Patrick Sandoval

Sandoval came into last season as a breakout candidate after posting a career best 2.91 ERA the year prior, but instead he regressed with a 4.11 ERA and career-worst 1.51 WHIP. His fastball velocity remained the same and he continued to land well above league average at limiting hard contact and inducing groundballs, so the primary culprit for his drop-off can largely be linked to a decline in his ability to get hitters to miss pitches and to chase balls outside the strike zone. Whereas Sandoval ranked in the 76th and 73rd percentile, respectively, in whiff percentage and chase rate in 2022, he fell back closer to league average last season, finishing in the 63rd and 53rd percentile. Not coincidentally, the left-hander's strikeout rate dipped from 23.7% to 19.6%, and the impact of that drop was exacerbated by a career-worst 11.3% walk rate. Sandoval has good enough stuff to be able to bounce back, and working with a new pitching coach may help, but the inconsistency and modest punchout potential will likely keep him off the draft board in many fantasy leagues heading into the new campaign. Read Past Outlooks