Joe Musgrove Trending In Promising Direction
4 years agoPittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, who is reportedly drawing trade interest this offseason, could be on the right track to breaking out in 2021 and beyond. The right-hander has a 96 ERA+, but he also has a 3.69 FIP in the last three seasons. The 28-year-old had his best season in 2020 with a 3.86 ERA (116 ERA+) in eight starts with the 10th-highest strikeout rate (33.1 percent). Musgrove leaned on his curveball 20 percent of the time last year and increased its spin rate while generating above-average vertical and horizontal movement on the pitch. He had the fifth-highest whiff rate on his curveball in 2020, but his slider was also equally devastating and has long been his most effective pitch. If Musgrove can find a way to get more active spin on his four-seam fastball, he could be on the verge of breaking out, in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harrigan
Source: MLB.com - Thomas Harrigan