Tyler Skaggravating

I think it’s time to address my feelings about Tyler Skaggs following yesterday’s 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks performance against the Rays. On Monday, I expected to lower Skaggs a good amount on The List. His four-seamer/curveball combo isn’t as pristine as others (like his teammate Andrew Heaney’s for example) and Skaggs’ changeup is nothing to write home about. At the same time, the 50s/60s are a lot of shrugs and Skaggs’ ceiling of a 3.00 ERA arm with a 25% strikeout rate is still nagging at me. I probably should have placed him around 57 or so around Jon Lester and we’d be happy. Maybe even closer to Lance Lynn at #65, but he’s rising after the Sawx start and that’s a whole other story.

Right, so this game. It was actually going well until the lights shut off in Tampa. He finished the fourth inning, but the fifth caused turmoil where the Rays knocked him around for three runs via pitches over the plate. He still had 13 whiffs, but Skaggs’ 91 mph fastball doesn’t leave much room for error and when paired with curveballs left up in the zone, it can go south quickly. That’s the thing, I think he’ll have a good number of 6/7 strikeout games, but it will be with a lot of this – these middling ER games that make you wonder why he’s even around. Maybe he goes on a beautiful stretch this summer that replicates the magic of 2018 again, but as of right now, he’s not locked in enough for me to put up with these blegh outings if there are good streaming options on the wire.

Let’s see how every other SP did Thursday:

Homer Bailey – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks. It’s the first six strikeout game Bailey in ten games. Don’t do anything silly, just let the man celebrate a Birthday Party.

Zack Greinke – 7.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks. Aces gonna ace. Just two outs away from the best MS Score of the year. So close.

Yusei Kikuchi – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Hey, Kikuchi did good things! Against the Twins! With a 94mph fastball! I’m not falling for this again so quickly, but definitely monitor that heater moving forward – 16/47 CSW on the pitch here is phenomenal given how detrimental it has been this season. It sets the tone for everything.

Michael Pineda – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. I was hoping to see last week’s spike in velocity stick around, but instead we got a little over 93 mph (not 94/95), but a greater focus on changeups from Pineda. Here’s to hoping the velocity returns with changeups he trusts and this legit turns into something. Streaming Record: 48-25.

Marcus Stroman – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Wanna know something wild? This is just the second game with five strikeouts across the last nine games for Stroman. Bleeeeegh. It’s also the fourth 1 ER game in his last six though, and there’s something to be said about that. It’s also the O’s. It just screams a Toby all around and I guess that’s okay. I wonder where he gets traded to where he can unlock that slider in full. That would be nice.

Julio Teheran – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. We’re in the middle of a Vargas Rule with Teheran and while he had some of his normal antics, Teheran still went out there and did what we wanted him to do in the end. Fine, just strike out another batter or two, okay?

Clayton Kershaw – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Aces gonna ace…kinda? A VPQS isn’t really what we signed up for, but the strikeouts are there and that’s all kinds of cool. Way to be cool Kersh, way to be cool.

Gabriel Ynoa – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. Ynoa what? Trusting owners never wanted strikeouts anyway. Or good ratios. Or to win fantasy baseball. But seriously, just one punchout? HAISTFMFWT?!

Matt Boyd – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks. This wasn’t Boyd’s day. Even with the seven strikeouts, he balked in a run, had an error in the field leading to extend the fourth, and I’m sure he wants to forget it ever happened. It’s alright, we’ll give him this one.

Jon Gray – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks. Ladies and Gentlemen, your Gallows Pole winner with a whopping 21 whiffs and 34/95 CSW. If only those ten strikeouts could come with something better a VPQS, just kidding worse than a VPQS. Is that just a VPS then? Maybe. Maybe it is. Anyway, that’s the problem with Gray. He’s volatile, wild, and even with ten strikeouts – TEN! – to his name here, you’re still wondering how to feel. You deserve better.

J. A. Happ – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks. Blegh. I know you’re a Toby, but I was hoping you were figuring out your four-seamer up n all and…blegh. Just 4/46 four-seamer whiffs.

Ivan Nova – 5.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. No Super Nova today. I guess I wasted money on these stupid glasses. THE GOGGLES! THEY DO NOTHING!

