Tarik Skubal, SP (DET)
Skubal rebounded from his worst start of the season, which wasn't actually that bad, to deliver a dominant performance on Wednesday against Pittsburgh. The electric left-hander threw a season-high seven shutout innings, holding the Pirates to three hits and a walk while striking out eight. He finished with 15 whiffs on 93 pitches, hitting 99 miles per hour twice. He lowered his ERA to 2.01 while improving to 7-1. Skubal continues to post incredible K/BB numbers, but the big key this season is limiting hard contact. Opposing hitters are batting .180 against him with a 45% groundball rate. He's matchup proof and on his way to finishing among the top five starting pitchers.
MacKenzie Gore, SP (WSH)
Gore was magnificent on Wednesday, holding the Braves to two runs (one earned) on six hits in 5.1 innings. He struck out 10 and didn't walk anyone. It was his first start this season without walking anyone and he has now struck out 18 batters in his past two outings. He has the ability, from start to start, to rely more on his curveball or slider as his secondary pitch. His fastball is good in the mid-to-high 90's, but it's his secondary pitches that are key to his success. Command of those pitches is essential, and Gore is showing much better command in his third season. Past inconsistencies are cause for skepticism, but Gore is thriving right now with an arsenal that is capable of quieting any offense.
David Peterson, SP (NYM)
Peterson made his season debut on Wednesday, holding the high-octane Dodgers to three runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk in five innings. He struck out three and allowed one home run. It was a tough matchup to make his return from the 60-day injured list following offseason hip surgery. Peterson pitched well during his minor league rehab appearances and on Wednesday his velocity was notably up. For context, last year he threw six pitches at 95 miles per hour or higher. On Wednesday alone, he threw seven 95+, including a max velocity of 96.5 mph. Meanwhile, his changeup was actually down a bit, which makes for a nice delta between fastball and changeup. Peterson was highly inconsistent in 2023 so there's no need to rush to the waiver wire to pick him up, but his stuff was at least a bit intriguing in his first big league appearance of 2024.
Andre Pallante, SP (STL)
Making his first major league start in nearly two years, Pallante shut out the Reds for six innings, allowing three hits and three walks while walking four. He threw 86 pitches. Pallante was in the Cardinals bullpen throughout most of April before getting demoted to AAA-Memphis. He started three games and pitched out of relief once in the minors, allowing only four runs in 16.1 innings. He doesn't strike players out, but he limited hard contact in the minors and continued that trend on Wednesday, holding Cincinnati hitters to a 81.3-mph average exit velocity. With Steven Matz on the injured list and Matthew Liberatore struggling to find any consistency, Pallante should at least get another start or two to try to win a permanent role in the rotation. However, he is not a recommended fantasy play at Houston next week.
Nick Gonzales, 2B (PIT)
Gonzales had a productive doubleheader on Wednesday. After going 1-for-3 in Game 1, the young second baseman finished a triple shy of the cycle in Game 2, including his third home run. He has been excellent this season, both in the minors and in the big leagues. He is now hitting .313 with three home runs, 10 runs, 16 RBI's and two stolen bases in 73 major league plate appearances in 2024. After struggling to make contact early in his professional career, Gonzales has improved his plate discipline this season. He still has a high swinging-strike rate, but he's not actually striking out that much and his contact rate is over a healthy 75 percent. Meanwhile, his quality of contact is excellent. Gonzales is clearly a better option at the keystone than Jared Triolo and should get the bulk of starts over the rest of the season. He offers intriguing five-category upside for those fantasy owners seeking help in the middle infield.
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