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Kenta Maeda 2019 Player Outlook: Fighting for Starts in a Crowded Rotation
6 years agoKenta Maeda has been a low-cost starter who reliably offers SP4 upside at a fraction of the cost. In 2018, Maeda was generally able to repeat that trend except that the Dodgers glut of starters mean that Maeda was shuffled to the pen. He still finished the year with 153 strikeouts, 8 wins, and a 3.81 ERA over 125.1 innings. The strikeout total was helped by Maeda’s time as a reliever, but his ERA and WHIP were remarkably similar in both roles. The Dodgers dealt Alex Wood, so that clears up some space in the rotation, but Maeda will still be competing with Ross Stripling, Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Julio Urias for playing time. Unless the Dodgers suffer a rash of injuries, Maeda will be hard-pressed to find a spot in the rotation for the entire year. Furthermore, the Dodgers have a reputation for manipulating the 10-day disabled list to work around having seven legitimate starters. Despite those concerns, manager Dave Roberts has said that Maeda will begin the year in the starting rotation. Fantasy owners can expect a 2019 season similar to 2018: 130 IP in 20 starts and about 40 games total. That should allow Maeda to generate a 3.80 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 140 strikeouts, which is a bargain at his current ADP of 228.
