The Braves are undoubtedly still waiting on former fifth overall pick Kyle Wright to have a breakthrough, and I don’t think all hope is lost. At least in 2021, Wright showed some reason for optimism:
With Triple-A season done, it's official: @Kyle_Wright44 led Triple-A East in ERA (3.02) and strikeouts (137). He's the second @GoStripers pitcher to win an ERA title (Bryse Wilson in 2019), and first @Braves Triple-A player to win a strikeout title since 2004 (Chuck Smith, 129). pic.twitter.com/YuExpUY0Q9
— Dave Lezotte (@DaveLezotte) October 4, 2021
It’s worth noting an important caveat — Wright also led AAA East in innings pitched, so he had more time than anyone else to compile these stats. However, that serves to his benefit when talking about ERA, considering he had to keep it lower for longer. Wright had a strong finish to the season as well, posting a 2.43 ERA in August and 2.81 ERA in September. He did not allow a run in one October start, going seven innings and posting a 0.86 WHIP.
Overall, Wright’s biggest thing will be confidence. I thought he found it at the end of 2020, but after allowing seven runs in 6.1 innings in 2021, it was clear he needed to develop some more. Hopefully, this all-around solid season will be a big part of building him up for the future.
You must log in to post a comment.