RADIO
Zac Gallen 2020 Outlook: Underrated SP Value
5 years agoArizona Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen had a strong debut pitching for two teams in his rookie year. Not known as a high-end prospect, Gallen was dominating at Triple-A before getting called up by the Marlins. He proceeded to post a 2.72 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in seven starts before suddenly being dealt to Arizona for minor leaguer Jazz Chisolm. He carried on as usual in the desert, starting eight games with a 2.89 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. Despite having a below-average fastball in terms of velocity, Gallen employs his cutter and mixed his pitches well enough to keep hitters off-balance and finished with a K-rate close to 30% (28.7%).
Gallen's move out of pitcher-friendly Marlins Park to Chase Field didn't affect him in any way. Whether the humidor has anything to do with park factors is a matter for debate but Gallen's game has translated well and he showed great moxie as a rookie through each transition. He won't get much hype heading into 2020 but he should make a nice mid-rotation arm for fantasy staffs in the SP40 range.
