5 years agoMike Foltynewicz's 2019 will probably be best remembered for one of the worst starts in postseason history, but his regular season didn't do much for fantasy owners either: a 4.54 ERA backed by a 4.73 xFIP in 117 IP and a trip to Triple-A. His 21.4 K% has to be seen as a disappointment after he posted a 27.2% rate in 2018, and his fastball velocity declined significantly as well (94.9 mph vs. 96.8 the previous year). That said, there could be some upside here. “Folty” threw more sinkers (15.8% to 25.7%) at the expense of his fastball (40.5% to 26.4%) in 2019, a change that could explain both his strikeout decline and diminished fastball velocity. If he throws his heater more often, he could again make great use of his secondary stuff to pile up the Ks. Even last season, Foltynewicz's slider (17.9 SwStr%) and change (18.1%) both qualified as above-average strikeout offerings. His struggles could also be attributed to the right elbow bone spur that sidelined him at the beginning of the season, which created a “mental block” according to several sources. Regardless, Foltynewicz will again be backed by a solid supporting cast in the Atlanta Braves, who helped him to an 8-6 record last season despite his struggles. Folty was a credible Cy Young candidate as recently as 2018, so there's no reason to give up on the former top prospect when he's barely being taken in the top 200 (199.55 ADP). --Rick Lucks - RotoBaller