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BALLER MOVE: Draft Target in Mid-to-Late Rounds in All Leagues
ANALYSIS: Mariners starting pitcher James Paxton has had his struggles when it comes to staying healthy over the course of his young career, but there is no doubt he possesses the natural ability to dominate should he avoid the injury bug in 2015. With a current ADP around 228, he is currently undervalued and can be a draft day steal.
A strained left lat muscle limited the southpaw to only 13 starts and 74 innings last season. However, Paxton performed well in those starts, turning in a 3.04 ERA. On top of that, over the course of his 98 career innings pitched (seasons 2013-2014), he's pitched to just a 2.66 ERA.
There is a reason as to why Paxton has put up such good numbers. The Canadian has averaged 94.4 MPH with his fastball over the course of his career and has managed to maintain that velocity even after his lat muscle injury last year. He also has produced a very solid 55.8% ground ball rate, limiting damage against to mostly singles as well as limiting home runs.
Include the fact that his team plays half of their games at pitcher friendly Safeco Field, and Paxton looks like a safe bet to have a big upcoming 2015 season assuming he can stay healthy. Definitely keep him in mind when entering the middle and later rounds of your draft.
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