Justin Verlander: Verlander's second full-season, 17-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 30 starts, is almost a replica of last year, 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA in 30 starts. However, beneath the surface, Verlander has greatly improved his strike outs, 2006/2007 K/9's of 6.0/8.1, without sacrificing the rest of his skills, 2006/2007 BB/9's of 2.9/3.0 and GB%'s of 41%/41%. At just 24 years of age at the beginning of 2008, expect him to get even better.
Jon Lester: Despite being 4-0, Lester has not pitched all that well, 4.45 ERA even with a .252 BHIP%. He is still having problems with control, 2006/2007 BB/9's 4.8/4.6, and the problem is not just confined to the major league level, 2006/2007 Triple-A BB/9's of 4.8/3.9. The high amount of walks and his 48% FB% is a potentially lethal combination; he has already allowed 8 home runs in 56.2 innings.
Luke Hochever: The top pick in the 2006 draft, Hochevar has had two effective relief outings for the Royals, 0 ER in 6.1 innings with 2 walks, but just 1 strike out. Prior to his call up, he split the season between Double-A; where he displayed good skills, 9.0 K/9 and a 2.5 BB/9, despite having a 4.69 ERA, and Triple-A, where he struggled; 5.12 ERA, 6.8 K/9, and a 3.3 BB/9. The high K/9 in Double-A hints at the big potential, but the problems in Triple-A and the lone K in the majors shows that he still has work to do in the minors next season.
Jair Jurrgens: Jurrgens' numbers, 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA, are being skewed by extreme good luck in the form of a .095 BHIP%. With his skill set; 4.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, and a 35% GB%, don't be surprised if you see a rough outing or two in his last couple of starts.
Paul Konerko: What may appear to be a down season for power with Konerko, 2004/2005/2006/2007 home runs of 41/40/35/29, is really just a redistribution of his extra-base hits, 2004/2005/2006/2007 doubles of 22/24/30/33. With the rest of his skill set remaining stable, 2005/2006/2007 Ct%'s of 81%/82%/82% and BB/K's of .74/.58/.79, the decline in his batting average, 2005/2006/2007 averages' of .283/.313/.262, can be traced to a lower than usual LD% of 18% and a depressed BHIP% of .205.
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