Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Saturday 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.
Justin Verlander (DET) vs PIT (ND) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches.
In any given season, roughly 30 to 40 future Hall of Famers make an appearance across the entire league. Very few are starting pitchers, and even fewer are inner-circle types. So, when one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball history takes the mound, it deserves attention because of how rare and beautiful it can be to watch someone so exceptional at their craft. It’s especially worthy of reverent eyes when one of these imitable arms takes the mound for the last time.
Justin Verlander received an invite to the 2026 All-Star Game as a “Legend Pick” after beginning July by announcing his plans to retire at the culmination of the 2026 campaign. He hadn’t pitched since March, didn’t appear in the festivities, and wouldn’t take the mound for months thereafter. Still, there was no uncertainty that Verlander, a competitor at heart, would take the mound one last time before calling it quits.
On the penultimate day of the season, a 43-year-old Verlander climbed the mound for the final time to take on the Pirates, turning in 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches (ND). The outing came to a close in the sixth frame as his daughter ran on the field to embrace him, before he toured the field, receiving hugs from teammates, congratulations from current and former manager A.J. Hinch, a salute from home plate umpire Laz Díaz, and never-ending applause from the devoted home crowd. It was one of those moments where Jimmy Dugan’s famous line about emotions in A League of Their Own rings resoundingly false.
The start was a reminder of both our own mortality and the willpower of professional athletes. Verlander was once the premier flamethrowing starter, overwhelming batters with triple-digit heaters and a slew of secondaries. However, at his advanced age and six months removed from his last start, he was merely a shell of his peak self. He sat sub-93 mph with his heater and didn’t have the ideal feel for his changeup and curveball (45% strikes between them). His resolve, an unmistakable characteristic of the righty, was evident, as he didn’t let the moment nor his diminished stuff get the best of him. Four-seamers and sliders still combined for seven whiffs and 71% strikes, as he looked like he could pitch for 10 more years. He’ll leave the game with the lasting image of still being capable of taking down any big league lineup.
At the end of his 21-year career, Verlander is a 10-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner (something only 11 pitchers have done), two-time World Series champion, and the 2011 AL MVP. Across 557 starts, encapsulating 3575.2 innings pitched, he recorded a 3.33 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP while fanning 3560 batters, the eighth-largest total of all time. He goes out on top, respected and adored by fans and peers alike. A no-doubt, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, there can be only one: Justin Verlander. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Saturday:
Rhett Lowder (CIN) @ TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 79 pitches.
Rhett looked like the long-haired half of one of my favorite YouTube channels, as he stood tall atop the mound in Toronto to give us one last good stream. It shouldn’t take much time to determine that this had the writing of Koufax all over it, as he missed just three bats and relied on 18 balls in play turning into outs 15 times. His sinker and slider induce grounders, but rarely did he display a strikeout upside worth chasing this year. If he wants to be a reliable Toby in 2027, he’ll need to improve his command to induce more weak contact and avoid extra baserunners (9% walk rate). (View Game Card)
Kade Anderson (SEA) vs LAA (ND) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BB, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 59 pitches.
After being hit by a comebacker in his pitching elbow, Anderson left this game in the fourth frame. He didn’t head straight to the locker room, so there’s hope that he avoided anything serious. I’m pumped for his first full season, so he better be okay! (View Game Card)
Griffin Jax (TBR) @ PHI (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 K – 7 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 52 pitches.
As expected in the final weekend of the season, it was a day of abbreviated starts and bullpen games as clubs look to set their rotations up for the playoffs and avoid overworking pitchers unnecessarily. In this case, Jax’s pitch count was around 50, preventing him from pitching into the fourth and striking out more than one batter. HAISTBMBWT?! His successful transition to the rotation was fun to watch, and he could become a household name during the postseason before being a coveted pick in fantasy drafts. (View Game Card)
Brent Suter (ATL) @ MIA (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hit, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 43 pitches.
Suter opened for a Braves bullpen game, sitting a tick up to complete three scoreless frames. The extra tick got him up to an even 90 mph, so it’s not a game-changing development. (View Game Card)
Connelly Early (WSN) vs NYM (ND) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hit, 0 BBs, 1 K – 2 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 34 pitches.
