Top 25 MLB players to watch in October

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Yu Darvish #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after the Dodgers turned a double play to end the seventh inning of their game against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park on September 13, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

15. Yu Darvish

When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Yu Darvish at the deadline, he was viewed as the missing piece to push their World Series hopes over the top. As is incomrehensible as it would have seemed at the time of the deal, Darvish may now fail to make the Dodgers postseason rotation. He is 3-3 with a 4.34 ERA in seven starts since joining the Dodgers and has allowed seen home runs in 37.1 innings.

Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood will lead the Dodgers rotation in the playoffs, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will take the ball in Game Threes. Rich Hill has been better than Darvish and his strikeout numbers are on par. The only concern with Hill is his durability. Hill and Darvish both threw well in their most recent start, and whoever pitches best down the stretch should get the nod in the NLDS.

Darvish needs this postseason to recover some of his value as he gets set to enter free agency for the first time since coming over from Japan. He is 31, has already had Tommy John, is having the worst year of his career and has the stigma of being a Japanese pitcher entering his thirties. There is not a good historical track record for pitchers like him. Making a few quality starts in the playoffs where his strikeout stuff plays up will help Darvish make his case for a nine-figure deal.

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