Robbie Ray

Everything went right for Ray in 2017, when he registered a 2.89 ERA despite a 3.94 BB/9 and 3.72 FIP. An oblique strain limited him to just 123.2 innings in 24 starts last season, and 70 walks led to a 3.93 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. After initially resembling the better model, he carries a 3.96 ERA and 1.13 WHIP into the All-Star break. He remains just as tough to hit with a .222 batting average, but a 4.64 BB/9 continues to cause him trouble. Enjoy the strikeouts, but expect a volatile ERA and bloated WHIP.

Ray took a big step backward last year in the ratios but still racked up 165 Ks in just over 120 innings pitcher. There is still upside for an ace pitcher here and the floor may be about what we got last year which didn't kill anyone's championship hopes. He makes for a quality mid-round pick.

Ray was an obvious regression candidate coming off his phenomenal 2017 season, and regress he did. While his strikeout rate remained elite, his walk rate ballooned to over 5.00 per nine innings, inflating his WHIP back up to 1.35. Ray is really hard to hit, so he's capable of keeping his ERA under 4.00, but the WHIP isn't likely to be pretty, which makes him hard to rely on as a weekly starter in standard mixed leagues.