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Brandon Woodruff 2020 Outlook: Improved Arsenal Offers Top-15 Upside
5 years agoBrewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff was a breakout star in 2019 before an injury ruined the party. While he won’t benefit from Yasmani Grandal’s stellar pitch-framing abilities again, Woodruff created much of his fortune by adding firepower to his arsenal. His average fastball velocity went up a full tick to 96.3 MPH in ‘19 and he traded off some slider usage for more changeup. The 22.9% K-BB mark was 15th out of 130 starters with at least 100 innings pitched in 2019, with a 3.01 FIP that ranked seventh. Even more impressive was his allowing the fewest amount of barrels (13) as well as the lowest Barrels-per-Plate-Appearance rate (2.6%) of the 129 pitchers with at least 300 batted-ball events to his name in 2019. Hitters only mustered an 85.6 MPH average exit velocity off of him, the sixth-lowest mark of the same pitcher group. His ability to limit dangerous contact while boasting 200-strikeout stuff alongside a low walk rate makes for one desirable arm. While Miller Park is not a pitcher’s paradise, Woodruff has the tools of a top-10 SP that you can draft closer to the 30th arm off the board. As a result, he’s worth strong consideration for those who went hitter-heavy to open their draft, with an early NFBC ADP of 93 underscoring his potential.
