Giolito's fastball was the primary reason for his poor debut in the majors last season with Washington.

EDGE Analysis

Opposing big-league batters hit .355 and slugged .742 off Giolito's fastball (per BrooksBaseball.net) while he struck out just 11 batters in 21.1 innings. Those strikeout numbers pop out for the right-hander, who had 397 punchouts in 369 minor-league innings. MLB's Statcast indicates Giolito's spin rate was below league average. Higher spin rates correlates to swinging strikes. "I'd say the lower spin rate was probably because I wasn't extending as much. I was really flying open a lot last year. I've been working super hard to get back to basics with my mechanics this offseason and put it all together. I feel like the ball is coming out of my hands much better right now," said the 6-foot-6 Giolito. He still has the luster of a prospect despite a rude introduction to the majors in 2016. He's expected to open the 2017 at Triple-A Charlotte, with a promotion to the Windy City anticipated at some point.