ZiPS Midseason Movers and Shakers: Pitchers

The scoop

Which pitchers have defied preseason expectations most dramatically at baseball's midpoint? ZiPS's midseason projection update reveals striking shifts: Shohei Ohtani and Cristopher Sánchez lead improvers with ERA+ jumps of 23.8 and 21.8 points respectively, while starter Alek Manoah and reliever Bryan Abreu top decliners with drops of 21.9 and 33.7 points. The system accounts for three months of new performance data, showing how small adjustments accumulate to reshape career trajectories, with some prospects like Mason Miller and Yaqui Rivera emerging as dramatically better investments than initially projected.