Previous Prospect Outlooks:
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I wasn’t necessarily expecting Kyle Muller to be a major-league contributor last season, but his presence became necessary very early in the season because of injuries. His debut was shaky. It came in relief against the Red Sox, and he allowed two earned runs in just one inning. However, Muller followed it up with six starts in which he surrendered just six runs, helping the Braves weather the storm when they desperately needed it.
The problem with Muller, though, has never been his stuff. It’s been his control and ability to go deep into ball games. Over his eight total starts, he walked at least two batters in every outing and never made it through six innings. In his last outing with the Braves, he made it through just 2.1 frames, walking three and giving up six runs.
Muller did finish the season strong in Gwinnett, but his control issues have been persistent since joining the ranks of the upper minors. With Mississippi back in 2019, his walk rate nearly hit 15%, and last season, it was well over 12% in both Gwinnett and Atlanta. That will never cut it as a starter or a reliever in the majors, and it’s the one glaring issue Muller must work on if he wants to reach his ceiling, which is sky-high.
Outside of control, the 6’7″ lefty has all the makings to be a permanent member of the rotation or a high-leverage bullpen piece. Right now, Muller could be best-suited for a reliever role until he polishes his secondary offerings and perhaps adds one more pitch to his arsenal, but the Braves seem to be more concerned with his development as a starter. And who can blame them? With a few tweaks and improvement in his control, Muller could be a top of the rotation arm one day.
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