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Alex Wood began the season in the Dodgers bullpen but ended up an integral part of the starting rotation.
What went right
After a spot start in the second week of the season, Wood joined the starting rotation for good by the 17th game of the season.
Wood made his first All-Star team thanks to winning his first 11 decisions, and posted a 1.67 ERA before the break.
He was National League Pitcher of the Month in May after going 5-0 with a 1.27 ERA with 41 strikeouts and seven walks.
At 16-3, Wood is one of just seven pitchers in Dodgers history to win at least 16 games in a season while losing no more than three times.
Wood allowed zero or one run in 13 of his 25 starts during the regular season.
Wood allowed just one run on one hit in 7⅔ innings in the World Series, including a start in Game 4 and shutout relief in Game 7. Wood didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning in his World Series start against the Astros, the deepest a Dodgers pitcher has taken a no-hitter in a postseason start.
Wood received one fifth-place vote and finished ninth in National League Cy Young Award voting.
What went wrong
After allowing just two home runs before the All-Star break, Wood allowed 13 home runs after the break, with a corresponding drop in ground ball rate from 63.5% to 44.2%. Wood’s average velocity on his two-seamer also declined from 92.95 mph before the break to 91.23 mph afterward.
He allowed a grand slam to pitcher Jaime Garcia on July 21, Wood’s first loss of the season.
Wood took two turns on the disabled list during the season for inflammation in his SC joint, near the clavicle. He missed 11 games in May and June, and was sidelined 13 games in August and September.
2017 particulars
Age: 26
Stats: 16-3, 2.72 ERA, 3.32 FIP, 152 IP, 151 K, 38 BB
Salary: $2.8 million
Game of the year
Wood struck out 10 Diamondbacks — one of three double-digit strikeout games for Wood in 2017 — in seven shutout innings on July 5 at Dodger Stadium.
Roster status
With four years, 123 days of major league service time, Wood has two more years of salary arbitration eligibility before reaching free agency. MLB Trade Rumors projects Wood to earn $6.4 million in 2018.