Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup – Eye Soroka

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

Michael Soroka (ATL) @ OAK (L) – 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 83 pitches.

It took over 1,000 days, but we finally saw Michael Soroka return to the field today in Oakland and it didn’t go exactly as planned: 6.0 IP, 4 ER, 5 Hits, 2 BBs, 3 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 31% CSW, 83 pitches. Funny enough, this is a decent summarization of what I think we should expect from Soroka.

Well, the 4 ER is a little harsh – it was a fifth inning that scored a run off a walk, two consecutive singles swatting at high sinkers, then a three-run shot on a low changeup – but the rest of the approach felt like Soroka. His sinker was darting around the zone, his slider was serviceable but not elite, and his changeup had moments of brilliance, save for Noda getting the barrel out for his 3-run blast. I saw plenty of precise fastballs get the results we expected them to, from jammed heaters returning double-plays to some elegant four-seamer whiffs.

In short, Soroka should be a solid Toby play as he pitches for a great team. I mean that in the truest sense of a Toby as you’ll likely hold on throughout the season, but he isn’t going to push the needle a whole lot in the strikeout department. Think solid ratios and Win chances and you’re happy with that at the end of your rotation. Don’t let the 4 ER scare you off.

Let’s see how every other SP did Monday:

Marcus Stroman (CHC) vs TB (W) – 9.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 20 Whiffs, 36% CSW, 105 pitches.

That’s a share of the Gallows Pole across a CGSHO vs one of the better offenses out there. You LOVE to see it. Keep starting the man and hope he has that 44% CSW breaker for a long, long time.

Logan Allen (CLE) @ BAL (W) – 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 2 BBs, 10 Ks – 19 Whiffs, 40% CSW, 103 pitches.

Hot dang, look at you! I was a little uneasy as the Orioles have some thump and Allen hasn’t been a major whiff machine, but he was just that, nearly earning himself a Golden Goal on the night. The changeup and sweeper each returned 50%+ CSW with 12 whiffs between them and he used his cutter effectively to keep right-handers guessing. Given that he’s held just a 53% strike rate and 26% CSW on his changeup thus far, this was far from expected and it completely shifts Allen as a pitcher. We can only cross our fingers that it wasn’t a one-night show and he’ll keep the slowball cruising against the Twins next.

Taj Bradley (TB) @ CHC (L) – 5.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 Hits, 1 BBs, 8 Ks – 11 Whiffs, 28% CSW, 90 pitches.

Stroman got all the attention, but huge props to Bradley dominating with his cutter for 42% CSW as the…