Kevin McAvoy

McAvoy is a 2014 fourth-round draft pick who made the leap from short-season Lowell in 2014 to High-A Salem in 2015. Initially, it went well for McAvoy, who posted a 2.04 ERA though his first 39.2 innings, but a closer look reveals a .234 BABIP and a 25-to-21 strikeout-to-walk rate that hinted at the good ERA being a mirage. And so it was -- he went into a two-month stretch of 6.59 ERA over 56 innings, while allowing 71 hits and 30 walks while striking out just 30. His low-strikeout / high-walk profile will be problematic unless he can keep the ball down and induce groundball outs -- something he did very well over the final eight starts. He went 6-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 45.1 innings. The 27:20 K:BB ratio was still ugly, but his 2.47 GB/FB ratio helps. The fastball sits low-90s with some sink, but he struggles to command / control it; he also has a low-80s slider with some bite and a mid-80s changeup that's a work-in-progress. If he can get a third pitch, he will avoid a shift to the bullpen.