Pitching isn’t easy. That’s especially the case early in the season. Length is still being built up, and strength is being worked through. Just out of Spring Training, pitchers are just starting to find their sea legs after working through their repertoire. All we can do is work off what we’ve seen, at this point, even if it’s just one start. Seeing results on the field is one thing, but finding supporting data to back up the success takes things to the next level. Let’s dig into three pitchers whose FIPs have caught my attention after their first start.
Fantasy Baseball Advanced Pitching Stats
MacKenzie Gore
The object of the game, from a pitching perspective, is to keep the other team from scoring. Yes, that’s common sense, but there’s only so low the run totals can go. It’s impossible for a pitcher to allow negative runs, but MacKenzie Gore’s FIP of -1.46 attempts to imply just that.
It was a tough Opening Day assignment for Gore as he faced the Phillies. I, for one, fell into the trap as the left-hander sat securely on my bench. Instead, Gore dominated Philadelphia, allowing just one hit. Perhaps more impressively, Gore didn’t walk a batter while striking out 13. Quite simply, Gore was in complete control and all of his pitches were working as intended.
There will be a point at which Gore’s FIP doesn’t reflect that he’s owed runs, but the left-hander is certainly beginning the year from a position of success and strength. Equally as important, was Gore’s 13 strikeouts. After consistently striking out a batter per inning in the last two years, prolific numbers shouldn’t be coming as a surprise from Gore.
After finishing with a 3.90 ERA, Gore is certainly on the right track to take the next step in 2025. He averages about 96 miles per hour on his fastball and we should continue to see similar success. His FIP, among other things, certainly supports that.
Brady Singer
With a 1.44 FIP, we aren’t dealing with negative runs, but there will be a lot of happy people if Brady Singer keeps it up. The right-hander wasn’t necessarily a bad pitcher with the Royals, but he also never really stood out from the pack. That’s not to say he’s going to now win a Cy Young in his first year with the Reds, but Singer did have a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts last year.
Singer doesn’t rely on velocity, but he did strike out eight in his debut over seven shutout innings with just one hit and two walks. The cost for Singer was minimal on draft day, and it’s highly likely he’s still available in the majority of fantasy leagues. You can never have enough pitching, and Cincinnati’s new starter is worth a closer look.
Jeffrey Springs
The best news for Jeffrey Springs is that he’s healthy in 2025 and enters the season without restrictions. The good news is that Springs made his first start of the season in Seattle. There’s nothing specific about Seattle, or even the Mariners for that matter, that stands out. What must be noted is that the start came on the road.
We are only a few games into the season, but based on what we have seen, along with previous results, the Athletics’ home park is clearly going to favor hitters. That might push Springs and his teammates into streaming territory, but at the least, it’s something to keep an eye on.
Springs takes a 0.37 FIP into his second start of the season with six shutout innings against the Mariners. He allowed just three hits and a walk, but more notably, he struck out nine. That’s bound to generate optimism, at least when Springs is on the road.
