Atlanta Braves: Five Moves to become Playoff Contenders

5. Call up Sean Newcomb

Sean Newcomb is six-foot five left-hander that throws in the high nineties. Sean Newcomb is Atlanta’s best pitching prospect, received in the Andrelton Simmons deal with Anaheim. One could even go out on a limb and say that Newcomb can bloom into a talent like Chris Sale (We’ll get back to that later). Overall, Newcomb seems like a monster amongst men, and he must join former rookie Dansby Swanson in leading the way for Atlanta.

Newcomb’s stats arent stellar for the Mississippi Braves though. Newcomb posted an 8-7 win-loss record, with a 3.86 ERA. The thing that stands out with Newcomb however is his tremendous strikeout rate. In 140 innings pitched, Newcomb struck out 151 batters. His high velocity fastball mixed with an above average curveball and an improving change-up can prove deadly for opposing hitters. The reason Newcomb’s numbers aren’t what they should be was his high walk rate.

If Newcomb was allowed the chance to work at the big league level with fellow world-class talent, his command may benefit. As he matures and familiarizes himself in Atlanta, he may gather more confidence leading to better command. Newcomb can come out of the bullpen at first, eventually transitioning into a middle of the rotation arm. Newcomb may as well find himself in a very similar role to 2016 Julio Urias. If Atlanta does opt to keep him down, he will definitely be up before seasons end. Whether it is because an arm goes down, or due to the rosters expanding, Newcomb will find himself in Atlanta in 2017. However, if Atlanta wants to maximize their success, Newcomb should find himself on the opening day roster.