Zack Greinke, pitcher, Arizona Diamondbacks
Greinke is coming off a shoulder injury which ended his season a few weeks early in his worst statistical campaign we’ve seen in years. After inking with the Arizona Diamondbacks for big money, Greinke flopped in Year One of his six-year, $206 million deal with a 4.37 ERA and 4.12 FIP.
For those counting, that’s a 2.71-run spike in ERA and a 1.36-run shift in FIP between 2015 — when Greinke was one of the best pitchers in baseball — and last season. Coming into this year, there are still outstanding questions about his shoulder — D-backs manager Torey Lovullo has held him at a slower pace than other pitchers this spring — not to mention his pitching.
Without another star, or even another particularly reliable pitcher on the staff, Arizona will be relying on Greinke to carry the load in the rotation. Of course, relying on a 33-year old to do such a thing is nary a smart idea — former GM Dave Stewart was fired for a reason. But it’s where the D-backs are right now, and it’s better to be relying on Greinke than, for example, Robbie Ray.
An All-Star season from Greinke won’t stop Arizona from struggling in the NL West, but it will embolden his Hall of Fame case. Without much postseason success, Greinke’s lone Cy Young Award, three Gold Gloves and three All-Star appearances are underwhelming, as is his 54.4 career WAR.
Another strong season, however, and perhaps Greinke’s case can gain more steam when he’s on the ballot.