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.
Quinn Mathews (STL) vs SFG (W) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 99 pitches.
I had circled Quinn Mathews for his two starts against the San Francisco Giants and those who took a stab at it cashed in for both outings, including Monday’s 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 99 pitches (W) at home. Mathews set career highs for innings, whiffs, and strikeouts in this outing, given a huge impression that he’s truly figured something out (by the way, he’s averaging 99 pitches per start, with 95 being his minimum thus far. You never see that for rookie SP these days). Thing is, I’m not sure he has.
What I expected to see was the SWATCH lifestyle in full focus. RHB getting Four-seamers up, changeups down, and even some sliders backfoot, while LHB dealing with sinkers inside and sliders away. Instead, it was four-seamer everywhere, changeups up and down, no backfoot sliders, and LHB getting a ton of sinkers + sliders down-middle over the plate. Wait, what. Yeaaaaah. Blame it On The Giants, right?
The stuff is clearly part of the equation, though. It’s a flat 1.7 HAVAA on that four-seamer with 16″ of vert at 93 mph and an average arm angle, the changeup has sizeable drop relative to the heater, his slider has enough movement to work at 85 mph, etc. He challenged the Giants often, got results, and there is something to be said about that confidence helping him moving forward. With the Nationals up next, this could be another solid outing for Mathews, but I want to be clear. If you’re debating between Mathews and another solid play, I’d go with the other option. He didn’t pitch as well as the line suggests and the Shag Rug is still very much present. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:
Tarik Skubal (LAD) @ CIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. There he is. As it stands right now, Tarik has two more starts left (both against the Giants) this Sunday and then the following Sunday, which I don’t think will actually happen. Expect that from a lot of arms the final weekend. You’re going to see rotations drop like flies the final week as bullets are saved, playoff pictures are made clear, and young arms are given more chances. Be prepared. (View Game Card)
Jonah Tong (NYM) vs BAL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 83 pitches.
NOICE. Tong tossed a ton of strikes on everything in his arsenal, even landing 5/6 curveballs for strikes. He also featured a far better four-seamer this game, keeping it upstairs routinely and featuring two inches more vert at a whopping 20″+ inches. He was feeling it, and kept slamming the red button for close to 60% four-seamer usage. Why not? Zero hits allowed with 66% strikes is the fastball foundation every pitcher wants. This is the version of Tong I want to see, even if the Vulcan changeup didn’t land down a ton and went to well rarely at just 19% usage. If the four-seamer cooks, that’s good enough for me. Guess I’m trying this against the Phillies and Nationals…I don’t think the Mets will limit Tong as they want him to get all the reps possible for 2027. (View Game Card)
Will Warren (NYY) @ MIN (ND) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 92 pitches.
WHOA. I didn’t think we’d see the day where Warren threw sweepers more than any pitch, but here we are. He pulled back on fastballs drastically to just 42% usage (that’s super low for him!), even throwing one slider (early in the sixth in a moment of “Eh, let’s give it a shot 2-2 and see what happens. Yes, it was a ball.), which I’m so curious about for 2027. He’s in a groove and the Yankees don’t see him in their playoff rotation, which likely means he starts both this weekend and next. That’s wonderful. (View Game Card)
Sean Burke (CHW) @ CLE (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 94 pitches.
We saw Sean Newcomb open for another game and it may have helped Burke with much better curveball and slider/cutter command (the cutter and slider blurred a lot in this one). The three breakers combined for nearly 70% strikes across more than half of his pitches and that’s all we need to see to expect production. Funny enough, it was the four-seamer that lagged behind in this one, but it still did enough to get him to the finish line. Burke has now tossed over 160 frames and I wonder if the White Sox will limit him at all down the stretch. They’re just 1.5 games up in the Central and they can’t afford to rest Burke before a potential postseason run, but it may mean Burke doesn’t pitch against Rockie Road next Friday if Chicago has already clinched. At the very least, I hope they open for him again on Saturday against the Tigers to grant another elevated Win chance. (View Game Card)
David Peterson (CHC) vs ATL (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 85 pitches.
Oh look! It’s a well-spotted four-seamer to RHB and a good slider for RHB. He got away with a fair number of changeups, curveballs, and sinkers, but what else is new? Cool to see Peterson get the dub we hoped for as a member of the Cubs, and I wouldn’t push it on the road in Cincy or Boston. (View Game Card)
Dean Kremer (MIN) vs NYY (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 94 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Kremer as he had no problem dealing with the Judge-infused Yankee lineup. The cutter (and slider? This wasn’t classified well at all) was fantastic to LHB, the splitter wasn’t hung, and the four-seamer worked well inside the zone. Just one 0-1 curveball to Caballero for a solo shot put any blemish on the scoreboard and I’d consider Kremer as a streaming option against the Angels up next. (View Game Card)
Brandon Young (BAL) @ NYM (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 5 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 106 pitches.
Boy, that 2.00 WHIP stings, doesn’t it? His four-seamer got upstairs with more vert, but at what cost?! 55% strikes? Too many walks? The curveball and splitter let him down plenty, too, and that’s your ball game. Nice job getting around all those jams, though. The reward ain’t worth this risk. (View Game Card)
Gavin Williams (CLE) vs CHW (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 113 pitches.
