Spring Training has arrived and as I’ve been writing daily notes for myself to recap all spring training starting pitchers for the Plus Pitch Podcast, I realized I should publish them on the site for quick access.
I’ll be livestreaming every morning 10am-12pm ET at playback.tv/pitcherlist as I watch all of the starts with y’all and answer all your fantasy baseball questions.
Major SP News To Know
Jon Gray will not throw for six weeks after fracturing his wrist on a comebacker. Don’t expect him back until late May at the earliest, y’all. Cody Bradford has also been shut down with an elbow injury and will not throw for over a month. That’s two spots open (not even counting Tyler Mahle!), which should lock Jack Leiter in a rotation spot. As for SP #5, I’m putting my money on Adrian Houser over Kumar Rocker. Not nearly as fun, I know, but it makes the most sense for the Rangers.
Matt Waldron is nursing an oblique injury and is expected to miss opening day, if not longer. Stephen Kolek appears to be SP #5 for the Padres with Kyle Hart also a touch behind.
Site News
We’re launching PL 11 in the upcoming days and we’ve outlined everything we’re working on and improved on the site inside this Twitter thread and this Bluesky thread.
Check out all the apps, a tease of the PL Fantasy Baseball Pro Dashboard, our new Live Draft Assistant, and so much more.
Now it’s super easy to see velo changes, movement changes (extra vert from Rodón!), extension, usage changes, locations, etc. It’s incredible, y’all. Get access via PL Pro at 15% off with code SPRINGISHERE
Expected Rotations By Team
Statcast Games – TV
CLE vs. SEA
PIT vs. DET
NYM vs. STL
NYY vs. PHI
TEX vs. COL
SD vs. TEX
Logan Allen (CLE) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K. Velocity is under 90 mph and the Guardians have better options. He’s the SP #7 at best in my view.
Emerson Hancock (SEA) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Okay. Good. Breathe. Thanks for leaning into sinkers instead of four-seamers this time around. Try to work on that sinker inside to RHB, okay?
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 K. The cutter is gone and the changeup had some moments. This is going to volatile, y’all. Not a bad Best Ball guy as the strikeout games will show up like a Werewolf.
Keider Montero (DET) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K. Welp, the exciting heater is back to normal and it’s the old Montero from last year. I don’t think he’s going to snag the spot over Jobe/Maeda.
Kodai Senga (NYM) – 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 1 K. He’s still down in velocity at 93/94 (-2.1 mph) and I’m surprised to see just five cutters in the mix with less movement and velocity. The ghost fork went 0/6 whiffs and he threw more sweepers at 0/8 whiffs. Huh. Seems like he’s messing with some things still and I’m hoping he’s just ramping up still. Yes, I’m a little worried.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Good sinkers inside and sliders away to RHB, while the LHB approach is still a little sketchy. I wouldn’t be surprised if he took over an SP spot over Liberatore if one opened up (Pallante?). Not interested outside NL-Only leagues if that happened, and even that’s a bit of a reach.
Carlos Carrasco (NYY) – 3.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K. Ayyyyy, that may be the SP #5 in da bronx. His heater was 92 mph (not 90!) and he featured good changeups to LHB. Sliders to RHB not as much, but you can see the value here. I think the Yankees are gonna do it instead of Warren, y’all.
Allan Winans (NYY) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 3 K. …and not Winans. Sorry, it’s Cookie’s job. I think.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 K. He’s settling at 92 mph and that ain’t the 95 mph he flirted with earlier in spring. Throw in just three whiffs and no open spot and…yeah.
Jon Gray (TEX) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K. He took a comeback to the wrist and is out for months. Poor guy.
Adrian Houser (TEX) – 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Some may think it’s Leiter + Rocker taking the two open spots, but I’m wagering Houser fits in there, likely over Rocker. He’s still at 95 mph on the four-seamer and he’ll find outs for the crew.
Ryan Feltner (COL) – 1.2 IP, 5 ER, 2 H, 5 BB, 3 K. Oh dear. Sorry fella.
Nick Pivetta (SD) – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K. I’m still seeing mostly four-seamer/sweeper to RHB and I’m a little worried about that. Then again, he was clearly off with a sub 60% strike rate on everything. So fine. Fun to see him average 21″ of vert on some heaters, though.
Kumar Rocker (TEX) – 2.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 K. He still struggles to locate against LHB despite looking better against RHB with 96 mph heaters and seven feet of extension (poor vert and mid attack angle, though). Leiter’s the one to grab.
