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.tv weekday mornings from 10 am-12 pm ET.
Connelly Early (BOS) vs TBR (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches.
One of the challenges of the off-season is projecting the in-season development of young arms. Connelly Early displayed a fantastic skill set in the fall of 2025, and my aggressive ranking once he earned a rotation spot was based on the expectation that Early would take steps in-season to form into a true Holly by the summer. Friday’s 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 96 pitches (W) outing against the Rays sure felt like summer came…before we expected it to.
This wasn’t quite as smooth a start as you’d imagine. The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the third (including a literal 0-2 backfoot breaking hitting Yandy’s foot) and Early escaped with a strikeout + double-play, and he didn’t hit his stride until the fourth, where he began a stretch of fanning five of his next seven batters. It wasn’t until then he really began looking like the pitcher I’ve waited for all season.
That version of Early is simple: A wide arsenal of sinkers, four-seamers, changeups, and curveballs to RHB, with fastballs + a sweeper for LHB. His sinker stays around 91 mph, while the four-seamer hangs around 93/94 mph, with extra extension and flame behind the high heater with two strikes as a putaway offering. I absolutely love seeing that ability, especially when his hardest fastballs came in the sixth and seventh frames. In other words, Early is a crafty southpaw who ramps up across outings, contrary to the common issue we see in many novice starters: Max-effort in the first and second, and a visible decline every inning after, often preventing them from seeing the end of the sixth.
I want to set expectations for Early, though. His stuff isn’t overpowering. His comp has been Max Fried for a while, and that may take some time to produce consistently. For now, consider Early a solid arm that lacks the explosiveness of others, but acts like a strong SWATCH you can rely on across the season in 12-teamers. He’s the high-floor arm of the youngins. (View Game Card).
Let’s see how every other SP did Friday:
Mike Burrows (HOU) @ CIN (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 98 pitches.
Just gonna throw this out there – Burrows now has a 2.50 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 24% K rate and 7% walk rate across his last three outings against the Yankees, Fenway, and Great American Small Park. With that discussion donezo, I watched a lot of this and wasn’t impressed. I’m not seeing a pitcher with stellar command, with moments where he was cooking, and others where he was flinging pitches up there and getting fortunate. That isn’t to say he can’t be effective, obviously, and with SEA, @MIN, @TEX up next, it could be time to jump in. I’ll just push him in the Questionable Start tier, personally. (View Game Card)
Dylan Cease (TOR) vs LAA (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 10 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 97 pitches.
It’s always great seeing Cease without the desist. His slider demolished the Angels’ lineup, en route to another Gallows Pole and I’m glad he was able to fine more strikes than usual on the curve and sinker. No, he hasn’t fixed himself. He continues to be Dye Lawn. (View Game Card)
Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs NYY (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 2 BBs, 11 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 38% CSW, 95 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Coronation day is here and I’m just so happy he’s regularly dealing. It’s a 40% strikeout rate right now and that’s hilarious. If he can go 70% strikes every game, he’ll be hard to beat for the King Cole. (View Game Card)
Michael McGreevy (STL) @ SDP (W) – 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 2 BBs, 9 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 94 pitches.
WHAT. Nine strikeouts?! Enjoy this Gold Star, fella. The fact that McGreevy still doesn’t have a strikeout rate above 20%, nor a 10%+ SwStr rate after this game should showcase how absurd this is. In fact, these nine strikeouts match his total from four different starts combined. He saw more two-strike counts due to the Padres fouling off 8/18 four-seamers without putting one in play, while his 60% overall putaway rate is stupid high (36% clip for the season!). That’s not to say he didn’t pitch well, though. He made sure to bury his slider and sweeper down-and-away to RHB, the sinker had extra two-plane movement, and his ten changeups were split evenly either as ball or a whiff, including four strikeouts. That’s the true boost in whiffs here and you should be careful picking him up for a date in Sacré Verde. Maybe steram against the Pirates, fine, but don’t act like he’s suddenly a strikeout-per-inning guy. (View Game Card)
Ben Brown (CHC) @ TEX (ND) – 4.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 Hits, 1 BBs, 3 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 46 pitches.
