Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Sunday 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.
Jackson Jobe (DET) vs COL (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 87 pitches.
We’ve been waiting for Jackson Jobe to do something fun for a long time. We’re talking before his TJS, just the six weeks since his return in early August. And after a seven-strikeout effort against the Guardians that marked his first outing above four Ks for the season, Jobe took advantage of a sweet Rockie Road matchup via 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 87 pitches (W). Now that’s fun.
Many things surprised me here. First, we’ve watched Jobe ride his four-seamer as his strike foundation nearly 35% of the time this year and this was…not that. 48% strikes across just 21 thrown was a drastic shift for the young arm, favoring it up and out of the zone and letting his sinker fall middle-away instead. It worked well – 85% strikes – with the slider and curve stepping up for 38% usage between them and 70% strikes, carrying him with 11/33 whiffs. Where have you BEEN?! Those breakers are also a bit strange. There’s a definitive ~93 mph cutter, then an 89/90 mph gyro slider with -6/7″ sweep, a slightly slower version with about 4″ extra drop, then two types of curveballs – one that looks like your drop gyro slider at 86 mph – 0″ sweep but 5″ drop – but there’s also a bigger one at 12″ drop and 85 mph. It’s all over the place and I LOVE IT. We’ve seen that these tighter and harder curveballs are a lot harder for batters to spit on out of the zone as they remove the big hump of the slower high-70s/low-80s iterations. Throw in the fact that he upped the usage of breaking balls 10% in this outing + another 6% on his cutter and I’m beginning to believe that he’s beginning to believe.
The White Sox are up next and that’s the perfect litmus test. Is Jobe doing this just for LHB (100% faced here)? Is this an actual approach shift or did he not have confidence in his four-seamer and adapt? I’m starting him there and hoping these breaking balls are still there. He could pitch backward and save that four-seamer to go upstairs later with the rest of his fun rag-tag crew having a jolly time filling the zone as batters quiver in their boots. Where’s the four-seamer?! I SWORE I JUST SAW IT! I feel like we’ve waited an eternity to see an SP version of Jobe on the mound that can dominate and now that I just watched it, I’ll be so upset if it proves to be ephemeral. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
Payton Tolle (BOS) vs KCR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 96 pitches.
Alright alright! Aces gonna ace. YOU’RE TOO LATE NICK. Am I? AM I?! A Gallows Pole due to four-seamers overpowering incessantly is awesome and huge props to Tolle for boasting 70% strikes on his entire arsenal for the season (well, the 51% clip on his changeup is rough, but he throws fewer than three per game). Because he’s not throwing 99 mph and he’s Ras Pack focused (even if the cutter feels more like a slider at times), I’m going to be loving him next season in drafts. The concern entering this year was twofold: volatility and no support for his four-seamer. He’s answered both, even throwing an immaculate inning to kick off the game with nine straight fastballs. LET’S DANCE. (View Game Card)
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) @ MIA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 81 pitches.
Sometimes all you need to do is hit the reset button. Sheehan’s four-seamer exploded in domed Marlins Park, gaining over an inch of vert and two inches of run. Too bad he didn’t throw more compelling heaters up and out of the zone or this could have been a ten-strikeout game. He’ll get the Giants for both of his final two outings and you better let him fly. (View Game Card)
Cam Schlittler (NYY) vs NYM (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 94 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. How is he going to go in drafts next year? I’m not sure, but I think he’ll deserve it, and earn many more King Cole awards in his future. (View Game Card)
David Sandlin (CHW) @ STL (L) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 70 pitches.
Ayyyy it’s Sandlin! And he performed as well as I thought he could when we first saw him, but far better than I thought he would now! That’s a Gold Star, fella. We’re starting to see pitchers feature “gyro curveballs” that are 84/85 mph hooks that are closer to a bullet slider than a traditional big breaker, and I think it works. Harder to identify out of the hand. He would have made it through the full six frames if not for an error on his final pitch, not to mention, oh I don’t know, the perfect game he was throwing through 5.1 innings. Yes, Chicago, I do believe you should be throwing him out there regularly and for more than 70 pitches. If they were to do so, it would be the Tigers over the weekend and you could do far worse for a stream then. (View Game Card)
Freddy Peralta (TBR) vs HOU (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.
