Corbin Burnes

Burnes's raw stuff was apparent to anyone who saw him pitch in 2019, but he simply couldn't stop giving up home runs (17 in 49 innings). The culprit was largely his four-seam fastball, which he threw more than half of the time and against which batters hit .425 with an .823 slugging percentage. In 2020, however, Corbin cut his four-seam fastball usage from 52.5% to just 2.5%. In its place, he relied heavily on a sinker and cutter, both of which worked better for the natural action on his pitches and which were highly effective. Considering that his slider, changeup, and curveball are also huge swing and miss pitches, Burnes's 36.7% strikeout rate from last year shouldn't be considered fluky. Even coming off a Cy Young-caliber season, there's still upside for the 26-year-old, and you should ignore entirely his 2019 disaster.

Corbin Burnes impressing with his changeup early this spring

Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez says Corbin Burnes' changeup looks way better than last year.

Fantasy Impact

"I think it's a big weapon for him this year," he said. Burnes rode a sinker/cutter combo en route to his 2020 breakout, so the addition of a changeup would only add to his repertoire. Burnes' 2.11 ERA was backed up by a 2.99 xFIP and a 3.18 xERA, which should give confidence to fantasy managers looking to invest in him again this season.