I’m a bit surprised the Cubs went with Brown instead of Assad as their starter, but both tossed 40+ pitches effectively, with Assad earning the dub across a boring line of 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 1 K – 4 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 41 pitches. Which one do you like more? Neither. Yes, that understands the no-hitter Brown was throwing before his hook. He’s a 2.5 pitch pitcher via four-seamer, sinker, and curve (I refuse to acknowledge the four changeups he threw. Not reliable at all), and even that curve is kinda like a gyro slider at 86/87 mph. Neither arm is stretched out yet, and if Brown continues to get the pearl in the first, then Assad is the one for highest potential given the elevated Win chance. I’d prefer to skip both. (View Game Card)
Mason Englert (TB) @ BOS (L) – 3.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 Hits, 0 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 30% CSW, 46 pitches.
The Rays are planning on stretching out Englert and Jax, and I’m not nearly as interested in Englert. His stuff is incredibly meh save for a kick-change he likes to both LHB and RHB. In short, it’s your standard command-focused changeup arm from the right-side and y’all know I’m not here for that. (View Game Card)
Foster Griffin (WSN) @ MIA (W) – 7.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 1 BBs, 9 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 103 pitches.
This has been one incredible ride, eh? Just one earned run in his last three games (albeit, @CHW, MIL, @MIA) with a pair of legit strikeout games in the bunch as Griffin is commanding beautifully. Goold ole “Cannibal McSanchez” action with changeups and sweepers underneath to RHB + much more separation between the cutter and four-seamer than what we saw earlier in the season. The tougher schedule is on the horizon now, though. He’ll head to Cincy, get respite against the Mets, then endure Hotlanta to complete a two-step. With the heater he’s on, you can’t deny his next outing, which means the only true question is Atlanta in two weeks. We’ll just have to wait until then to chat, eh? (View Game Card)
Ryne Nelson (ARI) vs NYM (ND) – 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 95 pitches.
Atta boy, Nelson. Not the prettiest four-seamer performance to RHB I’ve seen from the fella, featuring the pitch well over the plate in concert with his sinker, but his LHB approach was so dang fun. He nailed that fastball inside to embrace its cut action, then played it off his 93 mph cutter further inside. His slider did the best it could to RHB for whiffs, and I’m a bit surprised he still struggles to putaway batters on the offering, but alas, it went just 1/7 getting the job done in two-strikes. We’re past the three-game gauntlet, and this was the start of a lovely run of easy lineups, with @TEX, SFG, and Rockie Road up next. All of y’all who held onto or picked up Ryne after his horrific week, I’m proud of you. (View Game Card)
Keider Montero (DET) @ KCR (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 4 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 71 pitches.
I gotta say, Montero doesn’t walk batters, and now has a sub 7.0 hit/9. That means his WHIP is under 1.00 through almost forty innings. And sure, just one game above five strikeouts, but I know y’all are looking at his next start against the Mets and wondering if it’s worth your time. Maybe. Just maybe. This is pretty unsustainable at the moment, though. He was shockingly efficient, even if located around the edges constantly. (View Game Card)
Robbie Ray (SFG) vs PIT (W) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 7 Ks – 18 Whiffs, 34% CSW, 93 pitches.
Those walks, I know. Three came in the most hilarious third inning of men standing around and doing nothing across 31 pitches – two strikeouts, three walks, strikeout – and I could have sworn I heard the right-fielder shout FREE SNOWCONE AT THE END OF THE GAME. It means Ray actually had a great strike rate across all his pitches for the game, including 25 changeups with a 60% strike rate, nearly doubling his slider rate. I love how Ray has come into his feel for the pitch and I’m going for it against the Dodgers. (View Game Card)
Nolan McLean (NYM) @ ARI (ND) – 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 6 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 100 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Don’t be alarmed by the drop in horizontal movement on his sinker and sweeper – that’s the road effect, away from Citi Field’s absurdities. McLean has been as advertised thus far…except for his Win total. Stupid Mets and their lack of a purple friend. (View Game Card)
Parker Messick (CLE) vs MIN (W) – 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 7 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 13 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 95 pitches.
