Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Sunday game. I apologize for the jokes written in my delirium in advance. Have questions? Ask me during my office hours on Playback.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Mick Abel (PHI) vs PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 84 pitches.
We had an MLB debut today in Philly. No, Bubba Chandler isn’t here yet, but the other squad had a young arm hurling 97+ mph with legit breakers. Mick Abel obliterated the Pirates via 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 84 pitches (W) for a King Cole in his first game in the bigs and yes, he’s someone we need to keep a huge eye on.
First of all, this was a spot start. WHAT. I know, I know. He should be in the rotation and Taijuan Walker should not. It’s possible Walker gets the axe shortly and there’s another opening for Abel to return sooner than the required amount of time after demotion, but for now, it’s unknown when he returns to the bigs. However, hot dang you better add him when he does.
Seven feet of extension with 97 mph velocity and a 1.4 HAVAA and good command?! Whoa Nelly that’s fun. We generally see a spike of velocity in debuts, but even at 95/96 mph, that’s a fun pair of heaters. In concert with a 8/22 whiff curveball at 84 mph + a tighter 88 mph slider, you have yourself a full repertoire ready to churn outs and get through six frames in front of a solid offense.
The Shag Rug is sure to exist, but once Abel gets more chances, I don’t see why we’d value him less than the Frizzle types. He has all the tools of a Holly with better velocity. It’s one start, absolutely, but the control and overall command seem pretty dang real to me. He’s a guy.
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs COL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 11 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 109 pitches.
Kelly, you wonderful man. You were given a gift and you seized it. The calendar had this date circled in red and you sent your game-prep montage to all your peeps. Rockie Road, I’M COMING FER YA. Yes, that was Kelly’s changeup talkin’ with 11/32 whiffs in this one. Way to be, Kelly.
Andrew Abbott (CIN) vs CLE (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 96 pitches.
WHOA NOW, the velocity is back! He’s been around 91/92 mph all year and BLAMO! Here’s 93 mph with 71% strikes, living upstairs without care. That led to a bit more chase on the changeup and sweeper in this one while + the Guardians had trouble getting the heater in play constantly. I’m all here for that, and if Abbott can maintain 93 mph while having a few more changeups and curves either over the plate (changeups) or returning whiffs (13% chase on the curve = blegh), then we’re cruising. But he gets the Cubs next. Okay, hope for the best there and then we’ll totally jump back in afterwards.
Paul Skenes (PIT) @ PHI (L) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 22 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna ace for a Gallows Pole. Yeah, I guess he’s still pretty good, eh?
Bryan Woo (SEA) @ SDP (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 87 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Woo’s fastballs get strikes, and batters just gotta deal with it. He paired them with some legit changeups and sliders to LHB, too, which I am SO here for. I love this.
Jeffrey Springs (ATH) @ SFG (ND) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 84 pitches.
Wow, did you pull up the blinds today? Look at all of that sunshine and those rainbows out today. Those slowballs were glorious at 7/25 whiffs and the slider did a ton of work over the plate with just one hit and 78% strikes. That’s cool, and if he can hold that feel, he should be fine moving forward.
Matthew Liberatore (STL) @ KCR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 92 pitches.
Atta boy Liberatore! Even if you’re at 93.8 mph (not 95+) and the cutter feel has diminished a ton, I still think you’re rad. Now comes the real challenge: Arizona. I wonder if you can take ’em. I’d be a little cautious.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) @ LAD (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 98 pitches.
Kikuchi apparently pitched through a hurt ankle in this one, which is kinda surprising given he actually succeeded in spotting heaters (at nearly 95 mph) for 7/37 whiffs. The rest of the arsenal wasn’t nearly what we want it to be, though, and despite having success here against the Dodgers (with four walks), I ain’t buying it.
Colin Rea (CHC) vs CHW (ND) – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 93 pitches.
You got the job done and we’re thrilled about it. We’re out for the next one in Cincy, but back in for two hosting Cincy, then the Nationals. Guess we might as well cross our fingers and hope Koufax is there for the rough one and take the solid days after, yeah?
Michael Wacha (KCR) vs STL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 83 pitches.
He got Singled Out, save for a solo shot and we’ll take it and move on. He’s a low-end Holly and I’ll always love him for it. He really is good at avoiding the heart of the plate.
Cal Quantrill (MIA) vs TBR (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 85 pitches.
