Six MLB pitchers who must bounce back from a tough second half

Marco Gonzales, Seattle Mariners

Gonzales’ 4.7% season-long walk rate marks the fourth consecutive year he’s decreased that number, but his improved control didn’t prevent a second-half slide from happening. When looking at his production on a monthly basis, though, it was basically just August that crushed his numbers.

In July and September, the young southpaw managed to post sub-2.00 ERAs. But in August, he slogged through 20 innings with a 10.35 ERA. His 4.26 SIERA tells us he deserved a little better fortune, but that’s how baseball goes sometimes.

Overall, Gonzales was also much stingier at Safeco Field when it comes to limiting hard contact — he posted a 22.3% hard-hit rate at home, but a 43.3% rate as a visiting player.