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David Price 2021 Outlook: Opt-Out Leads To Fantasy Value Pick
4 years agoLeft-handed pitcher David Price was one of the biggest names to opt-out of the 2020 MLB season, and fantasy managers may have forgotten how intriguing the southpaw's 2019 season was. He went 7-5 with a solid 4.28 ERA and strong 3.73 xFIP over 107 IP for the Red Sox that year. More importantly for our purposes, his K% increased to a career-best 27.9. There were many reasons for the spike, including cutting back on a largely ineffectual cutter and transforming his curve from a mediocre show-me pitch in 2018 (10.3 SwStr%, 13.8% chase rate) to a legitimate strikeout weapon in 2019 (19.1 SwStr%, 46.9% chase rate). The new pitch mix also helped his heater play up, posting an 11.6 SwStr% and 56.8 Zone% in 2019 after marks of 7.2% and 51.8% in 2018. Price was involved in the Mookie Betts swap, meaning that the 35-year-old will have the luxury of the best supporting cast the National League has to offer. There is some risk in selecting an older pitcher who didn't play at all the previous season, but Price is well worth his ADP of 151, assuming he's ready to rock and roll.
