Breaking down the Atlanta Braves left-handed pitching
It's no secret that having a solid arsenal of southpaw hurlers is vital to a team's success.
In the NL East, there are some outstanding left-handed hitters. Guys like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Jazz Chisholm come to mind quickly.
This means that the Braves need some quality left-handed pitchers to be able to make it harder on these really good lefty hitters.
After projecting starting lineups for the opposing teams in the NL East, I found that the Phillies should have four lefties in their starting lineup. It could be three while Harper gets healthy. The Mets will have four lefties in their starting lineup, the Marlins will have two, and the Nationals will have four.
These are just projections, so these numbers could vary depending on variables like injury and performance.
So aside from the Marlins, the rest of the division will have three to four lefties in the lineup on any given night.
This is why the Braves left-handed pitching is going to be crucial.
Let's take a look at the Braves left-handed pitchers for 2023.
Starters
Max Fried
2022 Stats: 14-7 record/ 30 starts/ 2.48 era *career low/ 170 strike outs
Dylan Dodd/Jared Shuster
One of these two will be the fifth starter, with the other likely heading back to Triple-A. We will find out who is who within the next few days as the season starts on March 30th.
Relievers
A.J. Minter
2022 Stats: 5-4 record/ 75 appearances/ 2.06 era/ 5 saves/ 94 strike outs *career high
Lucas Luetge
2022 Stats: 4-4 record/ 50 appearances/ 2.67 era *career low/ 2 saves/ 60 strike outs
Dylan Lee
2022 Stats: 5-1 record/ 46 appearances/ 2.13 era/ 59 strike outs
The Braves have three excellent left-handed relievers coming out of the pen. Minter, Lee, and Luetge all had exceptional seasons in 2022, so if that continues this year, this could be a scary pen for opposing teams.
When it comes to starters, Fried is a proven stud in this league that will give opposing hitters fits. A lot of this season's success will come down to if Dodd/Shuster shines in the fifth starter role. If one of these guys has a Spencer Strider-esque breakout, this team has a great shot at winning the division.
But as it is for every team, left-handed pitching will be key for the success of the Braves in 2023 since there are so many good left-handed hitters in the NL East.
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