Atlanta Braves 2015 Opening Day Starter Is…
By Jeff Schafer
On Friday afternoon, Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez announced that he has decided to with Julio Teheran on the mound for opening day against the Miami Marlins.
Teheran, who isn’t having the best spring training – three starts, 8.1 innings pitched, 13 hits, nine runs, seven earned runs, four walks, eight strikeouts, 7.56 ERA and a 2.040 WHIP – will be entering his third full season for the Braves. He was signed by the Braves in 2007 as an amateur free agent out of Cartagena Bolivar, Colombia.
This will be his second career opening day start for the 24-year-old as he was on the mound for Atlanta in 2014 against the Milwaukee Brewers. During that game he pitched 6 innings, gave up seven hits, two runs, one walk and had two strikeouts while picking up a loss.
Julio (on being Opening Day starter): "that's the place I want to be for the rest of my career" #Braves
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) March 27, 2015
Teheran: "I didn't know before the game. Now I feel a great honor, like it was last year. I'm glad to be there for the second time" #Braves
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) March 27, 2015
More Teheran (on starting Opening Day): "that's the place you want to be. You dont want anybody to take it from you" #Braves
— Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) March 27, 2015
Former Braves pitcher and MLB Hall of Famer, Phil Niekro holds the record record for most Opening Day starts for Atlanta, with eight. Niekro had a record in Opening Day starts of zero wins, six losses and two no decisions. Other Braves Hall of Fame pitchers Opening Day stats were – Greg Maddux with seven starts, Tom Glavine with four and John Smoltz with four. Maddux had five wins, one loss and one no decision during his Opening Day stints.
In recent years, Tim Hudson and Derek Lowe had six of the past nine Opening Day starts for the Braves with Lowe having three straight in 2009 to 2011. The other three years, John Smoltz in 2007, Tommy Hanson in 2012 and Teheran in 2014.
With Teheran’s age and skills, we can only hope Niekro’s record of Opening Day starts is in jeopardy in a few years.