Erick Fedde – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks. Just one strikeout, Erik? HAISTFMWT?! In the end, we don’t trust the Feddes and this is why. He just doesn’t bring enough to the table.

Ryan Yarbrough – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. Womp womp. A pair of longballs did The Fratty Pirate in, who actually pitched well save for those gopherballs. I mean, well for our expectations as he still only returned five whiffs overall. I think he’s a decent AL-Only option, but 12-team leagues should dig for treasure elsewhere.

Jon Lester – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. Awwww, I was hoping that Lester could survive against the Dodgers but nope. Just 21/95 CSW as the Dodgers jumped on his heater a ton. So it goes. You’re still going to start Lester and you’re gonna like it. Or do it begrudgingly because you don’t have a choice.

Joe Musgrove – 4.0 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. Are we done with Musgrove now? Likely? He went back to sinkers for a 50/50 four-seamer split, but he also hovered 93 mph with the straighter heater. And earned 5/11 whiffs on sliders. BUT I DIGRESS. Too many mistakes, not a good approach, and I’m all okay for dropping him for something else. Will Musgrove be a serviceable option again? Yes. That may not be for a bit, though.

David Price – 1.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. Wait, what. Price got Singled Out (kinda, Pence nearly had a homerun) and needed near fifty pitches to secure four outs. Yeeeeeeesh. Cutters and changeups couldn’t save his poor fastball command and things just didn’t go right. It was a lot 90.8 mph heater as well after sporting 92+ last time out and I really hope he’s back up to 92 mph next time out. I wonder if there was something in his pre-game prep that didn’t get him ready to go or something like that. I’d have no fear starting him next time. Shake it off, y’all.

Adrian Sampson – 5.0 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Ahhhhh, there’s the Sampson we’re used to. I will mention this was the Red Sox so you didn’t roll with him anyway and we can’t judge him too harshly – he’s a possible option for average to poor offenses – but his opportunity to win our love after surviving against a strong offense wasn’t taken advantage of. Good luck against the Tribe next, we’re all counting on you.

Matt Strahm – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks. I have Strahm on the IL and there was no way I was taking him off prior to this start in Coors. It was DLH and the terrible elevation all in one so let’s just ignore this start happened and maybe wait and see how he looks next time against the…Brewers?! Yeah, he’s staying on the IL for another week.

Jacob deGrom – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks. I knew something seemed off and then I remembered this game didn’t officially end – the Mets were leading heading into the 9th, there was a rain delay, the Mets insisted to finish the game, Diaz was cold, and the Cards tied it up…removing deGrom from his possible Win. Typical. Anyway, this game may not count until a later date, but I’m talking about it now. Aces gonna ace as he tallied 37/111 CSW…though just 3/23 whiffs on sliders. One day this year he’ll get it back in full. One day.

Jack Flaherty – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. Here’s the other side of that with Flaherty hitting a wall in the sixth and getting the ax. I think he pitched well in this one with 9/33 whiffs on his slide piece, but there still isn’t a strong third option in there and it may have helped a lot in that final frame. This isn’t enough to hold back on letting Flaherty loose for each of his starts, but it doesn’t give me encouragement that he can return to the Top 25 just yet.

 

Today’s Streamer

 

For those unaware, I’m forced to make my Streamer picks under the condition of sub 20% owned in Fantasy Pros’ consolidated ownership rates.

 

Tyler Mahle vs. Texas Rangers – I can’t do Trevor Richards, so I’ll go with Mahle hosting the Rangers.

 

Tomorrow’s Streamer

 

Framber Valdez vs. Toronto Blue Jays – He’s currently sitting at 17% and it’s a solid matchup for Framber. I’d also consider Pablo Lopez against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer

 

Chase Anderson vs. San Francisco Giants – I’m tempted to take the plunge on Peter Lambert, but he’s hosting the Padres and it makes for a low floor. There’s also Dakota Hudson against the Mets, but he’s actually just above the 20% threshold these days.

 

Game of the Day 

 

Nick Pivetta vs. Max Fried – Can Pivetta make it three straight? Will Fried put it back together? I NEED TO KNOW.

 

(Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire)