Kevin Gausman is Ron Darling's candidate for top breakout player in 2017

[Frobby]

Wish I had a link for this but on MLB Network this morning, they asked Ron Darling if there was a young player he expected to break out this year, and he immediately answered Kevin Gausman and went into about three minutes of praise for him, including how his breaking pitch has improved.    Hope he's right -- that's a big key to our season.   

[Es4M11]

Very excited for Gausman this season. Really looked like he found something late last year - what? I don't know, but his demeanor on the mound was different (more composed/confident) the last two months of the season.

I'm expecting big things. Ace-like things...

[LC_O's_87]

If he can improve that breaking ball so more, keep his confidence in the pitch and improve those results against RHBs, there is a lot of potential for growth.

2015 RHB OPS against was .842

2016 RHB OPS against was .812.  Better news, that was with a .340 BABIP.

If he's ever going to vault himself into a top of the rotation guy, this is the year.

[Sanfran327]

I'm hoping for a season worth of a few Cy Young votes from Rage Cage. 

That's levitation, homes.

[Aristotelian]

Good choice. I think he was somewhat under the radar due to his lack of W's. Even without any improvement, a 3.65 ERA in the AL East is quite good. 4.0 rWAR is outstanding. He is the only guy on the staff that I really trust to throw strikes and attack hitters. More than anybody on the staff, he has the potential to throw that CG no-hitter that we have been waiting to see.

He did give up a lot of HR, but plus K's and BB/9.  I would guess 20 or more of those HR were on hanging sliders. If he can just cut down on those mistakes, I think Darling may be right. 

[wildcard]

I guess  that makes Kevin Ron's darling.

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

More than anybody on the staff, he has the potential to throw that CG no-hitter that we have been waiting to see.

Tillman has come close a few times.    He's had two 8 inning one -hitters and several other very dominant games.    

[Drifter]

4 hours ago, Frobby said:

Wish I had a link for this but on MLB Network this morning, they asked Ron Darling if there was a young player he expected to break out this year, and he immediately answered Kevin Gausman and went into about three minutes of praise for him, including how his breaking pitch has improved.    Hope he's right -- that's a big key to our season.   

Actually, I hope he's only 1/2 right.. I hope the other 1/2 is Dylan Bundy!

[25 Nuggets]

6 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Good choice. I think he was somewhat under the radar due to his lack of W's. Even without any improvement, a 3.65 ERA in the AL East is quite good. 4.0 rWAR is outstanding. He is the only guy on the staff that I really trust to throw strikes and attack hitters.

Bundy had 8.5 K/9 last year and 1.7 rWAR in just over 100 innings. 

[Aristotelian]

2 hours ago, 25 Nuggets said:

Bundy had 8.5 K/9 last year and 1.7 rWAR in just over 100 innings. 

Never went more than 7 innings, though. I fully expect him to put up at least a couple no-no's during his Oriole career.

[25 Nuggets]

58 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Never went more than 7 innings, though. I fully expect him to put up at least a couple no-no's during his Oriole career.

That's a tall order.  Twenty nine (29) pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball have multiple no hitters:

• Nolan Ryan (7)
• Sandy Koufax (4)
• Larry Corcoran (3)
• Bob Feller (3)
• Cy Young (3)
• Jake Arrieta
• Homer Bailey
• Steve Busby
• Jim Bunning
• Carl Erskine
• Bob Forsch
• Pud Galvin
• Roy Halladay
• Ken Holtzman
• Randy Johnson
• Addie Joss
• Dutch Leonard
• Tim Lincecum
• Jim Maloney
• Christy Mathewson
• Hideo Nomo
• Allie Reynolds
• Max Scherzer
• Warren Spahn
• Bill Stoneman
• Virgil Trucks
• Johnny Vander Meer
• Justin Verlander
• Don Wilson

No Clemens, no Maddux, no Lefty Grove or Pete Alexander or Bob Gibson or a slew of other all time greats.

[BradyBunch]

5 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Never went more than 7 innings, though. I fully expect him to put up at least a couple no-no's during his Oriole career.

Bundy has a better chance then Gausman at this point to do it once. But also remember most of us watched Moose pitch and saw how hard it was several times (1992, 1997, 1998 and 2000).

[Frobby]

If Gausman or Bundy has Mussina's career, they can skip the no-no's.

[Dark Helmet]

23 hours ago, Frobby said:

Tillman has come close a few times.    He's had two 8 inning one -hitters and several other very dominant games.    

Was it 2014 when he threw 6 no-hitter innings and was pulled? I wanna say it was on OD against the Rays.

[weams]

13 hours ago, 25 Nuggets said:

That's a tall order.  Twenty nine (29) pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball have multiple no hitters:

• Nolan Ryan (7)
• Sandy Koufax (4)
• Larry Corcoran (3)
• Bob Feller (3)
• Cy Young (3)
• Jake Arrieta
• Homer Bailey
• Steve Busby
• Jim Bunning
• Carl Erskine
• Bob Forsch
• Pud Galvin
• Roy Halladay
• Ken Holtzman
• Randy Johnson
• Addie Joss
• Dutch Leonard
• Tim Lincecum
• Jim Maloney
• Christy Mathewson
• Hideo Nomo
• Allie Reynolds
• Max Scherzer
• Warren Spahn
• Bill Stoneman
• Virgil Trucks
• Johnny Vander Meer
• Justin Verlander
• Don Wilson

No Clemens, no Maddux, no Lefty Grove or Pete Alexander or Bob Gibson or a slew of other all time greats.

No Mussina. Not one.