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 Twitch weekday mornings from 9 am-11 am ET.
Tyler Anderson (LAD) vs COL (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 86 pitches.
I don’t think many expected Tyler Anderson to be anywhere close to what he became in 2022, but even while he began doing so, I had my doubts. And that makes it too fitting that here we are on October 2nd and Anderson fans ten and earns a Gallows Pole in one of his best games of the year – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 86 pitches. Absolutely amazing.
As we’ve seen from Anderson all year, the changeup was a major part of his success, earning 9/24 whiffs here (20% SwStr on the year), but the four-seamer really took off with 42% CSW and 11/45 whiffs of its own. You can thank some great pitch separation with the slow ball and the cutter sneaking inside to right-handers, allowing him to claim the upper third of the zone for his heaters.
And that’s the book on 2022, save for the playoff tax that’s sure to come across the next month. And boy am I happy for that tax as I would be shocked if Anderson came close to replicating this season. I’m not dismissing the clear gains in his changeup – increased usage, more whiffs, and a sparkling 14% HC rate – but it screams peak to me instead of sustainability, and you may forget that he holds a sub 20% strikeout rate despite the Top 20 marks in ERA and WHIP. I don’t draft Toby pitchers and without the punchouts, that’s what Anderson ultimately is, without the dependability of lower strikeout arms of the past. I may very well be wrong, it’s just how I expect things to play out.
Let’s see how every other SP did Sunday:
Pablo López (MIA) @ MIL (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
Atta boy Pablo! He located the changeup beautifully down with consistency, allowing him to steal the zone with four-seamers. He was able to bring his ERA down to a respectable 3.75 mark after sitting above 4.00 just two starts ago. I think he’ll come at a discount next year and while I worry about the lack of third pitch (and the changeup failing to be as good as we’ve seen), I like the four-seamer command and think he’ll be a solid snag next season. He’s really good, y’all.
Marcus Stroman (CHC) vs CIN (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 81 pitches.
Stroman was given a lovely lead and coasted against a poor Reds offense, earning himself a King Cole and ensuring we all forget about that Pittsburgh start. Look at him settling on a 3.50 ERA across nearly 140 frames with a 1.14 WHIP and 21% strikeout rate. Pretty much what was advertised.
James Kaprielian (OAK) @ SEA (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 91 pitches.
Did you know Jimmy hat had a 3.43 ERA since July 1st entering this game? He has been a serviceable Toby over the last three months and I’m glad he came through against the Mariners for the second time in three starts. Didn’t have a whole lot of faith in it (I didn’t mention the 1.34 WHIP and sub 17% strikeout rate since July 1st before…) and I’m happy for y’all who leaned on it. There’s a shot for more next year given the opportunity to go 6+ on a given day, but that’s just for your deeper leagues.
Zack Wheeler (PHI) @ WSH (W) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 77 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. That concludes a season with a 2.28 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a strikeout rate north of 26% as he averaged six frames per game. What a stud.
Kyle Bradish (BAL) @ NYY (ND) – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 99 pitches.
I’ll have my eye on Bradish for 2023 if he keeps up the trend of featuring sub 40% fastballs, though we did see 46% here as the non-slider secondaries didn’t do a whole lot. I don’t suggest drafting Bradish save for an AL-Only league as I want to see some tangible trend that moves away from his mediocre heaters (or maybe they aren’t mediocre next year! Just need to see it first).
Joey Wentz (DET) vs MIN (ND) – 4.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 93 pitches.
It was a dart throw and I hope that ERA helped you out. That’s all I’ve got – I don’t expect Wentz to be in the Detroit rotation next year.
Freddy Peralta (MIL) vs MIA (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 55 pitches.
We knew Peralta would be limited, but I’m glad we saw him throw strikes this time around. I have zero clue where Peralta will go next year, but we have to consider this a lost season, right? If he’s healthy in the spring, why can’t he pick up where he left off at the end of 2021?
Scott Alexander (SF) vs ARI (ND) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 0 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 47% CSW, 15 pitches.
