The Mets recently let go of their former bullpen coach, Craig Bjornson, who led New York’s relief core to a 10th-ranked 3.55 ERA. And the Braves quickly scooped him up and will have him assume pitching coach duties for their Triple-A affiliate Stripers.
Craig Bjornson, who had been the Mets bullpen coach in 2022, will be the Braves AAA pitching coach in 2023. Matt Tuiasosopo will be the manager.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) December 5, 2022
It’s not the biggest move, but the more I dug into Bjornson, the more I felt this piece was necessary. He was the bullpen coach of the 2017 Houston Astros and 2018 Boston Red Sox, who both won a World Series. However, his eccentric personality is even more intriguing.
I think Mets fans will like this guy, took this video before a Yankee playoff game a few years back haha pic.twitter.com/vrj1ZlQdkN
— Peyton Napoliello (@pnapoliello) January 21, 2022
Now, going from the majors to the minor leagues isn’t exactly a promotion, but the Braves are known for being one of the best ran organizations in baseball. So, if they are comfortable giving Bjornson control over the club’s AAA pitching staff, which should feature a bevy of major-league-ready arms, you should too.
Kyle Muller, Mike Soroka, Ian Anderson, Bryce Elder, and others are all capable of being the fifth starter in the Braves rotation, so it will be a fierce battle. Bjornson will be tasked with managing those pitchers who are bouncing back and forth between the Triple-A and Major League levels, which could prove challenging. He has to continue developing them while maintaining their confidence to keep them ready for a call to the big leagues at any moment.
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Photographer: Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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