Dane Dunning (TEX) – 1.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 4 K. Yikes. Add Dane and you’ll be one and Dunning.
Statcast Games – No TV
CWS vs. CIN
AZ vs. CIN
MIA vs. BOS
MIN vs. TB
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) – 2.2 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 2 K. Nooooope. Nope.
Eduardo Rodriguez (AZ) – 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 6 K. Hot dang, look at you! How’d he do it?! Oh you know, by hurling everything to the middle of the zone save for some changeups he actually landed down for whiffs. No biggie. And yes, about a tick up on his fastballs is always a plus. Annnnnd. Okay okay, he got +2 inches of vert on the four-seamer to 16.6″. THAT’S A BIG DEAL! It is, but he didn’t elevate it and went 0/23 whiffs with it. FINE.
Chase Petty (CIN) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 2 K. Yikes. The four-seamer was favored over sinkers for some reason and he failed to earn strikes on edges + his changeup and slider failed to get bites, returning near a 40% strike rate between them. He’s still hard to hit, though, and I’m excited to watch him when he gets the call. I think he’s one of the better prospect arms out there who could debut this year.
Max Meyer (MIA) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Yes, he sits 96 mph now. It’s real. The slider is still at 90 mph with 5/17 whiffs, too, and the overall approach is solid and he’s a better pitcher now. That fastball isn’t quite as incredible at 1.2 HAVAA and just 15″ of vert and the sweeper is not polished in full at 85 mph, but this is a far different version of Meyer. I’m a fan.
Richard Fitts (BOS) – 4.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K. I’m not obsessed with Fitts, but he is just like Meyer – 96 mph with good-not-great four-seamer marks with a great slider and solid pitch mix. I prefer Fitts just because of the team makeup, but I think if Rasmussen blows us away today, he’s the clear favorite late round SP target.
Chris Paddack (MIN) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 6 K. He’s 94/95 mph with 7+ feet of extension at 18″ of vert. That’s great. I wish I liked the curve and slider more, though, and I don’t trust his split-change always being a strike pitch. I really wish he had a good slider. Wait, is this Mize or Paddack? Uhhhhhhhh.
Zack Littell (TB) – 2.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 2 K. Oh. OH. He’s down to 90 mph (-2.5 mph) and I’m starting to believe Drew Rasmussen needs to be drafted everywhere. This could be the final nail in the coffin for Littell and Rasmussen is starting today. If that goes well, I think it’s his and we should be stoked for it.
No Statcast – TV
ATL vs. WSH
LAA vs. KC
Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 7 K. He’s a stud. Keep drafting him.
Jackson Rutledge (WSH) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Can you do it without hurting Riley next time?
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) – 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 8 K. Welcome to the life of a HIPSTER.
Michael Wacha (KC) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Blegh. There will be days like this mixed among quiet success.
No Statcast – No TV
ATH vs. LAA
MIL vs. SF
HOU vs. TOR
BAL vs. MIN
Joey Estes (ATH) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 3 K. This is the safety Estes brings to the table, opposite Bido’s volatility. Whoever they choose, I’m expecting Spence to be inside the rotation.
Tyler Anderson (LAA) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K. Womp womp. Don’t draft Tobys.
Nestor Cortes (MIL) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 7 K. It’s always good to see punchouts alive and he’s looking like a good 15-teamer arm.
Jordan Hicks (SF) – 2.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Are the Giants reconsidering Hicks at all? Roupp struck out thirteen in five innings on the backfield. So let’s say Roupp is in and they want Harrison or Winn or Birdsong in, too. Is Hicks the one to go?
Hayden Wesneski (HOU) – 3.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 3 K. Blegh. I see a worse Pfaadt in his arsenal and I’m just not interested.
Yariel Rodríguez (TOR) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K. I feel like I predicted this line for each of his starts last year.
Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Another solid performance from Sugano WITHOUT ANY DATA. I’m interested in the mystery box a bit, especially as he profiles out to be a 15-teamer volume Toby.
David Festa (MIN) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 2 BB, 2 K. Oh Festa. I’m looking forward to your chance in the rotation later this year.
What To Watch Today On TV
SPs to watch on TV today #SpringSPnotesGet morning updates to EVERY SP via my daily Plus Pitch Podcast AND SP Roundup article on the Pitcher List site.Andre Pallante – Velo still down two ticks?Zack Wheeler – Aces Gonna AceQuinn Priester – Good for SP #5?Drew Rasmussen – OH SNAP HE'S HERE
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2025-03-15T17:23:02.324Z
