RADIO
Miles Mikolas 2019 Outlook: Looking to Repeat Success
6 years agoSt. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas had a triumphant return to Major League Baseball in 2018 after playing several seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. He led the Cardinals in several key statistics including ERA (2.83), WHIP (1.07), and wins (18). However, Mikolas managed only a 6.55 K/9. That translated to 146 total strikeouts despite the fact that he threw 200.2 innings. While that narrows his path to successfully repeating his performance in 2019, Mikolas did illustrate that he was exceptional at keeping the ball in the yard by allowing only 0.72 HR/9 last season. In terms of repeating his sparkling numbers in 2019, Mikolas’ second-half performance was a somewhat ominous sign -- though his ERA remained nearly identical from the first half of the season to the second, his slugging percentage against jumped 57 points and his wOBA also took a 28 point leap. That does lend some credence to the concern that his lack of strikeouts will make him more hittable as batters become more familiar with his repertoire. Currently the 31st pitcher off the board and requiring a top 100 overall pick, Mikolas carries a good amount of risk, highlighted by his lack of strikeouts.
