Jhoan Duran

Duran once again led the league with 473 pitches thrown at 100 mph or greater. Even more impressive, he averaged 102 mph on his four-seamer, which was actually an improvement over 2022's 101 mph average on the pitch. Duran's secondary offerings were effective too -- he generated a 45.9% whiff percentage on his curveball while throwing more splitters (+11.3% pitch usage) than he did in his rookie season. His 65.9% groundball percentage complemented his 96th percentile strikeout rate (32.9%), but Duran issued more free passes with a below-average walk rate that approached 10%. The 26-year-old tallied a career-high 27 saves as Minnesota's primary closer and his 71.1% team save share was 10th-highest among relievers. Duran certainly has the upside to be a top-five closer in the league, but for now, he figures to settle in as one of the top 8-12 closers for 2024 drafts. Read Past Outlooks