Kyle Wright Becomes First Braves Pitcher to Win 20 Games Since 2003
Kyle Wright joined an exclusive club of Atlanta Braves pitchers Saturday, when he picked up his 20th win in his club's 6-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Wright is now the seventh pitcher to win 20 games in a single season in Braves' history, joining the ranks of Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, Denny Neagle and Russ Ortiz.
The Braves' last 20-game winner is Russ Ortiz, who won 21 games in the 2003 Major League Baseball season, when he placed fourth in National League Cy Young award voting and was named an All-Star for the only time in his career.
Like Wright, Ortiz's prowess came as a bit of a surprise. He opened the season as the club's number three starter, then opened the postseason as the club's number one, receiving two starts in the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, a series the Cubs would win in five games.
Entering the 2022 season, Wright, 26, had a 6.56 career ERA and 1.69 career WHIP in 21 appearances and 70 innings pitched.
In 2022, as a full-time member of the Braves' pitching rotation, Wright is tapping into his potential that made him the fifth overall pick of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft out of Vanderbilt University.
Through 29 starts, Wright, now 20-5, leads MLB in wins, three up on his next-closest challengers, Los Angeles Dodgers' Julio Urias (17) and Houston Astros' Justin Verlander (17).
Wright has a 3.18 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 129 ERA+ over 175.1 innings pitched this season. Just as Ortiz did, Wright has certainly earned himself a spot in the Braves' postseason pitching rotation.
Braves manager Brian Snitker has yet to announce the Braves' postseason pitching rotation, but it will be difficult for him to deny Wright of a spot, given the remarkable season he has had.
