4 years agoMinnesota Twins starting pitcher Kenta Maeda looked impressive in his first Grapefruit League start on Thursday. Maeda pitched two innings, allowing no hits or runs while striking out three batters. The Japanese right-hander did hit one batter but exhibited pinpoint control otherwise- throwing 21 of his 33 pitches for strikes and inducing six swings and misses. He even experimented with a new-look curveball, a pitch he threw earlier in his career with limited success. Maeda had an ADP of 172 last year and pitched like an ace- now fantasy investors are getting him around pick number 52. It would be unwise to reach for him before then, as his ERA is likely to regress north of the 2.70 mark from 2020, though Maeda's swing-and-miss stuff makes him a fine second starter for fantasy teams in 2021.--Tim Capurso
Source: ESPN