Add new comment

I find that I can't totally disagree with Spec, because I highly respect his analysis. But I also think that Paxton has a higher upside than Bedard, even if only due to being bigger and stronger.
I'm old enough to remember Koufax. When he was a mere mortal. In his early twenties Koufax was a high strikeout, high walk pitcher. At 24 his cumulative SO/BB was 8.9/5.3, with a WHIP of 1.4 and a W/L record four games under .500. At 25, it went to 9.5/3.4, WHIP of 1.20. At 26, it was 10.5/2.8, WHIP of 1.03. At 27, he became Sandy flippin' Koufax , three CY's in four years with an MVP and two second place MVP finishes. Something flipped the switch. (Full disclosure, I remembered the situation but looked up the stats on B-Ref; you don't really think I had them memorized from 50 years ago did you? Not that WHIP as a stat even existed in the 1960's...)
I'm not saying Paxton will become Koufax - that's practically heresy. Or that he'll be another RJ. But I think that to state "he's 25, we know what he is" is just a bit premature.