Atlanta Braves Midseason Awards
Comeback Player of The Year/ Cy Young: Mike Foltynewicz, RHP
The Braves have been stockpiling pitching for years in the hopes of finding their next John Smoltz. Through the first four months of the season, it looks like Mike Foltynewicz has finally become the pitcher the Braves thought he could be.
The leap between last season and this one is impressive. His ERA is almost two points lower than any of his previous seasons. With 120 strikeouts, Foltynewicz is on track to fly past his personal best that he set last season (143). He’s giving up three fewer hits per every nine innings and pitched his first career complete game, all adding up to an opponent batting average below .200.
We’ve seen glimpses of what Folty could be, but this is the first time we’ve seen him sustain top form consistently.
The greatest progression in Foltynewicz’s game has been his ability to pitch himself out of trouble. When he surrenders walks and base hits, he’s been able to strike out two batters or force fly outs and get out of innings unscathed. He doesn’t panic.
The best pitchers have an innate ability to forget bad outings. Giving up five runs in one game doesn’t put them in a slump for the next three weeks. Foltynewicz has finally taken that step. He’s had a couple of subpar games, but they haven’t affected his next starts.
Foltynewicz was the only Braves pitcher to make the all-star team. If not for Jacob DeGromm and Max Scherzer, Folty’s name would be floating around in NL Cy Young conversations.
While the Braves have been waiting for Julio Tehran to become the ace they thought he would be, Foltynewicz has quietly pushed his way into contention to lead an up and coming Braves staff for years to come.