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OWNED IN: 11% of Fleaflicker Leagues
ANALYSIS: There was much speculation when Kris Medlen finally came back to full time SP duties again after so much time went by. Some thought he would never attain that status again.
His 14:3 K/BB ratio has been a welcome sign of things to come moving forward, but he has yet to give up fewer than 3 ER in any start. He has also only made it through the 6th inning once in those three starts.
Some rust is to be expected since he truly hasn't pitched at this capacity since 2013 with Atlanta. His current BABIP of .306 aligns well with his career .296 and his K/9 has been higher than expected. His BB/9 has also been lower than expected. The one thing that is evident is that he is still elevating his pitches too much and in the process helping his HR/9 go up by almost double his average.
Some of that may be rust but his command of his changeup and curveball have simply not been there forcing his FB% to rise up to 61% which in turns makes him more hittable. Medlen is on a very good team in Kansas City and will have time to work out his flaws. In the meantime fantasy owners will want to monitor his progress and use him as a guy who can get an owner wins and strikeouts at the expense of ERA and WHIP.
The most shallow leagues can probably afford to stay away but if he is available in your league go ahead and give him a closer look.
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