4 years agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher James Paxton finally had a good start on Sunday, allowing three runs over 6.1 innings with 11 strikeouts and just one walk. Paxton cruised through six innings before allowing back-to-back home runs in the seventh, and fantasy players should be encouraged by the 31-year-old’s performance. Paxton looked better than he had all season on Sunday, posting a 15% swinging-strike rate including a 12.7% swinging-strike rate on his fastball. Paxton’s fastball still averaged only 92.3 mph compared to last season’s 95.7 mph mark, and the Rays have posted the seventh-highest swinging-strike rate in baseball this season, but Sunday’s start was a step in the right direction for Paxton and a sign that he may be figuring out his mechanical issues. Fantasy players shouldn’t take Sunday’s performance as a green light to start Paxton, but remaining patient with the struggling pitcher could pay off.--Sam Chinitz
Source: Baseball Savant