This was Early’s Nationals debut and his first start in nearly three months. The southpaw’s stuff was still intact, and he faced more LHB, leading to an increase in sinker and sweeper usage that shouldn’t be attributed to a club-appointed pitch mix alteration. He struggled to miss bats, leaving our bread unbuttered (HAISTBMBWT?!), but give the man a break. It’s been a while. Jake Irvin followed with 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 101 pitches (L), throwing a bunch of sweepers instead of curveballs, as he failed to command the hook (57% strikes). I’m proud of him for pivoting, even though it’s his signature pitch. He still got blown up, but in-game adjustments are important. Some pitchers are unwilling or incapable of shifting their focus to other offerings, so I feel more confident, even if only slightly, in Irvin’s ability. (View Game Card)
Hayden Wesneski (HOU) @ ATH (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BB, 5 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 82 pitches.
A strong finish from Wesneski in Sacré Verde featured an extra 1-2 ticks on his already elite and signature sweeper. It led to eight whiffs, 52% CSW, and 78% strikes on the breaker, but what I’m most enticed by was his changeup command low and armside to LHB for 38% CSW and 77% strikes. The slowball will be his most important pitch moving forward, as he needs it to neutralize LHB, against which his sweeper will be less effective, and to hide his hittable heaters. (View Game Card)
Jonah Tong (NYM) @ WSN (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 9 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 87 pitches.
Way to finish strong, Mr. Tong! We already knew he had a great heater–one that sits 95 with 19″ of vert–but his ability to keep it upstairs all game is something we haven’t seen consistently. It should get us pumped, though, especially as he was able to pull off the BSB with low changeups. The one-two punch combined for 16 whiffs and 40% CSW, propelling him to the King Cole. However, we’ll need to see big steps forward with his cutter and/or curveball to feel confident in the prospects of a 2027 breakout. The four-seamer can’t do it all by itself vs RHB, and he won’t have the changeup feel every outing. (View Game Card)
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX) @ MIN (ND) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 71 pitches.
The Rangers limited Eovaldi’s role since he returned from the IL, but with a potential playoff berth on the line and on the horizon, they stretched him back out to 70+ pitches. He touched his toes with ease, showing no rust from the one-inning relief outings in which he appeared in the previous week. It’s easy to forget that Eovaldi was once the poster boy of injury-prone pitchers, but I guess the changing landscape of pitcher workloads makes his 145.2 innings pitched this year look somewhat impressive. He’ll be 37 next year in his free agent walk year, so I’m curious what he has left in the tank and how much the Rangers will try to squeeze out of him. (View Game Card)
Blake Snell (LAD) @ SFG (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 77 pitches.
#HotSnellSummer came to an end in his last start, and the Dodgers weren’t about to overwork him in his final tuneup before the playoffs. He looked dope though, sitting a tick or two up across the board, hinting at the potential of #PlayoffBlakeAutumn. Hopefully the themed seasons don’t get to his head, because we can’t have his rapping career become a reality. Though I fear it may have already happened. (View Game Card)
Matt Wilkinson (SFG) vs LAD (ND) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 1 BB, 2 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 37 pitches.
Who’s the most endearing play in San Francisco right now? Probably the guy nicknamed “Tugboat” who held the Dodgers to one run and five baserunners across eight frames in consecutive starts. Wilkinson looked a lot like Snell in this one. Don’t tell me he’s rapping too! Nope, but he avoided the zone often, returning a mere 35% zone rate, allowing him to avoid damage while remaining competitive on the edges. I doubt it was the game plan, and it may have been a product of wariness of a strong lineup or a lack of command. Wilkinson has SWATCH potential, but it’s tough to associate your name with a guy whose biggest asset is his nickname. (View Game Card)
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) @ DET (H) – 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hit, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 49 pitches.
