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