Robbie Ray Struggling To Induce Strikeouts
3 years agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher Robbie Ray's breakout 2021 campaign was fueled by his strikeout prowess. He led the majors with 248 strikeouts. His 32.1% strikeout rate ranked in the top 7% of the league and he averaged a sturdy 11.5 K/9. Through four starts so far this year, Ray has been unable replicate last year's bat-missing success. He has just 18 strikeouts over 25.1 innings, which amounts to 6.4 K/9. His 17.6% strikeout rate ranks in the 27th percentile. Ray's decreased velocity this year has been highly publicized and that's certainly one of the contributing factors to his lack of whiffs. The average velocity on his four-seamer is down from 94.8 mph last year to 92.2 mph this year. Ray has posted quality starts in three of his four outings, so it's not like we're witnessing a complete breakdown from the 30-year-old. However, fantasy managers have good reason to be concerned about the 2021 AL Cy Young winner at this point.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN