Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
5.40 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 19.7% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate in 31.2 IP
Duffy had a tough start to 2018 and never found a way to completely pull himself out of that particular hole. After struggling through April, he followed that up with even worse results in May (6.00 ERA and .396 wOBA against) before finding success in June and July (3.34 ERA in 67.1 innings).
Of course, that was sandwiched by a rough finish, which included a 7.04 ERA over his final 23 frames.
While the Royals are rebuilding, 2019 is important for Duffy to get back on track once he’s fully healthy again. He’s under contract through 2021 and could turn into an intriguing trade-deadline acquisition if he can regain his 2016-17 form.
One thing he’ll need to do is get his slider under control. During that two-year stretch where he became a dependable starter for KC, opposing hitters didn’t muster more than a 70 wRC+ against the pitch in either season. In 2018, that number jumped up to 157, while his usage of the offering went down (29.4% in ’17 to 16.9% in ’18).
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