YET. Enjoy the Golden Goal and now you have two starts to go – the CrySox (dope) and the Dodgers. That’s going to be such a stressful final start.

Zack Littell (TBR) @ CLE (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 89 pitches.

Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Litell with zero expectations for success in HR-heavy Cleveland, especially with 18 whiffs and a 36% CSW that could have returned a Golden Goal on a given night. His slider obliterated the Guardians with 10/34 whiffs and 47% CSW, reserving his fastballs at just 31% usage, and even pairing it with a chase-heavy splitter for 60% strikes. In short, the slider foundation was excellent, the splitter/heaters complemented well, and that’s your ball game. Does this mean I’m tempted to test Littell for two games in the Trop against the Sawx and Tigers? Maybe…? GUESS YOU’RE BACK ON THE MENU. We saw Littell find this groove back in April/May and fall far from it after, maybe it’s finally returning…

Brady Basso (OAK) @ CHW (W) – 5.1 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 77 pitches.

The CrySox are truly terrible against LHP. Thanks for the easy stream Basso, now it’s back to wire with you. If he gets one of the final three games of the year in Seattle, I’d consider you a decent desperate stream, but not someone I’m excited for.

Richard Fitts (BOS) @ NYY (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 90 pitches.

The Sawx scratched Tanner Houck at the last moment due to shoulder fatigue, giving Fitts another start in the rotation and he impressed me once again. The slider was fantastic at 40% called strikes across 30 thrown (zero whiffs, but they rarely swung!) while his four-seamer was consistent upstairs and generated outs. I dig this, though I still want one more pitch instead of four-seamer/slider that isn’t a sweeper or splitter. Curve? Change? Cutter? WHATCHA GOT IN 2025? If Houck can’t make his next start, I’m down to go with Fitts against the Rays on Thursday – that would be Probably start. Monitor this.

Jacob deGrom (TEX) @ SEA (ND) – 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 61 pitches.

He’s back y’all and uggggh it was fun. Yes, he sat atop our four-seamer Fan 4+ model yesterday with a 45% better chance to earn a whiff than the average four-seamer (lol). The heater isn’t 100 mph (but is that a bad thing?) and he did have some moments where the slider was chaotic, but daaaaaang he’s so good. I’ll still go back to this thought at the trade deadline. If you were looking for an SP rental for the playoffs, shouldn’t deGrom have been a major target for teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Astros, Orioles, Phillies, Atlanta, Mets, Diamondbacks, and Brewers? Whatever, you start degrom each time and hope he gets one full one by the end of the year.

Zach Eflin (BAL) @ DET (L) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 100 pitches.

It’s hard going opposite an arm flirting with a perfect game, you know? Eflin is doing what you want him to do…save for strikeouts…and getting the Win he should get. Okay, he’s a lock in your lineup, alright? Cool.

Alec Marsh (KCR) @ PIT (W) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 11 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 96 pitches.

Duuuuuude! That’s three straight starts of Marsh boasting a legit set of breaking balls with his slider + curve combining for 40% CSW and 12/43 whiffs. In fact, this was the first start he returned whiffs on his curve (5) since July 10th. Cool to see that, even if it’s likely not sticking. I guess we give it a go against the Tigers, eh? The slider should stick around at least and the fastballs are on point.

DJ Herz (WSN) vs MIA (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.

He didn’t have his changeup spotted like he normally needs to succeed, but Blame it on the Marlins as he powered his way with 10/15 slider strikes (20% CSW) and 10/45 called strikes on the four-seamer. I’m moving on now with the Mets + Royals + Phillies to end his year. Too risky.

Freddy Peralta (MIL) @ ARI (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 103 pitches.

His velocity was up at 95 mph on the heater, with nearly two ticks on the curveball, which may have helped him keep the breaker in the zone more often than usual. He missed more North-South with the four-seamer this time around (“Noooo, my horizontal volatility plans have been foiled!” – Professor Chaos) and he was able to work around…uh…ten baserunners for a Win. Props to him for that, or maybe Koufax should get the credit. Either way, he survived and now needs to endure the Phillies. Good luck.

