December 30, 2018

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Sean Newcomb didn’t take a major leap forward in 2018 -- his second major-league season-- but showed he has the capability of being a stable contributor in several key areas. Notable among them was his continued ability to limit home runs, illustrated by his 0.95 HR/9 mark across 264 career innings. In other ways, Newcomb remains frustratingly inconsistent. For example, he had a 65-inning stretch that spanned May and June during which he allowed only 15 earned runs, struck out 56, and went 7-1. On the other hand, his second-half was littered with blowup outings, including a stretch during which he allowed five or more earned runs in three of four starts. His struggle with command is evident in his career rate of 4.70 BB/9 and casts a shadow over both his long and short-term productivity. It also plays a large role in his preseason rank as SP62, though he’s shown more than enough skill to surpass that mark by at least 20 spots if things fall into place. Current ADP (190) indicates that there won’t be a major investment required to roster Newcomb. At that point, his upside is worth a shot and unlike other young arms, Newcomb shouldn’t be a major risk for an innings limit and looks to be a safe bet for a minimum of 185 innings in 2019 barring injury.--Daniel Marcus