Kyle Wright‘s breakout campaign is one of the many spectacular storylines of the Braves 2022 season, and last night was a perfect example of how he’s turned the corner. Wright didn’t have his best stuff against the Giants, especially early. In previous seasons, that would have meant a short outing with a bunch of runs, but 2022 Kyle Wright is a different beast. He was able to hunker down, avoid the big inning, and hold the Giants to just one run over 5.1 innings. He’s consistently given his team a chance to win every time out, so it’s no coincidence he leads all of baseball in wins after last night’s game with 18.
Wright also joins some elite company, becoming the first Braves pitcher since Russ Ortiz in 2003 to win 18 games in a season.
Kyle Wright is the first #Braves pitcher to win 18 or more games in a season since Russ Ortiz had 21 victories in 2003.
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) September 14, 2022
With 20 games remaining in the season, Kyle Wright should have the opportunity to pitch four more times, needing just two more wins to reach the coveted 20-win mark — a feat only six pitchers have accomplished since the Braves moved to Atlanta.
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20 Game Winners for the Atlanta Braves
- Phil Niekro
- Tom Glavine
- Greg Maddux
- John Smoltz
- Denny Neagle
- Russ Ortiz
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Four out of those six players are Hall of Famers. In recent years, wins for starting pitchers have become an overlooked stat. Advanced analytics have taken over the game, and they usually do a better job of depicting just how good of a season a pitcher is having. With that being said, wins shouldn’t be completely disregarded. The fact that a pitcher is able to give his team an opportunity nearly every time out should still hold some weight, even if it doesn’t mean as much as it used to. Kyle Wright has turned into a gamer, and he’s one of the many reasons this Braves rotation is in good hands for years to come.
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Photo: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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