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Kyle Hendricks 2022 Player Outlook: Already on the Decline?
3 years agoChicago Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks has been one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball since his debut in 2015. He's been a master of limiting hard contact and has always provided a good ERA and WHIP for fantasy owners. That was not the case in 2021. The former Cy Young finalist's ERA shot up to 4.77 to go along with a 1.35 WHIP and a 131/44 K/BB ratio in 181 innings. This is definitely an outlier from his 3.12 career ERA before 2021, but it's hard to expect a full rebound in 2022. His expected stats weren't any better, including a 4.95 xERA, .277 xBA, .456 xSLG and a .339 xWOBA, all career worsts. His sinker (42.7% usage) was bad, allowing a .475 SLG and .352 WOBA. His ADP of 209 is about in line with where he should go in drafts. The 32-year-old was still able to limit hard contact, being in the 92nd percentile in average exit velocity and 88th in hard-hit rate while also limiting walks (88th percentile BB%), so he still can bring value to fantasy managers. ATC projects the veteran with a 10-10 record, 4.56 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts over 180 innings. Hendricks is a smart pitcher and we should expect adjustments to come. He can still be a source of ERA and WHIP late in drafts but it's hard to rely on Hendricks for much else in 2022.
