Al Alburquerque took a big step forward in 2014. Always an elite strikeout artist since his Tigers' debut in 2011, Alburquerque finally got the walks under control to match and proceeded to post the most consistent season of his career. But for those who thought this signified a sustainable breakthrough, the opening month of the 2015 season was sobering.
For most of April, Alburquerque's average velocity was down a few miles an hour on both his two-seam fastball and the slider he's made his name with. Even more worrisome was the lack of bite on that slider.