I really didn’t think I’d be seeing Aaron Sanchez still on top of his game come June, but here it is after he walloped the Tigers for a line of 8.0 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 12 Ks. Many will be shouting “TOP 25!” or “HE’S AN ACE” or “HE STOLE MY WALLET!” partially because pickpocketing is a serious thing, but mostly since Sanchez fans are a ravenous group. Anyway, should he be elevated well past #30 on The List? Probably not Top 25 given the crew involved with a sturdier floor, but yeah, expect to see him hovering around #30 after this. I foresee him still having his bumps along the way, but 75% of his starts have featured 2 walks or fewer, and his strikeout upside is improving while his FIP/xFIP numbers check out around 3.00. Gotta hand it to the kid.
Let’s see what every other SP did yesterday:
Zack Greinke – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. It looks like Greinke has been praying to the baseball gods because it sure isn’t shutting out a team through 27 outs with just a pair of strikeouts to your name. Whatever, the Greinkster is acting like an ace again and your patience has been rewarded, yada yada yada.
Jerad Eickhoff – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. FINALLY. Seriously, I’ve waited like six weeks for Eickhoff to put together a start that his stuff indicates he’s capable of, and it’s a sick joke that he did this against the Cubs where I’m sure many benched him. Oh great, now he has to get the Blue Jays and Dbacks next. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME.
Jon Niese – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 2 Ks. I get the feeling Niese likes to be his 2014/15 boring yet serviceable self whenever he faces the Mets. Too bad that’ll probably be the last time all season.
Zach Davies – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks. So that’s a 2.89 ERA across his last seven starts now. Ehhhhh, he faced Oakland, San Diego, Cincinatti and the Angels in that time. I don’t buy it, especially with a super low K rate and a FIP/xFIP above 4.00.
Wade Miley – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks. Oh come on Miley, your spot in the rotation is supposed to go to flamethrower Paxton when Felix returns from the DL. DON’T TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME.
John Lamb – 7.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. This is pretty impressive as Lamb faced the Cardinals. That’s two straight solid outings against top tier offenses, but I’ll need a third productive outing in a row for me to forget his horrid start to the season.
Juan Nicasio – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 7 Ks. Look at Nicasio trying to keep his job in the rotation now that Taillon is getting his shot tomorrow evening. Don’t trust this to stick.
Cole Hamels – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks. This is super boring, but whatever.
Adam Conley – 6.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks. Our Call Boy was pretty dang good outside of the blegh ERA. Eight Ks and a 1.00 WHIP ain’t nothing to ignore. Still only like Conley against weak opponents and don’t trust him enough to blindly toss him out there.
Michael Pineda – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks. Blegh. I mean that WHIP is nice, but everything this is disappointing vs. the Angels. If you were wondering if you could drop Pineda for Taillon, you sure can.
Matt Boyd – 5.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 5 Ks. There is some upside hidden in Matt, but as long as he keeps this walk rate up, you’re best acting like a NYC Gangster who loves robins – Boyd watching.
Julio Urias – 4.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks. And there’s the upside we knew was inside him all along, you know the one I said was hidden inside his disappointing debut during the GIF Breakdown. It’s too bad the Dodgers are so rigid about his innings limits + pitch counts, otherwise I think he’d present Top 50 value. But given the situation with him bouncing in and out of the rotation + getting pulled around the 5th each start = you really don’t want much to do with him. :-/
Jacob DeGrom – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 0 BBs, 9 Ks. Just 1 ER fewer and this is an aces gonna ace kind of day. HE’S BACK Y’ALL.
Colin Rea – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks. Is this fantasy? Nah, just Rea life.
Kyle Hendricks – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. Meehhhh, it’s fine. I guess.
Rick Porcello – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks. This isn’t so bad from Porcello, especially in a QS league, but the time has passed when Porcello was a solid asset for your squad.
Albert Suarez – 6.1 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. Gotta love that 4.24 K/9! You don’t want to touch Suarez.
