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Joey Lucchesi 2019 Outlook: Limiting The Long-ball Key to Success
6 years agoSan Diego Padres left-hander Joey Lucchesi was a mixed bag in his rookie season. After battling a strained hip in May, Lucchesi finished his season compiling an 8-9 record with a 4.08 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 130.0 IP. He showed a great ability to rack up strikeouts and keep the free passes down with a 26.5 K% and 7.9 BB%. Lucchesi needs to improve on keeping the ball in the ballpark; his 1.59 HR/9 was exacerbated by a disastrous September in which he allowed seven longballs. Given his track record, it is very feasible once he re-establishes the ground-ball ability he demonstrated in the minors. Pitching in pitcher-friendly Petco Park will also help his cause as it is continuously ranked in the lower half of MLB Park Factors for home runs. Just a two-pitch pitcher primarily, he'll have to remain crafty at retiring batters, but expect Lucchesi to pitch closer to his 2018 SIERA mark of 3.64. He will also find success in 2019 by maintaining his strikeout rate and limiting his walks to keep the WHIP at a respectable level. However, counting on him for more than a dozen wins on a below-average Padres team is a bit ambitious. At a current ADP of 215, Lucchesi is still worth grabbing to fill out the back end of your fantasy rotation.
