7 years agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marco Estrada struggled through sleep issues midway through the 2017 season, which caused him to have a bloated 8.87 ERA with 33 walks in 45 2/3 innings in June and July. Before that, the right-hander posted a 3.15 ERA through April and May. He finished out the season with a 3.68 ERA in five September starts. "I was having issues with sleeping -- stressing out, stressing about being traded and a few little things. I'd been struggling. It all kind of snowballed together. I stopped sleeping. But once I knocked all that stuff out, I was able to get back on track," Estrada said. Walks continue to haunt him, and the BABIP gods also caught up to him in 2017. Estrada is unlikely to go through such a dreadful stretch again in 2018, but at 34 years old, he probably won't ever be as good as he was in his first few seasons in Toronto. Homer allowance is also a big issue in one of baseball's best hitting environments.--Keith Hernandez - RotoBaller
Source: MLB.com - Jon Paul Morosi