Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Wednesday 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.
Ryan Johnson (LAA) @ BOS (W) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 103 pitches.
Don’t let the horrific season-long marks fool you – Ryan Johnson has been productive in fantasy leagues since the start of August, and after last night’s 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 103 pitches (W) against the Red Sox, he’s returned five straight starts of at least five frames – Johnson was able to complete 5.0 innings just five times across fourteen starts prior. That’s a lot of fives. Well, now you’re getting some high fives. Everyone’s happy. Will I be happy if I hold him? Ah. Maybe.
I’ve viewed Johnson almost like a right-handed Fratty Pirate. He’s been slinging cutters and sweepers galore with some sinkers and splitters filling in the gaps, and traditional throws about 75% of his pitches comfortably under 90 mph. HOWEVER, this was not one of those games. Not only did he go 85% of the time with the cutter or sweeper, he also did so with a velocity boost of roughly two ticks across his arsenal, pushing the cutter to 91 mph and his previously 92/93 mph sinker to 94/95 mph. Yeah, but that usually comes with worse movement. NOT TODAY. Oh snap.
Now, it’s not like pushing his frisbee sweeper to 82 mph and a 10″ vert cutter to 91 mph turns Johnson into a stud (each allowed a HR that combined for all runs scored), it does make him a better pitcher, and the Angels seem to be agree after letting him toss more than 91 pitches for the first time all year. With the improved velocity, longer leash, and general pitchability that induces outs, I see Johnson as a surprising option for his two-step next week when he hosts the Mariners and Twins. It’s the time of year when you throw everything else out the window and give it a shot. Good luck. (View Game Card)
Let’s see how every other SP did Wednesday:
Logan Henderson (MIL) vs CHC (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 95 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Boy do I wonder how high he’s going to go in drafts next year. The numbers are fantastic, but he’ll barely reach 100 innings by the end, which would require two games of 6.0 IP if the Brewers remove him from pitching on the final day of the season (which they should). He’s not going to have a 5.5 hit/9 again, nor should he carry a 30% strikeout rate and 0.78 WHIP, but what if he does? Naaaah. (View Game Card)
Brady Basso (ATH) vs TOR (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 68 pitches.
Basso opened for…oh. No one. Like a bassist laying down a groove without anyone there to play on top. I didn’t realize this was a solo act. Let’s move on. (View Game Card)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) vs CIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 90 pitches.
Aces gonna ace for a Golden Goal. I gotta say, I was harsh on The Inquisitor for his lower volume ceiling than others, and while guys like Mis, Schlittler, and Sale are overall better this year, a 13-8 record with a 2.62 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a strikeout per inning across 172 frames with two games to go is pretty dang awesome. Thanks for being the consistent rock we all needed. (View Game Card)
Kade Anderson (SEA) vs TEX (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 81 pitches.
That’s better, but hot dang this was NOT the command I was promised. So many four-seamers down-and-inside to RHB over the plate, sliders failing to go backfoot, changeups nowhere near where they should be, and curveballs mostly flipping out of his hand. What is this?! WHERE IS KADE?! It was a good outing, Nick. Yeah, I know, and he’ll get the Angels twice more across his next three starts, with Coors in the middle. I guess I’m starting him on Monday and taking it from there. Fix this. (View Game Card)
Will Warren (NYY) vs COL (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 95 pitches.
I say, Warren, we had some tough times this year, but you’ve really turned it on lately. Ignore the game where you acted as a piggyback for Fried’s Still ILL, that’s two games of 2 ER with 13 strikeouts, here earning more whiffs than any game since July 1st, and the second-highest since May 6th. The sweeper and changeup combining for 37% usage is a major reason why, and we even saw 2/11 whiffs on sliders + curveballs. The sinker was pulled back overall, the four-seamer wasn’t the “all or nothing” pitch…this is good. Let’s do it again in Minnesota and Arizona. (View Game Card)
Davis Martin (CHW) vs PIT (L) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 68 pitches.
Even with a HAISTBMBWT?!, it’s nice to see Martin have another productive start and not the destruction of the summer. But yes, you don’t need me to tell you that this is not the guy you want. His command was terrible and Koufax can be kind at odd times. (View Game Card)
Griffin Jax (TBR) @ ATL (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 66 pitches.
I get it. You were worried after the Still ILL was rough. And the thing is, Jax didn’t look great here. He wrestled with his command to LHB and sat a tick down on his four-seamer while the changeup and curve failed to earn a single whiff across all fourteen thrown between them. But he survived. Here’s to hoping they let him go to 75 pitches when he hosts the Athletics up next. I’m sticking with him. (View Game Card)
Andre Pallante (STL) @ SFG (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 88 pitches.
