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
Shane McClanahan left Saturday’s game with a clear arm injury, later announced as a triceps injury and will undergo imaging. It looked terrible, but Passan report Sunday afternoon that he has an inflamed nerve and will start the year on the IL without missing significant time. Incredible news, especially considering McClanahan was already expected to have an innings cap.
Ian Anderson has been traded from Atlanta to the Angels for José Suarez. It may be a six-man in Los Angeles, while Atlanta could be slotting in AJ Smith-Shawver over Bryce Elder for the final rotation spot.
The Tigers have optioned Keider Montero to the minor leagues, ensuring Jackson Jobe as the Tigers’ fifth starter. THE NEW ERA HAS BEGUN.
Dane Dunning has been placed on waivers by the Rangers, in case you were holding out any hope for Dunning to make spot starts this season.
Cade Povich has won the SP #5 gig for the Orioles.
The Mets will put Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning as their SP #2 and SP #3 for their opening series against Houston. It lines up David Peterson and Kodai Senga for the Miami series. Plan accordingly – that Peterson start looks lovely.
Jake Woodford will not make the Rockies roster, making Bradley Blalock the fifth starter for the Rockies.
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
PIT vs. BAL
MIN vs. TOR
DET vs. ATL
NYY vs. PHI
NYM vs. WSH
TEX vs. KC
SD vs. CIN
Paul Skenes (PIT) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Aces gonna ace.
Zach Eflin (BAL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Still a tick down, but good locations. We’re cool here.
Max Scherzer (TOR) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Velocity is above 93 mph (that’s good) and he held back on his absurd slider in a clear tune up to see if his thumb would be okay. We’re still in the dark if he’s going to be able to tough it out for a while, though he gets a start against the Nationals to kick of the season and that should be okay.
Jack Flaherty (DET) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 K. Good slider and curve locations, though I don’t feel super confident in his heater sitting middle-middle. Same old, really.
Reynaldo López (ATL) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K. We saw the slider used heavily this time around and 68% strikes is great, even if it went 3/28 whiffs. The fastball is still two ticks down, though, sitting just 93.3 mph and that should scare you. López needs that velocity, especially with a slider that either earns strikes or whiffs at a sub 60% strike rate. I’m avoiding Reynaldo, but sure, give it a spin if he’s free.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K. I don’t think we’re going to see Elder get the rotation spot if he’s not getting the proper start in spring.
Cam Schlittler (NYY) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Schlitter is the current backup SP #6 for the Yankees. Yep. Not great.
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K. Ouch. Thing is, I dug his overall approach and command. He just has a HR problem and he’s a HIPSTER. If you treat him like a gamble and don’t hold on tightly, yes, you can have a good time with this. I’d take a shot at the very least in his opening series.
Tylor Megill (NYM) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 5 K. His heater was actually a bit more upstairs than usual and look at that! 5/33 whiffs! That’s about a 15% SwStr, not absurd or anything. Still, I’ll take that. The slider fell underneath well and if he can replicate these locations, we may be onto something. We MAY be. I still question the repeatability.
MacKenzie Gore (WSH) – 3.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K. The change and curve are still unreliable for a near 56% strike rate between them and that’s not the Gore I want to buy into.
Jack Leiter (TEX) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 11 H, 1 BB, 4 K. It’s pretty wild to see Leiter’s four-seamer allow as much contact as they do, sitting 98.6 mph with great shape. I’d say batters simply gearing up for it, but he returned 0/21 whiffs on changeups and 4/19 whiffs on sliders. Is he tipping? I have to believe he is in some way and I wonder if that can be eradicated quickly. At any rate, take a shot on Leiter. He’s one of those arms who could destroy baseball overnight.
Seth Lugo (KC) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Velocity is in line with last year and he featured nine different pitches yesterday. I’ve drafted him a few times already to help pad the roster with good starts in April and beyond.
Dylan Cease (SD) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 9 K. Just 40% strikes on his changeup, but they all came via the whiff at 4/10 earned. I guess this is the LHB approach for the year, which still needs refinement, obviously, but the RHB approach? Studly as the slider is cooking. We even saw some good high sinkers in there and that’s cool. I still worry a bit about LHB, but at least the old strength of obliterating RHB is still very much present.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Hey, it’s Abbott! 50 pitches thrown here with meh overall command. I’m not interested. Sorry fella.