Garrett Crochet (CHW) vs OAK (L) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 56 pitches.

Sigh. Can you at least give him an opener? For the fantasy players out there? I have to mention, his sweeper was filthy at 8/10 strikes and five whiffs. It’s cool he’s at least taking advantage of these final frames to experiment a bit, hinting that he could be more than two-pitch next year. Maybe.

Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs STL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 104 pitches.

You see that at first and smile. Then you notice the 1.57 WHIP and just three strikeouts. UGH. But wait! He held a 21% SwStr rate on his splitter! That’s two starts of the pitch looking more like its old self! Oh?! I’d still do it against the Rangers. The strikeouts should come back if that splitter sticks the landing in his final two games.

Austin Gomber (COL) vs CHC (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 94 pitches.

No Win, tough WHIP, four strikeouts…but at least it’s a 3.00 ERA? This is good for Gomber, right? What a story Mark. YES IT WAS A COL STORY.

Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) vs LAD (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 92 pitches.

I was worried about Mr. Crescendo and his diminishing whiffs on his slider, and what’s kinda funny is how that concern was valid. He earned just 2/21 slider whiffs and 19% CSW on his main secondary, but the splitter, ho boy, THE SPLITTER. It stepped up for 7/10 whiffs with three strikeouts against Muncy (x2) & Ohtani, and truly saved the day against an elite offense. Meanwhile, the four-seamer returned a pair of strikeouts against RHB (and a HR…), which seems a little odd as well. I wouldn’t bank on this working the same way again in the future, leaving us in the same predicament with the slider. I say go for it against the Reds, but I really wish that pitch looked better here.

Clarke Schmidt (NYY) vs BOS (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 86 pitches.

Awww, a Philly is slightly worse than what we wanted here and the Yankees didn’t wake up until the seventh inning, preventing a Win as a consolation prize. The cutter and sweeper were the stars once again, with the curve returning outs galore save for a poor 0-2 breaker over the plate. Seattle is next and now that he’s fully stretched out, things are cool.

Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 90 pitches.

The changeup was terrible with just 2/10 strikes, forcing more cutters and four-seamers, which fortunately came through. Well, the heater, really, as the cutter’s 55% strike rate was a showcase of getting the most out of that one bench player who hustles his butt off in left field and gives it his all while he all know he shouldn’t be there. You did what you could and we’re proud of you for that, son. In the end, the Brewers simply failed to come through against Erod’s hittable heaters and that’s on them. I expect the slowball to be better next start, which means I’m fine repeating this for another go against the Brew Crew. Sidenote: Arizona vs. Milwaukee reminds me of old playoff matchups where we all felt neither were going to Win the World Series, but we’re happy for both to be there. Back in the Upton and Fielder days…

Yusei Kikuchi (HOU) @ LAA (W) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 85 pitches.

He’s been so good since coming to the Astros and finally leaning into four-seamer/slider and even with the depressed velocity here, he’s dope. The Angels made the most of their baserunners, too, with both walks scoring in the third, while a solo shot in the fourth on a poorly spotted 1-2 heater was the final blemish. Enjoy the Angels (again) and Mariners to end the year.

Julian Aguiar (CIN) @ MIN (W) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.

Hey, that’s awesome! You went long enough to go into the seventh, return a slightly better PQS, steal a Win, and still be generally boring. That’s the life of a sinkerballer with a mid changeup + poor breakers, and with Atlanta next, I don’t think you can get away with it again. Probably.

Tanner Bibee (CLE) vs TBR (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 91 pitches.

A PQS, yes, but you got nine strikeouts and an incredibly effective slider among all the blur of changeups and four-seamers in the upper half. That’s the Bibee way – it doesn’t quite make sense, but he gets results with three pitches that can be thrown regularly upstairs. Let it ride.

Emerson Hancock (SEA) vs TEX (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 90 pitches.

