1. Can Zack bounce back?
Zack Greinke had a tough debut season in the desert. The former American League Cy Young Award winner saw his ERA spike by nearly three runs in 2016, and Statcast™ metrics reveal that Greinke allowed much harder contact.
2015
Barrel/batted ball event: 4.7%
Avg. Launch Angle: 11 degrees
2016
Barrel/BBE: 8.4%
Avg. Launch Angle: 14 degrees
Greinke also had a drastic change in the defense around him. In 2015, Greinke gained 27 runs from catcher framing, mostly attributed to the Dodgers' Yasmani Grandal.