Week one observations, 2026

It's easy to panic after your SP has a terrible start or two during the first week of the season. It can be similarly dangerous to fall in love with a pitcher who gives you good stats if they were produced without any underlying skill support.

Keeping in mind that we're dealing with super tiny data samples, let's take a closer look at 11 extreme early-season SP performances.


AMERICAN LEAGUE

Mike Burrows (RHP, HOU) became a trendy SP speculation in 2026 drafts. His fantasy managers might be having buyer's remorse after his first two starts (5.91 ERA, 1.78 WHIP in 10 IP). Turns out most of that damage has been driven by an inflated 42% H%. He's generating a high level of swinging strikes (12.9% SwK%) and hasn't been hit hard (87.2 mph EV,...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From Starting Pitchers

The strikeout stuff of Didier Fuentes could help the 20-year-old emerge as a rotation arm later in 2026.
May 9 2026 3:05am
At age 24, Jacob Misiorowski has been the NL's most skilled starting pitcher over the first month of the season.
May 2 2026 3:09am
José Soriano's dominating start to the season deserves a tip of the cap, and it has been backed by some significant underlying growth.
Apr 25 2026 3:09am
Andrew Abbott's poor start to the season can be traced to an absence of strong skills.
Apr 18 2026 3:09am
Jesús Luzardo's ugly early stats are hiding a collection of pristine skills.
Apr 11 2026 3:09am

Tools