6 years ago2018 was the breakout campaign that many had been projecting for Trevor Bauer with 12 wins, an ERA of 2.21, and 11.34 K/9. The ERA line got better with each passing month as the season went on, showing the in-season changes that the hurler can make. To add to this, Bauer dropped his walks to 2.93 per nine from a 3.06 mark in 2017, and, at the same time, added close to one and a half strikeouts per nine, which had him fourth in the K/9 stats. Besides, the HR/9 dropped to 0.46 from 1.28 the year before, and this placed him second only to Jacob deGrom in the league. The only significant change in Bauer’s approach was his slider usage at a 15% clip, up from 5% the year before. These changes mean that fantasy owners should expect the gains to stick, and perhaps get better with another offseason of dabbling with the pitch mix. The only downside in 2018 was a fluke injury that ended his season early, limiting Bauer to some spot starts down the stretch. For 2019, owners should expect another Cy Young caliber campaign with the ERA and win combo as the main calling card. Concerning draft position, Bauer might not be in the top tier of starters yet but should be a top-10 pitcher off the board. This is one starter to buy into the hype, as even a top-30 draft position might have surplus value to justify the pick.--Jon Denzler - RotoBaller