Atlanta Braves: Mike Foltynewicz is emerging as an ace
By Dylan Sloan
In the midst of the Atlanta Braves breakout season, one of their young pitchers is also having a breakout season. Mike Foltynewicz is making a case that he is not just the Braves’ number one starter, but a true ace as well.
There has been a constant for the Atlanta Braves throughout their miserable rebuilding seasons. They have had no ‘true ace’ of the pitching staff. For the most part, Julio Teheran has been a solid number one starter.
But he isn’t the true ace that contending teams tend to possess. Or at least, he hasn’t been for the last two seasons. However, Mike Foltynewicz is making his case as the Braves’ ace.
Foltynewicz has had a lengthy stretch of impressive outings. In fact, outside of one sour outing against the Giants on May 4th, Foltynewicz has been unbelievable; he has allowed two or less earned runs in every other start.
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Foltynewicz had his best outing on June 1 against the Nationals. He pitched a complete game, two hit shutout with 11 K’s. Anyone who saw that game saw just how dominant he was. And it was the type of dominant outing that you would see from an ace. A true ace.
Foltynewicz currently has a 2.14 ERA, good for 6th in the MLB. Although if you took away his one bad outing against the Giants on May 6th, his ERA would be 1.59.
This minuscule number would be the lowest ERA in the entire MLB; lower than the ERA of Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom, two aces who are regarded as the best pitchers in their respective leagues.
Although Sean Newcomb has had a breakout season as well, Foltynewicz has undoubtedly proven himself to be the true ace of the Braves’ staff. But as mentioned above, Foltynewicz has proven more than just that.
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He has proven himself as one of the premiere pitchers in the National League. And if the Atlanta Braves end up having to play a win-or-go-home playoff game, there is no question who will be pitching for the Braves – their ace, Mike Foltynewicz.