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Arodys Vizcaino: Atlanta Braves’ Closer in 2016?

By Matthew Schoettler

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Arodys Vizcaino notched his second save in as many days on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Is he making a strong case to be the closing favorite for next season?

On Saturday, Arodys Vizcaino earned his sixth save of the season and second in as many days. For the season, Vizcaino is six for seven on save opportunities and is having the best season of his young career. He has been the best relief option this season for the Atlanta Braves and could easily be the favorite moving on to next season.

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Early in the 2015 season, Vizcaino tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) and was forced to sit out for 80 games. Thus, his sample size for this season is relatively small; however, in his brief stint as the Braves’ closer, he has performed well.

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Arodys Vizcaino was named the Braves’ closer on July 31st and has not given the team any reason to pull him from that role. In 2015, Vizcaino has notched six saves, while sporting a 2.00 ERA over 29 appearances. Also, it should be noted that Vizcaino has tallied more than a strikeout per inning (1.11/IP).

The Atlanta Braves do not have quality arms in their bullpen, much less in the back-end of the bullpen; therefore, Vizcaino has been a lone bright spot in an otherwise gaudy pen (outside of Jason Grilli who suffered a season ending injury earlier in the season).

Arodys Vizcaino was acquired this past offseason from the Chicago Cubs in a somewhat quiet deal that sent he and three international signing slots to the Atlanta Braves for Tommy La Stella and one international signing slot. Both Vizcaino and La Stella have missed significant time in 2015 (suspension and injury, respectively), but Vizcaino is making a strong case to be a key component to the Braves bullpen in 2016. 

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Outside of the 2015 season, Vizcaino has pitched a total of 22.1 innings across two seasons, with the Atlanta Braves in 2011 and the Chicago Cubs in 2014. Before 2015, Arodys Vizcaino never had an ERA below 4.67; thus, there is still the possibility that 2015 is a fluke. However, he possesses a high-velocity fastball and seems to have shaken off some of the control issues from Spring Training.

2015 has been Vizcaino’s best season, undoubtedly. He has posted career-bests in nearly ever counting stat; although, his career is still in the beginning stages. He has career bests in appearances (29), wins (3), saves (6), ERA (2.00), WHIP (1.26), FIP (2.98), and K/9 (10). Look for Arodys Vizcaino to build off of his strong 2015 and carry it into 2016.

Next: Chipper Jones: Atlanta Braves' Future Hitting Coach?

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