During Spring Training, there are many story lines that come out of each camp and we all put together lists of players and pitchers that we'd like to watch throughout the year. Sometimes those lists end up panning out well, while other times, the players that some of us were anticipating to do well, end up performing below expectations.
Beyond the usual Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Chris Sale, Madison Bumgarner, and Corey Kluber, here are 5 other starting pitchers, that you not only should keep a close eye on this season, but ones that provide value to the team that they are on.
1. Robbie Ray (Diamondbacks) - If I were to tell you that Robbie Ray finished last season with the highest strikeout-per-9 rate in the National League, you would probably look at me cross eyed right? Well, that is true, as Ray finished last season with a 12.11 strikeout-per-9 rate and a huge reason why Ray is one of the more intriguing pitchers in the league right now. In fact, only Chris Sale finished with a higher strikeout rate. For a larger sample size, let's turn the clock back three seasons. Over that span among qualified starting pitchers, Robbie Ray recorded a 10.77 strikeouts-per-9 rate which is the 5th best in baseball. Ray will play a significant role this season and pair up with Zack Greinke to give the Diamondbacks a legitimate 1-2 punch in their starting rotation and should once again provide plenty of value to the team as they look to return back to the postseason. As a matter of fact, why don't we coin Ray with the nickname "Strikeout Machine" because that's exactly what he projects to be this coming season.
2. Jose Quintana (Cubs) - You might see Jose Quintana's name and immediately think, "Why is he on the list?" Well, ever since he was traded from the White Sox to the Cubs, it seems that many fans and experts around the industry have simply forgotten about the potential that Quintana has because of the Cubs deep starting rotation. Of course, Chicago still has Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks and added both Tyler Chatwood and Yu Darvish this winter, meaning that Quintana will now slot into either the 3 or 4 spot. Over the past three seasons, only five other starting pitchers have had a higher WAR than Quintana, who has a 13.3 WAR over that span. Last season, Quintana had a 3.9 WAR with both the Chicago White Sox and Cubs and computer projections have him finishing this year with either a 4.8 or 4.9 WAR, according to FanGraphs. Even though the Cubs starting rotation is stacked with talent, keep an eye on Jose Quintana this year because he is in the midst of his prime and ready to help the Cubs get back to the postseason.
3. James Paxton (Mariners) - James Paxton continually is one of the most intriguing starting pitchers in the league, year in and year out, but the biggest thing that always seems to hinder him is his ability to stay on the field. To illustrate that point, just take a look at the numbers that Paxton put up last April and May. Over those two months, Paxton put up a 1.26 ERA over 43 IP. Once June rolled around, Paxton posted a 7.20 ERA over 25.0 IP, but was able to get that back down to a 1.37 ERA over 39.1 IP for July. If you need further proof of just how great James Paxton can be, take a look at his FIP (Fielding Independent Percentage) the past three seasons. Over that span, he ranks 7th, among qualified starting pitchers just behind Max Scherzer, with a FIP of 3.03. Furthermore, over the past three seasons, Paxton has a home runs-per-9 rate of 0.72, which ranks second behind only Lance McCuellers. If Paxton is able to stay healthy, then he gives the Seattle Mariners a terrific duo with Felix Hernandez at the top of their starting rotation. Don't forget about his awesome nickname either, which is, Big Maple!
4. Stephen Strasburg (Nationals) - Stephen Strasburg might pitch in the same rotation as Max Scherzer and for the Washington Nationals, but he certainly doesn't get as much notoriety or attention as Scherzer or the Nationals do. In fact, Strasburg is coming off a year in which he finished with a 2.52 ERA over 175.1 IP with a career low 2.72 FIP. Looking over the past three seasons, Strasburg ranks 10th among qualified starting pitchers during that period with a 3.14 ERA. In addition, Strasburg's 10.83 strikeouts-per-9 rate, over the past three seasons, is good enough for 4th place among starting pitchers behind Clayton Kershaw. One of the reasons why Strasburg has been so successful the past couple of seasons is because not only can he find the strike zone when it matters most, but he his a four pitch repertoire which includes his: slider, fastball, curveball and changeup. Last season, Strasburg relied on his fastball less, only 51.9% of the time, and his curveball a lot more, 22.5% of the time. Keep an eye on Stephen Strasburg this year as he looks to push the Nationals over the postseason hump that has plagued the team the last few Octobers.
5. Luis Castillo (Reds) - Luis Castillo might not have the big league track record that the other four starting pitchers on this list have, quite yet, but he is still a very intriguing, young arm among Cincinnati's young starting rotation. To illustrate the great potential that Castillo has, take a look at his minor league track record. Dating back to 2012, Castillo had a minor league career ERA of 2.66 over 460.1 IP with 425 strikeouts and a .232 Batting Average Against. After receiving his major league callus last June, Castillo put up a 3.12 ERA over 15 starts. While he gave up 11 home runs and allowed 31 earned runs over that period, he did record 98 strikeouts, which goes to show the power that he possesses and one of the biggest reasons why he's a name to keep an eye on this season and likely beyond. If Luis Castillo is able to put together another reputable season this year, then he could potentially be the next ace of the Reds pitching staff and be a nice building block in the future.
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