Atlanta Braves’ Top 5 Performers of April

4. Shane Carle

When starters across the league are happy to pitch six innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen, dependable relief is crucial to team success for a full season.

By far the most dependable arm in April was Shane Carle. The former Rockie has minted himself as a reliable arm among a stable of pitchers with frequent control problems.

In twelve outings, Carle surrendered four walks and racked up 16 strikeouts, a four-to-one strikeout to walk ratio.

Carle’s fastball doesn’t reach the velocity of A.J Minter’s or Aroldys Vizcaino’s, but at the mid-90’s it’s no wiffleball. His ability to control his fastball has separated him from the rest of the staff thus far.

As the Braves continue to call up their stable of young starting pitchers from the minors, they will need the bullpen to step up when called upon.

Bullpen relief is no longer about the eighth and ninth inning. Throughout April Carle showed that he can be a strong bridge between the starter and the setup man. When needed he can pitch two innings to pass the ball down the line to Minter and Vizcaino to close out a game.

Carle has limited big league experience, but his first month in Atlanta shows promise for his future.