2 years agoKansas City Royals right-hander Scott Barlow was one of the few bright spots on the club's pitching staff last season, producing a 2.18 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 26.6% strikeout rate, and 24 saves over 74.1 innings. His strikeout numbers were a bit low compared to his 28.6% career mark. However, his whiff and chase rates were both elite, posting 32.5% and 37.2% marks, respectively. Barlow did it with a slider, curveball, and fastball. The five-year veteran used the slider 44.6% of the time, while he threw the curve at a 43% rate, and during his five seasons in the majors, each pitch has never had a whiff rate below 33.1%. Consequently, Barlow can generate even more strikeouts in 2023. The 30-year-old's 2.18 ERA is misleading, considering his 83.9% left-on-base percentage and .240 BABIP. The Royals were the eighth-best defense in 2022 by defensive runs above average, though, and add in Barlow's career .220 xBA, .365 xSLG, and 3.10 ERA, and he should have no issue posting a solid ERA and WHIP next season. The closer title is in his control next season, as every other arm expected to start the year in the pen earned a combined six saves in 2022. Barlow has the potential to match any reliever in the league but flies a bit under the radar playing for the lowly Royals, a team that should be on the rise with a bunch of young talent, however. Fantasy managers should take advantage of his 113 ADP and grab a potential RP1.--Spencer Seguin