If there is a weak spot on the Braves roster, it’s in the rotation. Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Ian Anderson are a more than formidable trio at the top, but after them, there are no clear answers. The good thing is the Braves have options. Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint, Kyle Muller, Huascar Ynoa, and Tucker Davidson all have experience pitching well at the major-league level. The bad news is the Braves’ brass doesn’t have much time to figure out who the most deserving candidates are, and they can’t afford to begin the season without at least a five-man rotation
Because of the lockout, Spring Training has been shortened considerably. I don’t expect that to be a significant issue for position players, but pitchers generally need a bit more time to get stretched out. It also limits the amount of appearances the Braves will get to see each pitcher, which could hinder their decision-making when it comes to deciding the rotation on Opening Day.
The lockout has an effect on the schedule as well. Because of the later start to the season, more games are squeezed into fewer days. Typically, the beginning of the schedule features a number of off days for each team. That’s not the case this season, especially for the Braves, who play 14 games in 14 days to start the slate.
Brian Snitker commented on the stretch to start the 2022 campaign yesterday, and what it might mean for the rotation.
The Braves have 14 straight days with a game before their first day off in the regular season. Brian Snitker said the team could use a six-man rotation. It could use an opener as part of its rotation, too. Seems like there are a few different possibilities.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 21, 2022
The six-man rotation makes a lot of sense. Not only will it ease the Braves’ arms into the season, but it will also give three of the young pitchers more time to compete. If I had to guess which three make it out of camp onto the Opening Day roster, it would be Huascar Ynoa, Kyle Wright, and Tucker Davidson.
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