Opening Day finally came and went, and the top pitchers took care of business for the most part. Here are four starting pitchers who were exceptionally dominant on Thursday, along with a bullpen situation to monitor.
Shane Bieber, SP, Guardians
Shane Bieber looked like his former Cy Young self, striking out 11 batters over six scoreless innings on opening day. It's important to note that it was against the Athletics, but he really did look better than he has in years. The buzz of Bieber's offseason was that he went to Driveline, a training complex that has shown huge improvements in other players in the past. It seemed to have worked, with his 92.3 mph average fastball velocity getting him back to where he was in 2021. His changeup was also significantly harder, averaging 89.2 mph. This added velocity led to spectacular results from his entire arsenal, especially from his cutter which produced ten whiffs on eleven swings. Overall he had a 43% whiff rate, notably increased from his mere 24.2% in 2023. He is still only 28 years old and is showing a skill increase that can make him a top-20 fantasy starter yet again.
Tarik Skubal, SP, Tigers
Tarik Skubal impressed on opening day against the White Sox, striking out 6 batters over 6 scoreless innings while allowing 3 hits and 0 walks. His 20 induced whiffs were the most of any pitcher, and all of his pitches were getting the job done. He had 10 whiffs on his fastball (45% whiff rate), 5 on the changeup (50%), 3 on the sinker (30%), and 2 on the slider (40%). He picked up right where he left off in 2023, where he struck out 102 batters in 80.1 innings with a 2.80 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. His 2.30 xERA, 32.9% K%, 4.5% BB%, and miniscule 4.2% barrel rate seemed almost too good to be true, but this start shows that he is a legitimate contender for the AL Cy Young Award in 2024.
Cole Ragans, SP, Royals
Cole Ragans allowed 5 hits, 3 walks, and 2 earned runs while striking out 9 over 6 innings against the Twins. It was a very promising first start for Ragans, who showed that his swing-and-miss potential that he flashed last season is legit. He showed the ability to miss bats consistently with all of his pitches, getting 6 whiffs on his changeup and 4 whiffs each on his fastball, cutter, and slider. He also got a swing-and-miss on the one curveball he threw, totaling 19 whiffs on 51 swings (37%). He's following up a 2023 season that saw him post a 2.64 ERA and 89:27 K:BB across 71.2 innings. Ragans was one of the most polarizing players in fantasy this offseason, and this start shows that he has what it takes to be a top-15 SP.
Corbin Burnes, SP, Orioles
Corbin Burnes dominated the Angels in his Baltimore debut, allowing one hit and one run over 6 innings while striking out 11. The only damage of his entire outing came from a Mike Trout solo home run in the first inning. He looked like everything the Orioles expected when they traded for their ace, and the bigger ballpark and better run support should fuel him to an even better year than 2023, where he posted a 3.39 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 200:66 K:BB in 193.2 innings. It's interesting to note that he only had 12 whiffs on his 11 strikeouts, but he has cemented himself as the favorite for the AL Cy Young award in 2024.
Jason Foley, RP, Tigers
Jason Foley picked up the first save of the season for the Tigers, striking out the final two batters to end the game. This came as a surprise to many, with Alex Lange presumed to be the closer after holding the job down for all of 2023. Foley does not have the same strikeout upside as Lange, but was more effective overall last season, where he posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a 55:15 K:BB in 69 innings. Foley did look impressive, topping out at 101.3 mph on his sinker, so it's not out of the question that Tigers' manager A.J. Hinch thinks he is their best bet for the 9th inning. In leagues where saves are scarce, Foley could be worth a speculative add until Detroit's bullpen situation becomes more clear.
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