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Matt Wisler: Will Strong End to 2015 Translate to 2016?

By Matthew Schoettler

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Matt Wisler finished his 2015 campaign with a 4.71 ERA and 4.93 FIP; however, he concluded the season with a nice stretch. Could his late-season success translate to a successful 2016 season?

This past offseason, the Atlanta Braves traded for Matt Wisler on opening day, part of a blockbuster deal that sent Craig Kimbrel to San Diego. Wisler spent the first two months of the 2015 season with the Triple-A Gwinnett Braves, posting a 4.71 ERA across 12 games started. The Atlanta Braves decided to call up Wisler on June 18th to make his Major League debut on the 19th.

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Matt Wisler’s big-league career started off with a bang. In his first-career start, Wisler pitched eight innings of one-run baseball to earn his first Major League win. Wisler struggled in his second professional start, but he quickly turned things around in July. Wisler made five starts in July, winning four of his five decisions that month. Also, he posted a solid 3.30 ERA along with a 1.37 WHIP that month.

In Matt Wisler’s next seven starts, stretching from August 1st to September 3rd, Wisler did not resemble the same pitcher of the previous month. Wisler’s ERA during this month ballooned to 9.49; while, his FIP sat at 7.22. His poor month saw his ERA to jump from 3.30 to a season-high 5.97. Despite Wisler’s struggles, he finished the season on a positive note.

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Matt Wisler made six appearances in the final month of play, recording one relief appearance and five starts. He gave up nine earned runs over 30 innings pitched, resulting in a minuscule 2.21 ERA; however, his FIP remained high, sitting at 4.03. Notably, Wisler strander over 90 percent of runners to reach base, an unsustainable number.

In Matt Wisler’s final start of the 2015 season, he pitched the best game of his rookie campaign, going 8 2/3 innings while pitching shutout baseball, earning his eighth win of the season. Wisler won each of his last three starts of the season, evening his record to 8-8. Wisler finished the year with an 8-8 record, 4.71 ERA, and a 4.93 FIP.

Matt Wisler’s strong finish to the season hopefully translates to an improved 2016 season, but Wisler must improve on a couple aspects of his game. First, Wisler needs to be able to limit the long ball; his HR/9 sat at a poor 1.32 mark. If he keeps the ball in the park, Wisler’s ERA and FIP likely trend in a more positive direction. Next, Wisler must limit his free-passes. For a guy who pitches to contact, Wisler allows too many walks.

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Matt Wisler’s walk rate (BB/9) of 3.30 is unimpressive to say the least. Wisler does not possess strikeout material, so he is not able to work out of jams by striking out players. He either needs to decrease his walk rate or increase his strikeout rate (5.94) if he wants to be successful in the Major Leagues. While it would be nice to see improvements in both departments, he probably never becomes a high volume strikeout pitcher.

Matt Wisler likely finds himself in the starting rotation for 2016, so look for him to work on perfecting his craft during next season’s Spring Training. The Atlanta Braves figure to use Wisler as either the third or fourth starter in the rotation next season. Wisler’s development is an area for Braves’ fan to watch next season. Hopefully, he builds off of his strong finish this season, and it carries on to next season.

Next: Atlanta Braves: Ranking John Hart's Trades in 2015

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