RADIO
Adam Ottavino 2020 Outlook: RP with High K's and Low Saves
5 years agoAdam Ottavino wore a new uniform in 2019, but his pitches still looked like their devastating self. Adam "Blitzball" Ottavino gets his nickname from the nasty pitch movement he unleashes to batters. The dreaded slider puts hitters away at 34.1 K% and has a 34.6 Whiff %. Since 2016 he has had a knack for throwing swing and miss stuff, generating a high amount of strikeouts. Last season was no different; Ottavino ended his campaign with an 11.94 K/9 and a 1.90 ERA. In 66 innings of work, he was able to strike out 88 batters, but he walked 40. His 5.43 BB/9 and 14.1 BB% were a glaring problem that has plagued him for a few years. He did manage to strand 87.8% of base runners allowed. While it kept his ERA low, the underlying metrics are not so kind with a 3.44 FIP and 4.32 xFIP. Ottavino was very lucky to have kept his ERA as low as he did. It would take several injuries in the New York Yankees bullpen to give Ottavino a chance to save any games. The expectation should be around the same level of production as of 2019; lots of strikeouts, lots of walks, and next to no saves. Only in the deepest of leagues should he be considered around the 500th pick.
