January 22, 2018

In his fourth year with the New York Yankees, right-hander Masahiro Tanaka arguably had his worst season. The 29-year-old went 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA, setting career highs in losses and ERA. He did manage to make 30 starts and pitch 178 innings, his second highest total in each category. Additionally, his K/9 rate finished at a career-best 9.79, while his GB percentage was a career-high 49.2. In his last start of the season, Tanaka went seven shutout innings and struck out a career-high 15 batters. This set him up for his electric postseason, where he made three starts and surrendered just two runs across 20 innings, striking out 18. In the offseason, Tanaka opted in with the Yankees, setting him up for three more years in the Bronx. Looking ahead, there were a handful of anomalies to blame for Tanaka’s struggles. His BABIP, HR/9, BB/9 and HR/FB all worked against him, with totals in each of those categories deviating far from his average numbers. A stint on the DL with right shoulder inflammation also severely hurt his cause. By the second half of the season, Tanaka seemed to be returning to form, posting a 3.77 ERA after the All-Star break as opposed to a 5.47 showing prior to the Midsummer Classic. Combining his resurgence in the second half with his aforementioned sensational postseason bodes well for his chances of a bounce-back 2018 season. Like his teammate, Luis Severino, Tanaka has also mastered both strikeouts and ground balls, which is always a recipe for success. Expect him to go somewhere in the eighth round of your draft as a potent second or third option at starting pitcher.--RDelgado