Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup – Mad Gibs

Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Saturday 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 10 am-12 am ET.  

Kyle Gibson (BAL) vs DET (W) – 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 11 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 45% CSW, 96 pitches.

While Kyle Gibson was rostered just higher than my 20% threshold for streaming pick of the day, I ran with him in leagues yesterday against the Tigers and even still, I was shocked to see him go 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 11 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 45% CSW, 96 pitches. Wait, that’s not a King Cole?! Oh, just you wait.

Gibson did this with his slider and changeup performing at their relative peaks, even returning 8/13 cutters for strikes as well, allowing his sinker to sneak in for 15 called strikes. This is the ideal game plan for Kyle and the best part is that he gets the Tigers and Royals up next. Sign. Me. UP. He won’t be this good but those should be worth your while. If you streamed him like me, we hold y’all. WE HOLD.

 

Let’s see how every other SP did Saturday:

 

Alek Manoah (TOR) @ NYY (ND) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 85 pitches.

Phew. I dropped Manoah aggressively last week and while BABIP helped plenty here, the slider also helped massively, and he located his fastballs far better at 93/94 mph. I’ll take this version of Manoah, though we’re still not back yet – his four-seamer was a massive whiff pitch last year and we saw just 2/24 here. Still work to be done.

Gerrit Cole (NYY) vs TOR (ND) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 96 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. That’s my SP #1. I can’t wait for the slider to return better than 1/18 whiffs.

Braxton Garrett (MIA) @ CLE (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 82 pitches.

Garrett featured his slider more than any pitch – as he should considering it’s far-and-away his best offering – and he nailed the breaker down in the zone all game. I still want to see more from his other offerings before buying in fully, and 2x starts against Atlanta next make this an easy avoid.

Rich Hill (PIT) vs CIN (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 96 pitches.

PL Bot loved this start and I should have listened. What? I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED! And now he gets the Nationals and while the WHIP is questionable n all, that does seem like a decent stream. Decent being the keyword.

Devin Smeltzer (MIA) @ CLE (ND) – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 65 pitches.

Sure, this was a thing. Smeltzer is here for the time being but maybe Eury Perez takes this spot in the weeks ahead. Be ready to snatch him up if he gets the call – the Marlins aren’t shy about giving Double-A starters a chance.

Chad Kuhl (WSH) @ MIN (ND) – 3.2 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.

Just 1 ER! And a 1.91 WHIP. Oh. Right. He needed 96 pitches for those eleven outs. Welp, nothing new, nothing gained, eh?

Logan Webb (SF) vs NYM (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 98 pitches.

He pounded the zone with all of his pitches and things were good today. It’s the gamble we play with Webb and it’s nice to win one.

Andrew Heaney (TEX) vs OAK (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 97 pitches.

We saw Heaney scrap the breaker for a ton of fastballs last time and it was more of the same here as it thrived through six frames. Huh. I wonder if it means there’s more to chase. I’d let him fly against the Yankees next, easily.

Shane McClanahan (TB) vs CWS (ND) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 32 Whiffs, 49% CSW, 88 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. Those numbers aren’t wrong. McShane earned a Golden Goal with the highest whiff and CSW marks of the year. His changeup went a stupid 14/27 SwStr rate (over 50%! CRAZY) and what’s even wilder is he didn’t have his best consistency. He had a ton of waste pitches in this one – it just goes to show how ridiculous his stuff is. Kinda feel like he should be #2 right now.

Dustin May (LAD) @ CHC (W) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 96 pitches.

It was a disgusting day in Wrigley and while it didn’t get to May that much, you gotta think he could have been better than eight whiffs if it were sunny LA. We keep rolling here, but like before, my expectations aren’t sky-high for Dustin at the moment. He has things to figure out still.

Wade Miley (MIL) vs BOS (W) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 80 pitches.

Three whiffs and it didn’t matter. Miley’s command was better in this one than the previous seven-shutout/eight-strikeout affair, IMO. His changeup and cutter were perfectly placed on the corners of the zone and despite the low whiffs, he got outs with those pitches and deserved those low ratios. Miley is sure to be a wrecking ball to your ratios in the near future, though, with LAA, @COL, LAD up next. I’m not chasing it.

Luis Cessa (CIN) @ PIT (L) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 4 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 62 pitches.

Hey Nick, see? The Reds should keep Cessa in the rotation! Don’t roster him, that’s 2/62 whiffs with a terrible WHIP against the Pirates. GIVE US ABBOTT.

Framber Valdez (HOU) @ ATL (W) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 90 pitches.

It’s a WHIP over 1.00 with a 3.86 ERA, but we’ll take it from Valdez as he faced a strong offense. And hey, nine strikeouts! Look at you go. He’s awfully close to AGA territory, but the ratios have to both fall down for that to happen.

Shane Bieber (CLE) vs MIA (L) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 103 pitches.

He doesn’t have the AGA label anymore and he’s not doing anything to help get it back with just 1/21 slider whiffs. Boy, that ain’t it. It feels like a mini rough patch and not a sentence for the rest of the season for Bieber, but if he doesn’t find the slider again…well, what else is there?

Miles Mikolas (STL) @ SEA (ND) – 5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 93 pitches.

A Toby does what a Toby does. This doesn’t help you in the slightest unless four strikeouts are your thing. I don’t judge here.

