I received my (honorary) Braves World Series championship ring at last night’s game against the Phillies. Johan Camargo later received his (real) WS ring in a pregame ceremony. The game quickly spiraled out of control from there, as starter Tucker Davidson was charged with 5 earned runs in only 2 2/3 innings pitched. Granted, Jesse Chavez surrendered some of those runs in relief of Tucker in the 3rd inning, but Davidson simply “didn’t have it” last night. He also walked four batters, and threw only 45 strikes on 76 total pitches in this rough outing. I’m not going to keep slandering Tucker, as Braves 5th starters have had similar issues all year.
What is the problem?
The front four of our rotation is pretty well set in stone, with Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Kyle Wright, and Ian Anderson leading our pitching staff throughout the early season thus far. Morton & Anderson have been shaky at times, while Fried & Wright have been excellent. Meanwhile, the 5th spot in our starting rotation has been a black hole of sorts, with none of the candidates really capable of locking this spot down for more than a spot start or two at a time. This issue, coupled with an offense that is incapable of scoring late, is costing the team some games.
Who are the culprits?
Tucker Davidson, Bryce Elder, Huascar Ynoa, and Kyle Muller have all gotten opportunities as the 5th starter for your Atlanta Braves this year. None of them have really stuck around for very long, with Elder receiving the most run out of the bunch in his 4 appearances. Elder also has the lowest ERA out of the bunch with a 4.74 figure, but his problem is that he walks too many batters (14 in 19 innings pitched) to justify keeping him in games for long. Meanwhile, Muller carries a bloated 23.63 ERA thus far in just 1 appearance on the season. Davidson has shown flashes, like his May 17th start against the Brewers where he earned his first career MLB win, but far too often he has been unable to escape his dreaded third inning woes. Ynoa just hasn’t been the same guy since breaking his hand after a 2021 start versus the Brewers.
Why is this a problem?
As Captain Jack Sparrow famously said in Pirates of the Caribbean, “the problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.” My attitude towards this problem is that when it’s combined with other problems (an inconsistent offense & bullpen, for example), it can lead to disastrous results such as last night’s brutal 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. That is to say, mainly this problem is problematic because it can lead to other problems arising. Our No. 5s average around 4 innings per start, which makes the ‘pen have to cover 5+ innings. They’re also coughing up at a rapid pace, which makes the offense shoulder their heavy load. Considering that neither of those units are working well for the Braves thus far, this is a problem.
How can it be resolved?
I believe we have two options in terms of a potential solution to this interesting issue. Option A would be to stick with one of Davidson, Ynoa, Muller, or Elder & let them figure things out over the long term instead of continuously shuffling them between AAA & MLB. Option B would be to trade for or sign a veteran starting pitcher to hold down the fort at No. 5. Obviously that’s easier said than done considering there aren’t any good starters hanging around in free agency right now & teams are seemingly unwilling to trade since it’s so early in the year. That said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over & over & expecting a different result, a definition that I believe describes the Braves situation quite well as we approach the season’s quarter mark. Let’s see if the Braves decide to shake up the No. 5 spot in the rotation.
The Sports Beacon 