7 years agoAtlanta Braves starting pitcher Sean Newcomb threw 100 innings in his rookie 2017 season and, while he struck out 108 batters, his 57 walks show that he is still a work in progress. Newcomb also allowed a hit per inning and his 1.57 WHIP led to a 4-9 record and 4.32 ERA. Still, Newcomb's ERA was right at league average (99 ERA+) and a 24-year-old left hander that strikes out 9.7 per nine is very valuable. This came after he had a 2.97 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts per nine in 57 2/3 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett, proving that his strikeout potential is real. While the strikeouts are good, he did also walk 5.15 batters per nine in the minors and only induced 39.4% ground balls for Gwinnett. Walks appear to be a part of Newcomb's profile (he has walked at three batters per nine at every level), but so too are strikeouts (he has struck out at least a batter per inning at each level). Another issue for Newcomb is that his ground ball rate had dropped as he moved up in the Angels and Braves' systems before jumping a bit to 43.8% in the majors. While he is not a finished product, if Newcomb can keep his ground ball rate around 45% and his K rate near 25% (both have been done in the minors), his ERA should be low enough for fantasy owners to accept his walk issues. Newcomb is not a player to draft right away in mixed leagues, but is a player to watch, particularly in NL-only or dynasty leagues.--Chris Zolli