Atlanta Braves Fifth Starter: Top Contenders

Feb 23, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Foltynewicz throws during spring training workouts at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Spring is in the air for the Atlanta Braves and fans, and each day we hunger for breaking news about who is performing well, and ultimately which players will make that final roster. 

For the Atlanta Braves, like any other team in spring training, there are a myriad of factors involved in deciding who will make the final roster. They range from the obvious factors of performance to intangibles such as how well a prospect carries himself in the locker room, or how well he gets along with his potential teammates and coaches. 

We already know (for the most part) who the top four starters for the Braves will likely be, in the following probable order: Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, Shelby Miller, and Mike Minor. While there are some lingering questions about how well Minor will perform, that order is a good bet.

The only question remaining is who will win the battle for the fifth spot, and while we have no hard data on any of those intangibles, we can look at past performance, present spring performance, and make a prediction.

While there are many prospects and invitees vying for the spot, I’ll take a closer look at the top contenders (in no particular order) for the fifth spot, highlight strengths and weaknesses, and give you my gut on who will come out on top.

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