Gavin was at 95 pitches when Tristan Peters stepped to the plate with a runner on and no outs in the sixth. What came next was an eighteen-pitch walk, ending his night. Yes, both runners came around to score, for a Careful, Icarus, but at least he left with a Gallows Pole, right? The Guardians need Gavin to make the playoffs and if they are still in the running the final weekend, you can bet your bottom dollar Gavin is starting on the 26th against the Royals. (View Game Card)
Casey Mize (SDP) @ COL (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 12% CSW, 75 pitches.
That’s a Dusty Donut, alright. A dub is a dub and a 3.60 ERA is always welcome, but…a 2.00 WHIP? Not a single strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?! He sat just 92/93 mph and this was a rough day at the park. Each inning had baserunners and he had to continuously finagle his way out of jams (and wasn’t always successful). It’s the Marlins + Sneks up next and I’d rather try something else, even if it could work. (View Game Card)
Landen Roupp (SFG) @ STL (L) – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 88 pitches.
I was hoping to see a changed man here that would give me some hope for success in his double-slate against the Dodgers, but this wasn’t it. The backdoor cutter down-and-away to RHB was a nice touch, sure, but the whole package was ehhhhhh. I wonder if they’ll shut him down after the first LAD start as he’ll likely hit 160 innings there. (View Game Card)
Troy Melton (DET) @ TOR (ND) – 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 76 pitches.
Bleeeeegh. It sure feels like we should get off this train, even if his velocity is there and the White Sox are next. His command simply isn’t what it was when we dug the fella and he’s failed to exceed four strikeouts in six games, nor five strikeouts in ten games. Rough. (View Game Card)
Reid Detmers (LAA) vs SEA (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 95 pitches.
A King Cole is fun from Detmers and the sole damage was a three-run shot from Raleigh off a down-and-away 1-1 slider that rarely returns a longball. We keep this going, of course. (View Game Card)
Nick Lodolo (CIN) vs LAD (L) – 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 104 pitches.
He almost pulled off the PQS if not for a walk, a steal, and a single in the seventh for his fourth run. Careful, Icarus. If he didn’t pitch the seventh, that would have been a 0.87 WHIP with three strikeouts. It makes you think, eh? My fears about Lodolo have been rooted in his curveball feel since getting his blister and sadly, that’s still hovering over his shoulder with a 44% strike rate here. At least the four-seamer and changeup SWATCH approach looked good, but it’s not enough to start him in GABP against the Cubs. (View Game Card)
José Soriano (TOR) vs DET (ND) – 6.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 90 pitches.
OH COME ON. Soriano was perfect through 5.1 IP before his sole walk, then was Singled Out in the seventh where he lost his no-hitter and ended with a clunker of 4 ER to his name after six shutout frames. Careful, Icarus. I know he entered the inning just under 70 pitches, but you’d think they’d pull him before the fifth hit of the inning, no? At least he’s not throwing the four-seamer as much these days and featuring strikes with sinkers and curveballs like the good ole days. I hope we’re safe with @TEX and CIN next, but who knows what this HIPSTER will give us. (View Game Card)
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) @ ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 101 pitches.
That’s four straight of 4+ ER after doing so just twice in his previous sixteen starts. I think he’s fatigued, y’all. The feel is off and it’s the Padres + Atlanta up next. It may be time to stream. Welcome to September. (View Game Card)
Corbin Burnes (ARI) vs MIA (ND) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 75 pitches.
If you told me he’d get 75 pitches, I’d say this was very likely to work out well. SO MUCH FOR THAT. His “cutter” is really just the four-seamer of old, if you ask me, you know, the one that allowed all the HRs back in 2019 of his rookie year before he leaned into the cut action and added depth at the same low-to-mid 90s velocity. Now, we’re getting 92/93 mph at 13″+ vert and that’s just Bradish’s four-seamer, innit? Innit?! I just finished The Gentlemen season 2, alright? IT’S SO GOOD. Anyway, Burnes gets the Yankees and Padres up next and I’m kinda out on this. I dig the curve and even the changeup with its 45% strike rate (he’s right off the edge), but the cutter just isn’t that money pitch of old. (View Game Card)
Kade Anderson (SEA) @ LAA (ND) – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 72 pitches.
Welp. I wish I wasn’t as impressed as I was with his MLB debut. This was a better start than the previous one in terms of location (he got lucky last time), but it wasn’t the precision we wanted to see overall. The changeup was effective and maybe could have been thrown more, but it was also floated upstairs 5/12 times and this ain’t it. Remember, K-BB% in the minors for a command-focused arm is NOT TO BE TRUSTED. With Coors up next, I don’t see why you’d hold. (View Game Card)
Reynaldo López (ATL) @ CHC (L) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 62 pitches.
The velocity was back down to 93 mph, the slider went 47% strikes and it’s pretty dang clear this ain’t it chief. I’m still in awe that Atlanta has done so well this season with this rotation. It’s Sale, Mahle, Pérez as the 1-2-3 as they sit 4.5 games up in the NL East. Bonkers. (View Game Card)
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) vs SDP (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 88 pitches.
We’re not going to get that thirteenth Win, are we. Maybe! Mariners and White Sox are next! Does that change anything? …no. I’m not sure why I really care about that thirteenth Win at this point, I think it’s how he completely stopped getting any Wins once I started focusing so heavily on it.
Game of the Day
Cristopher Sánchez vs. Jackson Kent – Two southpaws at two very different parts of their careers.
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)