He’s stepping in for Luis Castillo and despite his changeup looking like the pitch we’ve wanted it to be since last year (You may remember me yelling at Hancock to throw the changeup during his MLB debut stream on Playback last season…), I don’t quite buy that it’ll stick around moving forward. I also wish his slider was a bit better, though I’ll take his heaters with this command moving forward – they aren’t elite offerings but if the location is there and sets up the changeup plenty, that’ll work (with a slider, too).

Erick Fedde (STL) @ TOR (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 94 pitches.

Yep. Let’s not. Cool? Cool. That’s it? Yep. Better to keep it simple and straightforward. But it’s the Pirates! UGGGGH. Don’t care, I don’t trust him. That’s a desperate stream reserved for NL-Only leagues.

Logan Webb (SFG) vs SDP (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 83 pitches.

Womp womp. He threw seven changeups, y’all. SEVEN. And two allowed hits. That’s not the Webb you want to see and he tried to do a lot with the sweeper here that did help out, but yeah, this isn’t fun at all. Expect better against the Royals.

Javier Assad (CHC) @ COL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 93 pitches.

Yep, it’s Coors and a low strikeout arm. Sounds about right. Maybe it works against the Athletics if you’re in need of a QS? Suitman whispers into my ear Two ticks down on the sinker, eh? Maybe because of Coors…? Yeah, it’s not like we were excited for that next start in the first place.

Luis L. Ortiz (PIT) vs KCR (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 97 pitches.

Blegh. A really poor third inning with bad throw by Ortiz himself extended the frame to allow three extra runs and a Salvy blast. He didn’t pitch that poorly here, but the heaters aren’t messing up batters and the slider/cutter are good, not elite. Keep that in mind with the Cards next. He’s okay.

Samuel Aldegheri (LAA) vs HOU (L) – 2.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 5 BBs, 0 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 17% CSW, 53 pitches.

He has a fun curveball, but this was the Astros. And he had the Shag Rug revealed as said hook was off the rod, relying on the meh changeup and poor heater. Nope nope nope. He could get the White Sox during the final week of the year, though, so circle that and completely ignore his rematch against Houston.

Bailey Ober (MIN) vs CIN (L) – 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 90 pitches.

Aces gonna…allow one earned through six on a super high HR down the line on an inside cutter. Wait what. Yeah, all the real damage came in the seventh and it was painful to watch – he was under 70 pitches entering the frame and was flirting with a Complete Game here. Pretty wild to see the Twins allow him to allow four batters to reach safely before the hook (including a bunt-single to score a runner from third, but still) and I have to tell you, the changeup? Oh my GOSH. No hits allowed with a 50% CSW across 38 thrown. We’re talking 16/38 whiffs (42% SwStr rate is STUPID). I guess he shouldn’t have thrown those other pitches at all in the seventh (he said, facetiously). Sometimes you just gotta go full Hoffman, you know?

Landon Knack (LAD) @ ATL (L) – 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 64 pitches.

Womp womp. I had higher hopes for Knack and he really didn’t have his breakers helping him out. The four-seamer wasn’t terrible, just not a pitch he wanted to lead on, and there’s your clunker of a game. We expected Knack to be out of the rotation by now, but with Tyler Glasnow experiencing a setback Saturday morning, Knack likely makes his next start in Miami and I’m going for it. That feels like a cushy day at the park with a cheesy Win to me. Brie? Always brie.

Aaron Nola (PHI) vs NYM (L) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 90 pitches.

Aces gonna throw no-hit ball until the fifth inning, then allow singles on poorly spotted fastballs + a pair of three-run HRs on horrible curveballs that hung more than a wrinkled suit soaking up bathroom steam as the owner yells at it to work faster. Come on COME ON! It was such a painful inning and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for your fantasy playoffs. It’s why we simply can’t plan only for September in March, let alone a month or two beforehand. Whatareyagonnado.

 

Game of the Day

 

Max Scherzer vs. Logan Gilbert – We saw deGrom yesterday, WE WANT MORE.

But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.

Have Questions? – Join my morning Playback.tv livestream! I answer all questions there for free: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET Monday through Friday.

Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)