MLB

5 MLB Pitchers Who Have Taken a Huge Step Forward in 2017

Matt Musico  —  @mmusico8 Aug 25th, 2017
After a few years of so-so results, Jimmy Nelson has become one of the National League's most valuable pitchers. Which other hurlers have taken a leap forward in their development this year?

Baseball is a wonderful game, but it also has the tendency to rip your heart at the worst time imaginable (just ask Rich Hill about that). A couple inches can be the difference between success and failure, so paying attention to the details is crucial. And for those who have experienced years of mixed results in the big leagues, it's doing the small things -- a tweak here or a small shift in approach there -- that can lead to huge results.

The following five pitchers all went through their share of struggles during the 2016 season. Some struggles were more pronounced than others, but they now all have one thing in common -- they've been enjoying a tremendous year to this point in 2017.

There's still a little over a month left in the regular season, but it'll be real hard for them to erase all the good vibes they've created since toeing the slab for the first time back in April.

How exactly did they turn their fortune around despite coming off a frustrating year? Let's find out.

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