That’s four straight great strong outings from Peralta, including this no-hit effort against the Astros. We saw him axe the changeup last game, and he brought it back here to both LHB and RHB without fear. But they were bad. 30% strikes on 23 thrown. Shhhhh, NO FEAR! The four-seamer was fantastic on the edges at 71% strikes and maybe the 27% changeup usage kept them on their toes. WE RIDE. (View Game Card)
Noah Cameron (KCR) @ BOS (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 85 pitches.
Everyone is soooo focused on Tolle that Cameron’s gem on the other side gets no love. I got you Noah! I appreciate your character arc! He nailed the four-seamer / cutter / slider game inside to RHB (the former pair upstairs, slider backfoot) and has given us no reason to bench him with @PIT and CLE ahead to conclude his redeeming second half – a 1.64 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with a 24% strikeout rate across his last 65.2 IP. Hot DANG. (View Game Card)
Michael McGreevy (STL) vs CHW (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 90 pitches.
Atta boy! McGreevy was fantastic landing all his offerings armside and didn’t care if they knew about it. I guess they didn’t – 14 whiffs with 2/3 weak contact – and I’m down to stream him against the Nationals, too. He’s feeling it. (View Game Card)
Andrew Painter (PHI) @ ATL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 87 pitches.
Soooo that vert is back down to meh, but the velo is up a tick…? But the slider and sinker were bad and he wasted so many changeups. But the sweeper was well spotted and the slider’s heart was in the right place – very far from the heart of the plate. If this sounds like I’m a little scared it’s because I’m scared, featuring his first sub-10 whiff game since August 16th. I’d be cautious against the Mets up next. (View Game Card)
Dylan Cease (TOR) vs BAL (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 9 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 94 pitches.
Despite sitting right below 95 mph and producing just one whiff on 32 four-seamers (Shudders), the curve and slider stepped up for 10/39 whiffs in a near split focus, allowing him to claw through five frames for a dub and nine strikeouts. But that WHIP. Yuuup. You knew the deal when you shook hands. Let’s just hope he can keep runners on the bags for two more starts. (View Game Card)
Robert Gasser (MIL) vs CIN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 89 pitches.
I’ve been pretty down on Gasser lately and it was great seeing him selectively toss four-seamers upstairs for three strikeouts, while the cutter and sinker laid the groundwork earlier in counts. His changeup is looking closer to where I’d want it to be along the edges, but it’s not quite there yet, while the sweeper is…fine. It’s all a bit too Toby for me, still, and I’d avoid for the Orioles and Cardinals ahead. (View Game Card)
Brandon Williamson (CIN) @ MIL (W) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 47 pitches.
He followed Burns and was…actually good! You got your sneaky Win! The cutter was two ticks harder at the cost of a little bit of movement, and he went ham on the pitch inside to RHB. Yes, it worked. The sweeper was saved mostly for LHB and did its job, and that’s your ball game. The slowball still needs work and he was far more efficient than usual (Thanks Koufax!) and while it does provide some evidence for the possibility of Brandon becoming B DUBS, I still wouldn’t chance it in more scenarios.
Tanner Bibee (CLE) @ MIN (W) – 6.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 96 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! It’s just the second 7+ strikeout game for Bibee since June 19th and I’m never getting rid of this coin ever again. IT’S MINE DANGIT. The matchups are friendly ahead – ATH, @KCR – though it’s the same story as always. We just don’t know. (View Game Card)
Cal Quantrill (TEX) @ ARI (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 70 pitches.