Kyle Wright (ATL) vs HOU (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 95 pitches.

I had low expectations for Wright here and the result was a start with nothing to salvage. So the curve was bad? It sure was with a 19% CSW and y’all know there ain’t a saving grace if his breaker isn’t debilitating batters. And yet, despite all but alternative Wright opinion, I’m in on him for now with two starts against the Marlins. Sell high after that if you can, or h*ck even now showcasing these starts ahead.

Zach Plesac (CLE) vs MIA (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 10 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.

Plesac nearly came through on this stream a day later, with five good innings, then allowing the first three batters to get on base in the sixth and it ruined his day. He’s still heavy on the slider, albeit not 50%+ but 40%, and with Rockie Road next, I think we may hold for one more. Or maybe throw him back to the wire, then pick him back up later in the week. Not a need-to-have, but it should be okay.

Luis Castillo (SEA) vs STL (ND) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 100 pitches.

Castillo was incredibly inefficient in this one and at least you were able to salvage eight strikeouts along the way. That four-seamer returned 12/48 whiffs, which is all kinds of insane. We also some a few sliders down-and-in to left-handers! Yay! Baby steps.

Joe Musgrove (SD) @ ARI (W) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 6 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 80 pitches.

I started him regardless of the Still ILL designation and that change was nasty. We’re talking 7/12 whiffs, picking up the slack of his curve/slider/cutter combined for just 5/37 whiffs. With his first start out of the way (and you got a Win!), Musgrove should be back to normal against the Giants.

Hayden Wesneski (CHC) vs LAD (L) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 2 Whiffs, 19% CSW, 64 pitches.

Don’t blame Wesneski much for the horrific Chicago weather. You’re better off focusing on @MIA and WSN on the horizon. Those should be way better.

Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) vs COL (ND) – 4.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 73 pitches.

It feels really weird for Sánchez to pitch knowing it should have been Andrew Painter. Sigh. I hope he’s healthy enough to start this summer.

Dylan Cease (CWS) @ TB (ND) – 4.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 101 pitches.

This was shaky from the beginning for Cease, who had his slider cooking but the four-seamer and curveball lagged behind. You know, like my biggest fears about Cease. He’s gonna get the Rays again and we still start him there because of course you do. I’ll hold yer hand as we get through this together. Kinda wanna makes you want to sell high, doesn’t it?

Kyle Freeland (COL) @ PHI (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 89 pitches.

Cool so we’re totally past this right? Awesome, good talk.

Merrill Kelly (ARI) vs SD (L) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 7 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 94 pitches.

The strikeouts are better than expected, but everything else fits the bill here. Despite getting the Nationals in 10 days, Kelly isn’t worth holding with Coors next.

Zack Greinke (KC) @ LAA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 2 Ks – 4 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 71 pitches.

And this is why Greinke is on your waiver wire. Be happy he’s still pitching in the majors, though. Baseball needs more Greinke.

Tyler Anderson (LAA) vs KC (ND) – 5.1 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 64 pitches.

Blegh. I still think he’s okay for the Athletics in his next start, but that’s just for a stream, not a legit play. Returning just one strikeout HAISTBMBWT?! can be blamed on everything but the changeup and expect better against those Triple-A’s.

Joey Wentz (DET) @ BAL (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 72 pitches.

The velocity is still up for Wentz at 94/95 mph, but he didn’t land his changeups and curves and for Wentz, so he has to squeeze the most out of his repertoire. Still a Frozen Banana here.

Pablo López (MIN) vs WSH (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 83 pitches.

PabLó’s velocity fell to 93/94 mph for the first time this year, while the sweeper went just 2/13 CSW. It was a sudden regression to his worse 2022 self and all I can do is say “hey, please stop that”. Fingers crossed he rebounds next time out.

Garrett Whitlock (BOS) @ MIL (L) – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 81 pitches.

Bleeeegh. I was feeling great about Whitlock following his first outing and he let us down in this one, including a wretched HAISTBMBWT?!. Simply put, he didn’t have either his changeup or slider as dependable pitches, forcing too much out of the sinker. This isn’t the Garrett we should anticipate moving forward, but he does have a bit of a rough patch ahead with @BAL, TOR, @PHI on the docket. Maaaaybe only bench for the Jays? It’s a tough call.

David Peterson (NYM) @ SF (L) – 5.0 IP, 7 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 98 pitches.

I’m still confused why Peterson has a new slider this year, but this time around, it wasn’t the issue. Well, it kinda was with a few hung ones, but the changeup and sinker are a bigger issue in my book. If you’re still holding onto Peterson, you really should have him back on the wire with Atlanta up next.

Shintaro Fujinami (OAK) @ TEX (L) – 2.1 IP, 8 ER, 7 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 18% CSW, 72 pitches.

He’s a Cherry Bomb and you have to wonder how long the Athletics will let this continue. At least you, the seasoned fantasy manager, have already moved on. So wise you are.

 

Game of the Day 

Jesús Luzardo vs. Logan Allen – I’m cheating because I obviously already watched it (sorry for the late roundup today, was dealing with a horrible root canal) but y’all know this would have been my GotD.

But Nick?! Where are the streaming picks? – I’ve moved them to the daily SP Matchups & Streamer Rankings article.

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Featured image by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)