Is it really unfair for world champions to add high-impact players before a new season? While the focus is on the NBA, it’s easy to forget that the Astros acquired star pitcher Gerrit Cole from the Pirates this past offseason.

Cole, who took a no-decision Wednesday night in Arlington after having his scheduled start moved up a day, is having a stellar season. He’s similar to Luis Severino of the Yankees in that the market hasn’t quite figured out how to price him.

Houston is 15-3 in Cole’s 18 starts, which equates to -500 on the money line. Thus far, he’s “seemed” expensive for betting purposes, but been a bargain.

Check out this stat line:

This hard thrower gets outs while going deep enough to hand off to Houston’s most effective relief pitchers.

Cole presents an interesting study sample regarding the impact of Minute Maid Park, which has been a strong pitchers’ park in recent seasons despite having “bandbox” dimensions. One of the theories for that is poor visibility. Characteristics unique to the stadium (side windows, odd glare off reflections) may make it harder for hitters to pick up the ball.

Cole’s huge jump in strikeout rate this season backs that up:

Of course, Cole is getting a lot of strikeouts on the road too this year (11.4 K/9). Maybe he’s particularly well-suited to thriving in a free-swinging environment, and the sport’s evolution is playing right into his hands.

Cole goes on the list of pitchers who sharp handicappers need to monitor until the market properly reflects their 2018 performance level.