We. Don’t. STOP. The CQ is has helped us ween off streaming other plebs with an easy, lower dose to NICA-STREEAAAAM. I apologize, I’m just still in awe of this run and I’d be so sad if it ended a start or two short. TOR and @MIN are all that’s left. You got this. (View Game Card)
Christian Scott (NYM) @ NYY (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 82 pitches.
NOICE. The heater was up a tick to 96.6 mph and worked well to LHB and was located well enough to RHB. The rest was…still not quite what I’d want to see in the future, but the heaters are working well enough that I’m fine rolling with him against the Phillies and Nationals. Not jumping over everything for it, but it’s enough. Just one game in his last eleven under six strikeouts, and three all year under 5 (including the first one that was hilariously bad. I was at it!). (View Game Card)
Grayson Rodriguez (LAA) @ WSN (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 93 pitches.
Ehhhh, so close to being something helpful. At least he’s throwing his slider and curveball for strikes now, but there were featured more in the middle and top half of the zone than where we really wanted them. I’m awfully curious to see him in 2027. GrayRod still has a well-commanded four-seamer at 96 mph and a good feel for his slowball. It’s all about finding that upper-80s breaking ball he can command and find whiffs. I kinda expect him to find one in the off-season and it could really tie the room together. (View Game Card)
Bryce Miller (SEA) @ ATH (ND) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 5 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.
He survived. More sinkers than four-seamers (weird) and they weren’t nearly as effective (not weird but also makes it weirder he did so…?), while the sweeper and splitter were well located down. I’m glad he had one solid outing under his belt before he heads back to the pen with Hancock’s return, and if he happens to start again, this outing isn’t enough to repair our trust. (View Game Card)
Grant Holmes (ATL) vs PHI (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 71 pitches.
Ah. The guy I say has some decent strikeout upside returns an absolute Wonka with zero punchouts to take home. HAISTBMBWT?! At least it’s the Astros next who may be more susceptible to the slide piece..? That would require him not to spike it so dang much, though. Just a thought. (View Game Card)
Nick Pivetta (SDP) @ SFG (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 69 pitches.
The velocity is normal at 94 mph. The arsenal is not. At least he’s landing the curveball over the plate to LHB, but he’s not earning many whiffs (just six sweepers make it a bit harder to avoid bats), and 59% four-seamer usage doesn’t seem like the greatest approach. He’s up to 70 pitches now, though, which carves a path for five frames against the Marlins next week – especially if he’s still finding it hard to miss bats. It’s risky given the lack of swing and miss (3/41 whiffs on his heater, 1/13 on his curve isn’t alluring), and you make your call here. With the Dodgers following for his last start of the year, it just doesn’t seem like the right ceiling to chase. (View Game Card)
Chase Burns (CIN) @ MIL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 56 pitches.
Aces gonna be limited to three frames and that’s that. Where are you going to draft him next year? I’ll have my rankings out in early October, if not before the end of September and we’ll be talking about this one for a while. (View Game Card)
Bubba Chandler (PIT) @ CHC (W) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
Huh. Savant can’t make up its mind about Chandler’s breakers, and I’m not sure I can either. There’s a grouping that looks like a cutter at 92/93 mph, but many are really close to gyro, where there are about six others that are detached from the blob. Anyway, that doesn’t really matter – Chandler is still featuring Feral Command and all we can do at this point is hope something clicks before next season begins. At least he’ll have a little more time than usual. DON’T SAY THAT. Seriously. Please don’t say that. I’m trying to keep a business afloat, dangit! (View Game Card)
Eduardo Rodriguez (ARI) vs TEX (L) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 99 pitches.
So he allowed a two-run shot in the first and got Singled Out with an error in the fifth + a touch of Careful, Icarus in the sixth after sticking around for a walk and an out. It was still the same Erod of great pitch separation with heaters/cutters up-and-in + breakers and changeups down-and-away. Sign me up for NYY + @SDP. (View Game Card)
Jake Irvin (WSN) vs LAA (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 76 pitches.
