The 2023 fantasy season saw several breakout stars on the mound, from control artist George Kirby to Justin Steele, who established himself as one of the premier strikeouts artists in the game. But now that 2024 is around the corner, which pitchers could be the next great find in fantasy? Here’s a look at five potential 2024 breakout pitchers in fantasy baseball who could provide far more value than their likely draft value.
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Kutter Crawford
We’ll start our list of potential breakout pitchers in the 2024 fantasy baseball season with Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford, who did not have a strong run in Boston back in 2022.
His fortunes changed in 2023 when Crawford struck out 135 over 129.1 IP for the Sox last year. And aside from a rough patch in August, Crawford was quite reliable for Boston in the second half. The 27-year-old struck out 77 over 68 frames and opposing hitters batted just .198/.275/.351 (.626 OPS) in the second half.
Hitters had a very difficult time picking up Crawford — whose short arm action is similar to new Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito — and his four-seamer last year. It had well above-average carry (19.0” of IVB in 2023), and his collection of breaking balls and fitting cutter netted him plenty of whiffs and weak contact. The 27-year-old should be on the radars of fantasy players.
Bobby Miller
The Dodgers leaned on their young arms to get Los Angeles through turbulent times in 2023. Bobby Miller was one of those arms, as the 24-year-old looked very comfortable in his first taste of the Majors.
Miller struck out 119 over 124.1 IP and posted an ERA south of 4.00 for Los Angeles. He’s got a sinker and four-seamer that can touch the triple digits and both play well off his changeup, which is arguably his best pitch.
The additions of Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto could be game-changers for the Dodgers. And if Miller — who has frontline starter potential — can continue his growth, Los Angeles’ rotation may very well be the deepest it has been in years.
Brandon Pfaadt
The Diamondbacks saw several youngsters play key roles in the team’s run to the Fall Classic last year. One such name was Brandon Pfaadt, who logged key innings for the D-Backs in October.
The 25-year-old struck out 26 over 22 postseason innings and walked just five in the MLB Playoffs, right after what was a solid second half (4.22 ERA, 73:16 K:BB over 70.1 IP) for the D-Backs.
Pfaadt was a strikeout machine in the Minors and he’s got the potential to do the same at the MLB level. While the 5.72 ERA from 2023 looks unsightly, just know that Pfaadt got better as the year went on — and that was very much evident during the postseason.
Cristopher Sanchez
Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez emerged not just as an answer for the backend of the Phillies rotation in 2023 but also as a name to watch in fantasy for 2024.
Sanchez did not do well in his first start of the year against the Rockies last April — but he did settle in nicely after being promoted back in June. Across 19 outings (18 GS), Sanchez struck out 96 over 99.1 IP, walked just 16, and posted a respectable 3.44 ERA.
The fact that Sanchez pitches for a strong Phillies team will help his fantasy value. However, the lefty does have very good stuff. Sanchez doesn’t have an overpowering fastball but it plays very well off his plus changeup that just fades and runs away from right-handed hitters.
Bryan Woo
Mariners starter Bryan Woo pitched just 87.2 IP last year but the 23-year-old didn’t need much time to establish himself as one of the game’s best young starters.
Woo’s got three fastballs in his arsenal that can get outs: a four-seamer, two-seamer, and cutter. His four-seamer proved to be electric in 2023, as Woo recorded 104 whiffs — good for 15th in the league from his MLB debut onward — off it last year.
His four-seamer with good action and extension, paired with a devastating slider, made Woo valuable even last season when the M’s kept his innings down. Heading into 2024, he’s a name to key in on.
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