Paxton is worried about his drop in velocity this season, Brendan Kuty of The Newark Star-Ledger reports. "I'm concerned. I'm trying to do everything that I can to figure out what's going on," Paxton stated following Sunday's start.

EDGE Analysis

Paxton averaged 95.4 mph on his four-seam fastball in both 2018 and 2019, but his velocity has dropped drastically to 91.8 mph on the pitch so far this season. His cutter has experienced a similar decline (from 88.1 mph in 2019 to 84.9 mph in 2020), leading to a pair of poor starts in which Paxton has allowed a combined six earned runs on 12 hits over four innings. Whether the slow beginning to the campaign and significant dip in velocity are related to the southpaw's February back surgery is undetermined, but Paxton's spot in the rotation could be in jeopardy if he is unable to turn things around relatively soon.