Messick is cruising and it’s hard not to love it. Sure, there were a few hits he could have avoided with better execution, but we’re cooking right now with a 17-18″ vert four-seamer coming from a low arm angle. Don’t you dare get off this train now. (View Game Card)
Connor Prielipp (MIN) @ CLE (L) – 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 2 BBs, 6 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 93 pitches.
That first inning was stupid. It was cold, rainy weather and an 0-2 single on a hung slider, a literal backfoot slider HBP, an incredibly strange play of a grounder to second getting through due to the 1st-to-2nd runner obscuring the fielder, and it turned into 4 Runs on the board after a Bazanna two-run shot with just one earned. The point is, Prielipp didn’t pitch terribly, but it pushed his pitch count up, resulting in 93 pitches through five. He’s averaging just under five frames per game now and while I understand y’all might see that and think he doesn’t have the ability to go deep, I have to protest. He has a full arsenal, even embracing the curveball 17% of the time here for a 38% CSW and nearly 70% strikes. His high heater, low slider command is stellar. He’s legit and with MIA, HOU, @CHW up next, he’s so worth your time. (View Game Card)
Emmet Sheehan (LAD) vs ATL (ND) – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 Hits, 1 BBs, 7 Ks – 14 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 88 pitches.
Hmmmmm. He was sitting 96.1 mph in the first, then never hit 96 mph again, hitting a major wall in the fourth frame (92.4 mph on average) and never recovered. I know it feels like it’s not worth monitoring anymore – this is who he is, Nick, and he has 25 strikeouts in three games! – but his lack of stamina growth is concerning, like he feels fine early in the game, then it pops up and he has to adjust. Whatever, SFG, @SDP, Rockie Road is surely a good enough schedule to keep starting him and hope for the best. (View Game Card)
Chris Sale (ATL) @ LAD (L) – 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 Hits, 0 BBs, 7 Ks – 17 Whiffs, 37% CSW, 102 pitches.
Aces gonna ace. Dodgers Schmodgers, amirite? Sale is making an argument for SP #2 after sitting 96.4 mph in this one, up a tick overall and holding it the entire game, even popping 98 mph at times. He also introduced the changeup second time through the lineup and I sure do like a pitcher with more depth than his former self. (View Game Card)
Carmen Mlodzinski (PIT) @ SFG (L) – 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 Hits, 0 BBs, 1 Ks – 3 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 74 pitches.
I went into this without a whole lot of confidence and I’m considering this a successful Dusty Donut that you’re going to be skeptical about for a while. You’re going to start him against Rockie Road, but it’s hard to get amped about it after a HAISTBMBWT?! against the Giants. (View Game Card)
Chase Dollander (COL) @ PHI (ND) – 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 5 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 89 pitches.
Start him on the road and not in Coors. That’s the advice I’ve been giving and it only works if Dollander continues to be the dope high fourseamer pitcher he’s been over the last month. This was not that. It was so not that. Welp, @PIT, vs. TEX, @ARI is still good enough for me, even hosting the Rangers if he gets it together in PNC Park. (View Game Card)
Jacob Lopez (ATH) @ BAL (W) – 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 27% CSW, 91 pitches.
Oh hey, a decent start from Lopez! His four-seamer is still getting too much of the zone, but he did execute some beautiful sliders down to RHB that we haven’t seen him have a feel for a whole lot this season. This isn’t the TIARA start we’re looking for (is that a tiara or just a BK crown?) and I don’t suggest starting him in Sacré Verde against the Cards. (View Game Card)
Jesse Scholtens (TBR) @ BOS (L) – 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 4 BBs, 4 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 22% CSW, 91 pitches.
