The Braves offense has been electric this season, and the pitching has been much improved. However, it is clear that the Braves will need to upgrade their pitching staff to become a contender in the future.
The Braves have four arms in AAA Gwinnett that will likely get a shot to contribute to the big league roster at some point this season. The team has been shuffling to fill out the last spot in the bullpen. Luke Jackson got his chance, and now Lucas Sims will get his crack at finding a role on the big league club. If Sims is not effective, expect the Braves to cycle through some other arms until they find someone who can stick.
The first guy who could get a shot is Max Fried, who flashed in 9 major league outings last season (4 starts). Fried showed he can pitch in the big leagues, but the Braves may want to keep him on track to crack the team as a starting pitcher. They just promoted him up a level from AA Mississippi a few days ago.
Another guy who deserves a shot at the big leagues is Jesse Biddle. The southpaw was a former Phillies top prospect who was traded by his hometown team to the Pittsburgh Pirates after he underwent Tommy John surgery. The Pirates waived him shortly after, and the Braves took a flyer on him. He now operates out of the bullpen, but Biddle has been sharp in his resurrection with the Braves. He was dominant for AA Mississippi last season. The Braves may want him to get some AAA experience. Like Fried, his major league career has been delayed by major injury. But the 26-year-old could be a solid piece out of the bullpen for the big league club.
Last but certainly not least, the Braves have top prospects Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka plugged into the Stripers’ starting rotation. Both of these guys are creme of the crop prospects. The organization has been aggressive with moving both young men through the system, as both skipped high-A ball, but there is a new man running the operation in Alex Anthopolous. As of now, the Braves rotation is filled, but if Allard and Soroka perform early, they will likely get a crack at some point this season somehow or another. If the Braves surprise people this year, Soroka and Allard could be a huge part of any type of late-season push.