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His full-season numbers don’t scream “breakout,” but last year’s career-best 2.8 BB/9 can’t be ignored. Furthermore, Norris also induced ground balls at a 42.2 percent clip. While he’s no Rick Porcello (maybe that’s a good thing), Norris’ 2014 ground-ball rate was the second highest of his career, and considering the strength of the Orioles’ infield — particularly on the left side — more ground balls is certainly a welcome trend.
It wasn’t all about fewer walks and more grounders for Norris. He also found an extra gear in the second half, posting a 9.32 K-rate and limiting his home runs allowed (0.97 per nine). That helped him deliver a 3.27 ERA (3.42 xFIP) after the break.
Norris has been so average over his career that he’ll slip through the cracks in a lot of drafts. He doesn’t need to be your No. 1, 2 or even 3 starter, but make sure you’re giving him a little love in your pre-draft prep.
CWi Last Word: Bud Norris can be drafted as a back-end fantasy starter, but the improvements he made in 2014 suggest he’s capable of emerging as a No. 3 on a playoff-bound fantasy squad. He’s a very solid bet to outproduce his ADP.
CWi Projection: 202 IP, 182 K, 65 BB, 3.50 ERA, 1.22 WHIP.
For more fantasy baseball sleepers, tips, and updates to the CWi (Craig Williams index) throughout the season, follow @craigmwilliams on Twitter.
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