Trevor Bauer 2021 Fantasy Outlook: Are The Improvements Here To Stay?
3 years agoWhat a season it was for starting pitcher Trevor Bauer in 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds. He posted a ridiculous line with a 36% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate to go with his Cy Young-worthy 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. The righty had flashed this kind of upside in the past, but it had been an inconsistent career up until last season. Now that he's signed a three-year deal for just over $100 million with the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, he is sure to be a top-five pitcher off the board in 2021 drafts. That climb is completely justified, as Bauer's metrics really back up what he did in 2020. He added tons of spin to all of his offerings, he threw five different pitches and achieved great results on all of them, and he avoided the barrel of the bat like he never had before (.165 expected batting average, .219 expected wOBA). Everything about Bauer's 2020 season makes him look like a sure bet to be a fantasy stud once again in 2021, especially that he'll be pitching for his hometown team with one of the best offenses in baseball backing him. Bauer is a top-five fantasy ace and could come off the board as early as the late first round in fantasy drafts.