It’s 2022 and we have to have a bullpen game every day. Them’s the rules.
Lance Lynn (CWS) @ SD (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 93 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. What a ridiculous redemption tour for Lynn, who entered today with a 2.63 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 26% K rate across his previous 78.2 frames in 13 starts and it only got better. That comes off a 7.50 ERA and 1.53 WHIP through his first six games, including a two-month delay to the start of his year. He ends the year with a 3.99 ERA and I can smell the discount now. Please, give it to me everywhere – he had a 16% overall SwStr in those 13 starts.
Blake Snell (SD) vs CWS (L) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 103 pitches.
I remember hearing I was far too high on Snell at the end of June…and he’s had a near 36% strikeout rate since. I really shouldn’t have dropped him that one week (we all have our regrets). Annnyway, he did it by removing not just the changeup (YES), but at times the curve as well, including here with just nine thrown. The four-seamer and slider have been fantastic and given a proper start to the year, it’s hard not to buy that Snell has figured it out moreso than this time last year.
Luis Garcia (HOU) vs TB (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 84 pitches.
Hey, the slider showed up! And it was good! Weird to see him drop 2.2 ticks on the heater after his last start on Tuesday and I hope that’s not a sign of him being actually fatigued or anything like that. With all said and done now, Garcia had an impressive season over 150 innings of roughly 3.75 ERA ball, 1.15 WHIP, and 24% strikeout rate. We’ll take that as our SP #5 in most cases.
Germán Márquez (COL) @ LAD (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 1 Hits, 3 BBs, 8 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 86 pitches.
This was the only start of 2022 where Márquez fanned at least eight batters. Hey guys! I’ve finally arrived, is the party still bumping? No. No it’s not. GO HOME. Now it’s not like he had his breakers working – just 4/31 whiffs between the slider and curve – this was him carrying unusually good four-seamer command and sneaking past bats up-and-in.
Zach Davies (ARI) @ SF (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 91 pitches.
I guess it worked out? Leave it to Davies to never make us get too happy with a “successful” start. He’ll be a rare streamer next year as well – there’s nothing here but the changeup and hopefully sinkers for called strikes (like tonight – 13/46).
Shane Bieber (CLE) vs KC (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 80 pitches.
Aces gonna kinda ace. Hopefully I’m the first to tell you when I’m wrong and I sure was about Bieber’s lower fastball velocity earlier this season as he cruised as an SP #2 all year for your squads. I think I overlooked how the fastball was already a weakness for him, and as long as he has the secondaries cooking, it wouldn’t matter. I mean, it wasn’t peak Bieber, but clearly excellent still and it’s hard not to think he can do it again, if not take an off-season to heal and work up that velocity again.
Chi Chi González (NYY) vs BAL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 73 pitches.
You didn’t know CCG was a Yankee, did you? Welp, he was just a guest star on this show, taking the role of that one actor you think you recognize from something and you spend the next 15 minutes on IMDb just to satisfy that dumb itch.
Corey Kluber (TB) @ HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 78 pitches.
Props to you, Kluber. There’s no way I’m drafting you next year, but you get all the credit for giving managers one last productive start against a tough offense.
Simeon Woods Richardson (MIN) @ DET (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 91 pitches.
This wasn’t as fun as I hoped. I was expecting 93+ on the heater and we got 89-92 mph without a whole lot to get excited about. He’s pretty over-the-top, which can make for a deceptive change and a huge hook, but I didn’t see the polish I was hoping for (hey, it was an MLB debut!). Maybe I get excited when we see him next year.
Kevin Gausman (TOR) vs BOS (ND) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 53 pitches.
Gausman left this one early due to getting fed up with his defense causing his giant BABIP and WHIP a cut on his middle finger due to his splitter. It was too filthy as he had already earned 8/22 whiffs on the pitch. Gaus ends the year with a staggering .363 BABIP and yet a lower-than-expected 1.24 WHIP because of his minuscule sub 4% walk rate. Meanwhile, despite all the baserunners, Gausman held an excellent 3.35 ERA and 28% strikeout rate and it seems like a safe bet for a better WHIP next year as the historic BABIP falls to some degree. I’m back in.