He got the pearl instead of the bulk role and I don’t see the reason to carry Scholtens if he’s not carrying an elevated vulture win chance. That said, I sure hope his warmup song is Jesse’s Pearl”. Suitman whispers into my ear I KNOW IT’S NOT. (View Game Card)
Reid Detmers (LAA) @ TOR (L) – 3.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 Hits, 6 BBs, 3 Ks – 6 Whiffs, 21% CSW, 99 pitches.
Oh no. Oh no no no. My fear with Detmers is for him to lose the feel of his slider, you know, the thing he’s done all three seasons he was a starter prior to 2026, and seeing a 57% strike rate across 37 isn’t quite the confidence builder. But don’t fret, this was a four-seamer and changeup issue (2/51 whiffs combined), while the slider was generally where it needed to be. I’d shrug, call it a bad day, and start against the Guardians. (View Game Card)
Kyle Bradish (BAL) vs ATH (L) – 7.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 10 Ks – 15 Whiffs, 35% CSW, 96 pitches.
Bradish had six strikeouts and just one baserunner across his first four frames, and boy was that a rush. We finally saw him grab a whole lot of strikes with both fastballs + all the whiffs with his slider and curveball, and if were not for a stressful fifth frame where he was Singled Out via a liner and a trio of grounders, this would have been the clearest showcase of oh dang, he back. Well, just because the window is blurry, I know what I’m seeing. HE’S BACK. For one start. HE’S BACK FOR ONE START. Sometimes, that’s all you really need. But wait, Nick. His putaway rate was insane. Oh. Shoot. 77% of all batters who saw a two-strike count were sent back to the dugout, while he had a low 46% two-strike rate. Overall, his pitches didn’t return a normal 20-25% PAR for a whiff guy like Bradish, nay, he held a 42% PAR. That’s really unsustainable. HE’S BACK TO A PLACE WHERE HE CAN GET LUCKY. I’d hold and consider benching against the Yankees, but if he’s feeling the curve and slider again without getting pummeled by LHB, he’s a clear start for the Rays twice in back-to-back starts. His TIARA is starting to get loose… (View Game Card)
Kris Bubic (KCR) vs DET (ND) – 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 4 BBs, 5 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 26% CSW, 96 pitches.
We had a Careful, Icarus in the sixth, allowing a run-scoring double with two outs after a lead-off walk, and Tork came around to score as the pen couldn’t save him. He created his own problems across the outing with a quartet of walks, rooted in a rare game of poor four-seamer control at jsut a 52% strike rate. The good news? He’ll get the CrySox up next and we should be all good there. (View Game Card)
Robby Snelling (MIA) vs WSN (L) – 5.0 IP, 3 ER, 5 Hits, 4 BBs, 2 Ks – 12 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 86 pitches.
I gotta say, I don’t recall the last time I saw an MLB debut start with three breakers for a strikeout. After a terrible curveball hung over the plate for a double, he returned to blow 97 mph at 21″ of vert past House for his second strikeout, and he looked great. Up to that point. Abrams then hit a first-pitch curve to single, then a two-run blast on what looked like an excellent 96 mph four-seamer inside showcased why the PILOT rule exists. Is Snelling ultimately a high walk, low strikeout arm? Obviously not. After throwing 96/97 mph in the first, the adrenaline wore off and I expect more 94/95 mph in the future with elite vert that returns far better than two whiffs and a 57% strike rate. In addition, the curve shouldn’t be hung so much to RHB, and his 89 mph changeup is a fantastic weapon we’re going to see plenty. He’s a great pitcher. I have no issues with holding back against the Twins, which would then be another bench after against Hotlanta, but personally, I’m grabbing and starting in Minnesota. You’re going to see some stupid good games Snelling this year. (View Game Card)
Kumar Rocker (TEX) vs CHC (L) – 3.2 IP, 3 ER, 4 Hits, 3 BBs, 3 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 87 pitches.
Oh dang, he’s throwing a ton of cutters again! And they’re great! Welp, the rest isn’t, so here we are. Maybe throw 37% cutters instead of sliders and push the slider down to 24%? A good ole Parent Trap? Since it’s an obvious change, more like an apparent trap. Ayyyyy. Yeaaaah, it would be a trap if you bought into that. (View Game Card)
Nick Lodolo (CIN) vs HOU (L) – 5.1 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 1 BBs, 2 Ks – 7 Whiffs, 24% CSW, 78 pitches.
