Atlanta Braves 2023 pitching rotation preview: Max Fried leads strong core
The Atlanta Braves enter 2023 with one of the stronger pitching rotations in baseball.
After finishing with the fifth-best team-ERA in the MLB last season, the Braves made minimal changes to their core, leaving their top four pitchers untouched while closer Kenley Jansen opted for free agency.
With opening day less than a month away, here's a look at the rotation for 2023.
Max Fried - 14-7, 2.48 ERA, 30 starts, 185.1 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 5.31 SO/W, 164 ERA+
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The Braves' ace had another strong campaign in 2022, posting the second-lowest ERA (2.48) of his career, finishing second in NL Cy Young voting, winning his third gold glove and making his first All-Star Game.
Spencer Strider - 11-5, 2.67 ERA, 20 starts, 131.2 IP, 1.00 WHIP, 4.49 SO/W, 152 ERA+
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Strider had one of the more impressive Braves' rookie seasons we've seen in a while, notching a 2.67 ERA, setting a franchise record for strikeouts in a game with 16 vs the Rockies, and becoming the first rookie to post record a 200-strikeout season for the Braves in the modern era (since 1900).
He finished ninth in MLB in run value (min. 200 pitches) and led the league in K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings) and IIRC.
Kyle Wright - 21-5, 3.19 ERA, 30 starts, 180.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 3.28 SO/W, 127 ERA+
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Wright could slide up to No. 2 in the rotation (as he was the second-most used pitcher on roster last season) but we'll keep him here. After finishing with an MLB-leading 21 wins - and a 3.19 ERA that was the best of his career by a mile- there's an expectation Wright doesn't fall off a statistical cliff and maintains the level of consistency he had a season ago.
His 174 strikeouts (26th in MLB) and 1.16 WHIP (21st in MLB) helped him finish 10th in Cy Young voting.
Charlie Morton - 9-6, 4.34 ERA, 31 starts, 172 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 3.25 SO/W, 94 ERA+
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Morton, now 38, enters his 16th season in the major leagues. Despite posting some average numbers compared to the rest of his time in the MLB (his 4.34 ERA was his ninth best of his 15-season career), Atlanta chose to utilize Morton often, giving him 172.0 innings of work (third-most of his career, third-most on team in 2022).
With Strider emerging as the third-best option at worst for the Braves, Morton taking a backseat in the rotation may be in order.
Or it may not, depending on how the Braves want to utilize their roster on a series-by-series basis.
Open
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There are a few options Atlanta could go with as their fifth option in the rotation, with Ian Anderson (10-6, 5.00 ERA, 22 starts, 111.2 IP, 1.51 WHIP, 1.80 SO/W, 81 ERA+) in the best position to take the fifth spot.
A prospect could also be on the table for Atlanta.
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