10 MLB players who have already eclipsed their 2017 performance

Trevor Bauer, SP, Cleveland Indians

2017 fWAR: 3.2

2018 fWAR (so far): 5.1

Guys like Corey Kluber and Carlos Carrasco usually get most of the attention, but Trevor Bauer has been outstanding for the Cleveland Indians. His current 5.1 fWAR is not only a single-season career high, but it also leads all qualified pitchers.

With a 31.4% strikeout rate, that number is on track to increase for the third consecutive season. The same can be said about his 13.1% swinging-strike rate, and he’s doing it with the lowest fastball rate of his career (41.5%).

The usage of his slider has increased nearly 10 percentage points, though, and opposing hitters haven’t figured out how to hit it yet. They’ve produced a -30 wRC+ against the pitch.