145 IP, 5.09 ERA, 4.48 FIP, 112 SO, 54 BB, 19 HR, 0.6 fWAR
Before the season began, I was convinced Chris Stratton was poised for a breakout. He had shown some promise in 2017, pitching to a 3.68 ERA in 58 2/3 innings and his curveball was virtually unhittable. Hitters slugged just .125 against his curve in 2017, and the secret, or it was said, was that his bendy boy had one of the highest spin rates in the majors. Stratton’s 2018 Baseball Prospectus Annual entry read:
RPMs aren’t everything, but… the former first-rounder’s most effective offering composed just under one-fifth of an otherwise average mix, and there isn’t an obvious reason for him to be on a 20-80 diet.