There are 3 candidates that desvere a shot for the final spot in the starting rotation: Ryne Nelson, Drey Jameson, and Brandon Pfaadt...
Candidate #1: Ryne Nelson
There is no way around it; Nelson struggled at the minor league level a season ago. In 26 AAA starts, Nelson went 10-5 which is impressive but he had an ERA of 5.43 and a BAA of .264. A 5.43 ERA is not impressive in any way. He also struck out 128 batters over 136 innings which is not a dominant rate either. So if Nelson wasn’t good in triple-A in 2022, why is he a candidate?
Given it is a small sample size, but in 3 starts with the Diamondbacks a season ago Ryne was dominant. Nelson went 1-1 with a 1.47 ERA over 18.1 innings. What is equally impressive is over those 18.1 innings he recorded a 0.82 WHIP and a .145 BAA. Now you see why he is a candidate? Nelson possesses a dominant 4-seam fastball that recorded a -4 run value in his short stint in the bigs. If he can develop his off-speed pitches to match the effectiveness of his heater, Nelson could work his way up the rotation rather quickly…
Candidate #2: Drey Jameson
Like Nelson, Jameson struggled mightily in triple-A ball last season. In 25 starts, Jameson went 7-13 with a 6.31 ERA and a .286 BAA. Yikes!
Also like Nelson, Jameson was dominant in his short stint with Arizona in 22’. In 4 starts, Jameson went 3-0 with a 1.48 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP. He also had 24 strikeouts over 24.1 innings. Jameson’s best pitch is a devastating slider that moves A TON. Both Jameson’s slider and fastball recorded a -3 run value a season ago. Nelson and Jameson have some growing to do, but they both have looked really good in the big leagues…
Candidate #3: Brandon Pfaadt
Unlike Nelson and Jameson, Pfaddt was solid in the minors a season ago. Over 10 AAA starts, Pfaddt went 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. Easy to get behind those numbers as a fan of this team. Pfaddt didn’t make it to the bigs in the regular season but he did get to pitch last spring training; it was only for 3 innings and 17 pitches. In those 3 innings, however, he only gave up one earned run. Pfaddt is expected to see some more innings this spring training, and all those innings will be crucial to his future. Out of these 3 candidates, it is safe to say Pfaddt has the highest ceiling…
Final Verdict: Ryne Nelson