What the Atlanta Braves Need to See from Jared Shuster
Jared Shuster won a job in the Atlanta Braves' starting rotation out of Spring Training because he attacked the zone...but since spring, that's been a huge problem for the lefty.
With the injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright, the Braves are recalling Shuster and he'll get another opportunity to prove he belongs.
Taking a look at what he failed to do at the beginning of the season and what he's been working on at Triple-A, let's take a look at what we need to see from him this time around - If he can put it together, there is a chance here for him to stay in the rotation for quite some time.
Jared Shuster needs to stop walking so many batters
The most glaring issue for Jared Shuster this year has been the walks. If you go back to Spring Training -- and as always, take these stats with a huge grain of salt -- but what impressed the coaching staff the most was the way he attacked the zone.
Through his first 18.2 innings in Spring Training, he walked just four batters. In his final tune-up game, he walked three batters in just two innings.
That carried over into the regular season, where he walked five batters in his first start and four batters in his second start in a combined 8.2 innings.
This is a guy that had a BB/9 under three in every year that he pitched since his great summer league season in the Cape Cod League that really impressed the Braves to draft him in the first round.
In 2021 between High-A and Double-A, he had a BB/9 of 2.5, and then in 2022, he had that exact same mark between Double-A and Triple-A. But it's something he's really struggled with in 2023. Even in his starts with Gwinnett this year he has a BB/9 over five.
If he's going to stick in the rotation this time around, he has to get back to attacking the strike zone and limiting the walks.
Signs of hope for Jared Shuster
In his last two starts at Triple-A he's walked four batters in 11.2 innings -- that's a BB/9 just over three, which is solid.
And with that devastating change-up, he's done a great job of limiting home runs this year. Between MLB and AAA he's allowed just two home runs this year, and they both came in the same start (April 29th versus Buffalo, Blue Jays affiliate)
Batters are hitting just .220 against him at Triple-A, and a lot of those are just singles that are sneaking through the infield. If he can limit the walks and continue to keep the ball in the yard, he has a good chance of keeping the Braves in the game for five or six innings every time he goes out there.
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