Chris Paddack

Paddack registered an absurd 120 strikeouts to eight walks in 90 innings between Single-A and Double-A last season. Following an equally dominant spring, the Padres put their prized prospect on the Opening Day roster. He has quickly proven he belongs, posting a 2.78 ERA and 20.4 through July. The newcomer assumed a limited workload last season after undergoing Tommy John in 2016, so he still may not toss more than 145 major league innings. At 100.1 innings despite a vacation disguised as a demotion, the righty could get sent down again or shut down in September. He at least looked refreshed following the brief rest, so he's a high-quality option when pitching.

If Paddack were going to pitch the entire season, he would be a strong contender for NL Rookie of the Year but the most likely scenario is that the Padres shut him down at some point since they aren't contending and he hasn't thrown many innings at any point in his injury-riddled MILB career.

The plan all along was to limit Paddack's innings total in 2019, and the Padres' decision to send him to the minors was evidence of that plan in action. Paddack is a high-end starter now that he's back, but expect San Diego to take further steps to limit his workload in the second half.