Given that it has taken Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer the better part of five years in the majors to fully harness his overpowering/ace-like repertoire, it makes what Los Angeles Dodgers rookie hurler Walker Buehler has accomplished in 2018 that much more impressive. Just 41 innings into his rookie campaign as a member of the team's rotation, Buehler has been a godsend for the perpetually injured Dodgers rotation as he goes into his next start with just a 2.20 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and a sparkling 10.54 K/9. Known for his massive strikeout potential, perhaps the most impressive part of Buehler's performance so far is the fact he is not giving up free passes which was always the biggest concern here as it is for most young power arms. With just a tiny 1.98 BB/9 so far, Buehler has actually performed like a control maven and when you consider the impressive K/9 rate that was always going to be a part of the equation, it is making him an almost impossible chore for opposing hitters. Also keeping the ball in the park (0.44 HR/9), Buehler looks here to stay as a high-end SP 2 talent right out of the gate who could be an ace as quickly as the start of 2019. Now we still have to think that maybe some of the walks creep back into the picture as opposing hitters learn more about Buehler's tendencies and a .260 BABIP has certainly been on the lucky side in terms of ERA but overall, the kid is already an every-time-out starter who is heading to stardom already.
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