RADIO
When Jon Lester signed with the Cubs for six years and $155 million in December of 2014, he was widely expected to be the ace of the pitching staff. Then a funny thing happened along the way, as Jake Arrieta enjoyed a Cy Young-winning campaign while Lester never really got going. His first month of the season was one of the worst in his career, as he went 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA. He bounced back beautifully in May, going 4-1 with a 1.76 ERA, but once again struggled in June. This was his story all season, one good month and one bad month. It ultimately spelled an 11-12 record, but still with a solid 3.34 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Lester's poor record was probably a fluke. You want to know why? His ERA and WHIP start to hint at it, but Lester ranked 33rd in run support among NL starters last year with just 3.72 runs per start. This was the least run support of all Chicago starters. With the lineup significantly better this season, look for his win-loss totals to alter dramatically. His K/9 and BB/9 numbers were solid, so it appears run support is the big decider. If it jumps up by just one run, we’re probably looking at a 15-win season for the 32-year-old veteran. Fantasy baseball owners should expect Lester to remain on the boards long enough to be considered a second starting pitcher option.
Run Support Will Be The Key For Jon Lester
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