January 9, 2020

Another big-name player in a new home, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Corey Kluber has a somewhat murky future given his 2019 season. Kluber was only able to pitch 35 ⅔ innings (seven starts) due to a forearm injury in May and an oblique strain in August. Those seven starts were not good; Kluber went 2-3 with a bloated 5.80 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, and mediocre 22.6% strikeout rate. These numbers come from a very small sample size and are extremely out of character for the two-time Cy Young winner, so it is unrealistic to think that he would perform this poorly in 2020. However, there are plenty of things to worry about. First is Kluber’s health. At 33 years old returning from several injuries, will he be able to return to the workhorse who pitches 200 innings with a career 3.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 27.1% strikeout rate? Second is the shift in home park; Globe Life Park in Arlington had the second-worst park factor in 2019 compared to 19-ranked Progressive Field, per ESPN.com’s park factors. The good thing is that Kluber’s average draft position currently reflects all of these worries; he is the 90th pick overall, making him the 29th pitcher off the board. Kluber had been considered a top-five fantasy pitcher for many seasons before, so getting him as the 29th pitcher seems like good value given his upside. While it makes sense to shy away from him compared to where he has been drafted in seasons past, Kluber could end up being a great buy-low candidate in drafts this season.--Connelly Doan