Kirby Yates opened in the final outing of his career. I can’t believe he would try to steal Verlander’s thunder like that. He handed the ball off to Yohan Ramírez, and ultimately watched Mlodzinski pitch a bit of bulk relief. I wouldn’t spend too much time on this one if not for the righty exploring pitch mix changes that could make him more consistent. He axed his four-seamer and instead relied on a 94 mph sinker with a staggering 18-19″ of run as his primary offering, supporting it with increased emphasis of a 92 mph cutter thrown a quarter of the time. He didn’t command the cutter, but I’m a fan of the fastball transition, and I believe in him more as a sinker-cutter arm with splitters for LHB and curveballs stealing strikes than I do as the four-seamer+splitter arm he was throughout the year. (View Game Card)
Trey Yesavage (TOR) vs CIN (L) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 30 pitches.
Without a reason to extend him, the Blue Jays capped Yesavage at 30 pitches, making him look more like an opener than a starter. He was followed by Spencer Miles, then Braydon Fisher, before John Klein showed up to eat some innings, tossing 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 66 pitches (ND). If you’re finding yourself scratching the recesses of your mind to remember who Klein is, congratulations on having other hobbies! Forreal, where do I know him from? He was a somewhat highly-ranked Twins prospect entering this year and was dealt to Toronto at the deadline as part of the return package for Jeff Hoffman. Oh yeah! This was his longest outing of the year, and he showcased a 94-95 mph four-seamer with 16-17″ of iVB, an upper-80s changeup, a pair of breakers, and a cutter. Decent stuff, but nothing special, and there’s an obvious command issue that has seen the righty begin to transition to a relief role in the minors. (View Game Card)
Taylor Clarke (ARI) @ SDP (ND) – 0.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 25 pitches.
This was another bullpen game, as Clarke got things started for a series of seven different D-Backs pitchers to appear in a must-win game. One game back of the Phillies for the final NL Wild Card spot, it’s win (and a Phillies loss) or go home for Arizona on the final day of the season. (View Game Card)
Michael Wacha (KCR) vs CLE (L) – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BB, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 90 pitches.
And the Spider-Man award goes to…Wacha, who has been the most reliable Toby this year, producing a 3.32 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP across 200.2 innings pitched despite a sub-20% strikeout rate that hints at a degree of batted-ball reliance that can only be combatted by elite command and contact suppression. Wacha’s signature changeups (there are two types of them) and high-vert four-seamer have served him well all year. They’ve actually served him well for five straight years, as he’s succeeded in producing a sub-4.00 ERA across each of the past five seasons. That metric ranges from 3.22 to 3.86, so he’s been reliably predictable. He’s been so solid for so long, we should be calling him Michael Rocka. (View Game Card)
Bradley Blalock (MIA) vs ATL (L) – 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BB, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 54 pitches.
Blalock actually pitched last after Jack Ralston, Victor Vodnik, Cade Gibson, and Dax Fulton, but he was technically the bulk guy, with 10 outs under his belt. Blalock had some of the worst numbers I’ve ever seen pitching for the Rockies last year, with a 9.36 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, and a 9.8% strikeout rate in 58.2 innings. Free from the shackles of Coors, he actually has a decent arsenal, headlined by a high arm angle-aided 19″ of iVB on his 96-97 mph four-seamer. He’s still working on finding secondaries to support it, but that’s a decent base for a soon-to-be 26-year-old pitcher to build off of. (View Game Card)
Jose Quintana (COL) @ CHW (ND) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 59 pitches.
Quintana gave us a COL Story, Bro before leaving things up to Ryan Feltner, who went 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 64 pitches (W). His changeup and slider thrived outside of Coors, but not enough to get us to ignore his circumstances for 2027. The only Rockies pitcher I could see myself getting excited about is Chase Dollander, and we likely won’t see him until the second half at the earliest. (View Game Card)
Dustin May (MIL) vs STL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 58 pitches.
I’d expect May to pitch in relief, at least early on in the postseason, with his recent struggles, lack of workload, and a couple of starters clearly ahead of him. Though I think he’ll be in some sort of hybrid role as he had here. Same with Kyle Harrison, who followed with 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 48% CSW, 29 pitches (W), looking better than he has since August, as he sat 96+ mph with his heater. The curveball command is still a bit wonky, and I’d love for him to instill our confidence in him this postseason so we can draft him without concern next year. (View Game Card)
Davis Martin (CHW) vs COL (L) – 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BB, 1 K – 4 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 25 pitches.
