Hey, It Could Happen

Baseball is a wonderful sport. It’s one where titans can fall and journeymen can have their unlikely moments in the spotlight. Edinson Volquez certainly falls into the latter group as he pitched a no-hitter against the Diamondbacks yesterday ala 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks. This wasn’t your Edwin Jackson-esque no-hitter, Volquez did this in under 100 pitches with ten strikeouts to his name. He had himself a day, it was amazing, we’ll remember it forever, etc. For fantasy purposes, it honestly doesn’t matter much. We’ve seen Ty Blach throw a complete game shutout, Clayton Kershaw allow 4 ER, and Kyle Gibson be fantasy relevant for a day. Baseball is like this and don’t make ROS assessments based on one afternoon. I might give Volquez a congratulatory add in the 90s tomorrow, I might not. Don’t overreact to this.

Let’s see how every other SP did yesterday:

Tyler Chatwood – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks. Our Call Boy did his job against the Padres and I love him for it. Next up is Wrigley and I’m staying away. Womp womp. Streamer Record 28-19-8.

David Price – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. I want to give him the title, but it’s too soon. Hard to not be a fan of Price thus far, though.

Jordan Montgomery – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Montgomery really impressed me yesterday as he continues to limit hard contact – 24.1%! – and maintain a 12.6% whiff rate. Yes, the walks are the last piece of the puzzle, but his current 3.51 BB/9 mark is the highest of his professional career, and a mark around 3.00 or even lower is well within grasp. Now, a 6.8% HR/FB rate isn’t going to stick playing in the bronx, especially when his high 45.3% FB rate comes paired with a low 8.2% IFFB rate, leading to a 4.36 SIERA. Still, I think his current 3.67 ERA is pretty close to real, and his 5.6 IPS is going to rise with more starts under his belt. He’s a future QS stud with like a 3.50 ERA and a 8.00+ K/9.

Joe Biagini – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. Through his six starts, Biagini is boasting a 7.71 K/9, 2.08 BB/9, 26.9% hard contact, 20.4% soft contact, and a fantastic 63.0% GB rate. He gave up three bloop doubles in this game and though his Changeup wasn’t as consistent as I’ve seen, I’m so on board with Biagini right now. Love his CB + CH and the movement on his Two-Seamer is doing wonderful things. Top 60 easily.

Ben Lively – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out where I’d heard Ben’s name – I knew I’d heard it before outside of a baseball context. Then I realized I saw Minority Report like three weeks ago and everything made more sense. Why are you talking about that instead of Ben? I think you can figure this one out. Is he…? Yup. HE’S DEAD?! What?! No, just a Cup of Schmo. Jeez man.

Sam Gaviglio – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks. Speaking of which, yes I know that’s three of four stats with 1 ER or fewer, I don’t care, he’s still a Cup of Schmo. It’s a 5.43 FIP with that 3.13 ERA and a 5.48 K/9 with a .235 BABIP and just 12.3% soft contact. Riiiiight.

Jason Hammel – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks. I love how 3 ER from Hammel is exciting. It’s been rough, okay?

Matt Shoemaker – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Meh. With Shoemaker, I either want to be hyped or discouraged. This doesn’t help, Shoemaker. I need you to be all 90s marketing. GET EXXTREEEMEE.

Jordan Zimmermann – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Whoaaaa, Zim! You’re being productive! Okay, it came with a 1.50 WHIP, but still! Next start’s ER total is set at 2.5 and I’m so taking the over.

Randall Delgado – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. I’m encouraged here as he threw 93 pitches while limiting hard contact once again under 30%, which he’s done in each of his three starts (albeit against the ChiSox, Pirates, and Marlins). Problem here is that Taijuan Walker is most like likely returning this week and we don’t know what’s happening to that fifth starter. Braden Shipley is going today, Zack Godley still exists, etc. I think Delgado is worth a flier pickup in a 12 teamer – he’d get the Brewers and Phillies next if he were to stick in his spot – until you hear more.

Dylan Bundy – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks. I’m telling you, this is what Bundy does these days as he faced the Sawx for the fourth? fifth?

Johnny Cueto – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks. Yeah, I’m cool with this. Good to see the strikeouts alive and while we want one fewer baserunner/ER, this makes me a little encouraged. It was the Phillies though…

Robert Gsellman – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. I’ll take this from Gsellman, still hesitant to add you to The List, especially with the “chatter” that Gsellman fits the closer role. Well, don’t put stock into that, it was just speculation. Annnnnnnyway, I wouldn’t rush to add Bobby.