Dude threw an immaculate inning as if he were taunting Baz. I’m Quantrill and this is easy! What’s the problem Baz? Stop being a dingus and take this Gold Star before running home. The cutter is still doing work with high usage and a ton of strikes without a single ball in play, and if you’re really bold, you’ll take a shot on Quantrill against the Angels, Giants, Rockie Road, and Pirates next. You can’t though, right? Right?! It is a four-seamer with decent vert at 93/94 mph with a good cutter, a splitter, curve, slider, sinker…JUST SAYING.
Freddy Peralta (MIL) vs MIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 90 pitches.
Even if your heater was a bit unruly to RHB, you did enough with it and the changeup was brilliant to LHB. Thanks buddy, you make us sweat, but you always get there.
Chase Dollander (COL) @ ARI (L) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 98 pitches.
You fought and that’s cool, Dollander. The curve is getting more strikes than I expected it would and he deserves props for that, but the four-seamer is still failing to return an excellent whiff rate despite its 97/98 mph velocity (like a gas tank in an abandoned shed, it’s empty). Hold off adding him for 12-teamers.
David Peterson (NYM) @ NYY (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 101 pitches.
Peterson nailed the slider to LHB while the sinker snuck over the plate for 11/31 called strikes to RHB + curves were a surprise winner underneath for nearly 70% strikes. That 7.2 feet of extension is a wonderful thing. Why does he have to get Dodgers + CHW + Dodgers + Nats next? SNIP SNAP SNIP SNAP.
Max Fried (NYY) vs NYM (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Fried, you’re a monster. That sinker to LHB was just so dang good with a full neck-beard approach on its own.
José Berríos (TOR) vs DET (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 83 pitches.
The Great Undulator was able to finagle out of a few jams without allowing a longball. Seriously, that’s the difference between an outing like this and the disappointments of old. What if I’m still disappointed at this because of the WHIP and lack of strikeouts and Win. THEN LIVE A LIFE OF SORROW, I DUNNO.
Jackson Jobe (DET) @ TOR (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.
I gotta say, Jobe really doesn’t have the love of Koufax a whole lot. He’s doing a phenomenal job of working the edges with his heaters and the sole moments he leaves something over the plate, it feels like he’s getting more punished than most. Awesome to see the changeup go 5/15 whiffs here while the slider took a step back at 28% usage and just 2/25 whiffs. The good news? The schedule is feathery moving forward. A lovely pile of pillows to sprawl out on and relax.
Luis L. Ortiz (CLE) @ CIN (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 100 pitches.
The changeup is back! The slider + heater combined for 14 whiffs! So why am I upset? Because that dang sinker is super hittable and was carelessly hyucked over the plate for a trio of hits. And there’s that one slider for a homer. Yes, that too. With the Tigers, Dodgers, and Yankees ahead, this isn’t the time to get in on Ortiz.
Justin Verlander (SFG) vs ATH (ND) – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 84 pitches.
Uhhhhh 91.3 mph four-seamers and a 1-2 inch drop in vert leading to a 40% strike rate. He’s hurt, isn’t he? It sure looks that way. Remember that 88+ mph slider? It was 83.7 mph in this one. But he gets the Nationals and Marlins next! IT’S NOT FAIR.
Jack Leiter (TEX) vs HOU (ND) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 87 pitches.
For a guy tossing a no-hitter until the seventh, it’s pretty shocking to see 3 ER on the board. Jack Zippo had success in this one due to the Astros sending 100% RHB to the plate and feeding straight into Leiter’s strength – his slider. Zippo featured the pitch nearly 50% of the time and it did its job save for the solo shot that ended the dream. If his four-seamer was able to get upstairs a bit more and go more than 1/25 whiff, we may have gotten a memorable night, but I’m sad to say he doesn’t have that kind of command quite yet. I’m happy to see consistent ability to throw sliders in the lower half and generally away, though. He’s ready for the White Sox up next.
Framber Valdez (HOU) @ TEX (W) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 98 pitches.
Standard Framber affair here. The sinker allowed some hits with its high called strike rate, the curve got a whole lot of whiffs with a whopping 61% O-Swing, and his changeup was both great and terrible. Again, standard affair.
Michael Soroka (WSN) @ BAL (W) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 82 pitches.
That’s pretty fun to see from Soroka, even if it’s a Philly for a PQS. The breaker held a 36% CSW + the sinker and four-seamer refused to land off the plate and propelled Soroka through this one. We’re seeing a fair amount of two-plane movement on the four-seamer and sinker, too, though he still has to rely on location to ensure runs stay off the board – a pair of longballs here were the real blemishes of the night. The changeup made more appearances to LHB in this one and it’s…okay. A work in progress. Consider him an option to stream against the Giants with his pair of heaters + the big 80 mph curve.
Michael King (SDP) vs SEA (L) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 96 pitches.
