RADIO
Josh James 2020 Outlook: Either Dynamic Reliever Or High Upside Starter
5 years agoHouston Astros pitcher Josh James was a popular sleeper last spring before suffering a quad injury and beginning the year in the bullpen. He showed dynamic raw stuff only to get hurt again in July and be placed on the IL with a shoulder strain. His numbers dipped a bit while pitching through the injury, causing him to finish with a 4.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in 61.1 IP. However, his overall underlying metrics suggest that his year was better than many think. James' .264 xwOBA would put him right in line with Blake Snell, Mike Clevinger, and Stephen Strasburg. He also limited contact to a .171 xBA and a .286 xSLG, despite registering a .374 SLG on the season. His 16.2 SwStr% was near elite and his xFIP of 3.77 paints a much rosier picture than his actual ERA. When you match the numbers under the hood with a fastball that he can run up over 100 MPH, and three positive pVAL pitches, including a slider that has elite spin and above-average horizontal movement and drop, all the pieces are there for a breakout. With Jose Urquidy and Brad Peacock currently slotted into the number four and five spots in the Astros' rotation, James is not an unrealistic option to slide ahead of them, which makes him an ideal late-round flier as either a good ratio and K% reliever or a potential SP3.
