MLB: Three Breakout Players That Will Regress

Rich Hill

Journeyman Rich Hill is a great MLB story to tell. Hill seemed to be a big league bust. With injuries and lack of performance, he saw himself in and out of the big leagues his entire career. As recent as 2015, Hill was pitching in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, hoping for a return to MLB. Fast forward to October of 2016, where we saw Hill throw six shutout innings against the eventual World Series champion Chicago Cubs. However, that may be the happy ending that Hill gets, as father time is the only unbeaten opponent. Against time, with a history of injuries, Hill’s breakout 2016 will prove to be one lone season.

Hill is one of the most perplexing pitchers in baseball, as he manages to succeed only throwing two primary pitches, a fastball and a curve ball. Hill doesn’t possess much velocity either, as his fastball averages around 90 miles per hour. The thing that has made Hill successful is his ability to change arm slots, differing the flight path of his pitches each time. It is a technique that is most prevalent in wiffle ball, and while it has worked for him now it may not in the future. The true fact of the matter is that Hill will turn 37 in March. While some guys have been successful in their aged years, Hill will not be one of them.

The primary reason for this is outside of 2016 Hill has not done much with his big league career. He has only thrown over 100 innings twice, last season and in 2007. He hasn’t shown the ability to remain consistent and actually produce for a season’s length rather than good spurts here and there. As much as I want Hill to succeed, he will prove to be a dud for the Dodgers. Wasting not only prospects last season, but $48 million over the next three seasons.