MLB
Fantasy Baseball: 5 Pitchers With Noteworthy Spring Training Stats
Strikeouts are everything, even in spring training. Which pitchers have posted interesting strikeout numbers that could have big fantasy implications?

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

It's not as surprising when Jacob deGrom sits fools down with ease, but after a late-season elbow injury last year, it certainly doesn't hurt.

deGrom underwent surgery to relieve a nerve issue in his pitching elbow last September, a sentence sure to stir butterflies in the stomach of any potential investor. He was a guy you wanted to see perform in the spring before diving in, but he seems to be doing so.

deGrom has thrown 10 innings this year, meaning he has recorded 30 outs. Of those, 13 have been strikeouts, and 10 have been groundouts. Those are the types of numbers you want to see, and doing so with just one walk only amplifies his value.

We've seen what deGrom can do when he's healthy as he finished the 2015 season with a 2.99 SIERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 5.1% walk rate. He still had a 3.04 ERA in 2016, but a declining strikeout rate made it seem as if he weren't his old self, but this is an encouraging start.

deGrom's average draft position (ADP) is pick 64.2 right now, according to ESPN. He's firmly in that mid-tier of high-upside starting pitchers, and he should start to climb in price if his performance keeps up.

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