Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Thursday 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.
Kyle Harrison (MIL) @ PIT (L) – 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 50 pitches.
I didn’t expect to have yet another SP Roundup lead with Kyle Harrison, but this was rough. After a start that had his manager question if he should move to the pen, Harrison was granted the pearl in the first in PNC Park and the Pirates had a field day – 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 50 pitches (L). It’s likely time for us to tell him to carry on, waving as he walks down the path and out of eyesight. It’s too much risk.
AND YET…Oh no, Nick. COME ON. Nah, don’t worry. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how his four-seamer, after sitting well under 95 mph across each of his last seven starts was featured in relief and tossed 96/97 mph heaters in, uh, 0.0 IP and 4 ER, and he sat 96 mph in the first frame + 95.4 mph in the second here. But it was bad! Yes, we’re all aware of that. Harrison didn’t spot said four-seamer upstairs, nor did he have any feel for his curve or changeup. He was, in fact, bad.
On a positive note, it seems as though the Brewers are still willing to give him an audition for a spot in the playoff rotation. That means he could be in play for a start on Wednesday 9/23 or even on Tuesday 9/22 so he can possibly start a second time on Sunday, 9/27. All I’m trying to get at is there is a chance. The velocity is peaking (even if it’s across fewer pitches, it’s encouraging!), with the fault now resting on his curve and changeup feel. We know those could return overnight. Would I start him? No! Would I try it if there was nothing else? Absolutely! Just keep an open mind. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Walbert Ureña (LAA) vs MIN (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 91 pitches.
Awwwww yeah. Where will we be drafting Ureña next season? An 11% walk rate is sure to steer the industry away from him, but why would we assume he doesn’t wrangle the control a bit like he did here? That’s a Gallows Pole while sitting 100.1 mph on his four-seamer (albeit with just four thrown and 98.8 mph on his sinker like a pleb). Ureña boasted 68% strikes across his full arsenal, even landing 6/9 sweepers for strikes. Speaking of which, those “sweepers” look a bit type-agnostic, with a pair close to a gyro slider, three as a frisbee sweeper with little sweep, and four with more two-plane slider movement. See for yourself, with a lovely added arrow to tell you that the two gyros were above 90 mph, including a 92.2 mph breaker. I feel like Ureña should just throw that version. You and me both. After all, he collected 22 whiffs and zero on “sweepers”. He could really be something else. (View Game Card)
Aaron Nola (PHI) @ NYM (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 81 pitches.
So he broke up the two-game “HR-less” streak last time out with a pair of solo shots, and look at that! Another HR-less game! Three of his last four! His four-seamer reduction is good to see (even if 7/12 of all four-seamers came to LHB in 0-0 counts. That’s where the damage happens, Nola!), which made way like the citizens of Agrabah for a bump in curveballs to a whopping 43% usage. And of course they cooked. They alway cook. One start left and it’s against the Brewers, who could be taking it easy this week as they rest up for the playoffs. Aim for the bushes? (View Game Card)
Drew Rasmussen (TBR) vs ATH (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 76 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Vintage Rasmussen and I don’t say that kindly. Or, kinda kindly. He was good in a different way back then. I DIGRESS. It was the Ras Pack in full and it’s a bit frustrating to see him pulled a little early, but who can blame the Rays? It was a 6-0 game and they’ll be relying heavily on Rasmussen for this playoff run. Gotta protect him. (View Game Card)
Cody Bradford (TEX) vs BOS (ND) – 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 73 pitches.
The good news? He had an opener and he left the game in the sixth with a 3-0 lead. The bad news? The pen blew it. At least he’s getting put in a position to give you a dub, though the four-seamer and changeup combo was taken far more than expected for called strikes (36% on 36 four-seamers?!) and it’s not the pitch separation I want to see. Be cautious against the Mets, but at least he has a chance. (View Game Card)
Landon Knack (LAD) @ CIN (W) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 61 pitches.
Hot dang, look at you! That’s a Gold Star for Knack, which is a bit shocking to see, I know, but the fella came on shortly after Wrobo Cop’s three perfect frames and served four shutout frames for a shocking dub out of nowhere. He sat a tick up on his 94/95 mph four-seamer with a near 70% strike rate and…well it allowed three of those four hits while the secondaries were rarely located where he intended. The Dodgers are in a weird situation where Blake Snell isn’t on the IL yet and you may see Knack another time in a random follower role next week. I wouldn’t spend time chasing it.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) @ CIN (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 41% CSW, 32 pitches.
Wow. 32 pitches? Seriously? You couldn’t let him go any further during a perfect game? He’d only thrown 25 pitches on the 12th. Yeah, sure, he also tossed 107 on August 15th and 73 on September 6th, so maybe not all nine frames but you can’t give him a little longer leash? He was throwing darts! 96 mph heaters with good feel for his slider! A lovely 93 mph cutter! I’VE WAITED ALL YEAR FOR THIS! He could show up again on Sunday as the opener for who knows (Emmet Sheehan?) given the low pitch count here and you’re too smart to let the notification fool you. (View Game Card)
Nolan McLean (NYM) vs PHI (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 82 pitches.