Atta boy Pallante. It was a great matchup, you threw enough strikes, and the Giants did the rest. If not for a ghastly six-run collapse in the eighth by the pen, you would have granted us all the lovely dub you deserve. Maybe go one more frame next time to lower those chances? (View Game Card)
Zac Gallen (ARI) @ KCR (ND) – 3.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 68 pitches.
He’s back! And sitting two ticks down! At least the deathball curve was more effective than what we saw prior to his IL stint, but if you were looking for the sign that he’s ready to be effective against MIA and Coors, you’re wasting your time. But listen! It has to be true! Can you PLEASE turn off Ace of Base right now?! (View Game Card)
Daniel Lynch IV (KCR) vs ARI (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 81 pitches.
Ayyyy he had a solid outing! That’s a Gold Star for Lynch, who hasn’t done that once as he’s been stretching out since early August. It’s a Birthday Party, unfortunately, without a pitch I can point to and say “Yes! That’s good, more of that”. Maybe the changeup, but even that is returning foul balls, not outs or whiffs. It’s just all…meh. (View Game Card)
Keider Montero (DET) vs MIN (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 74 pitches.
The Tigers elected to limit Montero and I wonder if that’ll continue in his final two starts as he’s now three innings away from 150 on the season. Might be time to try something else. (View Game Card)
Michael Lorenzen (TOR) @ ATH (L) – 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 49 pitches.
Lorenzen was opened for, hung out for a few frames, and left before the fifth. Welp, see ya later. (View Game Card)
Walker Buehler (SDP) vs WSN (ND) – 2.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 60 pitches.
2 ER and only five baserunners! Look at the volume. Oh. Yuuuup. Funny enough, the mound visit that led to Buehler’s hook was changed at the last moment to keep him in the game, until both Buehler and Stammen realized the pitching coach had already come out that frame. Whoops. It was a long third inning and it’ll be a long winter if you think Buehler is the guy to help you reach the finish line. It’s not the play you want to make, even with his last five starts giving you a decent ERA across 5+ frames each. (View Game Card)
Michael Soroka (ARI) @ KCR (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 58 pitches.
This was a piggyback with Zac Gallen for each pitcher’s Still ILL and granted a 2-2 game when he entered in the fifth, Soroka couldn’t hold it there, quickly allowing a three-run bomb to his fourth batter. Sigh. But then just one batter reached across the next 3.2 IP with some good fastball command. Curve was decent, but not its absurd self, and the change/cutter were meh. We’re not back. (View Game Card)
Cody Bradford (TEX) @ SEA (L) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 63 pitches.
Womp womp. Both PL Bot and I had Bradford as our reluctant streamer of the day and the southpaw failed to execute the BSB we want to see to RHB. He’s been awfully meh and you’re better off just avoiding it for something else at this point. (View Game Card)
Robert Stock (NYM) @ MIA (ND) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 80 pitches.
This game was a WILD one, ending 15-14 with the winning run at first, but not by Stock’s hand, who left this game with a 8-3 lead. The ceiling is far too low for us to chase Stock, who has reached five full frames just twice in seven starts, and I’m going to move on here. (View Game Card)
Hunter Brown (HOU) @ PHI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 90 pitches.
Oh hey, we’re back to sub-60% four-seamer strikes. OH COME ON. 1/22 whiffs, too, and it’s also coming with the dip in vert we saw before, now sitting at 15″. Yeah, that’s not good and frustrating after back-to-back fourteen-whiff games that looked promising. Well, at least strikeouts are still flowing, making it a worthy gamble to ride out the season. Just get that dang four-seamer back. Please. (View Game Card)
Blade Tidwell (SFG) vs STL (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 78 pitches.
I really just don’t see it, y’all. Since those 16 whiffs against the Astros, Tidwell hasn’t eclipse seven whiffs in five games. Not every team can be filled with RHB ready to fish at gloveside sweepers. (View Game Card)
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL) @ NYY (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 99 pitches.
A grand slam in the third ruined this one for Sugano, who once again is throwing 1-2 ticks harder, pushing him to 94 mph. So? So it’s cool, alright?! Jeez. It’s sad to see Sugano go 7-0 in eight starts only to flip it to 1-5 in the next seven, dashing my dreams of a 15 Win season. TheresStillTimePicard.jpeg. I know, three more games left but let’s be real! (View Game Card)
Shane Baz (BAL) vs CLE (W) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 100 pitches.
A tale of two HRs, one in the first and one in the sixth (Careful, Icarus), though the sub-text is the poor curveball and cutter performance that had Baz working his four-seamer into every quadrant of the zone to LHB, while somehow missing the center. Yes, even the two HRs were not in the center box, however close. Those secondaries are traditionally effective and I still see a Toby here for the Mets up next. No, that is not a ringing endorsement. (View Game Card)
Jackson Kent (WSN) @ SDP (L) – 3.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches.