Carson Spiers (CIN) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K. Spiers is getting the role in the rotation until Abbott is ready and he did his schtick well of cutters and changeups to LHB + sinkers and sweepers (with a few slowballs, too) to RHB. He spots em well, gets his outs, and heads home without butter on his bread. Just one strikeout?! HAISTBMBWT?!
Statcast Games – No TV
MIA vs. STL
CLE vs. SD
CWS vs. SEA
COL vs. CWS
Valente Bellozo (MIA) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K. The Marlins may give Bellozo a chance pretty soon into the season and you can go on and ignore it. But a huge sweeper focus! Sure. He can’t spot it. No thanks.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K. There’s no changeup in Liberatore’s arsenal, forcing his fastballs + slider/cutter to be exceptional against RHB. That’s just not the case and I’m not terribly interested when he gets an opportunity.
Tanner Bibee (CLE) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 5 K. He was down to 93.5 mph (-1.5 mph) but the cutter earned six whiffs and the rest of the secondaries earned another six on top. Not his best command, but what else is new? Just throw more than 60% strikes on the heater moving forward, k thx.
Kyle Hart (SD) – 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Blegh. The sweeper isn’t getting far enough away to LHB and I’m happy the changeup returned a few more whiffs this time around with three across fourteen thrown. It’s still a highly questionable heater at 90.3 mph, sadly. Maybe there’s a Toby in there at some point.
Hagen Smith (CWS) – 2.1 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 1 K. Both Schultz and Hagen could not find the zone yesterday. They are set to be staples in the White Sox rotation in due time, we’ll forget about this on Tuesday.
Luis Castillo (SEA) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 K. The velocity isn’t climbing up, still at 94 mph and nearly two ticks down. I’m not nearly as interested in Castillo as I have been in previous seasons.
Kyle Freeland (COL) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 8 K. Oh cool, you’re starting n stuff.
Noah Schultz (CWS) – 1.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 5 BB, 3 K. Womp womp. We’ll see him eventually and very likely without this walk issue.
No Statcast – TV
TB vs. BOS
ATH vs. MIL
HOU vs. MIA
Shane McClanahan (TB) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K. He left this one with a triceps injury and looked like he was in a ton of pain. We got news on Sunday that it’s nerve inflammation and he shouldn’t be on the IL too long. PHEW. This might work out okay in the end as he was expected to be innings capped in the first place.
Joe Boyle (TB) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 K. Welp, the walks are back and he’s in Triple-A soooo…yeah.
Tanner Houck (BOS) – 3.2 IP, 10 ER, 12 H, 2 BB, 2 K. Oh jeez. That is…not fun. Super aggressive hitters n all, and he obviously didn’t have his best. Maybe we wait one start
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K. That’s more like the Springs we’re used to seeing on the bump. Sunshine and rainbows looking forward.
Jose Quintana (MIL) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 K. He’s trying to get stretched out in time and this may be enough for the Brewers to start Quintana and let their bullpen clean up one or two games.
Hunter Brown (HOU) – 3.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 5 BB, 4 K. Yikes. That’s not a great line for a pitcher who needs above-average command with his kitchen-sink approach.
Xzavion Curry (MIA) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 K. He’s starting for the Marlins. Yep. Don’t touch it.
No Statcast – No TV
SF vs. AZ
CHC vs. COL
Justin Verlander (SF) – 5.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 4 K. He’ll head to Cincy for his first outing. I think that’s borderline in a 12-teamer and a Toby for a 15-teamer.
Merrill Kelly (AZ) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K. It seems like the Kelly we know.
Jameson Taillon (CHC) – 4.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 6 K. I hope the sweeper was still cooking against RHB. The cutter is always the question. Few walks = a good sign.
Austin Gomber (COL) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K. He’ll return to the rotation in time, but likely is on the IL to start the year.
Bradley Blalock (COL) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 5 K. He has the fifth spot and you should ignore it.
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.Paul Skenes – AGAShane McClanahan – Make us all McClanaFansJack Flaherty – FF not hit?Cam Schlittler – You're the SP #6 right now.
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2025-03-22T17:50:54.903Z