Aces gonna (mostly) ace. That dang hanging sweeper was deservedly crushed for a solo shot and he allowed a single hit on each of his other pitches, but I still loved what I saw for the most part. Maybe get a little better dangling that heater upstairs and get the secondaries away from batters a bit more, but can we talk about the sinker? It was so good upstairs to LHB and I just adore the dang thing. He’s amazing.
Jonathan Cannon (CHW) @ CHC (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 88 pitches.
Wow Jonathan, you’re so considerate. You knew how long it takes to ship more cannonballs to fire for the 1812 Overture and you didn’t give us a start where the people would run to the streets and demand celebration. What a nice fella. So next time, yeah? If you can handle the Rangers, sure. Then Orioles in Camden, then Tigers, then Astros…yeah, sure. You totally got this. For what it’s worth, I approve of the increased cutter focus. It’s a good one.
Spencer Schwellenbach (ATL) @ BOS (W) – 7.0 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 81 pitches.
Schwelly allowed a grand slam to Devers on a terrible fastball down the middle and that’s your ball game. It’s awfully strange seeing Mr. Crescendo struggle to earn whiffs and all we can do is hope he turns it around soon. Good luck, we’re all counting on you. It really is just a matter of feel at this point – the velocity is there.
Tony Gonsolin (LAD) vs LAA (ND) – 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 4 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 97 pitches.
Womp womp. Nothing was good. The splitter really let him down, the slider wasn’t a huge help, the new focus on curves did wonders to steal strikes (8/23 called strikes!), but not enough with the failure of his (normally) main two secondaries to prevent damage off the four-seamer including two longballs. You don’t want to start him against the Mets and Yankees…
Zebby Matthews (MIN) @ MIL (L) – 3.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 71 pitches.
He struck out the side in a clean first inning. He escaped a jam with just one across in the second. He walked the bases loaded in the third and all three scored (that Yelich walk was not a walk, though). Sigh. He showed us both sides of of the Zebby we saw last year, and without the slider returning better than a 42% strike rate, you can’t expect much different. That said, it was all cooking and it somehow disappeared. I like the schedule ahead, I like the stuff. I like that Zebby usually doesn’t have this poor control and it was really one terrible frame. I guess I’m leaning in for at least one more.
Shane Baz (TBR) @ MIA (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 96 pitches.
I don’t like making excuses for pitchers at all. Honestly, most of the time it’s easier to say, “Yep, he’s performing poorly and you shouldn’t roster him.” No one would be upset at that. So then why do I feel like you’re not going to do that with Baz despite a horrible stretch and failing against the Marlins today. Nick, THE MARLINS! Because I watched this dang game and I saw two things: A pair of home runs doing most of the damage and four-seamers that did not deserve the six hits they allowed. It really is that simple. But they did allow hits. To Marlins hitters! That’s the thing, it shouldn’t and it did. It makes me seriously consider that I’m missing something major that is allowing a 17″ vert, 96/97 mph heater (sometimes 99!) with a flat attack angle get pummeled. Maybe batters are just selling out for it? Then again, the high strike change and curve each returned 25% CSW or worse. And the slider? STOP THROWING IT, DANGIT. Two sliders messed him up (once again) and it’s driving me up the wall. Anyway, I think Baz needs to hit the reset button somehow. Send him to the minors or something. The stuff is better than the results and I’m sure there’s something that will be found to prevent outings like this. I implore all of you to watch it if you can, though. It really is shocking how easily the Marlins hit these pitches.
Brayan Bello (BOS) vs ATL (L) – 4.1 IP, 7 ER, 10 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 92 pitches.
Bello. Buddy. When we say you gotta attack more, we don’t mean throwing sinkers down the pipe a ton. So not over the plate, got it. Wait wait wait, that doesn’t mean you should go 45% strikes with sliders and changeups! Oh. Welp, too late now. Yes it is, Bello. Yes it is. Wait what does that mean. Nick? … NICK?!
Zach Eflin (BAL) vs WSN (L) – 5.1 IP, 8 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 93 pitches.
Oh Eflin. Oh fella. That second frame came with three home runs before getting your second out, with a 7-0 score at the end of it. Three of his four total longballs were on pitches down the pipe, one on a curve away that Abrams somehow dealt with. What’s so strange is Eflin didn’t pitch that badly. Cutters and curves gravitated toward the edges of the plate exactly as you’d want to see, but the Nationals took advantage of nearly all of his mistakes and then some. I guess we hold off in Fenway to be safe…? I’m likely starting him after that one, though.
Game of the Day
Kris Bubic vs. Robbie Ray – Two dealing southpaws, one young, one old.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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