Blegh. The SWATCH lifestyle is still open to Kent if he wants in, as the changeup to RHB is still a great foundation. Problem is the four-seamer and sinker supporting it are…not great. He’s not attacking the top rail, nor the inside edge with fastballs to keep batters honest, and he won’t take hold of his destiny until he does. It’s in there, though, and it may appear before the end of the year. Don’t bank on it, of course. (View Game Card)
Zebby Matthews (MIN) @ DET (L) – 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 58 pitches.
This was a game of Zebby swinging to the other side of the pendulum. That is, instead of bombarding the zone without fear, he barely touched the heart of the plate and threw just 3 of 18 pitches inside the zone to RHB. A 17% zone rate. That’s wild. I’m glad he’s trying (I’m going to assume he’s trying to nibble and this isn’t just terrible pitchability), and it’s also clear he doesn’t have it figured out yet. (View Game Card)
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) vs HOU (W) – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 81 pitches.
Where should I rank Sánchez for next season? He’s missing erratically more often than usual and seeing a low 10% SwStr on his changeup is disheartening to say the least. I imagine the great reset of the winter will do him favors, and at the same time, he’s proven to be a lot more of the 1.20 WHIP arm than the 1.05 WHIP arm. I want the 18% SwStr guy back, not the 7% clip here. GO FIND HIM. Soooo do we start him now? Yeah, I would. He’s been a lot better overall in the second half and this was a major blip. (View Game Card)
Jake Bennett (BOS) vs LAA (L) – 5.1 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 78 pitches.
Whoa. The Angels were ready. Bennett did a great job of attacking with high heaters, but the Angels leaned down and over the plate for his slow stuff and they slapped those well-located changeups with ease. Only three outs on eight in play off the slowball. That’s rough. Bennett should have adjusted and thrown more heaters inside to keep them off the plate, or at least tried to go down-and-in with his cutter and sweeper a little more, and hopefully he can learn to make that adjustment in the future. Props to the Angels here – they attacked wisely in that five-run third. (View Game Card)
Reynaldo López (ATL) vs TBR (L) – 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 80 pitches.
He’s back and I can’t say I’m shocked that it went poorly in his Still ILL. At least the slider is harder at 86 mph again, but the strikes are still tough to come by, and I’m not seeing enough juice to expect any better against the Cubs. (View Game Card)
Kevin Gausman (CHC) @ MIL (L) – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 94 pitches.
Well this is disappointing. Three HRs were the bane of Gausman’s Wednesday and I can’t tell you they weren’t bad pitches. They were bad pitches. Man, a 4.60 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, eh? Is Gausman the ultimate HIPSTER after all? No, it’s the children who are wrong. It doesn’t quite add up to me and I’m still throwing him out there. You do you, but the guy is still missing bats and isn’t usually a HR-prone arm. (View Game Card)
Rhett Lowder (CIN) @ LAD (L) – 3.1 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 72 pitches.
Yeaaaah. This wasn’t the start to finally decide to get Lowder. It was a time to be quiet. Ayoooo. Sadly, y’all are going to need to be quiet a little longer with another start against the Dodgers up next. (View Game Card)
Janson Junk (MIA) vs NYM (ND) – 3.0 IP, 8 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 0 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 60 pitches.
Look at that game card for Junk. He’s the one that all models love yet he can’t get it done. I have to wonder if tipping is involved here of some kind as 2/60 whiffs just isn’t right for a dude throwing what he throws and where he throws it. Welp, no need to wonder when you can just avoid it. (View Game Card)
Foster Griffin (CLE) @ BAL (L) – 2.1 IP, 8 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 62 pitches.
Oh no. Oh no no no. This one hurts a ton and to show how good of a season Griffin has had, the ratios are still solid even after this one – 3.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 22% strikeout rate. It getting Singled Out for the ages, with six singles, one double, a walk, a HBP, and a sac fly across all ten batters faced to kick off the third inning, and not a single one was barreled. In fact, only one hit was above 90 EV. That’s just brutal. The White Sox are up next and while I imagine you’re all terrified to start him there, I wouldn’t be. One inning of horrific Koufax cruelty does not mean he’s donezo. It was two shutout frames with four strikeouts prior! (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Jared Jones vs. Hagen Smith – I just want both these youngin’s to be dope.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photos by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire and Thierry Lemaitre/Unsplash | Featured image by Ethan Kaplan (@djfreddie10.bsky.social on Blue Sky and @EthanMKaplanImages on Instagram)
