We see this every year. Relatively unknown pitchers have a few starts that blow us away and we simply don't know what to do. Is this player going to have a breakout season? Is this just a flash in the pan? Is it something in-between? JC Ramirez is the latest example after collecting 25 strikeouts across his last three starts and 17.2 innings. With a 3.36 xFIP to his name, a 10.96 K/9, 2.93 BB/9, and 23.9% soft contact, all the advanced peripherals are suggesting the 28-year-old may be the real deal. However, I wanted to know what makes the flamethrower tick and I watched his latest start against the Texas Rangers to get to the bottom of the Angels' phenom. Here is my inning-by-inning analysis of that start with 15 HD GIFs.
As always with our GIF Breakdowns, let's take a look at Ramirez's strikezone plot for the day:
