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John Means 2022 Player Outlook: Discounted After A Bad Finish To 2021
3 years agoFew pitchers started the 2021 season as hot as John Means did. Through his first 71 innings, Means posted a 2.28 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP, and he did that while striking out nearly a batter per inning (69 strikeouts in those innings). After that, an injury cost him some time and he never recovered. He sputtered to the finish line and his season line ended with a worse but still solid 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 22.7% K% and a 4.4% BB%. For his career, he has been decent at best for fantasy purposes with a 3.82 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and a 21.2% K%. The knock has been that low strikeout rate, which can really hurt in certain league setups. One thing really working in his favor for 2022 is the fact that Camden Yards moved the left field fences back as much as 30 feet and raised the height of them five feet as well. This should reduce the home runs allowed for Means, which is a big deal because that has been an issue for him in his career (1.70 HR/9). Means seems like a pretty good investment for 2022 at his cheap current price of 219, as his elite walk rate keeps the WHIP down, and the movement of the fences may help significantly improve the ERA.
