Johan Oviedo

Oviedo got his first opportunity as a starter across a full season in the majors in 2023, which was characterized by inconsistency. Judging solely by his surface stats, he allowed five or more earned runs in six of 32 starts. On the other hand, he allowed two or fewer earned runs on 18 occasions. The end result was a 4.31 ERA paired with a 1.37 WHIP across 177.2 innings. Unfortunately, news emerged early in the offseason that Oviedo was dealing with elbow inflammation, and shortly thereafter it was announced that he would undergo Tommy John surgery -- meaning he won't take the mound again until 2025. His only potential appeal would be in dynasty or deep keeper leagues, but there should be significant concerns about his skills after returning from surgery. More specifically, his 10.6 BB% was a problem that contributed to his inconsistent results in 2022, something that could only worsen once he is able to return.

Oviedo split the 2022 season between the Cardinals and Pirates and posted 56 total innings at the big-league level. By the time he was traded to Pittsburgh, Oviedo had shifted to primarily a relief role, though that changed with the Pirates as his final seven appearances with the club came out of the rotation. He posted a strong 3.23 ERA in that span, but underlying concerns about his walk rate (11.9 percent) were still present. Both his struggles with control and his pitch mix - Oviedo relies primarily on a fastball and slider-suggest his future role could end up being in high-leverage relief. However, the Pirates are still in a rebuild and looking to find long-term contributors, meaning they could give Oviedo - who will only be 25 on Opening Day -- a long look as a starter in 2023.

Oviedo was thrown right into the fire by the Cards in 2020, making important September starts in his first year of major-league experience. The right-hander ended the season with a 5.47 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a 16:10 K:BB across 24.2 innings (five starts). We didn't see the same strikeout stuff from the 22-year-old in the bigs compared to what we saw at Triple-A in 2019, as he posted a 14.3 K% in 2020 versus a 24.9 K% at Double-A. Despite this, Oviedo showcased a strong pitching repertoire, flashing a fastball around 95 mph, along with a slider as his clear No. 2 pitch. The prospect wasn't dominant by any means in 2020, but he should still receive an opportunity to at least compete for a starting job in spring training. It would be a surprise if Oviedo wasn't called up to the big club at some point in 2021.