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Matt Wisler Showing Growth Throughout September

By Jonathan Savitske

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The Atlanta Braves acquired Matt Wisler in a trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel and maligned center-fielder Melvin Upton Jr. to the San Diego Padres the day before the 2015 season began.

Wisler was the centerpiece of the deal by nature of being a top 5 prospect within the Padres organization, and came to the Atlanta Braves with high expectations. After being called up in the middle of June, Matt Wisler has had his ups and downs as a rookie starter.

-= Related: Atlanta Braves: Over/Under 4th Place in NL East in 2016? =-

Wisler has pitched well at home, posting a 3.44 ERA this season at Turner Field. Most of Wisler’s struggles have been on the road, where he owns an unsightly 6.75 ERA. After having respectable months of June and July where he posted a 3.75 and 3.30 ERA in each month, Matt Wisler struggled mightily in the month of August with a 7.85 ERA.

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Matt Wisler hit the nadir of his season during his start against the Washington Nationals on September 3rd, where he pitched only 1.2 innings and gave up 7 runs. Wisler was briefly pulled from the rotation by manager Fredi Gonzalez, and saw action out of the bullpen later in that Washinton series, where he pitched 2 innings of shutout ball. Before his September 3rd start, Wisler had a 9.74 ERA in his previous 7 outings.

Ever since his short stint in the bullpen in early September, Matt Wisler has been a completely different pitcher, and has made strides towards becoming a dominant starter in years to come. Since September 3rd, Matt Wisler has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 3 out of his last 4 starts, posting 3.33 ERA since then.

In Tuesday’s start against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field, Matt Wisler pitched 7 innings of 1 run ball, looking simply dominant for most of the game. Confidence is everything for a starting pitcher, and it seems that Matt Wisler has improved his command of the strikezone over the past  month.

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As the 2015 season draws to a close, the Atlanta Braves must look ahead to the future — and Matt Wisler’s progress over the past month brings optimism when speculating about 2016. Before Mike Foltynewicz‘s injury, he had also made significant strides in his development. Now Wisler seems to have turned the corner.

With a young starting rotation, patience is key. Cubs ace pitcher Jake Arrieta did not develop overnight, and it took a couple of seasons for him to grow into one of the game’s top arms. The Atlanta Braves starting pitching has turned a corner over the past few weeks, and looks to take the next step in 2016. 

Next: Atlanta Braves Beat Nats 2-1, AJ Homers Twice

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