One of the biggest surprises this MLB season has been Texas Rangers starter Kyle Gibson. Gibson has pitched to the tune of a 6-3 record and 2.87 ERA in 2021 earning his first-ever All-Star Game selection.
What most impresses about Gibson this season is that he is consistently missing the sweet part of bats without boasting the tangibles other pitchers have who are in a similar boat.
For instance, Gibson now ranks in the 93rd percentile per Baseball Savant in barrel percentage allotted while his fastball velocity scores in the 28th and both his fastball and curveball spin score in the 45th. When it comes to someone like Gibson this year, I liken his style to that of Aaron Nola, another highly successful pitcher who does not have great metrics on his pitches.
In the case of Nola, he is able to miss bats completely and rack up strikeouts whereas Gibson’s bread and butter is still in the realm of soft contact and ground balls. Any way you slice it, Gibson is having himself a fantastic season and his performance this year has most likely earned him the denomination of a valuable trade chip the Rangers have to utilize at their disposal.
The trade deadline is a mere few days away, so here are the four teams I feel best fit Gibson and vice/versa Gibson best fits on in no particular order.