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.
Shane McClanahan (TBR) @ TEX (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches.
I’m not saying it’s time to move on from Shane McClanahan, but…actually, I might be saying it’s time to move on from Shane McClanahan after tossing 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches (L) in Arlington. You can’t be serious! I am serious, and stop calling me Shirley. Michael Scott, is that you?! I wish, that way I would be able to run away from a difficult conversation like this one. SPEAKING OF WHICH, the signs are there that McShane isn’t the guy you want him to be and with just a handful of starts left, including Atlanta next Thursday, you’re better off scouring the wire.
Why is that? Well, it’s not velocity – he’s at 95 mph and that’s fine, he’s had success in that band before – it’s feel. He’s failing to separate the four-seamer and changeup well, from sporting both down the pipe or missing erratically upstairs or in the dirt. The slider and curveball typically round out the arsenal well as reliable weapons, yet they are suffering the same fate to that extent that neither returned a single whiff across 22 breakers thrown. He’s simply not there.
As always, it’s possible he turns the corner and returns to the 6/7 strikeout arm of the first half, but he hasn’t fanned more than five since June 12th. The ratios have masked the questionable lower strikeout rates, though his last four outings since returning from a short IL stint have done little to instill confidence. It’s just there, y’all. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:
Cal Quantrill (TEX) vs TBR (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 95 pitches.
Entropy is life. Life doesn’t exist without entropy. Embrace the chaos. Embrace The UnQuantrillfiable. Seriously, Vargas Rule this and laugh as he continues to induce plenty of weak contact where there should be more damage. (View Game Card)
Lake Bachar (PIT) vs SFG (ND) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 38 pitches.
Nothing like a bullpen game on a Thursday, eh? Uh, you mean boring? There’s a lot of that. But on a THURSDAY?! Yes, Nick. Dang. Got me there. (View Game Card)
Quinn Mathews (STL) @ LAD (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 99 pitches.
I know the WHIP and walk rate is rough, but that’s a Gold Star for Mathews, coming through against the Dodgers just two starts from a 7 ER disaster against the Phillies. There are still areas of refinement inside his arsenal, specifically with his precision to RHB with his change and slider, but I’m digging the approach and intent enough to ride with him against the Giants x2 + hosting the Nationals. Considering how the Cardinals are letting him throw 99 pitches and battle out of jams is a major confidence booster against a strong offense. Let’s do this. (View Game Card)
Kevin Gausman (CHC) vs MIL (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 103 pitches.
Yessssss. Koufax was kind as we expected him to be with the help of the Cubs’ defense as it’s more of the same – 80% four-seamer strikes and 30% splitter whiffs. Let’s do it again next Tuesday in Milwaukee this time, yeah? (View Game Card)
Tarik Skubal (LAD) vs STL (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 10 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna GRIND. Skubal wasn’t able to putaway the Cardinals hitters as Koufax betrayed his alma mater to let Skubal get Singled Out to return yet another winless outing as a member of the Dodgers. That’s a 1-2 record in six starts. Whatareyagonnado. (View Game Card)
Logan Henderson (MIL) @ CHC (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. I gotta say, Henderson vs. Gausman felt like Spider-Man-pointing-meme.gif with both leaning on four-seamers for strikes and lower change/splits for whiffs. What a lovely floor you’ve been for all our teams this year. (View Game Card)
Hunter Brown (HOU) vs CHW (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 101 pitches.
THANK YOU. His four-seamer found a ton of whiffs (35% SwStr Rate!), and joined hands with his sinker to return a 70%+ strike rate on heaters. Now, he was still a little wild with his breakers and kinda got away with some misses up-and-away to LHB, but a King Cole wasn’t in his grasp previously. Maybe it’s a bit of Blame it on the White Sox, but I’m just starting the fella and hoping the 95/96 mph velocity isn’t something to worry about. (View Game Card)
Blade Tidwell (SFG) @ PIT (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 5 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 95 pitches.
This felt like a movie. Tidwell allowed a single, induced a flyout, then walked three straight before HITTING ANOTHER. But then he pulled himself up by his bootstraps (not a real thing, you know. The phrase started as a joke and not to be taken seriously until some interpreted without the necessary chuckle BUT I DIGRESS), fanned the next two batters, and tossed four shutout frames to close his day. Wow, what a story Nick. Well, it’s not done. Tidwell sat 94 mph through those four innings, but fell to 91.5 mph in the fifth. That dip was also there on his sweeper, not to mention all the reasons we’ve avoided Tidwell are still very much present. You know, the whole mediocre fastballs with a sweeper that is only effective against RHB, and that’s when it’s on. Sorry Tidwell, but I have to give you two thumbs down. (View Game Card)
Brandon Young (BAL) vs BOS (ND) – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 98 pitches.
