If Minter is Batman, then this guy is Robin
Daniel Winkler has only arrived at the MLB level via a route Magellan would be proud of. After falling victim to Tommy John surgery, the Atlanta Braves pilfered Winkler from the Rockies in the 2014 Rule V draft. After a long rehab process spanning the better part of two calendar years, Winkler made the Braves 2015 opening day roster. In the season’s first few weeks, Winkler would go down again, this time with a gruesome elbow fracture while throwing a slider. This was a heartbreaking injury, and one with a completely unknown prognosis compared to Tommy John.
Dan Winkler finally made his way back into the majors in 2017, and the results were great. Winkler managed a 35% K rate en route to a 2.81 FIP. Already we’re mingling with closer stats. The Braves saw a pitcher worth sticking with, and Winkler has rewarded their investment in him.
More on Winkler. He pairs a mid 90s fastball with a heavy diet of hard cutters and the occasional two seam fastball as his hard pitches. The two-seamer didn’t get the grounders it should have and was largely ditched. The cutter and fastball got above average whiff rates at 12.6% and 15.5% respectively. Winkler’s biggest weapon is his two-plane slider which garnered a 17.5% swinging strike rate. He occasionally throws a split finger change up to alter the pace.
I can see Winkler eventually getting important reps in the 7th and 8th innings to pave the road to AJ Minter.