Irvin was opened for by Cornelio and maybe it helps the fella. It’s a bit of a Dusty Donut with a 1.00 WHIP and six strikeouts, or maybe that’s actually well received from a guy like Irvin. I dunno, I think it’s best just to not think about it. (View Game Card)
Eury Pérez (MIA) vs LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
After three straight disasters, this could have been a lot worse for Eury. His four-seamer got the job done, but the breakers were a struggle (save for the curveball, which found 10/11 strikes but was also a bit erratic inside the zone). It’s not enough to get me amped for @SDP + ATL up next, but I won’t rule out something decent for at least one of them. It’s still a really good four-seamer if he can locate it decently well. (View Game Card)
Hayden Wesneski (HOU) @ TBR (L) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 62 pitches.
Blegh. He didn’t have his best command, which may have been due to injury at he was 1-2 ticks down on his fastball, tossing an 89.7 mph four-seamer in the third. It could also have been a man laboring on the mound and it’s hard to tell you it’ll be much better against Atlanta up next. Hayden is more precision-reliant than others with just a sweeper missing bats. We also saw more of Ronel Blanco here, who didn’t do a whole lot in relief via 4.1 IP and 5 ER, but at least he’s, you know, around. Seeing him throw 42% four-seamers and just 21% sliders doesn’t feel right at all. (View Game Card)
Trevor Rogers (BAL) @ TOR (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 95 pitches.
He was cruising per usual until back-to-back…to-back solo shots in the fifth, all on a different pitch. THAT’S BASEBALL, SUZYN. It’s annoying n all, and whatareyagonnado. No no no, don’t bench him, that’s not what I meant! Start the fella. Please. He’s still at 94 mph. (View Game Card)
Matthew Boyd (CHC) vs PIT (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 88 pitches.
Boyd isn’t getting the whiffs of old and he has HR problems- oh. Right. No HRs allowed in this one and 1 ER through five frames before a walk, single, double, strikeout, hook. Yes all three baserunners scored. That’s a Careful, Icarus, though it was a 1.20 WHIP entering the inning with just two punchouts. WHy? Because his four-seamer and changeup are not carrying the same pitch separation we saw at the beginning of the season. I’m not confident in either start in Cincy + Fenway to end the season. (View Game Card)
Joe Ryan (MIN) vs CLE (L) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 84 pitches.
Oh, so you’re going to pinpoint heaters upstairs and execute the BSB beautifully to LHB but return just five whiffs and one strikeout? HAISTBMBWT?! I will note, it wasn’t all beautiful – the two solo shots were off meaty fastballs to LHB – but those were the rare fastball mistakes, and he didn’t get away with them. So strange. Whatever, I’m starting him against the Angels without fear. He’s still at 93/94 mph and this was not bad command.
Jacob Lopez (ATH) vs SEA (ND) – 3.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 102 pitches.
Noooooo. It’s time to let go. He’s missing over the plate more often, his breaker isn’t landing middle/down as often, and he’s off. I’m not saying it’s a foregone conclusion, I’m saying he’s not surgically executing his approach as he was for two months. The first sign was last start, and this feels like the second siren we really should listen to. But fine, maybe it’s all good for @CLE and HOU to close out the season. I think we wipe our hands clean and thank him for the lovely production for many weeks. (View Game Card)
Gabriel Hughes (COL) @ DET (L) – 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 70 pitches.
Yep, that’s Hughes, alright. That Birthday Party sure was fun last week, eh? (View Game Card)
Logan Webb (SFG) vs SDP (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 92 pitches.
Oh no. Webb ran into trouble in the first and met more in the second, and now there are talks of sending him to the pen to end the season in order to save some bullets for next year. I think that haze + the Dodgers x2 up next makes it an easy decision to move on. Seriously?! After all this time! Wild, right? All we have are 14 days left of the year. That’s it! Two starts left for those who went on Sunday. Find the value and don’t hold too long. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Kade Anderson vs. Reid Detmers – Two southpaws I enjoy watching.
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 Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)
