RADIO
Mike Clevinger 2020 Outlook: Sunshine to Keep on Shining
5 years agoCleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger put up career highs in 2019 in just about every stat category imaginable including ERA, WHIP, K/9, and wins. He did this despite only pitching 126 innings due to an upper-back injury, which put him on the shelf for just over two months. He will enter 2020 healthy and should continue his rise to prominence with the Indians if his metrics from 2019 have anything to say about it. Clevinger posted ridiculous stats when it came to strikeouts. He was in the top six percent of the league in K% (33.9) and swinging-strike rate (15.2%) and the top nine percent of the league in K/BB. All three categories have steadily risen over his young career. He relies on a four-pitch mix, led by his four-seamer and slider, which generated 36% and 40% of his strikeouts, respectively. He also managed a superb exit velocity of 86.1 mph, which ranked him in the top nine percent of the league. He should be able to ascend to ace-status this season as he continues to improve. You should not hesitate to draft him in the top 30 overall and as a top 10 pitcher.