He’s back! It was a Still ILL and I’m thrilled we got 95 mph heaters (a tick up from last year’s 94 mph), but he struggled to whiffs on anything but his fastball + two HRs did him in. Now that we’re past the first one, you should feel good about this against the Nationals. (View Game Card)
Emerson Hancock (SEA) @ CHW (W) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 5 Hits, 3 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 20% CSW, 94 pitches.
I’m pretty shocked Hancock is throwing his sweeper 26% of the time to LHB. Then again, his cutter was so much worse in this one, that I understand he needed to adapt however he could. I expressed concern recently that Hancock has been losing a fair amount of vert on his four-seamer after express major gains at the start of the year, and it’s fallen even further to sub 10″ of vert, leading to a normal HAVAA, not an exceptional one. It’s all to say that the fastball isn’t as dominant upstairs, even if he can command it there, and he needs to make a fix. I’m not joking, it was 14″ of vert in his first game of the season, resulting in a 1.4 HAVAA. Now it’s over four inches worse. I’d even take the 12″ of vert he had for a few of the early outings. But sub 10″? I brushed it off last game because, well, you know, fourteen strikeouts, but now you didn’t have the same supporting cast and it hurt. Here’s to hoping the dome of Houston is your savior. (View Game Card)
Max Fried (NYY) @ MIL (L) – 6.0 IP, 5 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 5 Ks – 10 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 94 pitches.
Aces gonna noooooooo. Fried has returned zeroes in four starts this year, while all other outings are 3 or 5 ER. What is this. That second frame was a grind with his first five batters reaching and finally coming to a halt after fanning two in a row. There’s no clear problem I can point to outside of Fried losing his feel in that second inning (back-to-back walks?!). Whatareyagonnado. (View Game Card)
Sean Burke (CHW) vs SEA (L) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks – 9 Whiffs, 32% CSW, 74 pitches.
Awwww. It wasn’t the same command, but he still threw high heaters with many breakers for strikes, and a grand slam is truly to blame here. Can’t let the guys on in the first place. Oh, very true, but it all happened with two outs. A bread could be buttered in Seattle and it suddenly the ball finds a glove in Chicago. This is all to say that Burke could easily be productive against the Royals next time out. Just wish he didn’t have this kind of floor. (View Game Card)
Griffin Canning (SDP) vs STL (L) – 4.1 IP, 6 ER, 7 Hits, 2 BBs, 5 Ks – 8 Whiffs, 29% CSW, 83 pitches.
He was dope through four frames, then Tatis misplayed a grounder to right, which turned into a “grand slam” as the ball trickled its way to the wall. I’m still very much in on Canning given his phenomenal BSB with four-seamers (still 16″+!) up and changeups down to LHB, and I don’t anticipate low strike rates on his 94 mph fastballs moving forward. Also, it appears that Canning has two different types of changeups. That’s kinda hot. (View Game Card)
Jesús Luzardo (PHI) vs COL (ND) – 3.0 IP, 6 ER, 6 Hits, 3 BBs, 6 Ks – 16 Whiffs, 33% CSW, 95 pitches.
After allowing a run in the first without allowing a hit (walk, groundout, wild pitch, groundout = run), Luzardo was entering the fourth at 3.0 IP, 1 ER (lol), 1 H, 1 BB, 6 Ks. Oh no. Yuuuup. Single, HR, walk, bunt single, groundball double, single, walk, HOOOOOK. Those weren’t massive mistake pitches, either. Luzardo simply finds himself in these ridiculous clunkers of an inning. It’s unfair, I know. He’s a Cherry Bomb and it’s best not to think about it. Plug him into your lineup and walk away. (View Game Card)
Game of the Day
Spencer Strider vs. Blake Snell – I meaaaaaaan.
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)
