Philadelphia Phillies: 3 bold predictions for the 2021 season

Zach Eflin finally takes that next step.

Depending on who you ask, this may not be perceived as a “bold prediction”, but I still think it’s applicable. While Zach Eflin finished out the 2020 season in some stunningly strong form, he’s been a wildly inconsistent pitcher for the majority of his major league career – he’s no guaranteed ace quite yet.

However, looking at both ERA and WHIP, Eflin had the best year of his career in 2020. He ended up being the Philadelphia Phillies most reliable starter down the stretch, an outcome that have people pretty excited about a Nola/Wheeler/Eflin three-headed monster in 2021. One of the main reasons Eflin got so much better was due to his strikeout numbers, as his K/9 rate jumped up to a career-high 10.7. A lot of this can be attributed to former pitching coach Bryan Price, who is pretty widely regarded as an elite pitching coach.

While Price ultimately decided to leave the organization, the Phillies were smart to add rising pitching coach star Caleb Cotham, a guy who specifically helped Trevor Bauer blossom into a Cy Young winner in Cincinnati. Cotham will almost undoubtedly continue to push Eflin to hunt strikeouts via an improved curveball and increasing velocity – a dynamic that should lead to a strong 2021 from Eflin.

My prediction? 10-14 wins and a 3.50 ERA.