I can’t imagine this short outing was planned for Martin, but the White Sox had to pivot quickly with the AL Central title on the line. The Guardians wound up clinching yesterday, forcing Chicago to play in the Wild Card round. They’ll have one of the most questionable rotations in the field, but should get some help from Noah Schultz, who went 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 42 pitches (ND) after Martin’s departure. He’s yet to show much in terms of weapons for RHB. Even with Rockie Road masking the true extent of his shortcomings, he failed to impress. (View Game Card)
Tanner Bibee (CLE) @ KCR (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BB, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 94 pitches.
A PQS is a perfect way to end Bibee’s season, which can be aptly described as a poor-quality season. Don’t believe me? He was basically all volume, returning 188 innings with a 4.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and a 19% strikeout rate. That doesn’t even factor in his 15 losses, tied with Shane Baz and Brady Singer for the most in baseball. Isn’t he on a playoff team? I’d love to just label him a Toby and call it a day, but his interstart volatility made him difficult to predict. There were moments where he made changes that I felt stronger about, but they rarely stuck around or succeeded for long. (View Game Card)
Quinn Mathews (STL) @ MIL (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 81 pitches.
My list of 2027 breakout candidates is only written in pencil and is still in progress, but Mathews was one of its first entrants. His fastball and slider are dope, while his changeup has potential to make him a SWATCH. As long as he throws enough strikes to avoid walking the yard as he did throughout the minors, he should be one of the few pitchers taken late in drafts with considerable strikeout upside. (View Game Card)
Walker Buehler (SDP) vs ARI (ND) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BB, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 73 pitches.
Yep, Buehler showed up for class yesterday. Availability has been his best ability this year, but I can’t say the Padres ever truly unlocked him. He had a good stretch that was basically all Koufax forgetting to punish him on batted balls. Postseason experience may be the only thing getting him into games in October. (View Game Card)
Aaron Nola (PHI) vs TBR (L) – 1.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 0 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 21 pitches.
Well, that’s sort of weird! Nola used his throw day to open for a Phillies bullpen game. We saw Tanner Banks, Chase Shugart, and José Alvarado before José Urquidy went 2.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 50 pitches (ND). He threw strikes in the same fashion he’s done so recently, by filling up the zone with an underwhelming arsenal that lost a step on Saturday. (View Game Card)
Ryan Johnson (LAA) @ SEA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 86 pitches.
Despite maintaining a fraction of his recent velo boost, Johnson reverted to the pitcher he’s been all year. He became heavily reliant on cutters and sweepers (87% usage) and handed out walks like candy. It’s not even October yet, and you’re getting all spooky on us?! The Angels are actually building a competitive rotation, with Reid Detmers and Walbert Ureña leading the way and Yusei Kikuchi eating innings. If the club can get more out of Johnson and Grayson Rodriguez, they may actually find themselves competitive in an underwhelming AL West. (View Game Card)
Jack Perkins (ATH) vs HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 94 pitches.
It’s hard to tell if this was Perkins ending the season on a high note or a low note. On one hand, he was bit by Sacré Verde, serving up a trio of long balls and allowing six runs to inflate his ERA to 6.10. On the other hand, he tied his season high with nine punchouts and earned the Gallows Pole on the back of sweepers, cutters, and four-seamers combining for 16 whiffs, 38% CSW, and 69% strikes. I could see myself getting excited about Perkins’ 2027 potential, but then I remember where he pitches and how inconsistent he is with his control. The strikeout upside isn’t lacking! (View Game Card)
Bailey Ober (MIN) vs TEX (L) – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BB, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 86 pitches.
The softest-throwing starter rounds out my final Roundup of the year as expected–on the bottom. I used to be a huge Ober fan a couple of years back, but the reduced velo combined with pitch movement diminishment and declining command have put me completely off. Let’s hope he puts in some work this offseason to have a great walk year and make us Ober the moon to add him to our fantasy squads in the summer. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Jared Jones vs. River Ryan – Jones has been at his peak recently, and I want another look at Ryan after his enticing debut.
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)
