Reid Between The Lines

Welcome to the SP Roundup, my daily fantasy baseball article reviewing every starting pitcher’s performance from every Friday 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.  

Reid Detmers (LAA) vs TEX (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 93 pitches.

With just five days of baseball left, it’s the start of these roundups turning into quick season reviews and who better to begin with than Reid Detmers after demolishing the Rangers via 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 93 pitches en route to a Win.

If you’ve followed Detmers all year, it’s been hectic. He was iffy at first, earned a no-hitter, struggled heavily, needed to fix his mechanics in the minors, returned and dominated, and the last month has been a bit…underwhelming. However, this final start brought us back to the glory days of summer as he showcased what got me so dang excited: slider whiffs.

The pitch went 12/30 whiffs as he located them well inside and outside the zone, and with that in his pocket, Detmers was able to earn a ton of curve and four-seamer strikes. It all comes together when that slider is cooking.

Seeing Detmers reclaim the feel for the slider a second time is encouraging to me. It’s one thing to have a singular good stretch, it’s another to go through adversity twice and make the adjustment to return to form. For a kid who turned 23 this summer, it makes me optimistic he can continue to grow and improve in 2023. In short, it’s final starts like these that I think we can latch onto and speak more toward what’s ahead than forget inside the scope of the full season. You’re gonna want to draft Detmers in March.

 

Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:

 

Corbin Burnes (MIL) vs MIA (W) – 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 103 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. You took away Sandy’s Win. I won’t forgive you for that.

Clayton Kershaw (LAD) vs COL (ND) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 88 pitches.

Ah, TATIAGA. Don’t ever leave us.

Alek Manoah (TOR) vs BOS (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.

Aces gonna ace despite very few whiffs across the board. With the Jays Wild Card series bound, this very likely marks the end of Manoah’s season, boasting a 2.24 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 196.2 innings in the AL East. It really should make you think about the whole “they won’t push him past 160 innings after throwing just 130 in 2021” discourse over the off-season last year.

Bailey Falter (PHI) @ WSH (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 84 pitches.

Ayyyy it worked! See, Falter’s heater and breakers are good enough to take down a team like Natty Lite, just not against actually good lineups. Let him loose – he may not start again and if he does, it’s the Astros. Nooooope. So long and thanks for all the WHIP.

Joe Ryan (MIN) @ DET (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 91 pitches.

That’s a 3.55 ERA on the year for Ryan with a strikeout per inning and I’m glad to see him pick it up since the All-Star Break. There’s gonna be a lot of talk about him this off-season, and at the end of the day, there’s another gear available if that slider becomes a more dependable offering. I sure hope we see it over a full year next year – he’s young and there’s a lot of room left on this canvas.

Logan Gilbert (SEA) vs OAK (ND) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 101 pitches.

The slider is kinda waking up but I still have my doubts entering next year that Gilbert is able to take that next step with his strikeout ability. Maybe it’s too early to think “this is who he is” and I also believe this is the last start we’ll get from him as the Mariners are likely saving him to be their #3 for the Wild Card series. Thanks for the fun ride, I’m glad this worked out.

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) @ MIL (L) – 8.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 26 Whiffs, 41% CSW, 100 pitches.

Aces gonna ACE. That’s a Golden Goal with a Win stripped away because someone named Borbin Curnes was on the other side or something. He also did something new: He went full BSB with changeups down and four-seamers up. It was GLORIOUS. Give him the dang Cy Young already.

Adrian Sampson (CHC) vs CIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 97 pitches.

I still don’t trust your stuff, but I’m happy it worked out for you. Can we start him one more time in Cincy? Now you’re pushing it. Please? Okay, maybe.

Jordan Lyles (BAL) @ NYY (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 106 pitches.

Ohhhh dang, LYLES! He had both breakers working here and was able to sneak in the four-seamer along the edges to take down the Yankees. That’s the secret: A whole lot breakers and you’ll have success against the Bronx Bombers. Shhhhh.

Jack Flaherty (STL) vs PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 95 pitches.

Ayyyy, the curve and slider are back! He still has some moments of chaos with the fastball, but he’s looking much more like the old Flaherty now. Here’s to hoping they let him start one more time on Wednesday…though I’d bet they make him one of their three starters for the Wild Card series, especially with him stretched out to 95 pitches now. I wonder where he goes in drafts next year – it may entirely depend on his postseason performance.

Davis Martin (CWS) @ SD (ND) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 103 pitches.

Hot dang, look at you! Davis continued the hotness with 10/45 slider whiffs and it feels like a play from Dylan Cease’s playbook, albeit with a slightly worse slider and 94/95 mph heater, not 97+. Huh. There’s your super sleeper for 2023, who I wouldn’t draft in 12-teamers but only draft-and-holds and possibly 15-teamers. Maybe.

Ken Waldichuk (OAK) @ SEA (ND) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 96 pitches.

Hmmmmm. He did earn eight whiffs on the four-seamer (14% SwStr rate) and he was able to get the pitch into the upper third of the zone a decent amount, but I’m gonna have to wait until we see more in 2023 as I don’t think this slider and changeup deserved their ridiculous CSW rates here. Kinda cool, though.

Max Fried (ATL) vs NYM (W) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 71 pitches.

Aces gonna ace. Fried was a tick down today but was able to adapt and save his velocity for when he needed it. We may see him one more time if Atlanta is still fighting for the NL East on the final day of the year, so don’t abandon him for the year just yet.

Drew Rasmussen (TB) @ HOU (W) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 23% CSW, 73 pitches.

