Post by Reddington on Dec 27, 2023 15:37:24 GMT -5
Braves 2009 Preview The Pitchers
Welcome Braves fans, today we cover the upcoming season and what we think of the staff as it looks like currently.
Starting Pitching
Bud Smith: ! year removed from his Cy Young season and last year while he was pretty good, he was not as good as 2007. Overall it looks like his major issue was lack of offensive support as to go with his 22 wins, he had 12 losses but only a 2.41 ERA. Bud seems very likely to easily get another 20+ wins.
Ryan Rupe: Ryan went 24 and 5 last season, and had it not been for Ben Sheets year quite probably would have won the Cy Young. Injured in the playoffs and still on the mend, there is hope that he will be ready for the opening of the season. One of just a few pitchers to hold opposing batters to a sub .200 batting average, Ryan looks to again dominate.
John Smoltz: The old guy decided to come back for one more year. It remains to be seen if the training staff can keep pumping blood into him to hold him together for one last dominant season. If he does hold up he will pad onto his all time win record. No one is ever going to get close to it.
Pedro Martinez: El Grande had an OK season going 15 and 7, but it was marred by an early season injury that kept him out for more or less the first two months. Still 24 games from 300 wins, will he get there this season?
RA Dickey: RA needs to get more starts as he had a 2.42 ERA last season and in his 17 starts he went 10 and 7 after starting the season of for five. He has all the tools and could be a surprise 20 game winner given the starts.
The Bull Pen
Scott Strickland: First out of the pen before the 8th inning was Scott, and in 60 innings only had a 1.63 ERA. Most teams he would be the closer, not the early set up man.
Joel Hanrahan: Joel started life as the Braves Closer and then Valverde took over. Joel has only gave up 4 earned runs in the last two seasons combined and is trying to take the closer job from Valverde.
Jose Valverde: One of the premier closers in the league, typically if you give him the ball, the game is over. Only two blown saves in the last two years while racking up 184 saves over the last 4 seasons. He only allowed a 0.173 batting average and had a 0.83 WHIP and looks to continue to dominate for the foreseeable future.
All in all the Braves still have one of the best staffs in the league.
Welcome Braves fans, today we cover the upcoming season and what we think of the staff as it looks like currently.
Starting Pitching
Bud Smith: ! year removed from his Cy Young season and last year while he was pretty good, he was not as good as 2007. Overall it looks like his major issue was lack of offensive support as to go with his 22 wins, he had 12 losses but only a 2.41 ERA. Bud seems very likely to easily get another 20+ wins.
Ryan Rupe: Ryan went 24 and 5 last season, and had it not been for Ben Sheets year quite probably would have won the Cy Young. Injured in the playoffs and still on the mend, there is hope that he will be ready for the opening of the season. One of just a few pitchers to hold opposing batters to a sub .200 batting average, Ryan looks to again dominate.
John Smoltz: The old guy decided to come back for one more year. It remains to be seen if the training staff can keep pumping blood into him to hold him together for one last dominant season. If he does hold up he will pad onto his all time win record. No one is ever going to get close to it.
Pedro Martinez: El Grande had an OK season going 15 and 7, but it was marred by an early season injury that kept him out for more or less the first two months. Still 24 games from 300 wins, will he get there this season?
RA Dickey: RA needs to get more starts as he had a 2.42 ERA last season and in his 17 starts he went 10 and 7 after starting the season of for five. He has all the tools and could be a surprise 20 game winner given the starts.
The Bull Pen
Scott Strickland: First out of the pen before the 8th inning was Scott, and in 60 innings only had a 1.63 ERA. Most teams he would be the closer, not the early set up man.
Joel Hanrahan: Joel started life as the Braves Closer and then Valverde took over. Joel has only gave up 4 earned runs in the last two seasons combined and is trying to take the closer job from Valverde.
Jose Valverde: One of the premier closers in the league, typically if you give him the ball, the game is over. Only two blown saves in the last two years while racking up 184 saves over the last 4 seasons. He only allowed a 0.173 batting average and had a 0.83 WHIP and looks to continue to dominate for the foreseeable future.
All in all the Braves still have one of the best staffs in the league.
