Fantasy Baseball Player Notes

Corbin Burnes started 32 games for the Orioles in 2024, throwing 194 1/3 innings while striking out 181 batters. He had a shiny 2.92 ERA and 1.10 WHIP and signed a six-year contract with the Diamondbacks in the offseason. Now entering his age-30 season, there are a couple of red flags regarding the righty going forward. The biggest one is his K%, which continued its decline for the fifth year in a row. Last year's 23.1 strikeout rate moved him directly into the 50th percentile of pitchers, which is a tough pill to swallow for many fantasy managers. The good news is that his other underlying metrics remain strong, though his ERA will probably land closer to 3.4 than the 2.9 we enjoyed in 2024. Overall, Burnes is still an ace, albeit not at the same level he once was.

Zac Gallen had a respectable but not fantastic 2024 season. The 29-year-old started 28 games and pitched 148 innings, racking up 156 strikeouts and ending with a 3.65 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Nothing in his profile stands out as "outstanding." He had a 25.1% strikeout rate, the lowest of his major league career but not terrible. The most concerning stat of 2024 is the jump in his walk rate from 5.6% to 8.7%. If he doesn't correct that area, his ratios will continue trending in the wrong direction. As it stands, Gallen is a decent addition at SP3 or SP4.

Brandon Pfaadt delivered a mixed performance in the 2024 season, recording an 11-10 win-loss record over 32 starts for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He pitched 181.2 innings, with a 4.71 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, and 185 strikeouts. The ERA is entirely misleading as his xERA was 3.78 and xFIP was 3.58. Pfaadt demonstrated exceptional control, issuing only 42 walks throughout the season, and he maintained an average exit velocity of 88.8 mph, a hard-hit rate of 36.8%, and a barrel rate of 6.9%. While these aren't great, they are an improvement on his debut in 2023. Pfaadt is an intriguing SP4 with the upside for more.