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
The Marlins are expected to heavily limit Sandy Alcantara early in the season to make him more appealing at the trade deadline. It’s the “Reverse Crochet,” and yes, it makes me a bit less interested in Roto League drafts. H2H? A bit more appealing as he’ll be there for your H2H playoffs on a contending team.
Brandon Sproat has been optioned to Triple-A. No surprise that he’s not in the opening day rotation and expect him to be up in the spring when needed. He’s a fun SP option who should be considered when the time comes.
Brady Basso has been shut down with a shoulder strain. Bummer, I think there was some interesting potential there.
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. BOS
STL vs. NYM
PHI vs. NYY
CLE vs. LAA
SD vs. SF
LAD vs. CIN
Andrew Heaney (PIT) – 1.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 1 K. Welcome back to the bump Heany! You’re 1.4 ticks down to just above 90 mph, though that should climb as he gets more outings. Lots of strikes on non-fastballs, especially the new cutter that I absolutely dig against RHB at 85 mph. Hmmm, that’s a fun addition and I wonder if that will smooth out his outings a touch. There’s legit 15-teamer potential here, flirting with 12-teamer pickup in-season.
Quinn Priester (BOS) – 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K. He’s sitting about two ticks harder at 95 mph and returned whiffs galore on his slider, while flexing a new 93.5 mph cutter to feature against LHB (think more of a cut-fastball more than super lively cutter). I dig almost everything here…except his focus of sinkers away to RHB. It had a 3D wOBAcon of 0.754 for this reason (YEESH) and I’d love to see the cutter/slider away + sinkers inside to RHB, then cutters, curves, and sliders to LHB. It’s between Priester and Fitts for the SP #5 with Bello and Crawford laboring and while I expect it to be Fitts, Priester could force his way if that cutter is legit and his sinker can jam RHB.
Andre Pallante (STL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K. He’s still down over two ticks in velocity for the third straight game with less movement on the cut-fastball. I’m not liking this, y’all.
Tylor Megill (NYM) – 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Tylor, if you could just locate your pitches. The 7.2 extension at 96+ mph and 1.4 HAVAA is stupid good, there’s even 16″ of vert here! But he doesn’t spot the heater upstairs (just one is definitively “up” across eighteen thrown), while the secondaries are all over the place. Sigh. I can’t get on board until he embraces the hiLoc lifestyle, especially without an overwhelming secondary in the backpocket.
Zack Wheeler (PHI) – 2.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 0 BB, 2 K. HA. I remember Wheeler getting bamboozled in the spring by the Yankees before his massive breakout and given normal velocity here, y’all shouldn’t do anything about this. Everything is cool.
Ranger Suárez (PHI) – 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K. If you’re drafting Suárez, you’re essentially hoping he’s in the same rhythm out of the gate that he had last spring. Welp, that’s not the case so far – Suárez’s 88.5 mph (-2.3 ticks) is not what we’re looking for and his fastball command was far from ideal. Let’s wait a little longer here.
Will Warren (NYY) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 K. I didn’t like the four-seamer here at 94 mph to LHB without anything special, though the sinker went backdoor and jammed RHB, while the changeup looked solid away to LHB (though get it down a touch please, thanks). Yeah, he’ll be a solid Toby in 12-teamers when given a rotation spot.
Gavin Williams (CLE) – 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 6 K. Yeah this was dope. The four-seamer cooked for 13/40 whiffs with a 70% strike rate and domination upstairs, creating the foundation I love for Gavin. HOWEVER, I’m not seeing any growth in the rest of his arsenal and I can’t be absurdly in until that arrives. We saw seven 86/87 mph sliders that can work and be filth, but 3/7 strikes aren’t great + the 90 mph cutter isn’t here. The curve is still the volatile beast, too, and this honestly looks like the same Gavin from last year as of now. I want that upper 80s/low 90s pitch to earn strikes over the plate, dangit. He hasn’t had a reliable strike secondary and that’s how the walk rate falls to sub 8%.
Jack Kochanowicz (LAA) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 K. The curve isn’t really a curve in my view, but more of a sweeper with moments of grand drop to it, while there was more emphasis on the four-seamer to LHB, and I’m not sure I love it. I wonder if its super low 13″ of vert mixed with its steep 0.2 HAVAA turns it into a groundball machine, but maybe he should be locating it down instead of up? But then it’s just a worse sinker and guys would hit it. Fair. I’m not sure here.
Caden Dana (LAA) – 1.0 IP, 7 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 2 K. Everything came with 50% or lower strike rates as he nibbled the edges of the plate and he got burned. I see Dana as a command arm with a solid changeup and good slider, but the lack of velo at 93.8 mph will open the door for games like this when batters can sit heater over the plate.
Nick Pivetta (SD) – 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K. 21″ of vert on the fastball is a hilarious in the best way, but it returned just 2/24 whiffs and was hit hard. I still worry about his arm angle against RHB when paired with the sweeper and while still thrown 27% of the time, the sweeper is being put aside a bit for the slider and cutter slightly. I think it’s a good change and I suggest monitoring it. It could make Pivetta better against RHB this year – don’t scrap the sweeper, just save it and mix in the slider/cutter to keep batters from playing the arm-angle game to sit heater.
