The rising Chicago White Sox were busy this offseason in free agency, and their top pitching addition was veteran lefty Dallas Keuchel. Here are two props available to wager at Mybookie on Keuchel’s 2020 MLB season – assuming there is one – and an overview.
Dallas Keuchel MLB Awards Odds & Analysis For 2020 Season
- Most wins of any pitcher: Keuchel is a long shot at +7500
- AL Cy Young Award: Keuchel is +4500 to win his second career Cy Young
Last year was a weird one for former AL Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel. He expected to get a long-term, rich contract offer following a 2018 season with Houston in which Keuchel was 12-11 with a 3.74 ERA – his fourth career season winning at least 12 games; he won 20 in 2015 when Keuchel won the Cy Young with the Astros.
While Keuchel led the American League with 34 starts in 2018, he also allowed 211 hits, the most in the majors. Perhaps that red flag is why no teams gave in to Keuchel’s contract demands so he missed the start of the 2019 campaign. The lefty spent much of the first two months of the season working out and throwing simulated games, waiting for offers. Many teams didn’t want to sign either Keuchel until after June 3, when they would no longer have to forfeit a pick in the 2019 MLB Draft as compensation.
Finally, Keuchel signed with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year, $13 million deal. In 19 starts for Atlanta during the 2019 regular season, he went 8-8 with a 3.75 ERA (47 ER/112.2 IP). He lost each of his last three starts dating to September 17, pitching to a 6.19 ERA (11 ER/16.0 IP). The three losses came after he won five consecutive starts, August 20 to September 11, for the first time in his career.
Despite his three-game losing streak, he pitched to a 2.55 ERA (15 ER/53.0 IP) over his last nine starts. His ERA during the stretch, from August 14 through the end of the season, was eighth lowest in the National League.
Overall, Keuchel allowed opponents to bat .265 (115-for-434) against him in 2019 with a .338 on-base percentage and .426 slugging. With runners in scoring position, he held opponents to a .177/.307/.333 line, with 17 hits in 96 at-bats. Opponents hit .110 points lower with runners in scoring position than they did no one on base (.287, 68-for-237). In 47 opponent at-bats with runners in scoring position and two outs, he allowed just eight hits (.170) and 10 RBI.
From his season debut on June 21 through the end of the season, Keuchel induced 208 ground balls, easily most in the majors. He led the majors in both ground ball percentage (61.0) and ground ball/fly ball ratio (3.65) since his debut. Oakland’s Brett Anderson ranked second in the majors with 174 ground balls in that span. Keuchel had 16 grounded into double plays in 2019, most in the National League since he debuted. He led the majors in both ground ball percentage (61.0) and ground ball/fly ball ratio (3.65) since his June 21 debut.
Keuchel got the call in Game 1 of the NLDS vs. St. Louis and allowed one run over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision. Keuchel gave up five hits, walked three and struck out none. In Game 4, he lasted just 3 1/3 innings, allowing three runs in the Braves’ loss. Pitching on short rest, Keuchel retired the first two batters of the bottom of the first inning but then served up back-to-back home runs to Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna. He was taken deep again by Ozuna in the fourth before being yanked following a one-out walk.
But things worked out for him in the end as the White Sox signed Dallas Keuchel to a three-year, $55.5 million contract in late December. Keuchel is set to receive $18 million in each year of the contract while the deal includes a $20 million club option for 2023 with a $1.5 million buyout. He adds experience to a staff which features Lucas Giolito and multiple promising young arms. Keuchel allowed five runs over 7 2/3 innings of work this spring before the shutdown.
