Before injuring his ulnar collateral ligament and having to undergo Tommy John surgery that effectively ended his 2021 season and likely will keep him out for a significant part of the 2022 season, Dustin May was emerging as one of the game’s top young pitchers.
In five starts last season, May posted a 2.74 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 23 innings pitched and saw his strikeout rate jump from 19.6% in 2020 to 37.6% in 2021, while also slightly reducing his walk rate. ‘Code Red’ already possessed one of the filthiest two-seam fastballs in the sport, but his increased use of his four-seamer to go along with an improved curveball and cutter helped him generate more swing and miss than ever.