Giolito's fastball was the primary reason for his poor debut in the majors last season with Washington.
Opposing big-league batters hit .355 and slugged .742 off Giolito's fastball (per BrooksBaseball.net) while he struck out just 11 batters in 21.1 innings. Those strikeout numbers pop out for the right-hander, who had 397 punchouts in 369 minor league innings. MLB's Statcast indicates Giolito's spin rate was below league average. Higher spin rates correlates to swinging strikes. "I'd say the lower spin rate was probably because I wasn't extending as much. I was really flying open a lot last year. I've been working super hard to get back to basics with my mechanics this offseason and put it all together. I feel like the ball is coming out of my hands much better right now," said the 6-foot-6 Giolito. He still has the luster of a prospect despite a rude introduction to the majors in 2016. He's expected to open the 2017 at Triple-A Charlotte, with a promotion to the Windy City anticipated at some point.