Eddie Butler – 6.0 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks. Butler 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 not named Gray and maybe even Gray.
Dallas Keuchel – 7.1 IP, 4 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 8 Ks. THIS ISN’T HELPING. He’s stuck in purgatory like he’s Jack Shepard, but fortunately for him he gets the Rays + Reds next. Sign me up!
Sean Manaea – 7.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks. Ugh, you’re supposed to be a golden streamer this week, not a fountain. Dude… Sorry, sorry.
Steven Matz – 5.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 Hits, 2 BBs, 8 Ks. I wish I could enjoy the eight Ks a bit more, but that 2.00 WHIP is just staring me in the face like Randy Marsh. What you wanna do, huh? What you wanna do?
Ubaldo Jimenez – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 9 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks. Somehow Ubaldo managed to escape 12 baserunners in five frames with just one earned run. He used all of his saved up his good luck for this one outing when the O’s scored nine runs. Yaaaaaay.
Matt Moore – 7.0 IP, 5 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks. Drop him already. For realsies.
Aaron Blair – 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks. Don’t care Blair, you ain’t fair, here nor there.
Joe Ross – 4.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks. Awwww. I really had high hopes for Ross today, but the good news is that he won’t have another strong opponent until the second half. It could mean the Pirates around the 17th of July, it could mean the Giants near the 31st of July. Either way, that’s a long time to enjoy some easy breezy starts.
Pat Dean – 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks. Fortunately you’re not the Dean around here. I’M IN CHARGE AND I SAY YOU GOTTTTTTA GO! I hope you can visualize the jowls really doing their thing.
Mike Leake – 6.1 IP, 6 ER, 10 Hits, 0 BBs, 5 Ks. Leake had been cruising for weeks, he was kinda due for a bump in the road. Too bad he has a tough trio of games heading his way against the Pirates/Rangers/Mariners up next.
Yordano Ventura – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks. Easy PEASY Beautiful, Ventura. Don’t take that the wrong way, just because I like to do a Cover Girl joke now and then doesn’t mean I like Yordano at all.
Cody Anderson – 3.2 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 5 Ks. Aren’t you so glad he’s back in the majors while Clevinger is in the minors?
David Huff – 3.2 IP, 5 ER, 8 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 Ks. Oh come on, just one Huff! It won’t hurt. Yes. Yes it will. Huff. Not even once.
Mat Latos – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 1 Ks. Let’s thank Mat’s parents for dropping the extra T, saving face for all Matts out there.
Today’s Streamers
Archie Bradley vs. Tampa Bay Rays – He’s the hot hand and you may as well keep rolling with him. Other options are Chase Anderson against the A’s for the discount in you, and if you really need another guy, there’s Doug Fister against the Rangers, which could work out but I’d avoid in general. Also, if Jameson Taillon isn’t picked up yet by some odd stroke of luck, please do so now if you own anyone past around #55 on The List.
Tomorrow’s Streamer
Bartolo Colon vs. Milwaukee Brewers – He’s allowed 2 or fewer ER in each of his last three starts and could escape with an easy win. Other options includes Jimmy Nelson against the Mets, Ivan Nova vs. LAA, and Nate Karns against the Indians. I like Colon the most, but those have a decent shot at being serviceable as well.
Day After Tomorrow’s Streamer
Junior Guerra vs. New York Mets – I really wanted to go with Anthony DeSclafani against the A’s, but A) I have a theory about not starting pitchers following long DL stints (I really need a term for this) and B) I don’t trust that he’ll be in the game long enough to earn a win given he’ll most likely be on a pitch count. So that leaves Guerra as the only decent option outside of much owned Jon Gray and Ian Kennedy.
Game of the Day
Jameson Taillon vs. Noah Syndergaard – I’ll be writing a GIF Breakdown on Taillon’s debut, and I get the luxury of watching Thor be beast during the frames he’s not on the hill. JACKPOT.