Atlanta Braves Julio Teheran Still Struggling to Pitch in Atlanta
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves were hoping that this season would be a rebound year for pitcher Julio Teheran. So far the results have been mixed at best. Should the Braves be concerned about Julio Teheran?
Julio Teheran is coming off of his worst season for the Atlanta Braves in his career. He finished last season with a 4.49 ERA and left the team and its fans with plenty of cause for concern. Another area he struggled was with the long ball.
Teheran gave up 31-homers last year in 188.1 innings pitched, not a great trend. So far this season Julio has been inconsistent but better. His ERA is a run lower, but his tendency to give up homers hasn’t improved.
He has given up 8 so far this season and is coming off of a rough outing against the Cubs. Watching Teheran this season is best described as simply confusing. At times he baffles hitters with movement and good pitch selection.
Other starts he seems to have no idea where the ball is going and his velocity is noticeably down. The fact Julio keeps bouncing up-and-down should be concerning for Braves’ fans.
Julio is supposed to be the consistent veteran providing quality innings. Instead, when he is headed to the mound you have no idea if he will be knocked out in four innings or taking a no-hitter into the seventh.
As frustrating as his inconsistency may be the Braves should continue to have patience with Teheran. He has been too good of a pitcher in his career not to see if he can find consistency again. With more than two years left on an affordable contract, the Braves should optimize the time they have Teheran locked up.
While some inconsistencies are normal for pitchers the roller coaster ride Teheran has taken us all on this season has been frustrating. Still, he has put together too many good seasons for the Braves to think about parting ways with the righty.
Continuing patience and waiting for Teheran to show the dominance he had earlier in his career is the right approach. A cautious approach as the Braves continue to wait on their treasure trove of young arms to prove themselves ready.
It is only then when the Braves have more talent than they do rotation spots the Braves patience should wear thin with Teheran. Until then Teheran should continue to be given every chance to prove he is still the pitcher Braves fans have been missing since 2016