This new Giolito is still very, very good. He's just not a dominant stuff guy anymore, showing elite pitchability and getting outs by outsmarting hitters rather than overpowering them. He uses his two breaking balls to change the hitter's eye level, often pitching backward and starting hitters with breaking balls to get to the fastball later in the plate appearance. Sometimes became too predictable, with hitters taking big cuts on first pitch curves.

His fastball-curve-slider combination is major-league quality, with only consistency and command potentially holding him back. Whether or not his changeup will develop enough to get opposite-handed hitters out enough is an open question. There's also a question of whether or not getting his lower half more engaged might lead to more velocity, or if it would undo some of the command gains he's seen.

Giolito brings a maturity to the mound that is clearly evident as he works. He works methodically, setting hitters up with purpose pitches, to maximize the effectiveness of pitches later in the plate appearance. His margin for error is much lower than it once was, but he seems to have bridged that gap with a more cerebral approach. Right now Giolito is a likely mid-rotation starter, and at 23 years old there's reason to think he can still improve. The ceiling just isn't quite as high as it once was.