Parker Bridwell

It can be said that pitchers really only have control over three things -- strikeouts, walks and homers allowed. Parker was good at one and bad at two of those last season. The ERA estimators all point to Parker being at least a full run worse in 2017 than his actual mark would suggest, as Parker struck out just 14.8 percent of the batters he faced and allowed home runs at a 1.41 HR/9 clip. He did a good job of limiting the free passes (2.2 BB/9), but any kind of regression there could spell disaster for the right-hander, as he does not have the other skills necessary to create wiggle room. His strikeout rates at the upper levels of the minors suggest there's only marginal room for growth with the K-rate, and Bridwell doesn't induce many groundballs, so while he should get a chance to toe the rubber every fifth or sixth day for the Angels, there's not enough here to warrant a starting spot in most mixed leagues.

Drafted in 2010, Bridwell has spent the last six years slowly trudging his way through the lower levels, posting high walk rates and ugly earned run averages at each stop. He has been touted as one of the most physically gifted pitchers in the Orioles' system, but the on-field results have been less than stellar. The 3.99 ERA he put up at Double-A Bowie in 2015 was his best performance to date. The young righty began with 2016 season in Double-A and again struggled, posting a 4.53 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 11.2 percent walk rate over 55.2 innings as both a starter and reliever. He was eventually promoted to Triple-A Norfolk where he found enough success over 10 innings to get his first call to the big leagues. His major league debut did not go well, as he surrendered five earned runs in his two relief appearances. The talented but inconsistent Bridwell will need to fine tune his game in the minors before he's ready to make a major league impact.

Bridwell was drafted way back in 2010 and finally cracked the Double-A level last season. Unfortunately, he struggled with elbow issues that developed in late-July, forcing him out of action. He did not pitch in a game for the rest of the season, but did resume a throwing program before finally being shut down in mid-September. There was discussion about Bridwell being a candidate for Tommy John surgery, but it appears he is content to rest and try to return in the spring. When healthy, Bridwell improved his K/BB from 2.03 at High-A in 2014 to 2.45 at Double-A in 2015. He cut his walks by nearly a batter per nine innings, while his strikeout rate dipped only marginally. Bridwell gets his fastball in the low-90s complementing it with a slider and changeup, and the Orioles would be wise to continue his development as a starter for at least another year.