Ehhhh, that’s a Dusty Donut with a loss and poor WHIP, and I’m going to move past the scary collision at first base with Jared Young. I’m happy he’s “okay”, but man that’s terrifying stuff. ANYWAY, it was a day of fastballs thrown 60% of the time with few whiffs as I twiddle my thumbs waiting for the day McLean finds his final form. Should that make me interested in him for 2027? I think so? Development is so weird. (View Game Card)
Ethan Pecko (HOU) vs KCR (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 71 pitches.
I’m pretty amazed he was this effective with cutters that found the zone just 25% of the time but induced a 67% O-Swing above the zone to LHB for a ton of foul balls (9/16 foul balls!) and two outs, while the heaters and breakers did the rest. This isn’t an impressive arsenal and I cannot endorse a game @TEA even if he was opened for here and has produced 5 ER total in 20.2 IP across his last four games. Just 14 strikeouts in that time, too, with an unsustainable 5.2 H/9. Naaaaah. (View Game Card)
Erick Fedde (CHW) vs DET (ND) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 89 pitches.
Wow. One out away. He struck out the first two batters of the fifth then allowed a single + double, got the hook, and fist-pumped as he watched Hudson strikeout Greene to leave them both stranded. Sadly, Fedde wasn’t opened for, so Hudson gets the dub here, which is wrong. Absolutely WRONG. Props to Fedde for Dancing With The Disco via 48% sweepers and I can see a desperate AL-Only stream @KCR and hosting Rockie Road. Maybe he gets an opener too… (View Game Card)
Khristian Curtis (PIT) vs MIL (W) – 3.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 61 pitches.
We see the (Opener) tag and we dream of snatching a Win out of thin air. Curtis was the hero for the barrel scrapers on Thursday, boasting a well-spotted cutter down-and-away to RHB 57% of the time. That’s the only shiny feature of Curtis despite an 18.4″ vert four-seamer coming from a high 45-degree arm angle at 94 mph (lost a tick) – that’s good, but not special at that arm angle, leading to 1/13 whiffs – and the slider, change, and curve all leave us wanting more. Move on.
Michael King (SDP) @ COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 104 pitches.
Despite Coors, the King stood tall. Strikes were hard to come by with a 53% clip on 51 fastballs (yikes), but the secondaries came through – especially the breakers that found the edges far better than usual. In Coors! Maybe he needs to pull back on their movement just a touch…Nah, that’s silly talk. One more start remains against the Dodgers on Wednesday and you do you. It’s risky, as you know, but he has the leash and the ability to wriggle out of jams. Good luck. (View Game Card)
Taj Bradley (MIN) @ LAA (ND) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 98 pitches.
I’m awfully curious how Bradley will be ranked next year. This is a fantastic outing, moving him one strikeout away from the coveted 200 milestone, while carrying ratios we’ll digest any season if it meant this kind of strikeout production – 3.81 ERA, 1.23 WHIP in 172.1 IP. Thing is, will that stick? Move up or down? WHO WILL HE BE?! I can never answer that question with confidence. I hate that. It also means I’ll very likely be wrong either way on him next year. So it goes. Anyway, let him fly for one more against the Giants in Oracle Park, of course. (View Game Card)
Sonny Gray (BOS) @ TEX (ND) – 6.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 102 pitches.
You might be as shocked as I am that Gray held a 17-5 record before this outing, and if he had only survived two more outs, he would have had number 18. The sweeper feel is there and it should be Sonny one more day in Fenway when he hosts the Guardians. (View Game Card)
Framber Valdez (DET) @ CHW (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 90 pitches.
A King Cole all the way down here? What do you mean? The SP Roundup is ordered by ER allowed. WHAT. As you deal with that revelation, I’m happy to report Valdez actually had his curveball working. It was great! 46% CSW! 68% strikes! So what happened? His sinker was horrible. It sat 92.7 mph (-1.1 mph) with a paltry 53% strike rate. The whole idea, Valdez, is that you throw both for strikes. Both! But this would have been solid if not for a three-run blast in the first inning. Yeah, sure. THE POINT STANDS. It makes me kinda interested in WSH and PIT up next – he’s likely to have the sinker control back and there’s a chance the curveball feel sticks around. (View Game Card)
Seth Lugo (KCR) @ HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 76 pitches.
Lugo has been off our radar for a while. I kinda assumed it’s because he refused to get a new update. The world has changed so fast. He’s pitched more than five innings just once across his last seven starts. Yikes. (View Game Card)
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) @ TBR (L) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 66 pitches.
This felt like a Revenge Game for the city of St. Petersburg. No sunshine and rainbows were found for Springs here. (View Game Card)
Brady Singer (CIN) vs LAD (L) – 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 9 Hits, 4 BBs, 0 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 96 pitches.
The season has turned into The Brady Bunch of Disappointment. Don’t do this to yourself. (View Game Card)
Tanner Gordon (COL) vs SDP (L) – 3.0 IP, 7 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.
Despite some shockingly good pitch separation, Gordon was crushed in Coors. Wow, such surprise. Yeah yeah. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Tyler Mahle vs. Peter Lambert – Spider-Man-Pointing.jpeg
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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