![]() ![]() Eovaldi unlocked something spectacular last year, and 25-year-old might be ready to do the same in 2019. ![]() Is good for 200 or so quality innings, on average. Matured into a more cutter-and changeup-heavy repertoire and has removed the playoff monkey to show for it. If Sale stays healthy, there’s little reason to believe he won’t contend for a Cy Young Award, because that is what he has done literally every season of his career as a starter. Red SoxNo rational analysis of this group is complete without the mention of the potential hangover effect that can arise for clubs that go on a long October run, and that factor might be particularly pronounced here, given that dealt with a second-half shoulder issue and two-time Tommy John recipient pitched deep into the year (and deep into the night in Game 3 of the World Series) after missing all of 2017.But with that bit of due diligence out of the way, there’s not much not to like here. And while ’s move back to the rotation and ’s arrival could help the Astros account for what they lost over the winter, the real sources of intrigue are and, either of whom has Rookie of the Year-type potential if enough opportunity arises. Might be ready to vie for a Cy Young of his own after implementing repertoire changes that compelled a 140 ERA+ in 200 1/3 innings in his first season in Houston. Yet it still rates as one of the best in the game.We’ve seen enough to know better than to prescribe the ordinary effects of Father Time on a 36-year-old, who had ample argument for his second Cy Young Award last season. Could be another solid pickup coming off a surprisingly resurgent season with the Braves (his 143 was his best since 2014).The key to this group (and we’ve definitely said this before) will be the health of Strasburg and Scherzer’s continued ability to fight off regression after all those innings he’s logged over the years.ĪstrosThis group lost a ton of its 2018 innings (500, to be exact) with the injury to Lance McCullers Jr., the free-agent departure of and the (presumed maybe someday) free-agent departure of Dallas Keuchel. He and Scherzer both ranked in the top five in baseball last year in strikeout-minus-walk rate. Because while has an up-and-down career track record, the 29-year-old lefty is coming off a season in which he adapted to the modern mantra of throwing your best pitch (in his case, the slider) more frequently, achieving a 15.6-percent swinging-strike rate. ![]() For all we know, they might have gotten the better end of the deal. NationalsWhen Bryce Harper turned down gobs of money from the Nats, they pivoted and applied a good chunk of it to a rotation that already had and at the forefront. Sophomore fifth starter was already on a bunch of breakout lists even before he unveiled a new changeup this spring that looks as though it could enhance his repertoire. ![]()
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