RADIO
Josh James 2019 Outlook: Success Story, Not Elite Caliber
6 years agoHouston Astros starting pitcher Joshua James passed higher profiled pitching prospects to get to the majors in 2018 at the age of 25. With all the discussion this offseason about him, you’d think he is the ace of the future. James started his career as a 34th-round pick of the 2014 draft. Thus far, it has culminated in 2018 where James started three games and appeared in a total of six that resulted in two wins and a 2.35 ERA. He also displayed a 31.9% strikeout rate and was able to get batters to chase outside the zone more than a third of the time (34%). In his short stint in the majors, he saw his fly-ball rate (43.4%) skyrocket to a level he’s never seen before, but there is no reason to be worried as he was primarily a ground-ball pitcher in the minors. James also has the advantage of a team that knows exactly how to get the best from their pitchers. Offensively, there will be plenty of runs to increase the chances for wins, assuming he can keep the team in contention. In 2019, James has a solid chance of starting the season in the rotation as three spots are up for grabs. Even as a rookie, James is the 53rd-ranked starting pitcher according to RotoBaller staff and is appropriately valued with an ADP of 208.