Ayyyy the strikes returned! The whiffs returned! And it probably shouldn’t have as much as it did, but 10/19 on the splitter + 3/11 on the slider is incredibly welcome in this household. This success isn’t necessarily Young lived, as the Guardians are up next and he’s sure to lean into that splitty again while retaining the high four-seamer intent. It’s not my favorite play – this is awfully close to Young’s peak save for one run – but it’s one I’d consider in 12-teamers. (View Game Card)
Jake Bennett (BOS) @ BAL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 68 pitches.
That’s a lovely PQS from Bennett in a start with…wait. Lots of sinkers away to RHB?! He nearly double his sinker usage to RHB to become the most-thrown offering at the cost of both slowballs and changeups and it worked. Huh. Fewer four-seamers made it upstairs, producing 0/22 whiffs as a result, and I can see a true four-pitch mix in his future with one cutter appearing as well. Give me that diamond of high/low with four-seamers + changeups and in/out with cutters and sinkers. The schedule is solid ahead and we press forward with this Toby hoping to become a Holly once again. (View Game Card)
Michael Wacha (KCR) vs MIA (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 96 pitches.
Hot DANG, a Gallows Pole with twenty whiffs is HAWT. Too bad it came with a pair of HRs and a few too many baserunners, but boy did I love seeing him lean into the high four-seamer and churn whiffs as it played off the changeup. Guess we’re just looking at Wacha in our lineups and plugging & chugging to the finish line. (View Game Card)
José Soriano (TOR) @ CLE (ND) – 4.2 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 98 pitches.
Ah yes, the HIPSTER with a 4.56 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 21% strikeout rate across 118.1 IP and 22 games since allowing just 1 ER in his first six starts of the year. Fun fact: He’s returned 1 or fewer ER in only five starts since doing it for six straight to start the year. He is who he is at this point. It’s par for the course to watch his curve, splitter, and slider all struggle to earn strikes, and I encourage you to consider making a swap. That doesn’t mean it can’t work out in his favor in September, it’s just harder to determine when.
Jack Perkins (ATH) @ SEA (ND) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 86 pitches.
Huh. He was bamboozled in the first and had to strike out the side in order to escape after two walks, a double, and three singles, and once again, he put no faith in Koufax in the third with three Ks and two walks. Will somebody PLEASE thing of the bored position players?! Cool to see the sweeper get whiffs down-and-in to LHB, but it’s not enough to get me on board with a clearly volatile arm who gets a terrible home park.
Kade Anderson (SEA) vs ATH (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 79 pitches.
Blegh. Y’all might remember me as the guy “down” on Kade in the industry as he was called up, but after watching his first start, I was encouraged! He looks like a true command pitcher with a Toby floor and Holly ceiling. That’s great! And now we’ve seen him drop to 93 mph (not 94/95 mph) without the sterling command that had me sold. But he had a 60%+ strike rate on all his pitches! That’s control, y’all, not command. Kade should be locating four-seamers on the top rail, keeping changeups down and armside, landing backfoot sliders, etc. He didn’t do that here. At all. Paired with the lower velocity, it’s a bit alarming. Those are generally the combination we see that suggests injury, but I won’t do that today. Instead, I’ll say that of all the reports from the minors and the two games we’ve seen before this, what we saw on Thursday is not what we should expect. If he’s starting without a blink of an eye on Wednesday next week, I’m absolutely starting him and I suggest you do too. (View Game Card)
Sandy Alcantara (MIA) @ KCR (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 98 pitches.
First Eury, now Sandy?! Stupid scrappy Royals. Sandy failed to shut the door on 87% of the batters who saw a two-strike count, and it wasn’t for lack of trying – he hurled everything at least twice in a two-strike count. The last few starts have been a bit of cold water, with four of his last five combining for eight strikeouts. Wait, two strikeouts per game?! Yuuuup. His command is wonky and he’s simply hurling over the plate, making it difficult to time a well-executed pitch with the right two-strike count. It doesn’t mean I’m out and would move on. It just means he’s going through a moment. Here’s to at least doubling his recent strikeout average in the next one. (View Game Card)
Tanner Bibee (CLE) vs TOR (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 89 pitches.
Like Castillo, Bibee’s strikeout rate has plummeted, with one exceptional 10-strikeout performance engulfed by a sub-15% strikeout rate across his last 13 games. This is not worth your time and frustration. (View Game Card)
Luis Castillo (CHW) @ HOU (L) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 78 pitches.
Let’s see…Castillo has just one start in his last nine with fewer than 3 ER, and it was his revenge game hosting the Reds. It was also the only game with more than 5 Ks, where 7/9 of those had four or fewer. Stop. Starting. Castillo. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Chris Sale vs. Cristopher Sánchez – Uhhhh, this is dope. I’m also kinda curious about Blake Snell vs. Jackson Kent, and maybe I just like southpaws too much.
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 Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire | Featured Image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X; @justinparadis.bsky.social on BlueSky)