Let’s thank his cutter and slider feel to spot them down-and-armside frequently, gifting those who took the chance Friday evening. Is there another gear for Rasmussen waiting in 2023? Possibly, I don’t think I’ll be going after it (give me Springs instead!) but we’ve seen those hints of greatness every so often.

Johan Oviedo (PIT) @ STL (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 103 pitches.

We got more 97 mph heaters and the harder slider returning whiffs again as the fastball command was still wonky, but the slider found the plate. There’s promise here, it’s a question of how quickly he’ll develop the control he needs to rein in the stuff. A fun late dart throw in deeper leagues but likely too risky for 12-teamers next year out of the gate.

Aaron Civale (CLE) vs KC (W) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 25% CSW, 76 pitches.

Atta boy Civale. Curves + cutters equated to over 70% of his pitches and that’s all I want out of Civale. Limit those fastballs and we’re cool. Don’t forget about him in your QS leagues next year.

Domingo Germán (NYY) vs BAL (L) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 78 pitches.

The curve was legit with not just 11 whiffs, but a 64% CSW across 42% usage. Madness. If only his fastball and changeup were better…Start him in his final outing against the Rangers.

Erick Fedde (WSH) vs PHI (L) – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 104 pitches.

Remember kids, Don’t Trust The Feddes. But he had a decent ERA! And that’s it. On a good day.

Yu Darvish (SD) vs CWS (ND) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 104 pitches.

Aces gonna return a disappointing VPQS in possibly his final start of the year – if the Padres need a Win to not lose their Wild Card spot, Darvish could start the final day, though I imagine the Padres can hold on. You can’t be upset with a 3.11 ERA and 0.95 WHIP across ~195 frames. That’s everything you wanted.

Jacob deGrom (NYM) @ ATL (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 11 Ks – 21 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 86 pitches.

Aces gonna allow three solo shots and obviously take the loss. We all dreamed for deGrom to return and forgot how these things worked. The Mets may need deGrom on the final day to avoid a Wild Card series, so keep an eye on the standings.

Glenn Otto (TEX) @ LAA (L) – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.

Sure, it’s a VPQS but he also had 13 slider whiffs and I’m thrilled Otto had it in him. He could get the Yankees on the final day, and hey, if that slider is cooking like it was here, you may see another 7+ strikeout game there. What about the ratios? No promises there.

Nick Pivetta (BOS) @ TOR (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 100 pitches.

Despite earning 11 whiffs on his four-seamer, Pivetta gave you a line that makes you think “yeaaaah, that’s Pivetta.”

Tyler Alexander (DET) vs MIN (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 6 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 90 pitches.

T-Lex should not have gotten as many starts as he did and he’s likely to get one more against the Mariners that you can wave at with a smile suggesting a lack of central nervous system. Don’t shorthand yourself by rostering T-Lex.

Alex Cobb (SF) vs ARI (ND) – 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 9 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 90 pitches.

Blegh. Maaaan that’s rough. Cobb survived the tough matchups and he gives us this as our reward? It’s as if you never got any of the good stuff from Cobb and it’s just not fair. It’s the perfect summation of this year trying to chase production from Cobb and I wonder what we’ll say about it all in January. Ugggh.

Graham Ashcraft (CIN) @ CHC (L) – 2.2 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 1 Ks – 5 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 67 pitches.

He lived on the edges with sliders and cutters while getting a bit too much of the plate on sinkers and it went poorly for Ashcraft. HAISTBMBWT?! He may have a chance for redemption in the final game of the year and that seems reserved only for those needing a miracle at the finish line. He just doesn’t miss enough bats.

Brady Singer (KC) @ CLE (L) – 5.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 92 pitches.

Well, this is who he is: slider whiffs, sinker tiffs. Oh not this again. YOU BET THIS AGAIN. The wild ride ends at a 3.23 ERA and I guarantee you’re going to see some tweets mentioning that mark and his 3.58 FIP with the 24% strikeout rate and shifting eyebrows without recognizing his volatility start-to-start. I’m glad he had a few sweet outings more than the sour ones, but he didn’t add anything new – he’s a Cherry Bomb and it makes for a frustrating fantasy experience. A pitcher who ends the year with a 3.70 ERA is a tough one to hold for a full season. But he had a 3.23 ERA! YOU GET MY POINT.

Framber Valdez (HOU) vs TB (L) – 5.1 IP, 6 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 93 pitches.

Oh wow. It may have been a product of the Astros changing their weekend rotation last minute with José Urquidy heading to the bullpen, but whatever the reason, Valdez didn’t have his curveball and relied far too much on his mediocre cutter, leaving his sinker alone to do all the work. And yes, this hurts his Cy Young consideration dramatically. Poor fella. I imagine the Astros will let him rest instead of starting him on the final day of the year, though keep your ear to the ground there before letting him loose the wire.

Chad Kuhl (COL) @ LAD (ND) – 3.1 IP, 6 ER, 8 Hits, 3 BBs, 2 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 78 pitches.

Kuhl has limited upside, pitches his home games at Coors Field, and doesn’t deserve a spot on your team. This should be the blurb for every Colorado starter.

Merrill Kelly (ARI) @ SF (ND) – 4.2 IP, 8 ER, 9 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 102 pitches.

This start raised Kelly’s ERA 30 points to 3.43 and at least he’s likely to get one more game against the Brewers to help pull it back a touch. That said, his velocity was way down to just 91 mph here and it may have been fatigue catching up with him. Keep an ear out for any news on Kelly before trusting him on Wednesday.

 

Game of the Day

 

Shane McClanahan vs. Cristian Javier – One injured stud, one budding stud. I love when I’m excited to watch both sides of the ball.

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 Tina Covelli (@Visual_Endgame on Twitter)