Milwaukee Brewers’ Grades: Zach Davies
Zach Davies makeup looks more like a JV pitcher than a major league starter, but that didn’t stop him from a successful major league start. The 6’0”, 160 pitcher opened eyes in his limited major league action as he was able to not only succeed, but put himself in position for a rotation spot for next season. Here is a look at the highly successful start to his career.
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Throughout his entire minor league career, Davies was excellent. While his 28-31 record is nothing special, he compiled an ERA of 3.55 in parts of four seasons.
The 22-year-old Davies debuted with Milwaukee on September 2nd and finished the year making six September starts. While he hit a few rough patches in two starts against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Davies was very strong in his other four quality starts.
Though he doesn’t have stuff that can blow batters away, he has a sneaky fastball and the best change-up on the team that can make even the best hitters look foolish. As he will be pitching half of his games in his career in Miller Park, his ability to keep hitters off-balance and get ground-ball outs will continue to be vitally important.
He saved his best for last this season in his final start as he was able to shutdown the San Diego Padres in seven shutout innings while striking out six. In all, he finished the year going three and two with a 3.71 ERA.
This past month was basically Davies chance to win a rotation role for next season and he was certainly looked to earn a spot. While nothing is guaranteed heading into next year, Davies sparkling debut should help him pencil his name into a backend spot not only for 2016, but also into the future.
Final Grade: B+