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
Trevor Rogers is still weeks away from throwing off a mound. Don’t expect Rogers as an option for the Orioles until many weeks into the season, at which point he may not even be of enough quality to get a shot the first moment he’s healthy.
Austin Gomber is dealing with a sore shoulder. It may make Bradley Blalock the SP #5 out of the gate.
The Cardinals sent Quinn Mathews to Triple-A, removing him from contention of a rotation spot. It’s possible an injury appears and brings Mathews back into the equation (McGreevy could be the first option), and the moment Mathews gets a rotation spot this season, you should add him in 12-teamers and deeper.
Site News
We added a few things for PL Pro subscribers!
I made a spreadsheet of all the important fastball velocity trends I’ve seen thus far from SP and shared it inside our Discord.
You can access the updated sheet and here is how it looked after 2/27’s games:
We also added this fantastic Movement & Location chart to all pitchers inside our Spring Training Live Data app:
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
PIT vs. DET
PHI vs. BAL
TOR vs. PHI
LAD vs. CWS
SD vs. KC
Jared Jones (PIT) – 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K. He’s working on the changeup to LHB with just two sinkers to RHB. Velo is there. We cool.
Jackson Jobe (DET) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Jobe’s 83 mph breaker (Curve? Sweeper?) is absurd two-plane, like a sweeper with curve depth. Paired with 98 mph heaters that’s just DUMB, even without great fastball shape. His cutter is also at 91 mph and stupid. Yeeeeesh. Please start.
Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) – 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K. THE CUTTER IS REAL! AND HE THREW IT…9% of the time to RHB. Why. I don’t get it…? But, uh…he’s sitting 97 mph. What. YEP. He’s gained two ticks of velocity each season and this is kinda nutso. I’m buying this completely. More velocity, an elite changeup, an embrace of a cutter, volume, a winning team, an inflated hit-per-nine that should come down (9.0!), a low walk rate, 25%+ strikeout rate…I’m so in.
Dean Kremer (BAL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Sure, that happened. He’ll have days and be a streamer in a 15-teamer.
Max Scherzer (TOR) – 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Womp womp. My theory that vets who have increased velocity in their first start hold and maybe gain? False. Scherzer was slightly down in this one. But whatever. He’s Scherzer. I wish they had a better April schedule.
Bowden Francis (TOR) – 2.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K. He had 4/22 four-seamer whiffs, which is still super weird to me (92/93, 18″ vert, less cut action, 6.7 extension, average HAVAA), and his secondaries are still meh. I’m not in at all.
Taijuan Walker (PHI) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Ayyy, he’s back to 93 mph! I don’t like him at all even there, but at least it’s not 91!
Tyler Glasnow (LAD) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K. All good here.
Davis Martin (CWS) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Nothing new here and that’s a little disappointing. We need another gear from Martin to turn him into a fantasy relevant arm given the White Sox low win chance.
Jake Eder (CWS) – 0.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K. You know the name and you should probably forget the name.
Randy Vásquez (SD) – 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 1 K. He’s still down over two ticks. I don’t think he’s getting an SP job, y’all.
Seth Lugo (KC) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K. His velocity went back to 92 mph. Womp womp. That was a fun moment, eh?
Statcast Games – No TV
MIN vs. TB
MIA vs. STL
TEX vs. AZ
CLE vs. MIL
COL vs. SEA
Chris Paddack (MIN) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K. 17″ of vert (could be kinda deadzone at his high arm angle) with near seven feet of extension at 94 mph. I’m not sure that’s enough for Paddack, pairing it with his split-change and a sub 60% strike curve. I just don’t see a true ceiling worth your time and a floor that looks a whole lot ike lava.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 K. Nothing new here to make me chase SWR. Slower slider doesn’t seem great…?
Shane Baz (TB) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K. He apparently hit 100 mph but settled in around 96 mph and showcased the same great curve from last year. The heater isn’t a legit shape pitch, but he commands it well with the hook and he experiemented with changeups to LHB that…weren’t good. It’s the spring, after all. Gotta try it now. Slider is still lacking, sadly, but it may just be the mix-up pitch early with the curve and slider swapping standard roles.
Edward Cabrera (MIA) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K. We saw more sliders! Six! For 5/6 CSW! I sincerely hope he’s learning to actually throw the dang thing now.
Steven Matz (STL) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 3 K. Nothing to note. I’m still sad Quinn Mathews was sent to Triple-A. Sigh.
Eduardo Rodriguez (AZ) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K. Yep, that’s Erod. Not the velocity of his prime at 92 mph and change, but there is Toby value here in 15-teamers.
Jon Gray (TEX) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K. You should be in relief as that heater at 94/95 mph just isn’t enough. Needs to 96+ with the deadly slider to be your best self. JUST SAYIN’.
Thomas Pannone (MIL) – 0.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 0 K. Left this one with a forearm strain. He wasn’t near the top of SP depth, but was something. Not much changes the outlook here with Ashby and Hall as the clear #6 and #7 options.
Germán Márquez (COL) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K. COL story, bro.
Logan Gilbert (SEA) – 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K. He’s throwing sinkers to RHB and that’s cool! He’s not locating them inside well yet, that’s not cool! I don’t consider Gilbert the best command guy, but this should help him regardless.
No Statcast – TV
BOS vs. NYM
ATL vs. NYY
CHC vs. CIN
SF vs. LAA
Walker Buehler (BOS) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K. NOICE. I wish we had data…
Paul Blackburn (NYM) – 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 K. So Mets, you still sure you want to roll with Blackburn?
Reynaldo López (ATL) – 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K. Without data, I’m just going to stare at the two walks and say “Why must you make me worry about the one thing I’m worried about?” Yes, very small and dumb sample.
Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Well that’s lovely.
Marcus Stroman (NYY) – 2.2 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K. You got your wish Stroman, do you mind capitalizing on it? K thx.
Matthew Boyd (CHC) – 2.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Four strikeouts are cool, I hope the other stuff is just the spring. Should be, right?
Carson Spiers (CIN) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K. He’s a backup option for the Reds and should not be taken as a strikeout arm. He’s all about kitchen sink and hitting spots as much as possible.
Robbie Ray (SF) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 6 K. I watched this and while the camera angle is terrible, I believe we saw some legit changeups to RHB. Like legit. Ho boy, I’m drafting Robbie everywhere.
José Soriano (LAA) – 1.1 IP, 3 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K. Blegh. Don’t love that he labored here as he should be an efficient pitcher given his sinker/curve approach.
No Statcast – No TV
HOU vs. WSH
ATH vs. LAD
Ronel Blanco (HOU) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 4 K. We’ll take that all day.
Trevor Williams (WSH) – 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K. #NeverTrevor.
DJ Herz (WSH) – 1.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 1 K. Oh dear. We’ve already had small concerns that Herz doesn’t make the opening rotation considering he has options and the Soroka + Ogasawara signings. This doesn’t help things.
JP Sears (ATH) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 K. K/BB was the major focus this spring. Whoops.
Justin Wrobleski (LAD) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K. The note here is Wrobelski going three frames, while Casparius allowed just one. I don’t love Justin for fantasy, but he does appear to have the inside track to get frames this season.
Ben Casparius (LAD) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K. I wish they were giving him more than one inning this spring. He’s an interesting arm if slotted into the rotation.
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.Walker Buehler – New approach? (no data)Jared Jones – GOOD SINKERS?Cristopher Sánchez – Cutter data?!?!Reynaldo López – SL for strikes?
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2025-03-02T14:56:48.429Z