Landen Roupp (SF) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K. He’s a super side-armer from the right-side and I loved seeing four-seamers at the low angle that sit upstairs. The low angle makes it look like a legit rising heater and guess what! 2/6 whiffs on the 91 mph heater. I also dig the changeup and curve (exxxtreeeeme sweeper at -17″ horizontal lol), while the sinker needs a little help staying inside to RHB to take advantage of its elite 20″ of horizontal. I think the four-seamer up and changeup down to LHB gives Roupp potential to get out of the platoon split problem of most sinker/breaker arms and I’m super interested to see how it plays out when he’s in the rotation. There’s something here in this approach with the embrace of changeups and four-seamers out of nowhere.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K. Yamamoto has increased his vert to 17″ (+1.5 inches!) and still maintains an elite flat attack angle at 1.7 HAVAA. Oh snap! That means he’s finally going upstairs and taking full advantage of it, right? Ha. Ha. HAHAHAHA. 0/25 whiffs and two pitches upstairs not including a pair of terrible wasted misses. Sigh. WHEN WILL THEY LEARN THAT ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES?! But seriously, I like that we saw a cutter getting some work in, even if it was pretty meh. And the splitter went 6/13 whiffs, so that’s all good and whatnot. It’s just…he allowed a 0.556 3D wOBAcon on the four-seamer. It’s hittable and it really shouldn’t be. ONE DAY.
Roki Sasaki (LAD) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 5 K. Y’all can’t stop talking about Sasaki and I get it! First look! So, how was it? Solid, not a stud to draft early. Four-seamer can be awesome at nearly seven feet of extension and 98 mph (will it settle to 96/97? This obviously had adrenaline attached), though its 1/25 whiffs should tell you he needs to make an adjustment somewhere to get more out of it (like with Gavin!). Batters could not handle his splitter, though, which had a variety of movement from acting like a slider at times to carrying traditional split action and 7/18 whiffs tells the tale as he rarely misthrew the famous pitch. I liked seeing a breaker in the mix, however rare, as I believe Sasaki needs a glue pitch akin to Senga. The heater is better than Senga’s, though, and just a serviceable pitch to bridge the velocities of the splitter and four-seamer without elite movement would do wonders for Sasaki. I also wonder how his fastball command will progress – if the bridge pitch exists, he should live upstairs (regardless of vert and HAVAA) and have the bridge slider/cutter under inside the zone + splitter down. Looking forward to watching more like all of you.
Chase Petty (CIN) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K. Petty over here hurling 97/98 mph four-seamers with 17″ of horizontal (think of it as a sinker) and 1.4 HAVAA is pretty awesome. I’m surprised he didn’t jam RHB with it more – hot dang that would be stupid hard to hit – and pairing it with 92/93 mph sliders away with two-plane break difference? Ugggggh. There’s a ton of potential here and if the Reds aren’t ready to go with Abbott, they may leap frog Abbott to go with Petty. Huh. I haven’t focused on Petty a ton yet given the Reds home park and a seemingly locked rotation, but we haven’t seen Abbott yet and this is all kinds of fun. Keep a very close eye – I’d add him in 12-teamers when he starts.
Statcast Games – No TV
TEX vs. ATH
COL vs. CIN
Dane Dunning (TEX) – 2.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 1 K. I think this is enough for the Rangers to say “Naaah, we’ll go with Houser.”
J.T. Ginn (ATH) – 2.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 K. Look at this! Ginn was sinker/slider last year and now has a cutter (it says four-seamer, but it’s three ticks slower than the sinker and has the same drop…IT’S A CUTTER) at 91.7 mph that he’s throwing to LHB. So hard cutter + slider and the rare change to LHB, sinker/slider to RHB? Yeah, that plays. I expect Ginn to get some time this year and if this approach is spotted well, he can be a productive 15-teamer arm and possible 12-teamer streamer.
Bradley Blalock (COL) – 3.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 2 K. I wish you weren’t on the Rockies. 18″ of vert at 95 mph ain’t bad + an 86 mph slider for whiffs and a splitter as the #3 pitch is cool in my book. Not awesomesauce or whatever, but some possible value if he didn’t have Colorado to weigh on him.
Graham Ashcraft (CIN) – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Ashcraft should not start. Cool? Cool.
No Statcast – TV
WSH vs. STL
ATL vs. MIN
CHC vs. SD
Jake Irvin (WSH) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 K. I guess the curve was decent enough? I don’t want to chance this.
Michael McGreevy (STL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K. McGreevy is still battling with Liberatore and sadly, I don’t think he’s a target if he does get the job. There could be a Toby here in the short term, though that’s not enough to chase.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) – 3.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K. Keep an eye on this. McGreevy and Liberatore are both fighting for the SP #6, which could turn into the SP #5 should Pallante look too behind to enter the season in the rotation. Liberatore is more exciting after sitting 96 mph in his last outing and I’m curious how the next week shapes up.
Chris Sale (ATL) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K. AGA.
Bryce Elder (ATL) – 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K. There’s a small chance Elder gets the #5 if Ian isn’t up to snuff. No one wants this.
Shota Imanaga (CHC) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K. IM AN AGA.
Matt Waldron (SD) – 2.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 1 K. He’s aiming to throw more knuckleballs and maybe he did here? I dunno, I don’t trust him. Of course.
Ryan Bergert (SD) – 2.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K. There’s some intrigue in Bergert, but I don’t expect him to get the SP #5. If he does, it’s NL-Only value and slight 15-teamer, but not enough for standard formats.
Jhony Brito (SD) – 0.0 IP, 2 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K. Oh Brito. Sorry fella.
No Statcast – No TV
TB vs. DET
Kenta Maeda (DET) – 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K. He’s fighting and sat 91-92 mph here, roughly a tick up. Thing is, he hit a wall as he progressed in the start and while the Tigers have to be happy to see Maeda improving since last year, I’m not confident there are in a place where they’d roll with him over Jobe. Keep eyes on it – if Maeda gets the job, I don’t think I’d trust it for most leagues.
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.There are only four televised games. LAME.Mitch Keller – Anything new?Reese Olson – Still pumping 96?
— Nick Pollack (@nickpollack.pitcherlist.com) 2025-03-05T15:09:08.676Z