Being a baseball fan at this point in the year is half about rooting for the present, and half about thinking of the future. Let's examine several starting pitchers who have shown certain signs. Coming into the season, there were expectations for every starter on every team. I'll highlight 10 starters who have changed those expectations the most. So it's not just about identifying good or bad performances -- it's about identifying performances that suggest there's more good or bad yet to come.
A year ago, Aaron Sanchez's strong beginning suggested he'd taken the next step toward becoming a reliable starter. On the opposite side of things, Shelby Miller's poor beginning marked a season that went off track. With those examples in mind, which 2017 pitchers have improved the most, and which have done the reverse?
Let's start with the happy ones. A quick math note: I'm including current ERA projections and preseason ERA projections. These are based on a 50/50 blend of the ZiPS and Steamer projection systems.
Whose stock is rising the most?
5. Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics
Preseason projected ERA: 4.01
Current projected ERA: 4.03
Gray is something of a personal pick. According to the projections, one could argue that Gray actually looks a tiny bit worse now, but I don't find that to be an accurate reflection of his circumstance. Before the season, there was widespread concern that Gray might not be able to recover from a miserable 2016 season. But he has pretty much gotten himself back on track, allowing the A's to think about a wild-card run or his value in a midseason blockbuster.