4. Mike Soroka – Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
The other starter looking for his chance to make an impact on the MLB club is the Canadian right-hander, Mike Soroka. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound sinkerballer bested Allard’s double-A numbers in 2017, cruising to a 2.75 ERA and a minuscule 2.0 walks per nine innings in 26 starts (153.2 IP).
Perhaps the most well-rounded and polished pitcher in the Atlanta Braves’ organization, Mike Soroka will be a special player once he reached the Major Leagues. Enough can’t be said about his effectiveness since becoming a Brave, but it’s best to let his 2018 performance do most of the talking, as it will be nothing short of spectacular.
3. Kyle Wright – Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
The Atlanta Braves selected Kyle Wright with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft with the hopes of acquiring an MLB-ready arm that they can fast track to the big leagues, and they may have found just that with the 22-year-old. In his first season as a Brave, Wright managed to put up a 2.65 ERA between rookie-level and high-A (albeit only 17 innings of work), skipping Rome entirely.
Kyle Wright will likely start the 2018 season with high-A Florida, but will quickly move up if he shows that he’s capable of pitching as he did in 2017. Some mock drafts had Wright being the first overall pick in the draft, and it’s a miracle that he fell to the Atlanta Braves, and now the team hopes to make the most of their opportunity with Wright. We could see him in Atlanta as early as September of 2018.
2. Luiz Gohara – Left-Handed Starting Pitcher
I’ll go ahead and say it: C.C.Sabathia. It cannot be avoided, and I won’t try and avoid it. Just about everyone is comparing Luiz Gohara to C.C. Sabathia, and rightfully so. Although his baby fat is still intact, Gohara’s build resembles that of a young Sabathia, and his stuff matches up almost perfectly. The 21-year-old lefty has an electric fastball and devastating slider that can make even the most fearless of hitters’ knees buckle.
Gohara owned a 2.62 ERA and 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 26 games (25 starts, 123.2 IP) across three minor league levels, ultimately finishing the 2017 campaign in Atlanta, where he was able to leave his mark. Despite his 4.91 ERA in 5 starts with Atlanta, Gohara passed the eye test, which is all that matters. He had his pitches under control and was able to make quite a few batters look silly with that nasty slider. He’ll be a part of the Opening Day rotation for sure.