Jhoulys Chacin – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks. Chacin will do well when Jhoulyst expect.

Jon Lester – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks. Ehhhh, fine. I want to be excited about Lester, but this isn’t making it easier with a PQS and 1.50 WHIP. Part of me feels like the true PQS, you know? You need that 1.50 WHIP on the dot to make it feel perfectly dirty.

Matt Garza – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks. Garza left with a shoulder injury after a collision in a close play at first. I’m sure some owners are feeling like this, but honestly I’ve been avoiding forever and you should do the same.

Rich Hill – 4.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks. Why are we enduring the Hill headache? For what reward? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS.

Mike Leake – 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Man, today really was regression day. First we had Leake finally take another step back dropping his ERA from 2.24 to 2.64 and getting closer to his 3.57 FIP/3.62 xFIP. I really don’t see Leake as anything but a 3.60 ERA guy with blegh strikeouts and dancing along the line of being ownable or not, and I’m sure some of you are tempted to drop after two poor starts, though it was against the Dodgers and Cubs. Next up are the Reds, Brewers, Phillies, and Pirates, and I think you have to hold there unless he looks terrible in his next start too.

Ervin Santana – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks. This was supposed to be a gimmie right? It was the Angels and his ERA was 1.75! That’s three clunkers in six games (5 ER, 6 ER, 7 ER) and maybe just maybe people are starting to believe me when I say sell the guy.

Carlos Carrasco – 4.1 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. Now this one wasn’t supposed to happen as Cookie faced the Royals. Things were actually all great through the first four frames, then it went down the drain with Singles, Doubles, then a HR allowed by Carrasco’s reliever. What are we to make of Carrasco now? His K/9 is comfortably under nine – a 8.78 clip – as his 3.36 ERA is still lucky with his .240 BABIP and 3.53 FIP/3.56 xFIP, but on the plus side he’s squashed his 36%+ hard contact from last year to sub 30% levels and still getting a hefty 11.7% whiff rate. Looking at The List, I’ll probably have him outside the Top 10 tomorrow, but he’s still definitively Top 15.

Alex Cobb – 5.0 IP, 9 ER, 14 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. And one more regression as Cobb’s 3.67 ERA disappeared into the 4.00+ void with a start that registered a WHERST of 25, just one off the high score. Yes, drop him.

Lance McCullers Jr. – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. This kinda expressed some of the fears I have of McCullers as he tallied up 96 pitches in just 13 outs. Yeah, the walks aren’t too high (six innings = three walks, to be fair) and the strikeouts are golden, but it’s a pretty bad start here with a near 2.00 WHIP and ERA north of 6.00. Still, I have to reward McCullers for still giving owners something to salvage – eight strikeouts – when it doesn’t go his way.

Tyler Glasnow – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. Wait, you’re telling me Glasnow hasn’t figured it out yet? You don’t say.

R.A. Dickey – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 5 BBs, 2 Ks. Dickey told me it was his birthday yesterday. Does this look like a Birthday Party to you? Don’t Trust A Knuckleballer.

Daniel Mengden – 4.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. Those hoping to bottle some of the magic Mengden clearly has – let’s be honest, he looks like a magician – should look elsewhere. That’s what magicians are, deceivers.

Andrew Cashner – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 11 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. I know I say it every roundup for Cashner, but it’s just so right. I Cashed Out a long time ago and so should you.

Miguel Gonzalez – 6.0 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks. Miguel…No.

Scott Feldman – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 1 Ks. Feldman Schmeldman.

Joe Ross – 3.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Just don’t guys. First he couldn’t handle the Padres and now he stumbles against the Athletics. What’s the point of owning Ross?

Today’s Streamer

Tyler Anderson vs. San Diego Padres – He may have been dropped after his poor outing in Coors against the Mariners, but now he heads to San Diego and you want all of this.

Jeff Hoffman vs. San Diego Padres – Anderson hit the DL with a knee injury and Hoffman is taking his place, who should definitely be picked up for this start.

Tomorrow’s Streamer

Junior Guerra vs San Francisco Giants – No reason to stop rolling with Guerra against a poor Giants offense.

Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer

Joe Musgrove vs Kansas City Royals – Not much to choose from here, so I’m going with a meh pitcher with decent upside against one of the worst offenses around.

Game of the Day

Brad Peacock vs. Texas Rangers – I’m pretty curious how Peacock fairs here and hoping he can push past five innings (dare I say six?).