Atlanta Braves Starting Pitcher Matt Wisler Will Break Out During 2016 MLB Season

By Nick Vorholt

Which team is going to have the worst record in the National League in 2016? Ask 100 pundits and the reply you most often get back is the Atlanta Braves. Despite the overall lack of quality on the team, the Braves have two players destined to break out this year, Adonis Garcia and starting pitcher Matt Wisler.

When you’re looking for a breakout pitcher in MLB, there are a few things that you look for. The first is youth, usually age 25 or younger. The second is experience. Wisler made 19 starts last year and 89 in the minors before he got called up. The third thing is talent. Wisler never had a WHIP higher than 1.36 in his professional career before last season’s big league call-up.

Last season Wisler went 8-8 with a 1.46 WHIP. The record is good, but the WHIP was bad. His 1.10 WHIP in spring training shows that he is still capable of repeating his numbers from the minors. Now he just needs the chance to produce again. Between the minors and Atlanta last season, Wisler pitched 174 innings over 31 starts, allowing 88 earned runs while striking out 121 batters. That comes out to an ERA around 4.55 and a WHIP  of 1.36 which is close to his career high, heading into 2015.

This year Wisler needs to focus on getting more outs on the ground. While he has had success getting air outs in the past, he hit the danger zone in the way of a ratio between the two. The Braves also need to monitor his batting average against, as it has crept up each of the past two seasons.

The Braves will be an exciting team to watch in 2016. They have the infielder most likely to break out in 2016 in Garcia and one of the breakout pitchers in Wisler. Now the fans had better hope they both fulfill their potential.

 

 

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