Mike Podhorzer over at FanGraphs makes the case that you should sell high on Matt Moore. He offers a very compelling argument, but I'll tell you why Moore will remain successful throughout the year.
Moore has been able to compensate for his shortcomings by increasing his slider usage, easily his best pitch. That’s going to keep him at bay in the short term, but yes he needs to correct his shortcomings before running into danger.
The good news is that the walk rate is trending in the right direction. His last 2 starts aren't a great sample size to read too much into, but a 2.08 BB/9 is at the very least a positive indicator. Moore also has a reputation for being a slow starter. He shaved .92 off of his BB/9 in the 2nd half last season, and developed better control as the season went on during his years in the minors as well.
Fewer line drives are being hit off Moore, and the pitch values on his 2 seamer and changeup are grading out higher than last year. At 23 years of age he's still a pup, still learning and improving. He will suffer some bumps and bruises at times, but Moore has the demeanor and talent of a man who will continue to frustrate opposing batters.
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