Fansided

MLB 2017: One X-factor for each team

By Brad Berreman

September 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) runs after he hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sport
September 7, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig (66) runs after he hits a solo home run in the sixth inning against Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sport /
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Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas Rangers: SP Yu Darvish

Darvish missed all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, then he made 17 starts last season as he worked his way back with a shoulder issue mixed in for good measure. He had a 3.41 ERA in 2016 though, with an elite 11.8 K/9 rate and a 2.8 BB/9 rate, and if not for a slight issue with home runs(12 allowed over 100.1 innings) Darvish’s ERA would have been even better.

After pretty much abandoning it last year, surely due to coming back from elbow surgery, Darvish reportedly plans to re-incorporate his split-finger fastball this season. The amount he used the pitch trended down dramatically in 2014, when elbow issues first surfaced for him, but any addition to Darvish’s arsenal is good news in the right light (and bad news for hitters).

The Rangers were in the trade market for starting pitching throughout the offseason, and they may still be heading toward Opening Day (Jose Quintana?). But Darvish is an elite level pitcher when he is healthy, and he and Cole Hamels would give Texas a formidable, enviable ace duo at the top of their starting rotation. In a short playoff series against the Rangers, good luck to you if Hamels and Darvish are both pitching well.

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