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Kutter Crawford 2024 Player Outlook: Back-End Starter With Potential
9 months agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford was a pleasant surprise in 2023, with a decent 4.04 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 1.11 WHIP, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 6.8% walk rate in 129 1/3 innings. His reliability as a back-end starter was a boon during a tumultuous 2023 for the Boston Red Sox, but advanced metrics, such as a 104 Pitching+ grade, 3.25 xERA, and .208 xBA, indicate Crawford could break out further in 2024. Defensive reinforcements in one of the league's worst defensive outfields (-20 DRS in 2023) combined with a lack of depth in Boston's starting rotation give the Florida Gulf Coast University product a good shot at sticking as a starting pitcher. The reliever-turned-starter's endurance is still a question mark (13.50 ERA in his third time through the batting order as a starting pitcher through 10 innings), but he has shown he can hold onto a rotation spot and produce consistently. Considering the upside and his lack of a track record, a 275.9 ADP is a reasonable spot to draft the 27-year-old.
