Year: 2009
WAR: 4.2
+1.4 WAR = 33.3% Improvement
Randy Wells was the quintessential overachiever for the Cubs. He was a guy who did not have a big arm, with a very low strikeout rate. But after a very successful rookie season and solid second season, injury cut his career short.
The Cubs got Wells in the 38th round of the 2002 draft, but he was taken in the Rule 5 Draft by Toronto in 2007. As with most Rule 5 picks, he didn’t stay on the roster in Toronto and we returned back to the Cubs in April of 2008.
Wells pitched 1 game for the Jays, and 3 games for the Cubs in 2008, but he broke out in 2009. He was called up in May of 2009, and was solid the who season, posting a 3.05 ERA and 1.28 WHIP, finishing 6th in the Rookie of the Year voting.
After the excellent debut, 2010 was not quite as good (although good enough that he might not truly be a “one-hit” wonder). He posted a 4.26 ERA, but had a solid 3.93 FIP – which was just a little worse that the 3.88 FIP in 2009. So, it could be argues that he was a bit luckier in 2009.
He’s video of a Randy Wells start from 2010, which did not start out great, but ended well.
The wheels started to fall off in 2011, as he ERA jumped to 4.99, and then in 2012, he started the year in the minors, and then only appeared in 12 games – 4 of them starts, before having surgery on his elbow.. He signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 2012, but retired in April of 2013 after a rough time in the minors.
From Bleacher Nation, Chicago Cubs Where Are They Now: Randy Wells – by Myles Phleps
Cubs in 7 
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