Atlanta Braves star performers first week of MLB 2018

Beginning of the breakout?

Above, I wrote THE breakout instead of “a breakout” just below Mike Foltynewciz’s picture. If you are a Braves fan, you know why. Foltynewicz has always had incredible stuff, but he hadn’t put it all together. There has been enduring hope over the past two seasons that a breakout will come. It has to, right?

One more small sample size caveat for the crowds: Folty has only started two games on the season. Despite this, we can come away with some positives thus far.

Bryce Harper is good at baseball, and prior to facing Mike Foltynewicz yesterday, he hadn’t struck out. People were making a big deal of that, rightfully so. He does, after all, have four home runs now. Then Bryce Harper batted against Mike Foltynewicz, and he struck out — twice. This is a microcosm of Folty’s performance.

Mike Foltynewicz: under the hood.

This year, so far, Mike Foltynewicz is changing his pitch mix. You may know about Foltynewicz’s tweaked mechanics, but did you know he’s thrown his changeup 20% of the time this year? The pitch was inconsistently amazing last year is being thrown with conviction this year. He features the changeup to lefties and righties both. Throwing so many changeups has made his high 90s fastball play up even better.

Foltynewicz is also showing his slider more than before, at a 23% clip. His slider has always been renowned as his second best pitch, and it may be his third best now. It’s been a reliable strikeout pitch for him, and where the slider differs this year is, yet again, in its usage. Folty’s slider is now being thrown in any count, and it’s being thrown for strikes.