#2. Michael Fulmer
2022: 3.39 ERA, 3.57 FIP, 0.7 fWAR
2023 Steamer Projections via FanGraphs: 4.09 ERA, 4.10 FIP, 0.2 fWAR
To be entirely transparent, I imagined Fulmer being a little bit higher on this list when I started, but the Steamer projections tempered my expectations a bit. However, a repeat of the last two years could make him one of the steal relievers of the year.
Fulmer came up in the league originally as a starting pitcher, and started off his career with back-to-back 3+ WAR seasons as a starter. That was good enough for him to win an American League Rookie of the Year award in 2016. In 2021, he transitioned into a nearly full-time reliever and posted a 2.97 ERA and a 1.5 WAR.
Another perk of signing of Fulmer would be his ability to make spot starts or pitch in long relief if necessary. In a long season, it’s nice to have guys who can fill multiple roles for your team.
After spending his career with the Detroit Tigers, Fulmer was traded to the Minnesota Twins at the deadline and made 26 appearances for them last year. The reason for his modest projections could be his 1.56 WHIP and 3.70 ERA for the Twins in those appearances.
At age 29, he’s also the youngest player on this list. Fulmer is a legitimate candidate to make a team who waited to sign a reliever very happy.