Matt Bishop | May 27, 2019
STREAMER OF THE WEEK (55% CBS, 7% ESPN, 13% YAHOO)
Michael Pineda, SP MIN (MIL 5/27, @TB 6/02)
(4-3) 5.43 ERA 1.30 WHIP 53.0 IP 44 K
GAME ONE: 5/27 MIL (2nd AL CENTRAL)
GAME TWO: 6/02 @ TB (2nd AL EAST)
I’ll admit when you look at Michael Pineda’s small sample size, it doesn’t look promising. But Pineda’s entire career has been a small sample size and none of it looks promising. With a two-start week coming up against the Brewers and the Rays, paired with a 5.43 ERA, a career low 7.47 K/9 and vomit inducing 2.38 HR/9, you’d be stupid to start Pineda. But you’re probably desperate and you have no choice.
As the calendar has turned to May, Pineda has started to show some promise. In this last 4 starts, Pineda has had 18, 14, 15 and 6 swinging strikes respectively (28.4% CSW). The results are as follows:
FIRST SIX STARTS:
(3-3) 6.21 ERA 1.48 WHIP 6.8 K/9 1.9 BB/9
LAST 4 STARTS:
(2-1) 4.50 ERA 1.08 WHIP 8.3 K/9 1.9 BB/9
He is still allowing home runs at a massive clip (3.0 HR/9, 8 total HR in that time frame), but he may be getting better. In his last four starts, his slider is carrying a 23.5% swinging strike rate and opposing batters are hitting .250 against it, versus a 14.4% swinging strike rate and a .333 average against in his first six starts. Pineda doesn’t offer much upside but could offer a high floor going forward and should be a streaking option rest of season.
WEEK 8 RESULTS:
Felix Pena, SP LAA
GAME ONE: 5.0 IP 4 H 1 ER 1 BB 3 K (ND)
GAME TWO: 1.0 IP 0 H 0 ER 1 BB 3 K (ND)*
*No clue what happened here.
MUST START
Max Scherzer, SP WAS (MIA, @CIN)
Clayton Kershaw, SP LAD (NYM, PHI)
Jacob deGrom, SP NYM (@LAD, @ARI)
Gerrit Cole, SP HOU (CHC, @OAK)
Zack Greinke, SP ARI (@COL, NYM)
Luis Castillo, SP CIN (PIT, WAS)
Stephen Strasburg, SP WAS (@ATL, @CIN)
SAFE START
Cole Hamels, SP CHC (@HOU, @STL)
Masahiro Tanaka, SP NYY (SD, BOS)
Rick Porcello, SP BOS (CLE, @NYY)
Lucas Giolito, SP CHW (KC, CLE)
Rich Hill, SP LAD (NYM, PHI)
Jordan Lyles, SP PIT (@CIN, MIL)
Jon Gray, SP COL (ARI, TOR)
Marco Gonzales, SP SEA (TEX, LAA)
Chris Bassitt, SP OAK (LAA, HOU)
Matt Strahm, SP SD (@NYY, MIA)
RISKY START
Lance Lynn, SP TEX (@SEA, KC)
Gio Gonzalez, SP MIL (@MIN, @PIT)
Steven Matz, SP NYM (@LAD, @ARI)
Jeff Samardzija, SP SF (@MIA, @BAL)
Aaron Sanchez, SP TOR (@TB, @COL)
Ryan Yarbrough, SP TB (TOR, MIN)
Trevor Richards, SP MIA (SF, @SD)
Adam Wainwright, SP STL (@PHI, CHC)
Nick Pivetta, SP PHI (STL, @LAD)
Jefry Rodriguez, SP CLE (@BOS, @CHW)
Merrill Kelly, SP ARI (@COL, NYM)
DON’T START
Jose Urena, SP MIA (@WAS, @SD)
Daniel Norris, SP DET (@BAL, @ATL)
Ivan Nova, SP CHW (KC, CLE)
Homer Bailey, SP KC (@CHW, @TEX)
Antonio Senzatela, SP COL (ARI, TOR)
Tommy Milone, SP SEA (TEX, LAA)
Adam Plutko, SP CLE (@BOS, @CHW)
Adrian Sampson, SP TEX (@SEA, KC)
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Main Credit Image: Embed from Getty Images