Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet there is evidence that pitchers do not have the same influence over Barrels as a batter does.Jorge Soler of the Kansas City Royals finished with a league-leading 70 Barrels hit in 2019. Mike Leake led MLB pitchers ...

Free-agent starting pitcher Mike Leake won't be playing to start the 2021 season after turning down multiple offers. If things are more back to "normal" in terms of COVID-19, Leake will be back pitching later this season if he can find the right fit. The 33-year-old right-hander opted out of the 2020 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic and had his 2021 mutual option declined by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his last full season in 2019, Leake had a 4.29 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in 197 innings with...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake will opt out of taking part in the 2020 season, according to sources. Leake fractured his left wrist in a freak offseason injury at home, but he had been throwing bullpen sessions and would've been available for Opening Day at the end of July. It's unknown if the 32-year-old right-hander is a high-risk individual for COVID-19, but either way, it looks like he won't be in play in deeper leagues for fantasy owners this year. With Leake out of the ...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) continues to make progress, but it's still unknown if he'll be ready for Opening Day. Leake, recovering from left wrist surgery, looked good during in a controlled game on Tuesday, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out four in five innings. The right-hander has not played catch or done defensive drills, but his arm looks to be in shape. Leake hopes to catch a ball next week, but he's more concerned with swinging a bat. If he's...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) threw a 68-pitch simulated game over four innings on Thursday. Leake is still sporting a cast for his left wrist fracture, and he'll need to start catching baseballs to see how much impact his wrist can handle. The right-hander struck out five in his simulated game, but it remains to be seen if he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season. He'll likely slide down to the No. 5 spot in the rotation this year behind Zac Gallen ...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) might not be ready for the start of the regular season, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Leake has been recovering from a fractured left wrist and has been throwing regular bullpen sessions, but he hasn't been cleared to pitch in a game. Lovullo likes his starters to reach 75 pitches in a game "a couple times" in the spring before having one final start approach 90 pitches. The good news is Leake probably won't be delayed too long into...

Statcast metrics such as Barrels and Brls/BBE are great ways to evaluate a batter's performance, so it is only natural to assume that the metrics would be predictive for pitchers as well. As much as batters want to hit a Barrel every time, pitchers want to avoid them at all costs. Yet there is evidence that pitchers do not have the same influence over Barrels as a batter does.Jorge Soler of the Kansas City Royals finished with a league-leading 70 Barrels hit last year. Mike Leake led MLB ...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) has a fracture on his non-throwing wrist, but he is still hoping to be ready for the start of the regular season. The 32-year-old underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday that revealed an old fracture that was aggravated by a fall caused while chasing his dog. Leake was sporting a small brace on his wrist on Thursday. He can still throw, but he will get balls out of a bucket instead of playing catch. "The plan is still to try and be ready for ...

Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Mike Leake (wrist) has left wrist soreness and is undergoing a precautionary MRI exam on Wednesday. It's to his non-pitching arm, so Leake should be fine as long as it's not a serious injury. The veteran 32-year-old had a 4.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 127 strikeouts and 27 walks in 32 starts for the Mariners and Diamondbacks in 2019. He also posted a very weak 5.8 K/9 and allowed a whopping 41 home runs, so Leake wasn't missing many bats and gave up a lot of hard ...

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Mike Leake recorded his second quality start in his last three outings on Sunday, as he allowed two runs on seven hits while striking out three over 6 1/3 innings against the Reds. While it's nice to see Leake pitching well after a rough start to his Arizona career, owners shouldn't put too much stock in his performances over the last three starts as they've come against low-scoring offenses in San Francisco, San Diego and Cincinnati. For now, consider him a matchup...