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Atlanta Braves Starting Rotation Ends ’15 Strong, Brings Optimism for ’16

By Jonathan Savitske

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The Atlanta Braves starting rotation was, for the most part, an unmitigated disaster for much of the tumultuous 2015 regular season.

2015 was a year of change for the Atlanta Braves across the board that started on opening day and did not stabilize until the final month of the season. The back end of the rotation was a revolving door for much of the year. The 2015 regular season began with both Eric Stults and Trevor Cahill as a part of the starting rotation in addition to Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Shelby Miller.

-= Related: Atlanta Braves Finish Season by Sweeping Doubleheader, Cardinals =-

Stults was intended to be this season’s version of Aaron Harang — an affordable veteran trying to rejunevate his career in Atlanta who could possibly be an effective lefty to eat up innings. Trevor Cahill was acquired by the Atlanta Braves for a minor leaguer in early April. A former top prospect, the Braves hoped that under Pitching Coach Roger McDowell, Cahill could recapture some of his talent and be an effective contributor on this re-imagined Atlanta Braves team.

Both Stults and Cahill struggled mightily during their time with the Braves. Stults had a 5.85 in 47.2 innings pitched while Cahill owned a 7.82 ERA in 26 innings pitched (3 starts and 12 bullpen appearances as a long reliever). Stults was eventually shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in May in the Juan Uribe trade, while Cahill was DFA’d in June. 

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In an effort to stabilize the rotation on a team still in contention in May and June, rookies Mike Foltynewicz and Williams Perez were promoted. While Foltynewicz struggled in the rotation from the onset, Williams Perez looked like a future part of the rotation in his first 8 starts of the season, owning a 4-0 record and a 2.88 ERA before he succumbed to an ankle injury.

Top prospect Matt Wisler was promoted from AAA Gwinnett in the middle of June. Through his first seven starts at the big league level, Wisler had a 3.43 ERA and looked primed for a great rookie campaign. His next seven starts would be a different story, accruing 9.49 ERA in his subsequent 7 outings. The rookie was struggling, and after a September 3rd start at Washington where he allowed 7 earned runs in 1.2 innings, Wisler was sent to the bullpen.

Since that game though, Matt Wisler has been an entirely different pitcher. In his last 5 starts in September and October, Matt Wisler has a 2.33 ERA, including an absolute gem in the final game of the Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals, pitching 8.2 innings of shutout ball. Though he struggled for much of the season, Matt Wisler ended the season showing why the Atlanta Braves traded for him in the first place, and gave a glimpse of how dominant the Braves rotation could be in the near future.

After returning from a stint on the DL in late July, Williams Perez struggled, amassing an unsightly 8.44 ERA in 5 August starts. After briefly being demoted to AAA Gwinnett in late August, Perez returned following an injury to rookie Mike Foltynewicz. Since his short stint in the minors, Williams Perez rectified his struggles on the mound and finished the season with a 3.03 ERA in the month of September. Though it remains to be seen if Perez fits into the Atlanta Braves future plans, he displayed poise on the mound for the final month and showed the front-office he could be an option for 2016.

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Julio Teheran began the season as the Atlanta Braves opening day starter. An All-Star last season, Teheran was a shadow of the pitcher he was in 2014, owning a 4.56 ERA before the All-Star Break. Following a slight adjustment to his pitching technique from Roger McDowell, Julio Teheran returned to his dominant self, owning a 3.42 ERA after the break and a dominant 1.79 ERA over the last month of the season.

The improvement the Atlanta Braves have seen in their starting rotation over the past month is a great silver lining in an otherwise disappointing year — but it’s more than just that. It brings optimism for the 2016 season that things will be better: the pitching will be more dominant and less prone to struggles, that the offense will produce more, and the fruits of John Harts vision will come to fruition. I know it was a rough year, but I can’t help but be excited for what 2016 will bring because of the excellence I witness on the mound over the past month. Go Braves! 

Next: Shelby Miller Ends Winless Streak in Final Start

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