The end of the 2018 Atlanta Braves season is upon us. There’s still much to figure out as far as who the Braves will face in the NLDS, but a season that almost no one predicted will come to a close with the Atlanta Braves as NL East Champions. Recently, I went over the path to that surprising run. Today, I asked the other members of the Walk-Off Walk family to help me with this…
(This continued series focuses on how players performed this season with a look to 2019.) Darren O’Day 20 ING, 3.60 ERA, 3.45 FIP, 32.5% K-rate, 4.8% BB-rate, 0.4 fWAR 2018: The sidearmer from Utah began this year much like the last six. By throwing a lot of strikes and getting outs. Over the first three months of the season, he was one of the Orioles’ few dependable options. That was until he slipped off the mound…
(This continued series focuses on how players performed this season with a look to 2019.) Jacob Lindgren No stats 2018: Well, this should be short. Signed in December of 2016 after having Tommy John surgery that August, the Braves never planned on Lindgren throwing a pitch last season. However, this season, he was considered a bit of an x-factor. If he bounced back, Lindgren was a potential high-leverage arm for the pen. But he never…
(This continued series focuses on how players performed this season with a look to 2019.) Mike Soroka 25.2 innings, 3.51 ERA, 2.84 FIP, 18.6% K-rate, 6.2% BB-rate, 0.6 fWAR 2018: Soroka’s rapid ascension to the majors culminated in a call-up to begin May. He held his own against major league competition, flashing similar strikeout and walk rates as their minor league counterparts. He didn’t induce a lot of weak contact, but I think that’s more…
(Our exit interview series looks at how players performed in 2018 along with a preview of their future.) Michael Reed MLB: 7 PAs, 2 H, 0 BB, 3 K, .286/.286/.286 (.517 OPS) MiLB: 404 PAs, 114 H, 26 Doubles, 11 HRs, 62 BBs, 10 SBs (3 CS), .342/.453/.520 (.972 OPS) 2018: Reed spent his entire career in the Brewers organization before 2018 when he was signed by the Braves as a Minor League Free…
The Braves are in a good spot. A 6.5 game lead with 13 games to play is just about as good as anyone could’ve reasonably hoped for or expected back in March. What looked to be a difficult division back in the spring has turned into one of the easier divisions in baseball. Washington and Philadelphia have both fallen off considerably while the Mets crashed and burned a while ago. When you combine those things…
(Our exit interview series looks at how players performed in 2018 along with a preview of their future.) Luiz Gohara 19.2 innings, 5.95 ERA, 4.53 FIP, 22.0% K-rate, 9.8% BB-rate, 0.0 fWAR 2018: Gohara was often discussed as a possible Rookie of the year candidate entering the season, but an array of problems led to just 77.2 innings when you add in his work in the minors. His father passed away last December, leading to…