Roansy Contreras (PIT) @ STL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 0 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 16% CSW, 50 pitches.
Blegh. First Ortiz, now Contreras lost his stuff against the Cards (94 mph?!), even if the game started on an error that led to a much longer inning. I kinda dig Contreras as one of your last picks next year and I expect us to be dancing with him and many others in April, suffering from anxiety as we worry if we have the (W)right one or not. I believe in Contreras’ stuff, just a question if he’ll have the command and, you know, not sitting 94 mph vs. 95/96 mph like we normally see.
Tucker Davidson (LAA) vs TEX (ND) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 77 pitches.
Remember when I thought this could be a sneaky positive of the trade deadline? What a foolish man I was.
Charlie Morton (ATL) vs NYM (ND) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 79 pitches.
He got a bit Singled Out and for next year, I’m likely passing. I get a feeling Morton needs more and more time each year to get ramped up and with his heavy reliance on the curve working, it makes him more susceptible than I like. Then again, if he’s cheap enough in drafts…
Chris Bassitt (NYM) @ ATL (L) – 2.2 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 70 pitches.
Oooof this was far from Bassitt’s best. He couldn’t steal strikes with his secondaries per usual and while the sinker generally worked, it needed help. Atlanta really did a number on the Mets staff this weekend, didn’t they.
Robbie Ray (SEA) vs OAK (L) – 5.2 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 14% CSW, 83 pitches.
Blegh. Why do you have to sour the end of the year like that? 1/31 CSW on the four-seamer is laughable as he failed to get the pitch into hiLoc while the slider allowed a whole lot of contact. I may have some gut feelings that Ray is destined toward degradation with each year moving forward, but I could just be weird thinking that. Maybe it’s the velocity dropping and needing a sinker to show up to save his season.
Michael Wacha (BOS) @ TOR (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 71 pitches.
Womp womp. After sitting sub 2.30, Wacha’s ERA has risen to a much more reasonable (and still fantastic!) 3.32 mark across 127.1 IP this year. And yes, I’m completely ignoring Wacha next year. He’s too volatile and there isn’t enough in the arsenal to rely on out of the gate, let alone the full year.
Chase Anderson (CIN) @ CHC (L) – 0.1 IP, 5 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 0 Ks – 1 Whiffs, 14% CSW, 37 pitches.
I had some outside hope Anderson could help after what looked like four encouraging innings pre-rain delay last time out and hooooooo boy was this not that. K. Cya. BYE.
Adam Wainwright (STL) vs PIT (L) – 4.2 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 86 pitches.
I really wish I acted on the concern I’ve been expressing in these roundups over the last few weeks about Wainwright – the fatigue clearly has hit him. No idea if he comes back next year, but I’d avoid completely there as it kinda feels like he’s running on fumes here. I wouldn’t expect the best out of him in the Wild Card series.
Max Castillo (KC) @ CLE (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 95 pitches.
It’s the wrong Castillo! If this is Max, I want to see Min. This MC doesn’t throw down the hammer. Okay, I’m done.
Patrick Corbin (WSH) vs PHI (L) – 4.2 IP, 7 ER, 10 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 101 pitches.
You made it Corbin. You finally made it to the end of this season. Let’s get you out of those rags and fetch some water.
Tyson Miller (TEX) @ LAA (L) – 4.0 IP, 7 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 88 pitches.
You feel like you know him, but then you realize you’re combining Tyson Ross and Shelby Miller, the latter who happens to be the Giants’ expected starter on Monday. Go figure. As for Miller, you can forget about this.
Game of the Day
Bryce Elder vs. Jesús Luzardo – It’s the new Kyle Hendricks against the budding ace Luzardo. Two completely different arms and I can’t wait to watch both of them one last time.
But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.
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Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)