Atlanta Braves Pitching Must Improve Now
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves offense is off to a historically great start this season. As great as that is the lack of pitching has been concerning and the Braves will need to see drastic improvement if they hope to continue to win.
Saying the Atlanta Braves pitching staff has been disappointing early this season would be a vast understatement. Starting with Julio Teheran and going down the team had underachieved and yet to pitch one good game.
Surprisingly Mike Folynewicz has the best pitched game from an Atlanta pitcher a game in which he was still scored on and gave up an early run lasting only through five innings.
Julio Teheran and Sean Newcomb meanwhile have been just plain awful. With little to no movement on Teheran’s pitches and Newcomb’s pitches moving all over the place.
For the Braves to continue this early season success the pitching is going to have to find a way to at least play competitively. Offensively the Braves are killing opposing bullpens and knocking starters out of the game early.
Starting with Ender Inciarte all the way down in the order to Ryan Flaherty the Braves are working good at-bats and working hard to comeback constantly.
While it is impressive it isn’t sustainable if the Braves pitching staff and bullpen cannot find a way to give the team quality innings.
That has to start with Julio Teheran and the back end of the bullpen. Walks are being given at far to high of a pace shooting themselves in the foot and not making teams earn base runners.
Walking hitters is troublesome and at the rate it is happening to the the Braves it will result in plenty of losses if it doesn’t change.
Success is always fun for your favorite team but for the Braves it is a success that is sustainable only if their pitching staff can find a way to put together quality innings.
If not the Braves offense eventually will sputter and it will be yet another long season for the Atlanta Braves.