Watching James Paxton labor through his first start of the year against Cleveland sparked a few concerns. He struggled to command his pitches and his velocity wasn’t where we expected it to be. Paxton’s the elite talent that was supposed to raise the overall ceiling of an otherwise unpredictable starting rotation. It was good to see him bounce back in his next two starts, even if they weren’t completely flawless. His command was better, his velocity returned, but there was one more development that was really encouraging.
Since his breakout season in 2016, Paxton’s increased fastball velocity has received the most attention.