Fantasy Baseball: 5 Pitchers Primed to Improve Their Strikeout Rates

J.A. Happ, Toronto Blue Jays

ERA: 4.15 (63rd)

Swinging-Strike Rate: 12.2% (24th)

From a traditional perspective, J.A. Happ's season-long numbers don't jump off the page. And, in large part, that's due to a single ugly outing a few turns ago.

Against the Seattle Mariners on May 10th, Happ was blasted for 10 hits and 2 walks, which led to a ghastly 7 earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings.

If you don't account for that stinker, Happ has been brilliant with a 3.14 ERA that would rank 28th among the ERA leaders. His 12.2% swinging-strike rate is easily the best mark of his career, which has led to a tasty 30.7% strikeout rate, also a career-best mark. Furthermore, he's kept walks in check with a 6.1% walk rate, which is well below his career average of 8.7%.

It's early in the season, so it's hard to predict if the 35-year-old southpaw can replicate these impressive marks over a full season, but Happ is clearly a pitcher to target if your league mates are looking to move on from last week's sour showing.